Video review of how we think the car seat adapters are installed.
Note: Remark about poorly written instructions are in reference to the manufactures instructions and not Bonnie's. If anyone sees any issues with how we installed these or my explanation of the product please feel free to remark.
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The instructions that came with the Chicco Adapter are terrible!! I was finally able to get my Keyfit 30 to snap into the adapter..after many tries.
1. Standing behind the stroller (as if you're pushing the stroller), the "FOOT" support bar should be closest to you. The "HEAD" support bar should be farthest away from you.
2. When putting together the support bars, you want to make sure you are putting the black bar fasteners on the correct side of the support bars. The bar fasteners should go on the RIGHT SIDE of the adapter brackets. I originally put the bar fasteners in on the left side of the adapter brackets, and when I put the Keyfit in, it sat inside the support bars instead of snapping in. (I realized later that the instructions did show the fasteners on the right side of the brackets..but you have to look very closely. The instructions don't state that important fact at all.)
My husband and I were troubled by that. What happened if somehow the stroller was pushed by accident and someone forgot to buckle the seatbelt? (accidents do happen, and you never know.) Why would a company make an adapter specifically for the Chicco Keyfit, yet not make it so that it SNAPS in?
3. You're probably wondering what part of the Keyfit is snapping into the adapter? There are gray tabs that are on each side of the carseat. Those tabs are supposed to catch the inside of the adapter brackets. You will than have to use the orange latch in the back of the carseat to release the carseat from the adapter.
So when you're positioning the support bars, you will (by trial and error) have to place the carseat in to see where the gray tabs line up with the adapter brackets. After finding the perfect position, you will than tighten the bar fasteners so that the support bars are tight.
4. The carseat is than locked into the adapter. Clip the seatbelt on and you're ready to go!
Hope this review helps clear up how to install the Chicco car seat adapter to the City Jogger City Select stroller.
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I bought this adapter to work with a Baby Jogger City Select Stroller and a Chicco Ketfit 30 and honestly, while it does the job, it was certainly a head-scratcher with regards to its design.
First off, let me say that there are MULTIPLE Chicco adapters for the Baby Jogger product line and to make sure you buy the right one. I know there are multiple adapters in general, but again, there are TWO different City Stroller Series adapters for the Chicco brand products.
To be fair to those reading this review, this is the adapter I purchased.If you have purchased this one (and you'll know becuz the included adapter components will match EXACTLY) or need one for the City Select Stroller with the Keyfit Series, this review is for you.
If you have purchased the following Chicco adapter (or is the one you will need for a non-City Select stroller), this review isnt for you, although youre welcomed to continue.Edit: Amazon took down the web addresses of .pdf instruction manuals of both products so that people can see the difference in adapters. Consult the manufacturer's website for the manuals. Sorry about that.
On to the review..
Let me start off by saying Baby Jogger had the right idea in making this adapter system. It is designed to be simple (maybe too simple), yet secure and consistent with their City Select product line.
The adapter itself is made up of the two shaped rails that connect together, the stroller locking brackets, each with an attached locking ribbon (the big, black components, which connect to the spots that your stroller's first and/or second seats would) and two screw-like bolts that secure the two rails once theye connected.
When the adapter is assembled, it will form a square shaped device and the Keyfit seat will sit/fit perfectly inside. The black locking brackets would attach to the stroller and the attached ribbons would wrap around the Keyfit seat, further securing it. Pretty simple, perhaps too simple.
Once assembled, the rails are able to slide within the brackets (the rails go thru them) and once you have your desired adapter position, the rails can be locked into the brackets using two red levers on the brackets' outer side.
So, here is the problem and probably where most of us have had issues. The two black brackets connect perfectly to the stroller. However, they have absolutely NO connectivity to the Keyfit. None, Niet, Zero, Zilch, Nada.
Upon closer examination of the locking brackets (you can look at them if you already own the adapter or increase the zoom on the pdf file above), while the bottom identically match that of the Baby Jogger seats, the top portion have grooves and are distinctly shapely, giving you the impression that they connect with something on the Keyfit. They dont.
Maybe Baby Jogger was told that the design specs would include a space for those brackets to connect. Maybe Baby Jogger is foretelling an upcoming design change of the Keyfit series. But, whatever it is, it has no relevance to March 2, 2011, as the two brackets DO NOT directly connect to the Keyfit on this date.
Now, this normally wouldnt be a big problem, BUT becuz the design of the adapter is so simplistic, the brackets give the undoubted impression that they connect to the Keyfit and many users, including myself, have spent a bunch of time trying to figure out how to connect them. And unless someone has re-constructed their Keyfit seat in some sort of manner, its not happening.
Now, to a very small credit (and I mean pebble of sand small), the brackets do somewhat connect to the two grey locking pieces on the bottom sides of the Keyfit (the pieces that lock the Keyfit into its base in the car), but it is not a seemless connect in the least and is more of a "stuck" than connect. I figured this out accidentally when trying to unhook the Keyfit to the adapter when putting the stroller in the car and was surprisingly unable to remove it. But, again, to me, this is more of a concidence and becuz the rails can be adjusted, thus adjusting the Keyfit's position in the stroller, this is not guaranteed to happen and if it does, users may be inclined to adjust the brackets' position on the rails so it doesnt happen again.
