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Chicco KeyFit vs Graco SnugRide

Infant safety is the top priority for parents, especially when traveling. In today’s world of busy schedules and tight working hours, you can’t just hold your baby while you travel in a car. In particular, for infants, car seats or strollers come in handy during these day-to-day situations. As we all know, traveling is an unavoidable part of life. So, a product that offers safety and comfort becomes vital.

Chicco KeyFit 35 Infant Car Seat
  • Detachable ergonomic positioner
  • RideRight bubble level indicators
  • Premium Latch connectors
  • Single-handed attachments
  • Integrated rebound bar 
Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat
  • Lightweight
  • Removable head and body support
  • Adjustable seat with four recline positions
  • Energy-absorbing foam made of EPS
  • Offers rotating canopy

Today, we will be discussing two brands. The parents need to understand the difference between these two car seats. This is to get an idea of the product they need for their baby. Infant car seats are always suggested to new parents even though many convertible car seats are available. Infant car seats are rear-facing only and come with a base, and they offer a perfect fit and position, which ensures that babies stay comfortable.

You can attach it to a stroller while traveling, making it a convenient option. However, what you buy depends on your needs. As such, each product comes with its own benefits and downsides. It all depends on the context and your specific requirements.

Chicco KeyFit and Graco SnugRide are two of the most popular brands for child car seats. With their exceptional quality and features, these two make it easier for the baby to travel and offer an excellent assurance for the parents. However, often it is tricky to choose which one is the best and is suitable according to your needs. To help you with this, we have compared Chicco and Graco with their features.

The main difference between Chicco and Graco car seats is the price. They also possess some dissimilarities in the weight and size limits of the car seats and the process of installing the car seats when in use. These differences will be further discussed in detail later on in the post. 

Chicco KeyFit 35 Infant Car Seat

Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex Infant Car Seat - Cove | Grey

Chicco is an Italian brand founded almost 60 years ago in 1958. In the present day, Chicco has risen into a global brand covering over 120 countries offering baby products. As an Italian brand, they are very keen on the style and design of their products. They implement products with aesthetics and comfort in mind. They also provide sustainable products ensuring a safe environment for the future.  

Every model and style of product from Chicco has unique features that are attractive to the buyers. The products include user-friendly touchpoints that ensure an easy installation and secure transportation for your newborn. Chicco KeyFit has withstood many crash test examinations, is rated with a high protection rate, and passes all minimum safety standards. 

Key Features

  • Easy installation: One of the main features of this car seat belt is that it is easily adjustable and spring-assisted. It also provides a flexible latch installation. You have to click the latch connectors in and pull the super cinch tab. 
  • Proper safety and comfort: This innovative product is suitable for babies that weigh up to 35 pounds. With the introduction of an anti-rebound bar, the product prevents any movement. It provides better impact protection, especially in dangerous situations like car accidents.
  • Compatible with other strollers: Chicco has the unique ability to combine and be compatible with other stroller brands. You can use it with Britax, Babyjogger, and other suitable brands by purchasing a car seat adapter.

Pros

  • Proper stability and legroom due to anti-rebound bar
  • One-pull tightener
  • Bubble level indicator
  • Rigid latch connectors 
  • Machine washable and removable seat covers
  • Recline sure leveling foot
  • Removable head and body positioner 

Cons

  • More expensive ($100 cost difference)
  • Heavier than Graco
  • Canopy operation requires two hands

Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 Infant Car Seat

Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 Infant Car Seat | Baby Car Seat, Redmond

On the other hand, Graco is an American company that has been in this industry since 1955. They achieved their most incredible innovation with their very first product itself, which was the world’s first automatic baby swing known as Swyngomatic. Today, Graco is one of the world’s leading baby gear manufacturers with innovative products ranging from strollers, car seats, and even nursery furniture. 

There are multiple types of car seats available from Graco, which vary from each other in terms of slight feature differences. If you’re looking for something easy on the wallet, Graco is one of the best brands to meet your demands. Your final deciding factor might end solely based on an affordable product. Additionally, Graco offers a high level of stability and secured usage and has a reasonable test protection rate.

