Back in February I wrote a post about Dorel’s all-in-one seat that has 7 different brand names. At the time, I thought we were safe from other companies trying to put that smack down on us like that. Silly me, living in La-La Land like that. I totally forgot about Graco and their SnugRide line.
A couple of months ago, I was helping an expectant set of parents install their brand new SnugRide 22. We were working in mom’s car first, then moving to dad’s car to install the extra base. We discussed positioning in the back seat, discussed LATCH vs. seat belt, and Dad and I installed the base with a locking clip in the center. Then we moved to his car and he pulled out the extra base he had bought. Yep, it was for a SnugRide 32, a totally different seat and the bases look nothing alike. The salesperson at the big box baby store told them it was the correct base—I’m sure in the process of asking for an extra base, they said they had a SnugRide (also incorrectly called SnugRider, SnugSeat—that’s a special needs seat, but most parents don’t know that, SafeRide, SnugFit, and other colorful names that imaginative minds can come up with) and they were pointed to the SnugRide 32 base. I do get giggly sometimes when parents tell me at a checkup event that they have a Grack-o SnugRider, the one that goes to 30 lbs., but I gently guide them to the correct pronunciation. Ah, I’m off on a tangent . . . or am I? Which seat are they talking about?
Most often boxes aren’t kept, so the parent is out the money spent on either the travel system or the base that doesn’t match the infant seat. They’re frustrated. The tech that has to deliver the bad news is frustrated because here’s a parent who is usually due any day and has an infant seat that can only be installed in one vehicle. Sure, we can educate them on how to install the base, but I remember being that pregnant mom about ready to pop—there’s so much going on up in that mind and whatever useful information you’re trying to remember is often forgotten after 15 minutes, lol. In many locations, events are only scheduled once a quarter if that often and technicians aren’t available outside of events. Where does that leave a parent who wants to have the installation double-checked after they get the matching base?
It’s just a bad situation. Sure, I’m picking on Graco here, but we all know they’re not the only manufacturer causing confusion with their naming scheme. Britax has a carseat called the Roundabout which has been around since 1997. This year, it pumped the Roundabout with steroids, gave it a 50 lbs. weight limit and called it the Roundabout 50. C’mon guys. It’s easy. If you create a new seat, give it a different name and put it on the label where everyone can see it without having to uninstall the darn thing. Thanks.
One part of the naming problem is that the gigantic retailers like Target and Walmart want CR names that they can carry exclusively. So you can only get a “Bolero” (aka Generations) at Walmart or an EB Deluxe Adjustable Highback Booster (aka Summit) at Target. But apparently not all the CR manufacturers are willing to play this stupid game because a Marathon is still a Marathon and a Nautilus is still a Nautilus – even at Target or Walmart.
The other issues arise when some genius (I use that term liberally) in marketing convinces the powers that be that a particular model name has so much name recognition already that it’s going to practically sell itself. That’s the reason we have the SR32/35, RA50 and the Ford “Taurus” again.
Oh yes, I forgot about Evenflo and Sunshine Kids [smacks self on forehead]. They all do it! Five, six years ago we had very little selection on the market and we complained and look where it got us. The engineers are doing their jobs, but the naming/marketing people haven’t kept up ;). We have all these wonderful choices now, but we’re so confused by what they’re called, who can figure it all out, lol. And since the carseat market is so driven by retailers, I’m surprised this confusion has been allowed to happen. Retailers don’t want confused customers, do they?
well, after years of wishing my kids were born later so I’d have had more good seats to choose from, I guess I can be thankful that they were born in a less confusing era, when there was only *one* kind of Graco Infant seat (even though it was just the 20 lb. SnugRide), and Britax convertibles were either Roundabouts, Advantages, Marathons, or Wizards.
How many ways can you say Radian? RF wt. limits
33, 35, 40, 45… FF 65, 80, XT, SL, XT-SL. Don’t get me wrong though…if I were pregnant right now, I would probably buy a RN XT, OR a Cocorro, a Keyfit 30, or SN 35, followed by a Swedish seat…good thing I’m not married yet!
I’ve had a Graco Snuggler before.
Besides the infuriating similarity of the names between two DIFFERENT seats (SnugRide vs. SnugRide 32/35) is the fact that you have three seats (SafeSeat, SnugRide32, SnugRide 35) that are all exactly the same thing, and yet THEIR bases are not interchangeable. Or are. Depending on who you ask at Graco.
Oh, this generates SO many returns. SO many returns. You’d think the baby stores would have some say in the names of the seats to prevent their relative loss of income (crushed boxes that don’t sell again easily, boxless returns that sit on the shelf for eons, sell for a lower price, or get sent back to Graco; not to mention the payroll expense of having an employee deal with it!). Then again, retailer input is what has given us useless armrests, flimsy cupholders, and yawn-worthy cover options, so who knows what funky names they’d invent? :p
Evenflo is horrible about this too. They have the Triumph/Triumph 5/Triumph Deluxe/Triumph Premier/Orion and then the Triumph Advance which is drastically different from the other Triumphs.
The Titan Deluxe/Titan 5/ Vanguard 5 and then the Titan Elite, with a higher weight harness.
The Generations/Bolero and then the Generations 65.
The Symphony and the Symphony 65.
The Discovery and the Discovery 5.
The list goes on and on… It really makes it difficult for the average parent to know what seat they actually have.
I totally agree that Britax and Dorel (*especially* Dorel) are doing parents – and us – a disservice with all the confusing names and models. But sheesh, at least those don’t cause compatibility problems!
Hey, the Gracko Snugseater is my FAVORITE! *shakes fist meaningfully*