Car Seats for 5 Month Old

Hi, I am an RN who works in a NICU and also a certified carseat technician. I have a 14 month-old who is small for her age and we just switched to a convertable. I would recommend the Evenflow Titan, it goes from 5-25lbs rear-facing and 20-50lbs forward facing. I really like the seat because it's not too bulky, has a basic design and was very affordable-I picked it up at Target on sale for $89.00. Hope I was of some help and good luck!

Both of my boys are well beyond the car seat stage, but I used a Britec car seat for both of them. Once it is installed it doesn't budge at all! I felt like it was always the safest choice when every other car seat I used seemed to wobble all over the place! Now I think they make them 3 in 1.

Hi C.,
We have the Britax Marathon convertible car seat. It goes from 5 to I think 50lbs. I really like it and have been using it since my son was about 6 months. It is not too hard to install and he seems comfortable in it. It is also very easy to adjust/tighten the straps. In my husbands car we have an evenflo convertible car seat and it is very difficult to adjust the straps and my son doesn't seem comfortable. THe only down side to the britax is the cost, but he will be able to use it for a very long time. good luck.
-J.

I love my car seat. It is a Cosco, Alpha Omega. It goes from 5 to 80 lbs. They have improved them since I bought my first one but I bought it because my son wasn't sitting up, he's special needs. It can be turned around and also can be face forward. It also reclines when the child falls asleep. My youngest is 3 and she still uses it. I have two, one for each car. They're not cheap, but worth the cost. Make sure to get the one with the soft soft fabric because some of the fabric will make them sweat.

By the way, when it come to cleaning the car seat, just take it apart and throw the cover in the washer on deligate. Mine has lasted for 6 years with minimal ware. (My daughter gets car sick) Never use Febreeze, It only covers up a smell. You can use vinegar and water mixture to wash and then make sure to rinse out real good. Febreeze may stir up allergies in a baby, espeicially skin!

Kris

Hello! We have a Britex $310(top model)and Evenflo $150(not sure what model) and LOVE both of them! My husband and I agree that we like the Evenflo better but for safety - the Britex is better. Hope this helps in your decision.

I used a Cosco one that you can pick up anywhere (Babies R Us, BJ's Wholesale Club, etc.). It worked with both of my girls since they were both big children. It was sturdy, yet easy to install and stayed put. My husband but the Eddie Bauer one, but we did not use as the everyday child seat.

We have the Britax Roundabout for our son and love it! He's 2 now and has been in it since 6 months. It's easy to adjust, easy to install and move from one car to another, and he's very comfortable in it.

Hi C.~ I know I'm a little late responding, but I love my carseat so much that I had to give it a little plug!!

We have the Evenflo Triumph~ it can be rear-facing and has 5 reclining positions. I believe it is 5 to about 40lbs. It also has this great little handle/knob on the sides that allows you to loosen/tighten with every entry and exit... living in PA, it is great b/c one day we have our heaviest coat on and the next none at all!! It is very comparable to the Britax (that was my other choice at the time), but it is less expensive. If you have a Burlington Baby Depot, I just saw the Triumph was about $99!! Good luck!!

~J.

We too purchased the eddie system as well and was so disappointed. We upgraded to the britax and loved it. We loved it so much that when we had our 2nd child a few months ago we purchased the infant car seat carrier. I found one on line at baby albees.com. It was only 159.00 and I could choose the color. The head rest allows you to adjust it to your little one. I can't say enough postives about this car seat. I will say it is a very heavy car seat, but isn't that we want in a car seat for our most valuable cargo. Once you use it you will see the difference. It is so bad that when we fly I bring by car seats. Since switching over I noticed the differnce that much that even on vaction I refuse to use a rental. I just don't like taken chances with my little ones. I hope this helps, K..

Hi C., I know I'm an "older" mom with kids well out of car seats, but doesn't anyone use Graco anymore? LOL I always used Graco car seats and strollers when my kids were little. A friend of mine has a baby and she uses an evenflo car seat and really likes it. Check out the choices at your local Target or WalMart. Best wishes.