It is just a poor design of a product that works decent in spite of it. The biggest problem is when youre dealing with stuff like this, the first and foremost thing people are concerned with is the safety of your children. When you have components that look like they connect to something and dont, it leaves cause for concern, at the very least. Baby Jogger would be VERY WISE to re-design it or at least allow a third-party to design an alternative since nothing of the sort exists.
Buy the adapter at your own risk and more importantly, comfort level. If it is something you must have to get use of your Baby Jogger stroller with your small child (Baby Jogger doesnt recommend using their stroller's standard seats until the child is 40 lbs or so), then buy it, but understand that it wont work like you think it should. And if you can avoid it, at least until it's re-designed, or have the money to purchase a temporary alternative, then do that.
This review isnt to condemn the Baby Jogger product line becuz I actually love it. Its really more of a reminder to them of whats most important and that their current design of this product has major flaws which will make the consumer very apprehensive about making a purchase. Hopefully, they will get the message, if they already have not received it.
Honest reviews on Baby Jogger City Select Car Seat Adaptor For Chicco Car Seats
I'm sure you've read many reviews and the troubles people are having installing the adaptor and getting it to click "securely". I found one link awhile back with a blog and pictures about how to "successfully" install this adaptor, so I went ahead and bought the Chicco infant seat because it's one of the top picks, but I can't seem to find this installation guide anymore! So I'm on my own.
We also just got this and I tried installing it last night. The instructions are easy and clear to put the adaptor together and on the stroller. However, they aren't clear about how to make the infant seat attach securely. It says you must use the "safety" straps. And as the makers of the adaptor, they are correct, if you use the straps this seat will be secure. However, in my opinion, the straps should be a back up measure, not the main component of making it safe. The seat should be secure just by clicking it in and the straps used "just in case".
I got it to click in and if you lift straight up, there's a lot of wiggle room, but it won't come out. HOWEVER, depending where you move your rods (more forward or backward), I've been able to lift it up from the front or from the back and been able to get it to come out without pulling the release button (this is all of course without the straps secured).
With trial and error, I've been able to move the rods to a place where it clicks and won't come out lifting straight up, or lifting the front or back, however, if I do it hard enough it still will release without pulling the handle.
By no means, the car seat will be under the same stresses that I am giving it to test the "secureness" of the latches, but as a new dad, I just want it to be as securily snapped in like it does to my car seat base. My chicco car seat base doesn't need a safety strap to make it 100% safe. This one does.
I've been watching how the grey tabs click into the black adaptors and have noticed that they 1) made the hole too big so it wiggles around 2) the bars should be at a higher angle, because when you put the seat in, it sinks down past the point where it should latch and it causes the latches to already be halfway depressed. Thats what's giving me the ability to be able to pull the seat off from the front or back, but not lifting straight up
I'm going to see if I can Home Depot myself a way to make the hole smaller and a way to reangle the "head" and "foot" bars so they can be lifted up so it'll be more secure. If I can do that, I'll add pictures and video to the reviews.
Conclusion:
From what's sold from the manufacturer (as is) this is a lowsy engineering excuse for a product and I'm an engineer! It will click in, but not be as secure as the car seat base. With the strap on, I can say I feel safe with it, but IMO I should feel safe without the straps on and the straps be for back up only.
If you love the stroller like me, and want to find an adaptor that works out of the box, try some of the other car seats and the other adaptor, I hope they would work better than this one. However, I have already purchased this thing and I'm going to somehow make it 100% safe W/O the straps, but of course I'll use the straps regardless.
I'll reply back if I do!
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Given how impressed I was with the City Mini GT stroller design and instruction manual, I was quite surprised at just how horrible this adapter is. It feels like somebody at Baby Jogger had a deadline and shipped the product before it was ready. The process of attaching the adapter to the stroller is confusing, the car seat doesn't secure tightly, and the one-page instruction sheet is dismal. Rather than designing the adapter to hold the seat securely, they just included a strap to clip across the top, right over the baby. Why not just ship it with a roll of duct tape next time, Baby Jogger?
If you really have to suffer through having this adapter, though, here are two things to note (in addition to the help you'll need from some other video reviews showing how to install the thing): the adapter mounts go in the LOWER of the two holes on the sides, and there may be a little plastic piece filling the lower hole that you have to remove first; and as long as you can lift the stroller by picking up the car seat, you've installed it correctly it doesn't get any more secure than that.
Poor form, Baby Jogger.
Update 7/12: We happened to ask about this adapter on a call with Baby Jogger and learned that they are just introducing a new version, Model BJ90121. We bought it (elsewhere) and that one is substantially better for the Chicco Keyfit 30. The instructions and assembly are far better, the design and construction of the adapter is better, and the carseat actually snaps in place no if's about it. Thank you for redeeming yourself, Baby Jogger. Note: I don't know which model is sold on this Amazon page.
