New Mom Wondering What Is the Best Option for Carseats?

Hi,
I had a Graco Sport-or a name like that- for my kids from when they moved out of their infant seat. It is fantastic. My youngest is three and a half and only just out of it because he inheritaed his older brothers seat which is a Britax(We could not get the Sport in Singapore where we lived at the time of buying the Britax). I would recommend going to B'RU and having a look at theirs. Price does affect the quality of the seat.
Good luck,
W.

Cosco makes a 3-in-1 carseat that can rear-face. It is the Alpha something. (Sorry--I don't remember the whole name). It can face forwards or backwards and then later converts to a booster seat. It is also nice because there is a system to raise and lower the height of the straps without having to un-thread them like most car seats. I think it was around $100.

Just remember the new recommendation is the baby needs to stay rear facing until they are 1 year old and 30 lbs. Not 20.

I have the Chicco Cortina Travel System and I love it.

Both of my girls started out in one of the click-in baby "buckets." I liked this, because they were both small, and carrying them in it was pretty easy and convenient.

My oldest then transitioned into a Evenflo Triumph. It looks a lot like the Britax Marathon, and she was quite happy/comfortable in it.

We travel in two vehicles pretty frequently, so rather than move the big heavy car seat(s) back and forth all the time, we 1) put the Triumph in my hubby's truck for the baby, and bought the 3-year old a Graco TurboBooster - which she LOVES, then 2) for my car, we bought them matching Britax Boulevards.

I am now a "Britax Snob." I love these car seats, and because they go up to 65 lbs, I'll be able to keep them in a 5-point harness as long as possible (we travel primarily in my car), which was my goal for safety reasons.

My only beef with the Britax seats, is there is no cup holder. I bought them each a Side Rider, and though the clips don't work well, I used diaper pins to secure them to the car seats. They work GREAT to hold cups/snacks/sunglasses, etc.
http://www.greatbabyproducts.com/Side_Rider_p/suns-10220.htm

Best wishes on your new addition!
M.

I recomened a Britax. I have the Britax Blvd and love it. It rear-faces from 5-33lbs. Then foward faces from 20-65lbs. The Britax Marathon is also this way. he run between $249-$299 but are WELL worth the money. Britax is top-of-the line in safety ratings and comfort. They are the BEST.
Make sure you keep you baby rear-facing as long as possibly. preferably to 2 yrs and 33lbs. they are much safer this way.

The 3-in-1 are a HUGE waste of money. A child outgrows them by the age of 3 WAY before they are ready for the booster and the booster mode doesnt last long. I had one and just trashed b/c I HATED it.

Great choice! I have the Britax Boulevard for my daughter and it's great- you can't really beat 5-65 lbs, right?! :) My older girls are in the Britax Frontier. That's 25-100 lbs! But it's for age 2 and up.

I used the Britax Regent also and that was really nice but HUGE.

I've also used Cosco's convertible seats and since using the Btitax I HATE the Cosco seats. Britax is just far superior, in safety as well. This is coming from someone who was in a roll over accident and had two in Cosco seats and two in Britax seats. The new seats are all Britax.

As for the poster who said not to worry about having a carseat that lasts a long time because of the expiration, I called Britax and the Boulevard I THINK was six years but I KNOW the Frontiere was 9 years so I could be wrong about the 6 year one. So I wouldn't worry about it, use it till the baby gets too big for it (65 lbs or the maximum height.)

I bought the best safety rated car seats for my little ones used from birth till almost four. Paid $275 for them. worth every penny. I have them both and would be willing to sell for $75 each. Fill free to call ###-###-####

Well I have an evenflo that I use as a rear facing now and can be used as forward facing up to 40 pounds. I only paid like $50 for it which was awesome and I like it. The straps are a little hard to tighten, but I just pull hard and it works just fine. I bought one of those little head supporters at Walmart for around $10 or so just so he would be more comfortable. So if economy is important to you, I really recommend it. I got mine at Babies r us, but I think they sell them at Walmart as well. I am not sure of the model number, but is was the only one that was selling for around $50. Hope that helps and have a great day!

My children have had three different car seats as they gew up. First they had their infant car seat, which was also part of our stroller/travel system. Next, they used a convertible seat. Finally, they used a booster.

We checked Consumer Reports (online), and went with what was highly rated. After all, if there were an accident, I would want my child protected by the very best. (I've never had one in my life, but still...)

Be sure that whatever you buy fits well in your car because not all of the seats will. (Many baby stores will let you try the seat in your car before purchase. Just ask, and a sales rep will accompany you and help you try it out.)

Visit www.hipmonkey.com where you can find great seats in different price ranges. Research has been done on all the seats sold on this site and the proceeds go to a wonderful foundation that provides safe seats to kids who would not normally have them.