Britax is the best car seat around. Britax was the first carseat company to have a back harness so that the carseat doesn't move (at all). I use to sell them 8 years ago when I worked at the Right Start and I have heard many horror stories of people being in an accident with their children coming out with just a scratch and the carseat never moved from it's placed with the child in it. The more I did my homework on carseat safety the more I knew that Britax is the safest one around and was also for me when I had my son. I kept my son rear faced til he was 14 months and 25 pounds then turned him around. You would need to get the Round-About carseat, it's a rear and front facing carseat and goes up to 40 pounds. You need to keep your child in the rear position until they are 1 years old and 20 pounds not just 20 pounds. I have seen many parents that put their child front facing when they are 6 months old and that is extremely dangerous for them or they keep their child in a carseat carrier with the handle up when it should be down in case you're in an accident (why they sell those carseat toys I'll never understand, they where meant for in the stroller not in the car). A baby that young can not support themselves because they don't have the upper body strength yet to properly hold them if there was an accident. The National Highway and Safety Patrol of PA has all the state requirements for carseat safety and you can also find a list where you can have a certified carseat specialist to put your carseat in properly free of charge.

Blessings,

-E.

My son is only 18.5 pounds at 15 months, but he LOVES his car seat. It's super sturdy and I feel so comfortable having him in it. He has the Britax Roundabout. I highly recommend Britax. Just remember, you get what you pay for. In my opinion, I'd rather him have the safest car seat and a few less toys. Keep that in mind.

Our son grew out of his infant carrier too at 5 months. We bought the Boulevard Britax car seat and we LOVE it!! Our son is so comfy in the seat and it goes up to 65 lbs. Check out http://www.britaxusa.com/

Unfortunately no matter what you do your son has to be in a carrier car seat until he is 1 year old. It's the law here and in all states. When he gets to be a bit bigger maybe 10 or 11 months you could buy a regular carseat and put it rear facing but I am not sure if it is legal here. Check into some other seats and see if they would be easier to carry or take him out of it when you go places. Good Luck!

Hi C.,

I am a mom of a 5 month old also and going to be in the same boat as you. The infant carrier ways a TON. While, I have not purchased a new one yet, I did see and ad for one that I saw in one of my baby mgazines. It is by a company called learning curve. The web address is www.learningcurve.com.
The paticular seat I saw goeswas by a company they advertise called the "The First Years" and the seat goes all the way to 65lbs and the top half come off to make rear seating easier. You might want to check it out. Here is the link http://www.learningcurve.com/thefirstyears/Travel+Gear/Co.... Hope this helps

We bought a Britax Boulevard and have been using it since Day 1 with our daughter, now 6 months. It's incredibly easy to install and to move from car to car with the latch system. The seat is rated from 5-33 lbs rear facing and to 65 lbs for front facing. The height limit is 49 inches for both front and rear facing.

I rave about this seat all the time. It is well worth the $300 price tag. I love how deep and soft the seat is with true side impact protection. The shoulder straps are adjustible on a sliding scale and controled with a knob so it is extremely adjustible and easy to customize the fit to your child. My 6 month old daughter has a ton of room to grow into this seat. The day I bought the seat, we put my friend's 2 year old in the seat and she had plenty of room to grow in it also.

I will definately be buying another Britax for our future children. We will also be moving into the Britax Regent when the time for a booster seat comes - it's got a 5 point harness and is rated to 85 lbs!

I don't think I've ever heard anyone who had something negative to say about any in the Britax line.

S.

We use an Evenflo (I believe) Triumph. It is similar to the Britec, but cheaper. We used it for our now 4 year old. And our 10 month old has been in it for about 3 months. No complaints.

I haven't purchased one yet, but from all that I have read the britax series is awesome. I plan on getting one soon. Amazon.com has reviews on them and almost every single one is a rave review.

Hello there. I don't know where you live, but in most Counties, if you contact your "Children and Youth" agency, you can rent car seats for little of nothing and they will give you different ones as your child grows. Our Daughter has been doing this for four years, as our Grandson grew. It is definitely worth looking into. It is a LOT cheaper than buying new ones as your little ones grow! Good luck and keep those little ones buckled up!

