The Via--Would NOT do it again
We purchased the Via earlier this year after our son was born prematurely. It was a good size, it promised to fit him even at five pounds, and it had good safety ratings. The seat seemed soft and comfortable, and the added insert for smaller babies was perfect for a preemie. Unfortunately, none of that stacked up against the fact that it absolutely refuses to stay in the base correctly. If the slightest little thing is out of place--a belt has shifted, something has gotten into the base, or even if it's colder than normal outside--the carseat becomes impossible to latch and unlatch correctly. You will slide it into the base, shift it down, and THUNK! It's stuck. An hour and a half and two very frustrated parents later, we finally got it unstuck, and were unable to find the problem. We took it back to the fire station where we'd had it checked by their certified specialist, and he had the same issue. None of us could figure out why it would refuse to unlatch. It left us feeling very unsafe, especially after we took our little one home from the station (in a different seat!) and the infant carrier on the old seat came unlatched WHILE I WAS DRIVING. Took a corner and the seat leaned precariously to the left with the audible "click" of the holds disengaging. Thank goodness we got a replacement policy, but I feel the need to share our experience, even if it should happen to be a fluke.
FizzMama
USA