We have Britax for my kids. We will be moving my daughter up to her convertable one from her infant seat soon but we also have a 5-point booster for my 6 year old that my daughter will transition to several years down the road. My kids are long and skinny like their dad and I was not comfortable with the every day boosters you get that just use the should belt. We needed something more to keep my little man safe and although the seat is big, it's well worth it and comfortable for my son!

Good luck!

I have twins and when they were born we bought graco carriers. I really wish we had not! They were good car seats but only go to 20 lbs. So at 7 months we had to buy new carseats again! This time we bought Recaro Signo seats. They are convertable. I absolutely love them! I really wish we had bought them first! They can be rear or front facing. They are very soft and very safe. They also have side impact protection that most do not. They were pretty pricey but worth it for the safety of our sweet baby girls! I beleive we spent about 280 a piece for them. I 100% recommend this carseat!

Britax is worth the extra expense!!! Best Wishes..

Graco carseats are really good quality and one of the only brands to pass a high speed test. Not that anyone will be racing with their baby in the car, but it is comforting to know that the car seat will hold up and kepp your little ones safe. They are also affordable.

Before you buy anything, make sure it will fit in your car... A rear facing seat that is really long (aka: tall) can push the front passenger seat(s) so far forward that an adult can't sit in it... Britax are great seats, but if it doesn't fit in your available space, it can be an expensive mistake.

Hi Jamie-

I would advise you to look into the Recaro Signo (or Recaro Como...same seat just slightly different features). We now own 2 Recaro seats (a Recaro Young Sport for my 4 year old..this seat is only forward facing) and the Signo.

Recaro is known for their safe car seats for race cars. In the 13 years they have been making child safety seats, they have not had a single recall of any kind. Their seats feel super stury and comfortable. We love that our kids have side impact protection, which seems to be lacking on lots of other car seats available. The seat cost us $289 (we got ours on sale so there was no tax added). It goes from 5 lbs. to 70 or 80. The child stays in the 5 pt. harness the entire time! Our son that uses this seat is 6 months old (we've had it a little over a month). He can see out of it just fine and likes to snuggle into the side impact cushions. Great seat. We do not intend to buy any other seat for him.

The only drawback I would say to the Signo is that it is a big car seat so definitely try it out in your car (we have a Honda Civic and though it is big, we decided that the safety of our child is a much higher priority than the amount the front passenger seat can move back for leg room (there is still plenty).

Locally, you can go to Right Start to look at them (one in The Woodlands in the Market Street area and the other down in Rice Village). You can also go to Babies First Furniture (one on I-45 southbound feeder road, south of 1960..I think there's a second location on Westheimer).

I'd like to add that US car seats do not have to be tested for side impact crashes. European car seats (like Britax and Recaro which are sold for the US market) are tested on side impact crashes and overall they are tested at higher speeds than the US currently requires (something I think that needs to be modified but that's another topic).

Hope that helps some. I know I sound like a commercial but I think that people always go for Britax because they're so widely available (I do not have a thing against Britax..I'm sure their good seats, I just think the Recaro is better built after looking at both hands on), but I really think that if you go look at it you will be impressed too! Good luck on your car seat search. Let me know if you have any questions or anything.

~L.

GO with Britax! We love ours, and it will last till 80lbs. They say to keep your kiddo in a 5point harness till 80lbs. I bought mine based on the consumer reports findings about 1 year ago. Super easy to use and install. My 2.5year old LOVES it!

I have the Britax Marathon!!! I love it. I went from the Graco infant carrier to this one. I did tons of research before buying and decided on this one. I had it rear facing for awhile, my 2 1/2 year old is now only 27 lbs. So she was rear facing past 1 year old. Now she is forward facing, it is very comfortable. They can stay in it until 65 lbs. They are a little bigger than some of the others and a bit more expensive, but you can use it until you need to switch to just a small booster. You can purchase them at Target or Babies 'R' Us. I ended up finding it the cheapest online with free shipping, I think it was around $215. Worth every penny! One tip- I would go to Babies 'R' Us and test itfor fit in your car if you have a smaller car(i ahve a nissan maxima), especially while it is rear facing. It can recline a bit, 2 positions. It is a great seat, can't go wrong.

The carseat my baby is in is a convertible, it's made by Safety first. It was purchased at Walmart, but not at a Walmart around here. I love the car seat is absolutely awesome. It's up to 100lbs and as your baby grows the car seat basically grows with them. The end result of the carseat is a booster seat. Anyways, I love it and if you are interested I'll get the exact model for you and other info.

The best practice recommendation is to keep you rchild rear facing as long as the car seat will allow. Rear facing is the safest position for you child to be in. No matter which seat you decide to go with, be sure to look up your local car seat technician or fitting station to show you how to install it or just to make sure you installed it correctly. You can find a free technician at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7...

Buy what you want because in a few years you'll need something new. The average life of a carseat is about 5 years because when it sets in a car for that long through the summers the plastic can become brittle and therefor compromise safety. We had a comvertible for 4 years and just recently upgrades to a 3-in-1 with a higher weight for the 5pt harness and really like, it's the Nautulis http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber....

