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We have a Britax Marathon in indigo denim, and not only does it look good, it's held up extremely well for more than two years. We'll be able to use it for baby #2.

I love the design -- not just the aesthetics, but the fact that the straps don't tangle and it's really easy to get my toddler in and out. Also, because the seat is so big and well-padded, he looks really comfortable in there. He's tall for his age, and when we've had to use other car seats (such as when we travel and either rent or borrow one), he always seems to hang uncomfortably out of them.

It also depends on what kind of seat you're looking for. For infant carriers/car seat bases, Peg Perego makes probably the best looking seats and color options, although Graco has some decent options for a lot less money. For traditional convertible seats, I agree that the Britax seats are the best bet.

If you want a sleeker look, or for an older toddler, the Radian seats look nice. They also fold, which can be a plus for a second car that the kid doesn't ride in everyday. But they don't have the same side support as the convertible seats.

i went for comfort. most carseats have only thin foam over the hard plastic. britax was the cushiest i found. we chose grey (i didn't want a funky pattern clashing with everything else).

As a mom who presently owns 3 carseats (one Britax, one Graco and one Evenflo), I can only suggest that you make appearance less of a priority and focus on usability. In my experience, Britax is the best. And nothing is more aggravating than a carseat that, while good looking, is difficult to install or use. And if a carseat is hard to use properly, then safety is compromised. Just my $.02.

I agree -- Britax is the way to go. We got the Marathon a couple years ago when their most exciting "look" was denim. Since then they've come a long way in offering nice-looking fabrics! I really think Britax is the best investment, safety-wise.

If you need a true infant carseat that you can tote in and out of the car, I think the Chicco Keyfit would work. The new models fit babies up to 30 lbs, and they come in several bold colors. Safety-wise and installation-wise it's one of the best!

oh gosh, Britax all the way. Number one reason being safety ratings, and then after that - ease of use, comfort for baby, and good looking in general.
We have the decathlon in the Tribeca print - browns, blues, tans, in a funky abstract pattern. Probably the best big-ticket baby item we have had the whole time, and well worth the cost in my opinion (and according to all the opinions and reviews I read online before we splurged!).

Orbit anyone?

i think the maxi cosi seats are by far the best looking and get very good safety ratings. we're moving from our graco snugride infant seat (in metropolitan) to the maxi cosi priori in gipsy.

We went w/Radian 80 by Sunshine Kids. Beauty is the eye and all that jazz but we didn't care for Britax at all. Too fou fou for us. We like the slim almost racing like style of Radian.

i second the orbit baby, especially if you're looking for an infant car seat system.

Recaro

We have a Britax Marathon and love it. Wouldn't use anything else.

Aesthetics are the least of your worries. Get a Britax: the straps don't tangle. Believe me, you don't want to struggle with the straps every flippin' time you put your kid in the car, and if you buy any other brand, you just might. The Marathon lasts till your kid if practically adult-sized, and because of its reputation (and perhaps other Britax models), it is one of the only kinds that has any resale value.

check out daddytypes.com where they have a very robust discussion of this topic.

Hands down, the maxi-cosi seats are the most comfortable, stylish and have the best (or among the best) safety ratings, at least here in Europe (far higher than Britax, although sometimes superceded by Romer, which is owned by Britax). Don't know if they have modified the aesthetics for the American market.

I should add that we had a Marathan in North America for our daughter, and then got a Maxi-Cosi Priori Fix for our son here in Europe, because:

1) the Marathon does not have side-impact protection (70% of accidents), the Maxi-Cosi does

2) the Britax does not fit cars as well as the Maxi-Cosi (check their website -- they tell you which cars and in which seats their car seats fit -- we were shocked to learn that in our vehicle, the car seat should not be installed on the middle rear seat -- exactly where we had it).

3) The Maxi-cosi is much, much, much more comfortable than the Marathon. We are now able to take 12 hour drives with our son, who previously did not last beyond an hour in his Graco, and 2 hours in the Marathon.

4) the maxi-cosi infant seat (the isofix one with a foot), has the very highest safety ratings of any car seat, in all European ratings systems (which include side impact, not tested for in North America).

We just bought our daughter a Maxi-Cosi as a next step after her infant car seat. After much research we narrowed it down to Britax and M-C. We felt they were both equally safe, BUT we felt the M-C was by far better looking than any of the Britax options. We did the Graco Snug-ride as the infant seat, though had we known about the M-C infant seats we might have also gone that route...

We got the Maxi-Cosi Mico, and, in addition to all the practical stuff (safety ratings, etc), it is one of the lightest infant carriers, has a small footprint, and is very sharp looking. We've gotten several compliments on how nice looking it is.

I would recommend it, but with several caveats (which I outline on my blog -- can I plug it here? http://ihatesnaps.wordpress.com) -- including the lack of the little "notch" many infant carriers have, which make using frame strollers and shopping carts easier.

I did notice they have a new stroller that this car seat will fit into now (not just the Quinny strollers, but a maxi-cosi stroller), which isn't bad looking, either.

The Maxi-Cosi seats are by far the most aesthetically pleasing seats that are made for infants and kids. Not only do the seats look good and come in a wide array of colors, but they are the only toddler seats on the market that have a "true" reclining feature. Maxi-Cosi gives parents safe and stylish options for parents looking to avoid the bulk and the poor quality found in the other "monster" car seats here in the U.S. Free shipping on all Maxi-Cosi products and same day shipping guranteed at www.scandinucci.com

http://www.car-seat.org/

Informative posts & a friendly knowledgeable community.

We went with Maxi-Cosi Priori. We're pleased with the way it fits into our Subaru Impreza and how our son fits in the seat.