Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m jealous. Every time I see a new girl cover hit the market it makes me mad. Helloooo…. what about boys? Do CR manufacturers think boys don’t care what their seat looks like? Do they think parents of boys don’t care? Maybe they think the seat will be so dirty in a week that no one will be able to tell that it’s a boring brown/tan/black/gray.
Whatever their reasoning is, it’s wrong and it’s gone on for too long. With very few exceptions, even the small number of boyish covers in the last 5 years have been less than thrilling. It just isn’t fair. Boys like covers that “speak to them” as much as girls do.
Sport themes, Blue Camo, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Dinosaurs, Fire Engines, Cowboy/Western, Space, Farm Animals, Bugs, boyish Hawaiian prints. Do I need to go on? It’s not like there’s a shortage of things that appeal to boys. Walk into any party supply store and you’ll see dozens of different themes that cater to boys.
Personally, both of my kids are huge baseball nuts. A nice cotton or cotton-blend baseball cover on a HWH seat would be a huge hit with my youngest. Also, baseball is the kind of theme that appeals equally to 2-year-olds AND 10-year-olds. And let’s face it, it’s a challenge to keep big kids happy in their seats. I know from experience that they’ll resist less as they get older if they actually like the seat.
That’s an interesting point I never thought of. I have a 5 year old girl and it seems like it took forever to come out with something other than blue, gray or black!
Her infant seat was the Graco Central Park pattern. That black toile was the most feminine thing out there at the time. A year later the Arctic Cat Marathon pattern was the only girly pattern available.
I would have paid more for a pink/purple or floral pattern seat. However, you are right. They could make better patterns for boys.
When Britax first came to the US in the 90s they only offered the cotton print covers and had patterns like planes, trains and automobiles, toys, etc. The Handle with Care was available in a cool galaxy print. Their original Porsche and BMW seats were even in fun boy-ish prints. They had some others, but they were met with criticism for not having more girly prints. I think the original group of Maxi-Cosi Priori seats had boy prints too.
Since I’m only able to reference car seat covers from the 90s that means I’ve been out of the game a while, huh?
As the mother of 3 girls- I frankly couldn’t care less about all the girly covers out there. I cannot fathom paying more to surround my child in pink. All of our seats are blue/gray/ black/tan- the only way I’d buy a “girly” seat is if it was the only one on sale!
Most of the girly covers are pink and flowery- and I suspect as much for mom as kiddo. I think as a whole- lots of moms will pay extra to “dress-up” their girl, but not for a boy.
I would love to be able to get a seat that wasn’t black/grey I mean sure I had the option of brown, but that was just as bad, give me BLUE or GREEN I don’t even need a themed seat, just a nice colour, I mean you can get pink, why not Green.
Here, here! My son is always begging for orange. HOw hard is that, just some orange on a seat? And yes, he’s also a baseball nut 🙂
I would absolutely love a green Nautilus or Lizards in Line for my DD. But yeah, the boys are really getting slighted here. Even some different, fun colors would go a long way to making some boys and their mommies happy.
Is it too much to ask for a Lizards in Line Nautilus? Really, I think there are enough of us wanting one to justify producing them! Both my boys would LOVE lizards. Or bugs, or monsters, or rocket ships, etc. Although if a firetruck seat came out, I don’t think I’d ever get them out of my van!
I agree. I’m not a huge fan of “character wear” but I would love anything not grey. Where are the brown with blue polka dots or something in a crazy color like green. I think a baseball print could also go a long way. My son is in the one lone aqua seat I could find. A little girly by some standards but I’m so tired of grey.
Oh, look at that sad, sad face. Someone, make that boy a baseball cover, and quick!
The problem with “character” seats is that they’re quickly outgrown… by taste. I think manufacturers would be smart to make reversible covers in these cases. That way, when the child outgrows the Cars/Thomas/Barbie stage you can just flip the cover over.
i agree on the Lightning McQueen seat, i mean, we use the “race car seat” idea with kids to help them think that being harnessed is cool so what better way to do that then with a seat that has race cars on it.
I am so with you. I have two boys and this is what they have been begging for:
6 year old: Bugs, space, sports
4 year old: Orange seat with sports
Boosters in Pokemon or pro sports team logos would be a big hit.
I would love a themed seat for one of my boys! I hope someone starts making them, my three year old would flip for a Lighting McQueen seat!
My son would just be happy with a green seat.
I would love a seat that has space stuff, bugs, jungle print, etc!
Thanks for posting this. Now here’s hoping some carseat manufacturers are reading. I’d love to buy a boy themed convertible for my son. As it is, he’s getting a gray and black seat. How fun…
But boys are not people in this country. They’re slighted in far more than just the car seat market.
Yeah, my kid would love a fire truck or lizard print. Heck, Graco’s got the license for all things Disney, why not slap some Lightning McQueen on that Nautilus there? Alas, it won’t happen. My kid would also like the flower seats which i would happily get him, but the plush are far far too hot for him. So, we chill in plain grey mesh.