The Britax Boulevard car seat is awesome. I haven't purchased it yet, but will be doing that soon. I have a couple of friends with it, all with rave reviews. The nicest feature (I think) is that the head rest & shoulder straps all move up and down at the turn of a dial. So, if your kid is in a bulky coat one day, you turn the dial up. When they are in a thin outfit the next day, turn the dial down. No taking straps out & readjusting! I believe it lasts until 60 lbs. The only negative review I've seen for it is that it is big & therefore hard to fit into small cars when rear facing. This could be an issue for you b/c your son is only 5 months old. Babies RUS has one Boulevard in stock. I would recommend going there & asking them if you could try to put the display model in your car rear facing to see if it will fit before you purchase. Then I would look at the color selections available at other stores or on the internet. There are like 15 different color choices.

We used the britax for our son--we had the roundabout when he was a baby and now we're using the marathon. Our son has always been on the skinny side--but I wish I had purchased a larger weigth limit early on! We're big believers in keeping kids in 5 point harness seats as long as possible. He's 3 1/2 now and we plan on keeping this seat until he's 5.

I found this board to be very helpful:
http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcus...

and we purchased our carseats from www.babyage.com and they were great.

GL!
E.

I have a Britax Marathon which has been great for my daughter. It lasts up to 65 lbs. She is currently 3 years old and still has room to grow in it. It installs easily, has great side impact protection and secures in so tightly that it doesn't budge an inch. It comes in many colors and the covers are removable for easy cleaning. It says handwash. I put it in the washing machine on a handwash cycle and it comes out as good as new. Good luck in your search.

I have Britax Marathons and love them. They are large carseats and you'll need to make sure it can fit in the car you drive. I had a minivan when we bought them, now drive an Escape and they fit fine, but no one can sit between them. They are good to at least 65 pounds. My kids are still in them even though they are now old enough for booster seats. The only negative thing is that when you travel and want to take it, it's big and bulky, but for everyday use in my car, I wouldn't have it any other way. They have some great deals online.

I have done LOTS of research and I just purchased the Britax Boulevard. I haven't started using it yet, but it looks perfect. It goes up to 65 pounds. The ratings are better than any other seat on the market. If you go to the Britax website you can compare models to get the features you are looking for plus you can see an in depth picture description. Good Luck!!

We also had the Eddie Bauer car seat and were dissappointed. The first on broke and the second was just as flimsy. The best seat we bought was the $39 Wal-Mart special that can be used front and rear facing. We've had it for 2 years and used it for our daughter before she went to a booster and now for our son. Hope that helps!

Hello,

I have the following car seat and I love it. My 17 month old twins seem like they like it as well.

The Britax Marathon™ is a convertible car seat ideal for parents seeking premium comfort and a higher, forward-facing harnessed weight capacity. The tangle-free, five-point harness with four harness heights ensures a snug and secure fit. Premium push-button LATCH connectors provide a quick, simple and tight installation. Unique features include the patented Versa-Tether® for energy management, and rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Marathon fits children rear facing from five to 33 or 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 65 pounds. The Marathon is made in the USA with U.S. and global components.

We use a Cosco Alpha Mega Elite, which converts and can be used up to 100 lbs. It's easy to hook up and it's especially good for tall kids. My son's 3 and 42 lbs. and we've had no trouble with it...we've used it since he came out of the infant seat. We bought ours at Walmart.

I love my EvenFlo DLX models. I have them for my 3 year old and 1 year old. They are not convertable but you may want to rethink that anyway. First, it is most likely you son's growth will slow down. He will probably be in the seat for 3 years or so. And they do get dirty. Both of my children have thrown up in their seats - a major cleaning operation. I can not wait until my daughter reaches the right height and weight (she is 37 inches and 34 pounds) so she can safely move into a booster seat. If I had the money, I would replace her Evenflo as it is pretty dirty even with cleaning. In other words, you may spend the money on a "Grow with me Seat" only to find out it is too used, too dirty to really continue to use.
That being said, the Evenflo is about $140 and I really love it. Easy to install and use and very comfortable for the kids.
A.
PS Vinegar and lemon juice are the best ways to get the throw-up smell out. And then lots of soap and water and febreze to neutralize the vinegar smell.
PPS I assume you had the question about your period too. If you are breastfeeding it will be irregular. Even if you are not, it may take a few months to get your cycle back to normal. But keep in mind you CAN get pregnant on these irregular cycles.

