Graco Snugride Infant Car Seat, Metropolitan
by Graco
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List Price: Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Graco Snugride Infant Car Seat, Metropolitan
Customer Review: Looks great for a portable baby sauna
Summary: 3 Stars
We were debating between this seat, the Graco Saferide that goes up to 30 lbs and the Chico. This is one of the highest rated car seats for safety by consumer reports.
The fabric looks more stylish than that of the majority of baby car seats available on the market, it also felt much more cushier. However, the fabric is not breathable at all, making the baby sweat, overheat, and cry!
For some reason the seat also seems smaller or disproportionate to other standard baby car seats. Our 2 month old is only 23 inches and her feet will be protruding shortly! Yet she has plenty of head room.
The handle is stiff and you need two hands to adjust it.
The hood is flimsy and has a very unnecessary clear "sunroof" in the middle - you don't want sun on your baby's head and you can't see well enough through there to check how the baby is doing anyway ( might be the effect of the dark fabric). The hood is also not large enough to fully cover the seat. If you pull it all the way down you end up with a large gap in the back. On a very sunny and hot day this is a problem in the car: your baby gets the draft from the blasting air conditioner on the head - while you are trying to cover up the front from the sun! actually this a problem for cold weather in general too - not adequate coverage.
we did not go with the Chico for the reason that it's hood was even smaller. The saferide was not reviewed by consumer reports and the snugride was a top seller. in retrospect we should have gone with the Saferide or another brand altogether.
Customer Review: Good "Safe" Seat - but pretty basic
Summary: 3 Stars
I was amazed to see SO many different styles of this seat. We ordered the seat based on product reviews and personal testimonies of friends. This is one of the "Safest" seats around, but it is important to remember that all car seats must pass the Federal standards before they can be sold.
Graco offers over 20 patterns of this seat. We ordered the GALEN style. We were disappointed with the product when it arrrived. The colors were not nearly as bold as those in the product pictures. The green and brown were very "washed out". It looked like it was an Army colored seat (very muted tones and looked very "washed" or aged.
As far as the product, the handle was okay but only if holding by the grip. If you tried to put it overy your arm to free you hand for a moment, the molding of the plastic formed a hard, sharp edge and would press into the skin causing much discomfort.
The fabric was a bit "slick" feeling and also felt quite thin. A baby is not going to complain much about the comfort factor unless it is just really uncomfortable, but we want our baby to be very comfortable if possible so we wanted something Thicker.
We sent it back and got the Graco SafeSeat instead. It has a completely rounded handle and the fabrick was much thicker and just seemed like it would be easier to clean (removal and cleaning).
We purchased the unit (either of them) to go into the Graco SnugRider stroller. It looks to be a great travel stroller without being a "Travel System" which are gargantuous things.
Customer Review: Excellent Car Seat- Love it!!! Top Choice
Summary: 5 Stars
Before my daughter was born I did a lot of research before deciding on a car seat. This one really appealed to me based on other reviews and the top rated safety ratings. The neutral colors are great too, not too girly or boyish. When I received it as a shower gift I was immediately impressed. It is very light and the seat is so comfy feeling with lots of padding, removable head and body supports and high sides to protect my baby. The attached bunting is removable and was very nice especially with a newborn during the colder months. And the adjustable/removable cover is great in all weather; keeps the cold wind off, the sun out and the rain away. The base was easy to install in the car with the latch anchor system, and it is adjustable. We brought our baby girl home from the hospital in it and she fit perfect even though she was so tiny at 6.5lbs. The harness has removable comfort bands, the chest closure and each side of the harness attach separately into the crotch latch which is very nice and makes like so easy with a squirming infant. Even now at 7 months our baby girl fits perfectly and it is so easy to get her in and out of the car. I would also recommend the Graco stroller they make travel and just running everyday errands so easy; the car seat comes out of the car and clicks right into the stroller and off we go. Definitely recommend this car seat it is awesome!!Customer Review: This little piggy was sweating in the back of the car.
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros
*Great safety record
*Nice cushion, this model had thicker foam when compared to other more economical models of the snugride
*Parents have great options when it comes to adapters for different strollers
*Can double as a rocker when you're at the grandparents or relatives house
Cons
*This seat will make your baby sweat like a PIG, this fabric does not breathe at all and made my baby sweat to the point that there were unpleasant sweat stains that had to be washed all the time. It also caused my little one to wake up sooner due to the discomfort level
*The handle on the seat is horrible and created lower back pains for me
*The canopy on this doesn't do alot. There is a plastic window were you can view the baby; its this same window that will shine into your kids face when your baby is trying to sleep. The canopy is also on the small side. If you are out and about, you are constantly stopping to adjust it
Conclusion
I would recommend a snugride with another fabric, not the metropolitan. Invest in a JJ Cole Bundleme or something similar, so your baby doesn't have to feel the fabric. (It's feels like a 70's polyester leisure suit.) Get a decent canopy, because your baby can not wear the majority of sunscreens out there till they are 6 months old.
Customer Review: Not sturdy or comfortable, not impressed.
Summary: 3 Stars
We owned a GRACO carseat in 2000 but replaced it when our dtr. was born in Oct 2006 with this GRACO family tree carseat. It was slightly cheaper than other graco carseats, but I was so impressed with our first one that I figured it would be worthwhile to get the same brand, and since this is our last (of 4) child, I didn't want to buy the most expensive one. I was wrong.
First of all, the handle isn't as strong as the older graco--it's flimsy and I always feel like it will break on me. Secondly, it isn't comfortable -- there isn't enough padding (the baby sits on the hard plastic with only a thin liner between her and the carseat, and the cradle part of the carseat (where the baby's bottom sits) is just not fitting right with our newborn (it curves in the wrong place). And third, it's very heavy. Everything is awkward about this carseat. I would not buy it again, nor would I recommend it to anyone--I'm tempted to toss it and pay more for a better one.
The two nice improvements since our last GRACO carseat are the 5-pt. harness and the 3 levels of adjustment for correct inclination. But you can find that on other GRACO models.
If you're looking for a new carseat, splurge the extra $10 and get a nicer GRACO. Especially if you plan on using it for other children--it's worth it.