Time for some car seat talk! As you know, we are expecting our 3rd baby in January and on our small list of needs was a new infant car seat. Our oldest, Savannah, will be almost 6 years old when this baby comes, and the car seat we used with her and Jaxson will expire this December.  To me car seat safety is a big deal, so I wasn’t going to take a chance of reusing it with this baby even for a few months before we upgrade to a convertible seat.  We’ve looked at our options, but I’m so glad to have learned about a new product from Graco that meets our current needs and beyond!

Last week I had the honor of attending a Graco Party hosted by BabyElan {daily} with some other awesome local bloggers in my area to learn about the new SnugRide Click Connect 40. I didn’t know what to expect since I haven’t been to a blogging event before and I didn’t even know what product it was going to be on. I was so excited once I got there to learn about this revolutionary product, I hadn’t heard of the Click Connect yet! After we mingled while eating some amazing snacks (okay, more like a second dinner for this 7 month pregnant girl…) from Flip’N Chicken (thank you for filling my hot sauce craving) and super yummy Cake Balls by Eden (The Key Lime Pie was awesome!) we got down to business exploring this new car seat.

The great thing about the new SnugRide Click Connect 40 is that it not only is it an infant seat but it has a redesigned base that slides into 8 reclining positions as the child grows, up to 2 years old, to maximize leg room while rear facing. It is the only one on the market like this. It even has a foot rest that pulls out so toddlers don’t get their dirty feet on the seats.  It fits children from 4 pounds to 40 pounds so it lasts those years without having to buy a new seat as they grow. I’m all about multi-purpose and saving money, so I think that is awesome! Like I said, I take car seat safety seriously and we rear face as long as we can. American Academy of Pediatrics has said that “toddlers are more than 5 times safer riding rear facing” and “should stay rear facing until 2 years of age.” Jaxson will be 2 next month and we still still rear face beyond that. Savannah actually asked to be turned back to rear facing  once she learned the safety benefits at 3.5-4 years old and I was happy to oblige!  Especially because my kids are smaller than typical their ages, I feel it is best for them to wait longer. I really like that this one car seat will accommodate our newest baby, who most likely will be small like my others, without having to make a new purchase after only a few months use!

Another advantage is the Simply Safe Adjust harness system that lets me adjust the harness and headrest without having to retread any straps from the back.  Our old infant seat was that way and it is such pain! Adjusting the recline is also super easy, with just 2 buttons to press on each side of the base and sliding it to where you need it (with the leveler to help guide you to the right recline!).  I’m also loving the extra full body infant padding that comes with it so newborns look more snug and secure in there (after market products aren’t recommended). And the girly pattern of the Mena design? I’m in love. I’m so grateful we are having a girl so I can enjoy the chocolate brown and pink damask-like design! The boy/gender neutral Moonstruck is a gray and silver design with a green pipping along the cover (seen at the top of this post), its more simplistic but classy, too.

My only concern and disappointment is that because of the redesigned base, it does not fit with other bases and strollers except the Graco Click Connect. We are using a Sit N Stand style stroller since Jaxson will still be young when Ashlyn comes and needs to be more contained for his safety, so I was a bit sad that this didn’t fit well in that like other seats will. I should clarify that it technically still fits; it will latch under the base and can be secured with the belt around the top as usual, but to do that makes it extremely reclined for baby to where their head is almost laying down flat and feet going practically straight up! Doesn’t look comfy to me. However, that will encourage me to babywear her more while we are out until she can sit up on her own in the stroller seat!

All in all, I’m excited to use this car seat and love that Graco is promoting rear facing longer while making it even easier to do so!

The Graco SnugRide® Click Connect™ 40 – the first and only newborn to two-year infant car seat that actually grows with your baby from four pounds all the way up to 40 pounds. The car seat is designed for a parent on the go. The infant car seat can be easily removed from the base and used as a carrier when the infant is small, providing portability and convenience so you can easily move your infant in and out of the car without disturbing them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently made the recommendation to keep all children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 2. Graco set out to make this product so parents can keep infants rear facing longer while still keeping them comfortable.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco. The opinions and text are all mine.