# Convertible carseat recommendations?



## mrsbass (Oct 31, 2007)

My son is 8 mos. old and nearly 20 lbs. So I know that on his birthday, he wants a convertible carseat!









Any brand recommendations BESIDES Britax (too expensive) that have worked well for you? Preferably something I can get from Target...









Thanks, ladies!


----------



## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Britax's sale is in September, so its a great time to buy.









the True Fit is another convertible seat that goes to 35 lb. RF and 65 FF.


----------



## amberskyfire (Sep 15, 2007)

Before my daughter was born, I extensively researched car seats and was determined to buy the one that was least toxic. After a few days of searching, I learned that the Cosco Scenera 5-point convertible is the least toxic, so I made a trip to the store to see if they carried them.

Not only did they have them, but it was the cheapest car seat of them all!







: I paid $50 for it and it didn't come in a box, just a plastic bag, so it didn't have a lot of wasteful packaging. I was really impressed.

Not only that, but I kid you not when I say that three people stopped me on the way to the cash register and told me they had bought the same one and that they were very happy with it.

It's very easy to use and the button isn't too difficult for me to push in to open it. A lot of car seats are too difficult for me to unbutton.

http://www.target.com/Cosco-Scenera-...%20seat&page=1


----------



## want2bmoms (Feb 8, 2008)

I second the scenera.
the only drawback I can see is that the shoulder straps are really low so it might mean a different seat once the LO reaches 35 lbs... of course, I THINK and then there's still a 5-pt FF only that they make for about the same price.


----------



## mom2sophia (Aug 19, 2007)

Target has Britax seats on sale for 50% off. I just got a Roundabout yesterday for $109...so you may want to look!


----------



## XanaduMama (May 19, 2006)

We just got a Radian for $190 and free shipping on Amazon. Also goes to 35lb RF and 65lb FF; the height limits are also really good. We're very happy with it from every angle.

Otherwise, I would consider an Evenflo Triumph: very good and reasonably priced.


----------



## BeckC (Nov 27, 2006)

I just followed the link here from the main page cause I saw a carseat question. And if you haven't already, head over to Family Safety to check out info on extended rear facing and extended harnessing.

There are other great seats out there that aren't as expensive as Britax.

The Scenera is a good cheap seat. It rear faces to 35 lbs and forward faces to 40 lbs. It's kind of bare bones - it has no EPS foam in the head area and it's not very plushy. With the Scenera you would need to purchase another seat to keep them harnessed past 40 lbs. It costs around $45.

The Safety 1st Avenue is very similar to the Scenera. It has taller slots though and a taller shell so it will fit for longer. It also RF to 35 lbs and FF to 40 lbs. It has EPS foam and is more padded than the Scenera. It runs about $75 and is available at KMart and Sears. Like the Scenera you would want another harnessed seat later.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance (make sure it's the Advance) RF to 35 lbs and FF to 50 lbs. It has EPS foam and nice padding and lots of shoulder room. It has an infinite harness height adjustment so you don't need to rethread the straps ever. It runs $130 - $150. They have a really cute mint/chocolate one at Target right now.

The First Years True Fit is a great seat that also RF to 35 lbs and FF to 65 lbs. It also has great padding and nice tall slots and EPS foam. It has a headrest that is removable when RF below 22 lbs so it fits reclined better. It also adjusts the harness with tabs so you don't ever have to rethread straps. And it has built in lock-offs. It costs about $180 and is available at Target.

The Sunshine Kids Radian RF to 35 lbs and FF to 65 lbs or 80 lbs depending on the model you get. The 65 and the 80 both have the exact same shell height and slot heights. It can be very difficult to install in some vehicles. It's also well padded and has EPS foam, and tall top slots and a tall shell. It can also RF tether.

HTH

ETA: If you can find a Britax within your budget I'd go for the Marathon. The Roundabout has a short shell is outgrown early RF and only FF to 40 lbs.


----------



## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

i just got DD1 a Radian recently and we really like it. i'm going to get one for DS and one for DD2 as we can afford to replace the seats they're currently in. i have to fit three carseats in the backseat of my car, so i need them to be trim, and i need five-point harnesses for heavier kids because there's too much knuckle scraping using a belt-positioning booster with three seats side by side.

ETA - there's a seat made by Britax but marketed by... i think it's Fisher Price? it's about half the cost of a Britax but identical. so that might be a good option for you too


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

We've used Britax Marathons and Roundabouts, and we've got Radians now. We're using Radians because they are the only seat that will fit three in the backseat of a VW Golf. Radians are nice, but If we had enough space, I'd have three Britax Marathons.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixiepunk* 
ETA - there's a seat made by Britax but marketed by... i think it's Fisher Price? it's about half the cost of a Britax but identical. so that might be a good option for you too









That one has been discontinued...









-Angela


----------



## Neera (Jul 15, 2007)

i don;t know if my last post went thru.

we bought this last month:

http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com...s_baby_depot=1

it is 2-in-1 for up to 100 lb toddlers and we won't be needing another car seat until she is ready to get off the seat.