i have both my kids in Britax car seats, they are an older version, but they go to 65 pounds and my kids are 36 and 22 pounds so are still fine as far as the weight goes. i believe that as long as you can you should use the 5 point harness system. i also believe that as far as my kids are concerned their saftey is what matters. A car accident may or may never happen, but britax is worth it's weight in gold if one does! i hope this helps

Hi, C.!
Hands down, for long-term investment, a Britax Marathon would be your best bet! It holds from (I think) 5-65 lbs & will face both rear & forward. They are built very solid & are well worth the cost! If you go to www.MySimon.com and type it in, it should tell you the cheapest place online to get it.
We have a Britax Roundabout for our son (7 mos) leftover from our daughter. Our 4.5 y.o. is in a Marathon & when she outgrows it OR when the Roundabout expires (whichever comes first), our son will get it.
They're not too terrible to install (I think it depends on your car more than anything else) & like I said, are just built with THE best & highest quality materials available, in my opinion.
If you really can't afford a Britax, the Fisher Price Safe Voyage is built by Britax but is cheaper (just doesn't have all of the features, etc...).
Good luck!
A.

Hi C.,
I have a Britax car seat that we used for our now 4 year old. He was in it since he was 12 weeks old b/c, like your son, he grew very quickly and outgrew his infant carrier. The Britax seats are great! I will be using it again very shortly for our second son who is due next week. It is sturdy and well worth the money. One good thing, although my son was 20 lbs at six months old, he is only 40lbs at 4 years old... thank goodness they slow down! He wanted a big boy booster seat before he actually outgrew the Britax!
I hope this helps.
C.- mother of 1 four year old boy, Beck, and another son on the way

Hi, C.. I feel your pain. After my daughter enjoyed her infant carrier past her 1st birthday due to her petite size, I was unhappy to realize my son would need a rear facing car seat by 6 months due to his "not so petite" size. We own 4 Britax car seats (3 Marathons & 1 Diplomat) and I passionately recommend the Marathon. It goes up to 65 lbs & is awesome both rear & forward facing! My daughter will be 5 next week & she loves her car seat & prefers it to a booster seat. They cost a little more, but they are definitely worth it. Shop around online & you can probably get a deal. Good luck & continue having fun with your baby!

Hi C.
I also have a 5 month old boy. As well as 3 other children under 4 so I know a little about car seats!! I have all my older children in britax seats and I love them. I have one roundabout which I would skip because it just goes up to 40 pounds and 2 marathons which go to 60 pounds. They come in nice designs and I believe are the safest on the market! They are super sturdy. Good luck with everything! N.

I also have a large (17 pound, 27 inches long) 5 month old son. I heard that the convertible car seats can be used from 5 to 60 pounds. Not sure if you can put those rear facing though. Still looking myself. If I hear anything I will let you know.

My son grew really quickly also (they said it was the breastfeeding) however he did slow down after he turned 1. He was always in the 95% but now he is in the 75%. Currently he is 27lbs at 18 months.

Although they grow quickly the first year, they don't gain that much weight as quickly as they get older. He would only weigh 40lbs if he were in the 95% at age 3, so you do have some time.

I think though that we have an Evenflow Generations carseat. It lasts to 50lbs then converts into a booster. It is for babies 20lbs and heavier, although I'm not sure that it is able to be used as a rear facing carseat.

I love it to death because it has a way to adjust the straps from the front. This is perfect since some days we need the heavy coat and others there is no need for a coat.

My mother bought an Alpha Omega for my son so she could drive him around when she babysits. It is a really nice car seat and I know that one is for tiny babies too.

Good luck!
~meg

I wouldn't buy anything but a Britax! I have twins and we bought the decathalon and loved it, however, they had some problems with the strap release button so they replaced it with whatever model I wanted so we upgraded to the high end model being the Boulevard. Now that's customer service. I LOVE this car seat and even though they are expensive, it is well worth every penny. Our twins are so comfortable and safe which is most important. We just did an 18 hour road trip and they slept in the seats overnight. I would highly recommend this seat!