Review of Chicco KeyFit & KeyFit30 Infant Car Seat Base

Chicco KeyFit & KeyFit30 Infant Car Seat Base - Anthracite
By: Chicco Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 22
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Just what we expected!

On: 2010-01-10

Awesome price for an extra base for Grandmas car!!!! Definitely worth buying from Amazon and not having to go brave the lines and hassle of a retail store and saved over $10 in the process!!!

Best carseat

On: 2009-12-17

You just pop the carseat into the base and go. No juggling, adjusting etc after initial install. Great- enough said.

I love it

On: 2009-12-11

What more can I say other than ... quick to install & very easy in/out with the carrier. After using it for three months I still love it and appreciate its sturdy design.

Does what it's supposed to. Easy to install.

On: 2009-12-10

This car seat base does what its supposed to do - hold the carseat in place. Its got built-in leveling bubbles to assist with proper install. It can be installed via LATCH, lap belt, or shoulder/lap belt. Ive tried all 3 and had no issues. What more can I say? If you have a Chicco KeyFit or KeyFit 30, this is a great additional base.

Good Base

On: 2009-12-09

Needed an extra base for the Chicco Keyfit 30. It works as well as the first one. Easy to use and to level. Has latch system which makes it easy to install and take out. The Keyfit 30 is a great system that will keep you child safe.

Cicco Infant Car Seat Base

On: 2009-11-24

This base was very easy to install. I really like that the product booklets have a special storage spot. That way the instructions are always handy.

We bought the base so we could easily transfer our grandbabys carseat to our car.

Chicco is the best!

On: 2009-09-11

Chicco makes it easy to get the base in any vehicle properly and most importantly, safely. More pricey than other brands, but its something youll use almost everyday, so its worth the extra money. Two thumbs up!

Must have

On: 2009-08-12

We are so glad we purchased this base to use in our second car. It makes life so much easier and hassle free to have this already to go in the car. Just snap the seat in and we are off no reattaching and making sure its tight. Just nice to know its in there and locked down how you want it one time.

Dad's point of view

On: 2009-07-20

This is the 4th car seat I installed in my life and its absolutely by far the best. Look at the manufacturers website and click on the product demo. Yes, it is that easy. This base has a leveling foot and bubble levels so it is perfect in almost any car. It fits in both of our cars so well I cant believe it. There is no doubt the car seat is secure. No more pillows or rolled towels.
Our 7 month old junior is outgrowing the 22lbs infant seat we borrowed. I wanted to install the convertible ones (Britax marathon) as rear facing but could not fit them into the back seat of our cars with enough angle. Tried to use pillows and towels to level the seat but it didnt seem to be secure solution at all. Now he will travel securely and comfortably, rear facing until he is able to travel in forward facing toddler seat.
Big kudos to whoever designed this base!

Invest the money, it's worth it!

On: 2009-06-03

I am a thrifty shopper but I think its worth to invest in your babys safety. This base is STURDY, easy to install and if it gets loose for any reason it will tell you because of the bubbles on the sides. I have three of them and no problems so far. If you are planning to have more than one baby kind of close, this will be a great investment.

Great

On: 2009-05-14

We bought as an extra base for our other car and makes it easier for us to use whichever car to take our daughter without having to move car seat base. With the LATCH option makes it easy to remove as well if we need to.

Grandparents Need Car Seat Base

On: 2009-02-20

As first-time grandparents, we decided to get the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat base, so that we too can transport the baby safely. We installed the base so that its connected to the frame of the car (a simple operation), and now we just listen for the reassuring click, click to make sure the car seat is properly in place.

Extremely user friendly

On: 2008-12-31

I bought this base to go with my granddaughters Chicco seat that is in her parents car. It was easy to install and very easy to use. Unfortunately, she has now outgrown the seat and she is in another type of seat that isnt as user friendly. I highly recommend this base and the seat.

We own three bases and used for a year with no issues.

On: 2008-11-11

We have three bases and the matching Chicco Infant Seat. We used them from 2007 until fall of 2008 without a single issue. Having the extra bases was invaluable. We had one in our van, on in my husbands explorer, and also put one in grandmas new durango. Previous to owning the van I had a grand prix 4-door sedan without latch, and it worked just great in that car also. I prefer the latch installation of course, but I loved how you can just adjust by pressing the orange buttons to get the base level in any style car. Great product. We will be using this again in about 4 months with baby #2

Car seat base

On: 2008-05-11

This car seat base allows our daughter and son-in-law to transfer their new bundle of joy between two vehicles. They are thrilled with the looks and the safety features of this product.

