Car Seat with Extended Rear-Facing Weight Limit Hits Stores

The most anticipated car seat of the year, Graco's My Ride 65, which allows infants and toddlers to rear face up to 40 pounds, will hit stores the first week in June. The car seat is convertible and also allows a child to forward face up to 65 pounds with a five-point harness. The size of the seat is compared to the Britax Marathon and the top harness slots measure slightly below 17 inches.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, studies indicate the longer a child is able to rear face, the safer a child may be when riding in a vehicle; however, up to this point, all car seats on the U.S. market only allowed a 35 pound rear-facing weight limit.

U.S. car seats have long been the subject of international controversy as many European car seats, particularly Swedish ones, are designed to allow children to rear-face up to 50 pounds. The Directors of Vehicle Safety Consultancy in the United Kingdom claim, "We are in no doubt that the very safest way to carry children up to four years of age is rearward facing."

This is not the case in the U.S. where most children only rear face up until about two years of age, although some American parents are beginning to take note of the difference.

"It seems like it is becoming trendy to buy European car seats like the Maxi-Cosi Mobi because some parents
say they are safer, but I'm not sure if they meet U.S. safety standards. I do know they can be very pricey," says Californian parent, Matthew Golden.

REARFACINGCARSEATS.COM is a Swedish company, which caters to English-speaking customers looking to purchase European car seats. These seats do offer an extended rear-facing weight limit, but they are only manufactured to meet their country's safety standards.

Swedish convertible car seats such as, the Maxi Cosi Mobi and Brio Zento retail on this website for approximately $450 before shipping. The high-end seat in this category, the Be Safe izi Kid X2 Isofix, is advertised for roughly $600.

In comparison, the U.S.'s new, Graco My Ride 65 is much more affordable as it is estimated to cost between $150 and $175 in stores. Parents should also know this seat is manufactured to meet all U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Additionally, it is listed for sale on two websites, Wal-Mart and Kids N Cribs with a June delivery date.

"Graco My Ride." CarseatNanny.
"Graco My Ride 65 Chandler." Kids N Cribs.
"Quotes." REARFACINGCARSEATS.COM.
"Why Rear-Facing is Safest." Car-Safety.org.
"Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families - 2009." American Academy of Pediatrics.