Last week, I attended my first-ever blogger event. Charlene from CharleneChronicles invited me and 12 other bloggers in the Boston area (all moms with little ones and/or who are currently expecting) to MiniLuxe in Wellesley to learn more about the new Graco® SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 … and enjoy a Mom’s Night Out, complete with manicures, brow threading, facials, wine and yummy treats from nearby Alta Strada.
I’ve been blogging for about two months now, so I was excited to finally meet some fellow bloggers. As the “new kid on the block,” I wasn’t sure what to expect, but everyone was so friendly and sincere and welcoming. And I loved finally being able to match names and faces with their blog personas! I hope to cross paths – in person – with these terrific ladies again soon.
But let’s talk car seats …
I was very curious to learn more about this car seat because of the recent recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. At 16 months, Mimi falls into this age group, but at 33.5 inches long, the poor thing looks crammed back there in her seat. Her legs are permanently bent at an odd angle and I can’t imagine how that is comfortable for her. In fact, I have several friends who ignored the AAP recommendation for this very same reason and moved their children to forward facing before they turned 2.
The SnugRide is aimed at bridging that gap between newborns and 2-year-olds – it can safely (and comfortably) accommodate 4lb newborns to 40lb toddlers!
Here are some of the cool features:
The base slides out to adjust as your child grows. So Mimi, at 16 months, would be at an 8 recline to give her the most legroom – all while staying rear-facing.
Plus I love the adjustable footrest.
The harness and headrest are also adjustable to accommodate a growing child – and they’re a piece of cake to adjust, too. I remember the older Graco travel system car seats we used with Buddy – to adjust the straps, you had to rethread them, which was complicated and time consuming. With this, I was able to adjust both the harness and headrest in a matter of seconds – and with only one hand! A bonus, especially when you have a screaming baby and realize it’s time to move up one notch on the car seat.
While Mimi is much too big and heavy to cart around in the carrier, it is nice to have that as an option. There have been so many times when we’ve come home late and Mimi has fallen asleep in her car seat. But she always wakes up (and is usually pissed off!) when we have to unbuckle her to lift her out and bring her inside. Wouldn’t it be nice to lug the carrier (and I use the word “lug” with love; trust me, Mimi + carrier = heavy) into the house and maybe she’d stay asleep?
As you can see, Raggedy Ann is a big fan of the Graco SnugRide Click Connect too!
I will say that if you drive a Mini or another really small car, or if your regular passenger seat companion is very tall and requires lots of leg room in the front, you might run into some space issues, particularly as the child gets bigger and you have to keep extending the seat back. Also, it can only be used with Graco’s Click Connect line of strollers, rather than any of the generic snap-and-gos. So these are a few things you may want to keep in mind.
Thanks to the lovely folks at Graco, I am able to give a brand new, Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 (in a gender neutral “Moonstruck” pattern; “Mena” is pictured here) to a lucky Keeping Mommy Sane reader! This retails at $219! Instructions for entering (and how to earn extra entries) are below. Don’t wait: this giveaway ends at 12:01am on Friday, November 16. The winner will be contacted via email. Open to U.S. residents only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 – the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds. The car seat is designed for a parent on the go. The infant car seat can be easily removed from the base and used as a carrier when the infant is small, providing portability and convenience so you can easily move your infant in and out of the car without disturbing them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made the recommendation to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Graco set out to make this product so parents can keep infants rear facing longer while still keeping them comfortable. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco. The opinions and text are all mine.
Mandy Clark says
Very interesting way to try to address the new recommendations! We’ve got the issue of a kid who will be uncomfortably squeezed in well before age 2 as well, along with wondering how we’re going to manage 2 rear-facing seats at the same time, so I might have to check this out.
Lalaine Hagler says
I like the base that you can easily slide it. Must try for my baby who is 14 months old. Thanks for this review
http://delightfulideas.com/
Wendy Himmel says
I am a good friend of Sara Hammer’s and have met you in the neighborhood. I am due with my 3rd child and am in need of a new carseat, as mine have all expired. I used a snugride with my other two kids and loved it and am interested in trying out this new one!
brooke t says
I actaully love the latch system!!
Lisa Deck says
I no longer have children who could use this but do have a cousin with a newborn. What an awesome contest! I also plan to share this with my friends – I know they will LOVE your blog! Keep up the fun posts, Jess 🙂
jennifer k. c. says
I love that it accomadates to 40 lbs… thats awesome!
kelly says
I currently have two graco myrides for my kidlets
I started my 14 month old off in the myride, and while I loved that it was not a carrier, I did feel that it was a little huge around her. I am pregnant again and have been looking for a different starter carseat for this peanut. I think this looks really cool!
Sonya Morris says
I love that the base slides out to adjust as your child grows giving them more leg room.
Tiffany Winner says
the adjustable footrest
Melody says
I like that the base slides out and the high weight limit, I hope to win for my grandaughter!
amy pugmire says
I love that it holds up to 40 lbs and grows with your child
Alex Liz Robinson says
I love that it can hold up to 40lbs.
stacey says
I like that it is not expired….like my current one 🙁
Kaelie says
I love that it will keep my baby safe for 2 years!
Kae says
Just discovered mine is expired too 🙁
Angie says
The adjustable footrest
dave says
accommodating up to 40 lbs is the best!
Emily D says
I love that the car seat can hold up to 40 pounds!!!
Liz Ticona says
Love that the harness and headrest are easy to adjust and you can even do it with one hand! that’s amazing! So convenient 🙂
Maggie C says
I like that it’s easily adjustable to grow with the baby.
carly dunavant says
the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds
Dijah A says
I love that the seat is good for 2 years, and the foot rest so that the seat doesn’t get messed up, and that it’s easy to adjust.
Jessica Wiese says
My favorite feature is the extended rear-facing height/weight limit with the convenience of an infant carrier. I want to keep our baby rear-facing until 2 or 3, and this seat would buy us quite a bit of time.
Kendall buck says
I love the high weight limit on this seat!
priscillavbenavides@yahoo.com says
I love that you can use it from Birth up to 40 pounds!
priscillavbenavides@yahoo.com
Katie buck says
I like the beautiful mena print
Ashley Holt says
Newborn to 2 years old!