I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade but I’m frequently 
amused by the reactions that ensue whenever there’s hint of a new seat. Don’t get me wrong, I like to speculate about new products as much as the next carseat-loving person but the reality rarely lives up the hype. The perfect carseat for everyone just doesn’t exist although if you’re lucky – you’ll find the perfect seat for your kid once in a while.
I’ve learned to not get my hopes up prematurely and to take it all in stride when the seat doesn’t live up to the expectations. I remember all the excitement about a “real” Simpson Racing carseat – which never materialized. I remember all the hopes and dreams that we had pinned on the Airway – only to be totally let down by the reality that it was a piece of junk. I remember the frenzy that followed the initial release of the Super Elite. That seat was harder to find than a snowball in Miami when it was first released! There were waiting lists at every baby specialty store and the few that wound up on Ebay went for double and triple the retail price. Of course, after all of that – the seat had several recalls and was eventually replaced with the Husky.
Not too long ago the big anticipation was the Recaro convertibles. Sure, they’re nice seats but they’ve had their share of problems and issues too. Now, the word is that Recaro is working on re-releasing the Young Sport with a higher-weight-harness limit. I advise anyone who is interested in that particular seat (or the Recaro infant seat) not to get too excited. We’ll probably see them eventually but Recaro time is like dog years. Spring 2010 could mean 6 years from now for the rest of us. I hope I’m wrong about that but only time will tell.
Just recently the news that Graco might be close to launching a new convertible seat with a rear-facing weight limit of 40 lbs has created a LOT of excitement on the forum. However, they’re not the first manufacturer to promise this and nothing has ever materialized before. I think going where no other manufacturer (in the US) has gone before is easier said than done. I’m not trying to be a downer – I just want to caution everyone not to pin all their hopes and dreams on this potential seat. Especially since we don’t know a darn thing about it yet. It’s okay to be excited about the prospects and I hope Graco knocks all our socks off with an awesome new convertible seat (they’ve had enough time to work on something in that dept) but I’m not going to hold my breath.
I’ve got hopes. . .
Hi~gh hopes. . .
High, apple pie, in the skyyyyyyyyy hopes.
I can see Graco Doing the first RF to 40 pound seat. Heck, they have the nautilus and the safeseat. 🙂 I love Graco though! 😉
After the Nautilus, and how totally awesome it turned out (mostly), I totally CAN see Graco coming out with this. But if they don’t hopefully someone else will. It will get here eventually!
Eh, it would be great, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Fortunately, I have plenty of time before I need to worry about a higher rfing limit. :p
Ah, yes. But some are not too disappointing. The GN is decent, the EFTA is okay. Recaro, oh man I remember the hype on those and they fell flat…
I don’t see it coming from Graco.
Recaro doesn’t like to be questioned by technicians either. They get really defensive, really fast it seems to me.
You should have seen the “engineer” at the Recaro booth at lifesavers freak out when I asked her if they had any plans for rear-facing tethering.
I love how you always tell it like it is, Kecia. I guess when you’ve been around in this field for as long as we have been, you learn to be skeptical about release dates and new products. Recaro and dog years–LMAO on that one! So true!
Oh gosh, THAT is a trip down memory lane! But remember that first sweet news of the Marathon, and how it DID end up being the near-perfect seat we all loved (minus the non-roundabout adjuster)? That’s what keeps me coming back to the excitement of speculating about new seats 😉
*Whining* But I want Graco to make the first US 40-lb Rear-facing seat!!!!
Ah, no really we shall see. Our Graco Rep is coming to BuyBuyBaby in a few weeks and I plan on getting some info!!!!
after the Nautilus, I believe they are capable of a great convertible seat… but I agree… gotta wait and see what happens
*wipes away tear*
funsucker!
LOL
Kecia, Kecia, always the voice of reason! 🙂