Great base

On: 2008-05-04

I bought this base for the 22lb max. weight car seat, and this base is great. We had a little trouble installing at first, so that it wouldnt lift at the back, but once we got use to it, it didnt budge at inch. We had the safety of our seat checked and we were given the OK. The seat seems very safe and I would buy it again, although I find it very heavy to carry! When we came out of the hospital, the midwife told us that our car seat was the easiest installation she had ever seen!

Please ignore the one star review

On: 2008-04-01

Please ignore the reviewer who rated the seat one star due to the rebound issue. I am a certified child passenger safety technician and this is NOT a safety concern. Almost all rear facing seats will rebound in a crash. The only ones that wont are infant seats with rigid LATCH (the only one currently available in the US is the Baby Trend Latch-Loc with rigid LATCH) or one with an anti-rebound bar like the Britax Companion and convertible seats that tether rear facing (all Britax convertible seats, Sunshine Kids Radian, etc). As long as your seat moves less than an inch in any direction AT THE BELT PATH (i.e. on an infant seat with a base, right at the seat crack where the other poster said it was tight) it is safe. The Chicco KeyFit is a very good seat. It is without a doubt one of the best on the market currently. It installs like a dream and fits small babies very well. As a tech of seven years, I would not hesitate to recommend this seat or use it for my own child.

Deemed UNSAFE by certified seat installer!!!

On: 2008-03-25

I purchased this seat on the recommendation of Consumer Reports, expecting the safest seat on the market. In order to make certain it was installed perfectly, I visited a local California police department and had a trained and certified car seat inspector install it.
Where the LATCH system attaches (or along the belt path if not using LATCH) the seat is very secure. Wont budge an inch. HOWEVER, the back of the seat and base remain completely untethered and will lift up at least seven inches off the seat. My installer said this is incredibly unsafe in the event of being rear ended at moderate to high speeds.

I spoke with Chiccos car seat safety person who said it isnt a concern because most accidents are head on collisions. She also mentioned that in the past month they have received at least eight other complaints from the California Highway Patrol about this issue.
Ive been looking into this issue extensively and have learned that all infant seats with bases are designed this way and have the same problem. Its so common it has a name: Rebound.

So, unless you are certain that you will not be rear-ended avoid this and all infant seats designed to pop out of a base at all costs. They are not safe. Yes, being able to easily remove your child from the car is a great feature, but it IS NOT worth risking the safety of your child. My local certified police installer deems this seat and others of the same style unsafe. And from the mouth of Chiccos own representative, so does the California Highway Patrol.

Britax Roundabout, Britax Roundabout Advantage, Britax Galaxy and the Britax Marathon are all convertible seats that are VERY safe and have been tested using a tether in a rear facing position that removes this rebound issue.

For the sake of your child, bypass convenience and go with safety.

Escellent engineering

On: 2008-01-21

This is part of a complete travel system for infants. The infant carrier snaps into and out of this base with ease. It is very well designed, unlike similar products that can be a real bear the use.

Escellent engineering

On: 2008-01-20

This is part of a complete travel system for infants. The infant carrier snaps into and out of this base with ease. It is very well designed, unlike similar products that can be a real bear the use.

easy to use accessory to a great car seat!

On: 2007-12-17

I bought this for my sister for her brand new little girl. Now she and her partner can each have a base for the car seat in their car, and not worry about who has the base to pick her up from Grammies house. The system is easy to use, and most importantly has the highest safety ratings. If you are planning to get the Chicco system and have more than one car

Great Car Seat Base

On: 2007-12-03

This chicco car seat base is so easy to use. We already had the car seat and base for my wifes car, and we just needed the base for mine so we dont have to take it in and out. The latch is super easy (cars 2002 and newer) it tightens easy with one pull, and seat belts on this base seem to fit exactly like they should. The base has 2 levels easy to read. The car seat clicks in when you set it in, and your done and ready to drive. This is the base for babies up to 30 lbs. Our car seat was the year prior when they only hold up to 22 lbs, but this car seat base accepts both the 22 and 30 lb. car seats perfectly.

Great car seat accessory

On: 2007-11-21

We LOVE our Chicco KeyFit 30 so much that we needed an extra base for our second car. Great price, quick shipping, nice product.