My son has been in his Britax Marathon for nearly 4 years. It's rear and forward facing. Large but great safety ratings and he's very comfortable in it. It is good up to 65 lbs. He won't be growing out of it anytime soon. I love it so much, I just purchased one for my 9 month old daughter. They are also VERY easy to install. Although, heavy and big. Not easy to travel by air with.

I am a personal fan of the Britax Marathon. As soon as my babies outgrow their carriers, they have moved into the Marathon and LOVE IT! Not to mention it is one of the safest seats on the market. It is a little pricey, but my oldest just got out of hers at 5. When she moved into a Britax Parkway. And that was because she is so tall. My middle dd (3.5) will be in her Marathon until she is at least 6, because she is a peanut. And my 7 month old is currently loving her rear facing Marathon. Which she'll be in until she's 5.

I say a seat that is safe and built to fit a child until they are ready for boosters is worth it.

You dont say how old your baby is and how much she weighs. They say to leave them rear-facing as long as possible. I suspect you know that. As far as what brand? After I did all my research, I opted to buy the Britax Marathon. Not only are they just about the safest seats out there, their harnesses dont get all tangled up like some brands. I dont know about you, but in the struggle of getting your kiddo in and out of the car on a hot day at the super-market...the last thing I want to do it mess with those darn harnesses!!!! The Britax Marathon is not cheap. The way I figured it out is that it will hold my daughter until she goes into a booster seat. Essentially, I spent more money now, but will not have to buy another seat.

Just my opinion,
Margaret :)

If you haven't already, I've got 2 suggestions:

1. Find some place that sells the seat(s) you're interested in, and actually strap your baby in. When we bought our son his 2nd car seat, doing that step resulted in a change of plans at the store. The car seat we'd originally planned on was not user friendly and he wasn't comfortable. So we moved to our 2nd choice (which had an equal safety rating but was actually less expensive).

2. If you don't have a subscription to Consumer Reports online, you can get a monthly one for only $5.99. Then, once you've looked at all the reports you want to, you can cancel the subscription. I looked at it as being basically a one time purchase when we did this recently to choose my son's booster seat (his sister had outgrown her infant seat and needed to be moved up to the convertible car seat; my son was less than half an inch from outgrown that car seat anyway).

We ended up purchasing a combo rear/forward facing model and then when our son got too tall bought a carseat that converted into a booster seat. He is 5 and still uses it with the regular car seatbelt.
My biggest recommendation would be to try it in your car before you buy it. Many seats (especially the taller ones that convert to boosters) will not fit well at all in some back seats. Also, we were ready to get a knew one by the time our son outgrew the one he had. They just get so yucky!

3 in 1 carseats aren't generally as safe for infants. Also, the cost is about the same if you buy 3 as if you buy 3 in 1. If you are planning on more than one, you will need the infant before the big kid is done. For these reasons, we started with the Graco Snugride (excellent safety rating, excellent price) and moved up to the Britax Roundabout. By the time #2 needs it, my girl will be big enough for a $60 booster. They will be 2 years apart. The book Baby Bargains has great info on most baby gear, you can pick up a copy at 1/2 price books.
K.

Jaime,
your thinking in advance and that is good. I wish I had.

First off the website: http://www.car-seat.org/ is great. There are a lot of technicians there that give great advice and you can get some information on how happy people are with the seats they bought.

I can tell you a few things in hindsight.

We bought Britax seats for our childen and LOVE them. I can say that we spent the extra and purchased the marathon. It goes to 60lbs. We have had 3 children in 4 1/2 yrs. Our fist one was huge (30lb 1yr old, 40lb 2yr old). I can say that currently my 5 mos old daugther is in the Marathon and not one of our children will hit the 60lb mark before it expires.

If you are having other children maybe get a good convertible for your next child and your current child can use it in the meanwhile. This is what we did with our second son and he now has the Frontier which does have a 9yr warranty. So he will have a seat until he is 11 or it will hand down to my daughter.

Other than not really using the 60lb mark on the Marathon the only other regret I have is not planning our seat purchases better. Looks like you are already a step ahead on that one. Good Luck

J.

I second Heidi's advice on Britax. We have the Decathlon which is bigger than the other's they offer. It is also a rear-facing and front-facing seat and has the same weight limits as the Marathon, I believe. I know it will go up to 65 lbs facing front. With the Britax, you get the option of quick, easy installation and the harness will never get twisted or become weak like other brands. This is the only brand I will buy. They have several options and are all similarly priced. We purchased our at Baby's and Kid's First Furniture, but they also carry some models at Target and Baby's R Us.

I bought and love the Britax Boulevard, it is both rear and front facing. It also is slated for birth to 65 lbs. You might just check out their website, britax.com, you can compare all of their carseats to decide which one is right for you. They are safer than almost any other seat. Good Luck