BR: Buying baby's car seat - online or in-store?

I don't think it makes much of a difference as long as you're using a reputable buyer (obviously amazon) and you check and double check everything once you get it.

and then just to be safe i'd even go as far as taking it to your local fire station house to have it installed correctly in your car. not sure if they do that in CA but they do it here in NYC.

Yep yep. In CA one can go to the Fire Station or CHP station and have the installation evaluated.

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I've been buying a lot of things off amazon.com and I've never had problems with stuff I've received from them but I was just wondering what other moms would do in this case.

Hmmmm.....did you check safety ratings and what not? My bf is a bit psycho and she and her hubby ordered this ridiculously priced stroller, but it's the safest on the market. LOL. When I was visiting her in Chicago 2 weeks ago, any time she'd see a stroller, she would know if it was on the recall list or not.

I would buy from a store you can "test" drive the carseat. Not all fit in all cars. I actually was told to shop at a different store to get one to fit our needs(one in my icon is the carseat I talking about). And I took her advise since we had two in car seats or booster seats at the time in a compact. Plus of buying at a good baby store is they will have someone trained to get the carseats into cars. Then practice before Liam comes both you and FH Miya. I still have troubles maniplating the carseat in and out of our van.

Go to store. this way you can see how to buckle it into the car and how tough the crotch buckles are. also lets you see the weight of the whole travel system. and yes go to the fire dept they will help instal for 1st time parents =) **proud mommy of a 2yr old =)

@jennhutch: Oh yeah. DH picked one that was on the Top Ten best car seats that meets or exceeds NHTSA standards, has a 5 point safety harness, LATCH installation, and is compatible with the stroller system his parents are getting the baby.

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@shdvl: We initially did go to Buy Buy Baby and got a walk and demo through all the infant car seats they had (awesome customer service btw) and they showed us what would go into our vehicle comfortably and such... I swear, that store is the new black hole for my wallet. D:

If you look at it in store like it and get it new online from a reputable seller it should be perfectly fine.

@Michelle L: We did that last weekend and decided on which make and model to get. DH was more excited and nervous than I was about picking out car seats. I think whether we get it in-store or online, I will definitely go to the Fire Station with DH so they can show us how to properly install it in the SUV.

I think with all the instore research thta buying online if it cheaper with the shipping is the way to go. I know my carseat isn't less expensive to get that way since its got almost all metal skeleton under the plastic.

One thing I did notice btw at the baby store, is that they also really play on new parents' emotions when it comes to showing baby gear. It's almost like, going to a wedding shop!

Hello dear...first check on line for recalls car seat to make sure you don't buy some car seat with any kind of problems, also check wish one are the best for proteccion on the market after that, you can see the car see personally in the store but if it is cheapest on line after you check fisically you can buy it on line. Good luck...

Luta....what about healing

Miya, that's exactly what we did just a few months ago. We went into Buy Buy Baby to put the boys in the seats and make sure that they were both comfortable, that we could install them, etc. then bought them from Diapers.com- we had free shipping, and we didn't have to pay tax- when you're spending $600, no tax was nice (2 new Britax seats).

The only thing to be careful with on Amazon is that they do sell last year's models. So, the difference of the $100 may be because you are getting last year's seat, and the features could differ slightly (like a front-adjust for the straps vs back- small detail, huge difference!). You should be able to compare model numbers and see the specs on both websites to be sure that is what you're getting.

Out of curiosity, what seat did you guys choose? I'm like your DH, I research *Everything* to death when it's kid equipment related.

Like Danielle said, you have to make sure that they fit into your car with YOU, or your spouse in the car. My wife ended up having to get rid of her Honda Civic because it was too small. I told her to get something bigger, she moved up to the Accord. When the little guy was facing backward still, I couldn't drive with the seat all the way back (I'm 6'3").

I'm a huge fan of Britax, we have a Boulevard in both cars. Definitely shop online, you can find closeouts for a significant savings, once you've found out that they fit in your car. And remember, car seats DO have a life span of five years. But that is a functional life span, if you bought a new 2007 model today, it is still good for five years. The extreme heat inside of cars breaks down the plastics.

Buy online. And if you think it may be different pricing for the reasons Danielle listed (see if you can check model #s before ordering *Great point Danielle*) just be sure you are getting what you want. Sounds like you did your research and picked what you wanted off that and a RL model. I say if you are saving $100 thats great, there are always more things babys must have

@Matt- Oh really? I have a Honda Civic, and it looks like it can fit two carseats, but maybe I'm wrong.

@ Jass - Honestly when we had the travel system, it was a REAL tight fit to get the seat in place. And what do you know... she now wants a bigger car, but will not give into the minivan craze. ha ha I have a Honda Pilot, and had an Audi allroad before that. Have to say, it is GREAT having that nice flat space in the trunk area to do the traveling diaper changes.

@Unique- Thanks lady! That actually can work for me, as my seat is pushed very foward because I'm so short. lol

@Miya- What carseat are you looking into if you don't mind me asking?

@Matt- She is not buying into the new Oddyssey? It looks like a very cool mini van if you ask me. But I would agree, having space in the back trunk would be nice for diaper changes. The new Accord Crosstour has a hatch back, so maybe she can look into that, or a CRV. Can you tell my brother works for Honda? lol