With the latest news about Graco child safety seats being recalled due to a buckle issue, some parents might be interested in ditching their seats for a different brand. Obviously, child safety is important, and many brands offer unique features to make the child safer in the vehicle, or life easier on the parent. We present to you five brands that appear to be using either a different latch altogether than the Graco units, or a latch that more closely resembles the modified unit that Graco is sending as a replacement. All of these child seats can be purchased on Amazon, or through an authorized reseller. Feel free to comment on any other brands that may be out there that are good alternatives to the Graco brand.
READ: Graco Recall Targets 3.7 Million Child Safety Seats (Video)
Safety 1st
Safety 1st offers a line of car seats, from infant seats to boosters, that are an affordable alternative to Graco child safety seats. Upon close inspection of the belts, it appears that they are using a different latch system than what Graco is using on the recalled seats. This should help keep crumbs and dried up juice out of the button area.
A convertible safety seat from Safety 1st.
To view what they have to offer, click here to visit their site.
Evenflo
Evenflo makes child safety seats that they claim provide 2x the protection required by law for a child safety seat. One very impressive feature is the ease of installation into a modern vehicle. The LATCH system in car is how a child seat anchors to the vehicle. With an Evenflo seat, the seat clicks into the LATCH, and the seat automatically tightens when pushed in for the best fit in the vehicle. Installation is easier, and should provide less room for error.
Click here to view their full line of seat options.
Britax
Britax offers a full line of child safety seats that might be a good alternative to the Graco line. They utilize a latching system similar to the previous brands mentioned. One nice thing about their website is that they have a utility to help pick the best seat for the child who will be riding in it. For someone who may not know what he or she is looking for (and that’s probably the case with the first child), this tool should help put the parent at ease.
Britax Roundabout convertible safety seat.
View their models and prices here.
Diono
Diono also offers a child seat finder similar to what Britax offers on their website, but Diono seats appear to be a bit more expensive than the competition. They also claim that they are the safest car safety seats available. Keep in mind that there is a minimum requirement for safety on a child seat, and all manufacturers must meet or exceed that. Reviews seem positive, and their website is littered with testimonials. They might be a good company to look at.
The Diono RadianRXT convertible seat.
Check out their entire product line here.
Cosco
Cosco and Safety 1st are one-in-the-same since they are owned by the same parent company. They also are the creators of the Eddie Bauer seats as well. We would expect similar quality from both brands. Each brand has their own color combination and design style, but both also appear to be using the buckles that are easier to operate and therefore potentially safer in a crash.
The Cosco convertible safety seat.