Car Seats - Tolono,IL

Britax is the best if you are willing to invest the money. They have the best rating and I believe go up to 65 pounds. The Britax Roundabout is the one my pediatrician recommended.

I switched at 1. I love, love, love my graco nautilus. Its labeled as convertible but to some people convertible means rear facing to front facing. This car seat is front facing only. They call it a convertible seat because it goes from a child as small as 1 (forward facing) to a high back toddler, then the back comes off and its a booster seat. I bought this because I never wanted to have to buy another car seat ever again, good thing she loves it (she likes the drink holder and the cubby hole it has). It's her's until she's out of a booster. =)

Check out the latest recommendations to keep the little ones rear-facing up till age 2 (and beyond if the weight limits allow for the seat). As Julia S. said they are far, far safer rear-facing. Watch crash test videos or google internal decapitation toddlers if you need more convincing.

Don't let anyone tell you they won't be comfortable, will hate it, blah, blah, blah. My daughter is 25 months old, 95th percentile for height and fits just fine rear-facing! It's our job to be the protector and advocate for our kiddies and to look at the latest research and recommendations. Time for peeps to realize 1 year and 20 lbs is outdated advice!

We have a Britax that will take her to 30 some pounds rear-facing and 65lbs forward facing. Britax has a cool feature on their site that lets you pop in the features and it tells you the seats that will work for your little one.

Keep them rear facing as long as you can - but at least until 1 year. I LOVE our Britax Marathons. They can be used rear or forward facing from 5 lbs to 65 lbs. My kids are both still in them - 2 and 3.5 years old.... and they are not small kids - 34 and 37 lbs and 90th plus height... still fit comfortably. I will just need one more - a booster - when they outgrow these. They aren't cheap but so worth it!!! You can get a good discount on line.... I paid 209 and 219 for seats that were 289 at the store. Enjoy the little one!

We have our 6 month old rear facing in the Britax Marathon. I love the seat, and he seems to also! Goes to 65 pounds I believe so it should last awhile.

We have also used the britax marathon for both of our girls, backward until age two and forward, our big and tall 5.5 year old still fits in it! It harnesses to 65lbs, some of the cheaper seats only go to 40lbs which then you often have to buy another higher weight convertible because they're often too you for a booster at that point. We were in a horrible fatality accident, my daughter was rearfacing in the britax and was fine. Google joel's journey and Kyle David miller. Go to www.albeebaby.com, they always have good deals on the britax seats and shipping.

Keep your child rear facing for as long as you can. I personally love the Learning Curve First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat. It is great. My 11 month old son just loves it, and it top rated. Here is a website you help you with ratings.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Ease-of-Use

As others have mentioned, it is best practice and safest for your child for her to remain rearfacing until about 2. This protects their spine and head which is not really developed/strong enough to withstand the force of being jerked forward and then thrown back against the seat in the case of a crash.

Yes, the next step after an infant seat is a convertible. It is called convertible because it can face back and forward. Unless you have an infant seat with a high weight limit, you will most likely have to switch your child to a convertible seat before they turn one. Read the manual that comes with your child's infant seat to see what the weight and height limit are on your seat and keep your ears open at the peds office for when they are getting ready to cross that limit....if your child gets bigger than either one of those limits, you need to switch them.

There are lots of great convertible seats on the market. There are a lot now even that can rearface to a high weight limit and also you can use the harness up to a high weight limit (meaning the child stays in the straps of the carseat rather than using the seat as a booster with the car's seatbelt).

The best seat is the one that meets your needs, fits your child, and that you can install correctly and use correctly every time. The only way to know this is to take your child (and another adult to help you watch them) and go to a store like Babies R Us that will let you take the seats to your car and try them. Narrow down to the ones you are considering, have your child sit in them and find a good fit and then try them out in the car to see which ones fit best and you can install properly. There should be no more than one inch of movement from side to side at the seatbelt (or LATCH) path. For piece of mind you can also call your local police dept and they can double check your installation, and give you tips for what to watch out for with your particular seat.

Some good ones were mentioned that rearface and harness up to high weights. Britax Marathon and Advocate or Boulevard (Roundabout is a good safe seat too, but they will outgrow it fast), First Years True Fit, Evenflo Symphony (this one installs SUPER easy with LATCH), Triumph or Momentum, Graco MyRide 65 is a great budget buy....rearfaces up to 40, harness to 65 and you can find it at Walmart sometimes for under 150. I would not go with an Eddie Bauer or Alpha Omega because even though they look good, harness only lasts to 40 lbs, they don't make a good booster seat and the way it is designed your child will outgrow it in height WAY before the weight limit. Sunshine Kids also has a Radian 65 and 80 which are good. Again make sure you read the manual and also your car manual to ensure you are using it properly for the stage she is in and installing properly in your car.

