Consumer Reports Guides Parents To Safest Car-Seat Choices: CR Tests Show Some LATCH-Equipped Car Seats Difficult To Install

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2003

CONTACT:
Jennifer Shecter (914) 378-2402
shecje@consumer.org
Consumers Union

Consumer Reports Guides Parents to Safest Car-Seat Choices:
CR tests show some LATCH-equipped car seats difficult to install

May issue also offers stroller buying advice and Ratings for parents on the go

Yonkers, NY - Car seats have come a long way since Consumer Reports first crash-tested them for the magazine's August 1972 issue and rated 12 out of 15 of them Not Acceptable, saying the restraints "proved shockingly inadequate."

Results of CR's most recent tests of child seats, published in the May 2003 issue, show that parents now have excellent choices in all car-seat categories. But CR also found that some of the new LATCH seats, which have been redesigned with lower anchors and a top tether to make them easier to install-and thus more likely to be used correctly-had design flaws or were difficult to make fit securely.

CR evaluated 25 car seats, including 14 infant or convertible car seats and 11 booster seats, priced from $20 to $230, for their crash protection, ease of use, and fit to vehicle. The ratings and full report can be accessed free online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

CR's test results underscore the importance for parents of checking the fit of any car seat they are considering in their own car and to make sure that the seat is easy to use before committing to buying it. Conversely, if parents are buying a new car, they should take their child seats with them to make sure they fit properly. CR also recommends that parents look for local car-seat inspection sites to ensure their seats are installed correctly. Parents can find the nearest site by visiting www.seatcheck.org or www.nhtsa.gov.

Test highlights and CR's car-seat recommendations include:

INFANT SEATS: Age & Weight Guidelines: These rear-facing seats are for babies up to 20 or 22 pounds, depending on the model, and under 1 year old.

Top-Rated Seats: The Graco SnugRide 8444L, $85 and the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio, $150 earned the highest marks overall. Consumers should be aware that due to two reports of missing hardware, Graco recalled some 650,000 of the SnugRides. They can visit www.gracobaby.com for more information.

CONVERTIBLE SEATS: Age & Weight Guidelines: These seats should be used rear-facing for infants and forward facing when the child is more than 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. They can be used until the child is 40 pounds.
Top-Rated Seats: The top-rated Britax Roundabout E9L0240, $230, while pricey, earned high marks overall. The less expensive Evenflo Titan 5 convertible car seat, $70, also performed well in our tests.

TODDLER/BOOSTER SEATS: Age & Weight Guidelines: In toddler mode with the harness, these accommodate children between 20 or 22 pounds, depending on the model, and 40 pounds. When kids reach 40 pounds, it can convert to a booster seat, which children can typically use until they are 80 or 100 pounds.
Top-Rated Seat: The Cosco Summit High Back Booster 22-260, $110, is the only toddler/booster seat tested that CR can recommend without reservation. In booster mode, these seats rely on the car's safety belt to restrain a child, with the shoulder belt routed through a belt-positioning guide on the seat. The Cosco is the only seat with a guide that reliably allows the belt to slide freely and retract fully. The other seats have guides that allow slack into the belts, which could compromise a child's protection in a crash.

BOOSTER SEATS: Age & Weight Guidelines: These are generally for children weighing 40 to 80 pounds (A very tall child may begin using a booster seat at 30 pounds.) They use the vehicle's own safety belts.
Top-Rated Seats: All five models tested are excellent choices overall.

Strollers: Advice for Parents Rockin' and Strollin'

Consumer Reports evaluated 33 strollers, including traditional strollers, all-terrain or jogging models, travel systems, infant car-seat carrier frames, and double strollers, for safety, durability and ease of use. Some of the safety and convenience stroller features CR recommends include adjustable-height handles, a five-point harness, a cup holder for baby, a canopy to protect baby from sun or rain, and a large shopping basket. CR's other shopping tips include:

Test drive before you buy. Try opening, folding, and lifting the stroller with one hand, because the other will often be holding the baby. Make sure you can stand tall when you push the stroller and that your legs and feet don't hit the wheels as you walk.

Consider your baby's age. Newborns obviously can't sit up; they must have a stroller that allows them to lie down for the first few months of life, or a stroller that accepts an infant car seat. The Graco Sterling 7425 travel system, $180, earned high scores in our tests and comes with CR's top-rated car seat, the Graco SnugRide (Note: SnugRide infant car seats sold as part of a travel system are not subject to the recall). The less expensive Kolcraft Universal Car Seat Carrier 46250, $50, is another excellent choice and can be used with most infant car seats.

Keep in mind where you stroll. Consider where you will most often use the stroller. City dwellers who rely on subways, buses, and cabs are going to need a lightweight, portable stroller. Suburban parents who drive a lot may find that a travel system better suits their needs. Many families now own more than one stroller.

The issue will be available April 8th wherever magazines are sold. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from Consumer Reports can be accessed online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

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MAY 2003

The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports® is published by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers.

OPI:JS:3/22/03

View Files Sorted By Office: Consumers Union OPI, New York - Washington DC Office
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