Key Features

  • Budget-friendly and easy installation: One of the pros and attractive features of the SnugRide car seat is its price and the easiest method of installing the base and the seat belt. The base contains the lock technology, which ensures proper safety while traveling. 
  • Connecting the carrier is easier: The carrier can be connected to the base relatively quickly compared to the Chicco car seat.The carrier gets further released by using the lever on the backside.
  • Light in weight: SnugRide car seat weighs only 7.5 pounds and is very light to carry around.
  • Storage compartment: This one has a nice storage compartment where you can keep your instruction manual and other useful items.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Removable head and body support
  • Adjustable seat with four recline positions 
  • Energy-absorbing foam made of EPS
  • Offers rotating canopy
  • SnugLock technology 
  • Storage compartment 

Cons

  • Thinner padding and less supportive foam
  • Incompatible with other brands
  • The clip-style latch may be harder to use

Similarities Between Chicco KeyFit 35 and Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 Infant Car Seats

Chicco KeyFit 35 Infant Car Seat
  • Detachable ergonomic positioner
  • RideRight bubble level indicators
  • Premium Latch connectors
  • Single-handed attachments
  • Integrated rebound bar 
Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat
  • Lightweight
  • Removable head and body support
  • Adjustable seat with four recline positions
  • Energy-absorbing foam made of EPS
  • Offers rotating canopy

It’s time for us to understand some of the similarities in the features of both of these products.

  • Infant safety: Of course, both brands value the user’s safety and the proper guarantee for usage. One of the main similarities between Chicco and Graco car seats is their 5-point harness. Also, both of the products have ESP absorbing foam.
  • The materials: The best feature of both the brands is their washing machine-friendly products. Infants or babies have a high chance of spilling and staining things on the material. So, being able to remove and clean the material is necessary to ensure long product life.
  • Canopy coverage: Both of the products provide limited coverage. Only the upper part of your baby’s body will get shade, and the rest will get exposed to sunlight. This happens because the canopies do not stretch far enough to cover the entire body. 
 Chicco KeyFit 35Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35
Size limits4 to 30 pounds4 to 35 pounds
Product weight10.6 lbs7.5 lbs
Product dimensions28 x 16.5 x 22.5 inches27.7 x 16 x 18 inches
SafetyEPS energy-absorbing foam 5-point harnessEPS energy-absorbing foam 5-point harness
Material/FabricMachine WashableMachine Washable
InstallationSuper cinch one-pull LATCHInright LATCH system
Retail price$249.99$149.00
DesignDurable woven seat padSnugLock easy install

Differences Between Chicco KeyFit 35 and Graco SnugRide SnugLock 35 Infant Car Seats

These differences will help you decide if a certain product is right for you. Try and see what things stand out and what you might want to use for your particular requirements. This will further clarify your doubts and help you with the final verdict.

  • Size limits of the car seats: The primary difference between these two products is their weight limits. While Chicco has a limit of 4 to 30 pounds, Graco provides support for 4 pounds up to 35 pounds. Therefore, Graco allows the parents to use this carrier for children up to two years old, which is excellent.
  • Seat weight: As discussed earlier, Graco car seats are only 7.5 pounds without the harness, while Chicco is 9 pounds without the base. Hence, Graco car seats won’t weigh you down as much when you’re trying to get around.
  • Product installation: When it comes to installation, we can say that the Chicco brand has the easiest process. You have to unload the spring-loaded leveler and position it on the seat. When the bubble shows it’s perfect, the installation of your base will be complete. Further, connect the latches, pull the strap tight, and attach the carrier. However, in Graco, the installation can be carried out using the seat belt and the latch system. After tightening the strap, you can pull down the lever. This might take some practice for you to get it just right.
  • Price: As we have mentioned before, there is a slight price difference between these two products. While both serve the same purposes, Chicco KeyFit 30 car seats are more expensive than the Graco SnugRide. Therefore, we can conclude that SnugRide is more budget-friendly.
  • Stroller and travel system compatibility: You can use alternate stroller brands that could be compatible with Chicco KeyFit 30 car seats by using an adapter. However, this feature is not possible in SnugRide because it is only compatible with its company products. 

Conclusion

The competition of SnugRide vs. KeyFit may be of serious concern to parents. It is hard to choose a final product you might like from these two brands. Both have their own merits and downsides. In the case of Chicco, it is more expensive but offers its own edge to justify the price. They also shine when it comes to the installation and durability of the fabric materials used.

In contrast, Graco car seats also have some excellent features. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, it may be the right choice. Further, they are also lightweight and less bulky, enabling the parents to carry them easily. They provide crash test ratings and storage compartments.

Chicco KeyFit 35 ClearTex Infant Car Seat - Cove | Grey

Therefore we can conclude our final verdict that both Chicco and Graco are well-known and popular names in the industry of baby products for a reason. Taking a final decision for your baby can be intimidating. Still, hopefully, this post helped you get some more insight and finalize your priorities regarding car seats for your baby. It is important to take some time to consider your needs and your budget and then make a choice. Whatever your choice, you’ll get a quality product that you can rely on to carry your baby around.

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