Good luck!

Legally, you are obligated to keep your child rear-facing until they are 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds, but the AAP now recommends keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible, at least until they are 2. It is the safest position to ride in, especially considering a toddler's big noggin vs. neck strength. Don't let people tell you that your child will be uncomfortable rear-facing. My son is 17-months-old, in the 95th percentile for height, and still sits very comfortably rear-facing. His legs are long, but he sits cross-legged - and besides, your first priority needs to be safety.

He outgrew his pumpkin seat when he was 7 months old, so we wanted a carseat that would suit both a baby and a toddler. We have a Graco MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat, which can hold rear-facing up to 40 pounds and front-facing up to 65. I LOVE it. They've got great ratings, you can buy them on amazon.com, or from Target, BRU, or Walmart and are only about $115-$150. I know people love their Britax carseats too, and I've heard great things (they're on the pricier side, though).

Check out this Mama's blog for great comparisons of the pros and cons of various carseats: http://carseatnanny.blogspot.com/

19 months.
Please keep your baby rear facing as long as you possibly can! This is the absolutely safest position for your little one to be in in case of an accident (God forbid). You can get to almost 2 years old in a rear facing position. In Sweden i think i read somewhere), most parents keep their children rear facing until at least 2. I could be wrong but i swore i read it somewhere during my extensive carseat research project. The point is it is better to have them break a bone in their leg(s) by pushing up against the seat than damage their spine or neck or something upper body.

Get yourself a Britax, either Marathon or the newest safest seat the Advocate. Don't put a value on your child's life. Spend what you must to keep them absolutely the safest possible. And make sure you install it properly and have it checked at a firestation or police station when they do car seat checks. No seat is safe if it is not installed correctly.

It is safest for your child to be rear facing until they are 2, and if the weight is still within limit, even longer. We have the britax marathon and love it! My son is super comfy and it is pretty easy to install.

loved my marathon for my first daughter but thought i'd try the radian for baby #2 she is 17 months and rear facing its a narrow seat but i have to say the britax marathon is an easier install
they can stay in the seats rear facing till either they hit the rear facing weight limit or their shoulder are way above the straps
at about age 2 forward face and they can stay in it till they reach the forward facing weight limit or their shoulder go above the top shoulder strap slots

my 6 3/4 year old is still harnessed in a graco nautilus at 52 inches 52 pounds

A.,

One/ 20lbs is a good rule of thumb for switching a child. I have to dissagree with another poster about keeping the baby rear facing until 2. I was at a saftey checkpoint when my oldest (now 7) was a little over 1. I had her rear facing because she was not even 20lbs yet. The officer that checked her told me that she was too long to be rear facing any longer. He said it is very dangerous to have a child whose feet touch the back of the car's seat to be rear facing. He went on to explain that most car accidents are rear end collisions and if we were to be involved in one, the baby's legs could go up in to her stomach and cause severe interal injuries. He went on to say that their department learned the hard way (death of a baby that had such severe interal injuries he could not be saved) what really is the safest way to install a car seat. It made complete sense, but the way he talked to me made me feel like I was stupid. I tried to explain that the "experts" advise you to keep your child rear facing until they are at least 20lbs or 1 year old. He became somewhat annoyed and asked who these "experts" were and told me that common sense should prevail over what so-called "experts" tell you. He had us turn the car seat around and he installed it, front facing for us. Reassuring us once again that this was the safest position for our daughter now that she was too long to be rear facing. This is good advice for all moms out there that have their children rear facing. Check their feet/legs and make sure that they cannot push their legs against the back of the car's seat and if they can it's time to move them. Hope this helps even just one mom!

I caution all of you moms out there that think they should keep their children rear facing as long as possible. No studies have been done to prove at what size your child is too long or too heavy and it is NO longer safe to keep them rear facing. This "new standard" has not been proven (internet blogs and stories from car seat manufacturers are not reliable) and to tell a new mom that it is safe to keep a child rear facing for as long as possible is dangerous to say the least. New tests are being performed by insurance companies & car manufactures (not car seat companies) to determine if the now 20lbs 1 year rule of thumb should be extended.

Legally, you are not allowed to have your baby forward facing until he/she is at least 1 year old. We used our convertible car seat rear facing for over 6 months because of how quickly our son grew out of his infant seat. I suggest buying a convertible car seat that can hold up to 100 lbs. We originally had an Eddie Bauer and liked it, but it was big and bulky. Long story short, we were rear ended and needed a new seat. We decided on the Evenflo Symphony because of its incredibly easy LATCH system and LOVE it! We had bought the Britax Roundabout, but my son is tall for his age and would have only been able to use it a few more months before he would have been way too tall. The Evenflo can eventually become a booster seat (harness or seat belt) if/when we need it to. I know people that like their Graco, but I LOVE my Evenflo!

Well you will need a convertible seat if you baby exceeds the height or weight limits on your infant seat before age 1. If you end up in a convertible, you can rear face a bit longer. Rear facing is definitely safer than forward facing as long as your baby can stand it :-)

Once you go forward facing, make sure you get a seat that will last you a while. There are forward facing seats now that harness to 50, 65 or even 80lbs! Even some of the convertible seats do this. I ended up replacing our convertible seat with one of these when my son was 3 1/2 and wish I had gotten an extened harness seat in the first place. Make sure though, when you check the weight limits, you check for the HARNESSED limit, because lots of seats say they go to 100lbs, but it's only a belt positioner after 40lbs.

HTH,
T.

We have a Britax seat and love it. My daughter is 6 and will be in it 'till she is 80+ lbs. She says that it is very comfortable, and we travel alot so she spends alot of time in it.
If I were you - I'd look at this informative video about car seat safety......http://www.vimeo.com/2994502
or
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/ . If it doesn't work to click the links, then please copy and paste them and watch. Good luck! Please don't put a price on your child's safety!

You should look into keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible. The AAP currently recommends keeping a child rear-facing until at least 2 years and 30 lbs. Someone mentioned Sweden, they keep their kids rear-facing until around 4 years old. The risk of internal injuries can happen either forward facing or rear facing, my older daughter who is facing forward puts her feet up on her dads seat in front of her all the time, kids just like to have their feet up. The real risk you want to protect against is internal decapitation, this is what rear facing best protects against as in any kind of accident the car seat will cradle your babies neck and spine. Try googling Joel's Journey.
Check out www.car-seat.org There are some wonderful ladies over there that are car seat technician and if you tell them what kind of car you drive they can probably help you figure out which convertible seat will work best for you.
We have a Britax Marathon because everyone told me that Britax was best, but there are currently lots of REALLY good seats out there and some of them are a lot cheaper than Britax. The best seat for you is the one that fits well in your car, fits your child well, and that you will use correctly every time.

I agree with the Moms who recommended you leave your infant rear-facing as long as you can. My little guy also is big and we transferred him to a rear-facing convertible seat at around 7-8 mos. We bought the Evenflo Symphony65, which has the easiest latch system and goes from rear-facing seat to a booster (up to 100 lbs.). My daughter has the Britax Marathon in one car and the Britax Frontier booster in the other so I also agree that Britax is a fantastic brand!

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=britax&rls=c...#

My son is 9 months and we just got a Sunshine kids car seat. For both him and a new one for my oldest who is 3. They are a great car seat and are the safest out there right now. They are designed to fit 3 of them in a back seat of a car or small suv which is great because now I have more space in the back seat for another person to ride. They were not cheep but I found them on say online at Toys R Us and used a 20% off baby item coupon and then it was not bad. It is a heavy car seat but the extra weight is worth all the safety ratings that it has. We switched my first son at a year and will change our second one at a year as well. I would look into the Sunshine kids because they are a great car seat and they also latch for up to 80 lbs which is more than any other car seat out there.

If you're looking for something that will last awhile, consider the Evenflo Symphony 65. It has multiple stages, so it can stay with you until your child is 65lbs.--and then be used as a booster until 100lbs.

We have two and think they are great. We just bought the neck pads to wrap around the straps so baby is more comfy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiXMDV-1MVU

I am sorry that police officer gave you so much misinformation. You want to keep your child rear facing for as long as possible. Here is a great blog that goes over the details and has the videos that show the crash tests with a child in both positions and links to more resources.

http://lifeofasahm-lisa.blogspot.com/2010/03/car-seat-bas...

I have the Graco Snug Ride 65. You can rear-face up to 40lbs and forward face up to 65. I love it and would not trade it for the world. I have a big son for a 2 1/2 year old and he love its. I didn't have a problem installing it. It is big, which makes me feel he is safer. I have use it on a airplane too. It was easy to carry around at the airport and worked well on the floor for a seat for him to watch planes in while we waited to board. If you want a site that has the pros and cons for carseat check out carseatnanny.blogspot.com. She will also help you pick the carseat that would be perfect for your car and budget. I had to put my son in a convertable car seat when he was only six months old because he reached the weight limit on the baby seat.
Good luck!

Hi A.,

I agree with everyone who's recommended Britax. Your baby needs to be rear facing until s/he's one year old AND weighs 20 lbs. After that, it's safest to keep her/him rear-facing as long as height and weight limits on your car seat allow.

Britax gets the highest ratings in Baby Bargains. We have the Roundabout, which fits in compact cars, and we've been very pleased with it. As soon as you're no longer using the infant carrier part of your infant car seat, you can switch to a convertible seat (they're actually safer than infant car seats).

Good luck!
R.