----------



## DogwoodFairy (Jan 11, 2008)

We just bought a Recaro Como and I love it. The only drawback is that during rear facing, the strap that tightens/loosens the harness is shoved against the seat and very hard to get to. Ds is 10 months old, though, so in a couple months he will be forward facing and loosening the harness (for bulky winter clothing and such) will be much easier. FTR we got a great deal on this, bought it brand new, but it was a floor model, so it was $160.

Edited to add: Also, its rated up to 8 years old or 70 lbs, so I'm hoping it will be the LAST car seat purchase we will have to make.


----------



## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Neera* 
i don;t know if my last post went thru.

we bought this last month:

http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com...s_baby_depot=1

it is 2-in-1 for up to 100 lb toddlers and we won't be needing another car seat until she is ready to get off the seat.

This won't work for the OP as it's a forward facing seat. Her little one is only 8 months, so she needs a rear-facing seat.


----------



## Tofu the Geek (Dec 2, 2003)

I second (or third?) The First Years True Fit. We have one in each vehicle for DD and it fits her very nicely. She is happily rear-facing in it, with plenty of room, at 23 months.







She can stay in the seat rear-facing until 35 pounds or until her head is within 1" of the top of the seat. Then of course, FF until 65 pounds or ears over top of shell.

Also, Target has recently started selling the True Fit in store. Not all Targets might have it at this point, but you could check at yours.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Socks for Supper* 
We just bought a Recaro Como and I love it. The only drawback is that during rear facing, the strap that tightens/loosens the harness is shoved against the seat and very hard to get to. Ds is 10 months old, though, so in a couple months he will be forward facing and loosening the harness (for bulky winter clothing and such) will be much easier. FTR we got a great deal on this, bought it brand new, but it was a floor model, so it was $160.

Edited to add: Also, its rated up to 8 years old or 70 lbs, so I'm hoping it will be the LAST car seat purchase we will have to make.

PLEASE keep him RF past 12 months. It's much MUCH safer. My dd was rf until 3.5yrs.

Personally I don't like the recaros as well because they don't tether rf like the britax seats and the radian do.

And you will still at least need a high backed booster after that seat.









-Angela


----------



## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Moving to Family Safety


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Socks for Supper* 
We just bought a Recaro Como and I love it. The only drawback is that during rear facing, the strap that tightens/loosens the harness is shoved against the seat and very hard to get to. Ds is 10 months old, though, so in a couple months he will be forward facing and loosening the harness (for bulky winter clothing and such) will be much easier. FTR we got a great deal on this, bought it brand new, but it was a floor model, so it was $160.

Edited to add: Also, its rated up to 8 years old or 70 lbs, so I'm hoping it will be the LAST car seat purchase we will have to make.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
PLEASE keep him RF past 12 months. It's much MUCH safer. My dd was rf until 3.5yrs.

Personally I don't like the recaros as well because they don't tether rf like the britax seats and the radian do.

And you will still at least need a high backed booster after that seat.









-Angela

Yes, please keep him RF! It's 5 times safer. And, no bulky winter coats in car seats! If it's big enough that you have to loosen the harness to put him in the seat, it's too fluffy.


----------



## BeckC (Nov 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Yes, please keep him RF! It's 5 times safer. And, no bulky winter coats in car seats! If it's big enough that you have to loosen the harness to put him in the seat, it's too fluffy.









:

He'll be much much safer RF. It's not a problem if his feet are touching the back seat either, so don't worry about that. The important thing is that his spine be cradled.

In the winter you can use a light fleece jacket under the harness but nothing else. The reason is because the puffy jacket will compress in an accident leaving the straps very loose and loose straps don't hold in a baby. Some people put jackets on backwards over the harness or keep blankets in the car.


----------



## mrsbass (Oct 31, 2007)

THank you, ladies. I've learned so much from your responses! I do plan on him being rearfacing until at least the new baby gets here (15 mos.). The problem is, a rear-facing carseat will only fit behind the passenger (my) seat. So when the baby is here, his/her carseat will be behind me and Isaac behind very tall daddy in small car. I'm afraid he'll have to be forward-facing at that point unless we can miraculously afford a larger vehicle (highly doubt).

We'll have to see. But I have several great recommendations for convertible seats, so thanks again!


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mrsbass* 
THank you, ladies. I've learned so much from your responses! I do plan on him being rearfacing until at least the new baby gets here (15 mos.). The problem is, a rear-facing carseat will only fit behind the passenger (my) seat. So when the baby is here, his/her carseat will be behind me and Isaac behind very tall daddy in small car. I'm afraid he'll have to be forward-facing at that point unless we can miraculously afford a larger vehicle (highly doubt).

We'll have to see. But I have several great recommendations for convertible seats, so thanks again!

You can have your DS pretty upright now that he isn't a newborn anymore, if that helps at all


----------



## BeckC (Nov 27, 2006)

Yup convertibles can be very upright for kids who have good head control. Depending on the seat you might find it fits very nicely even when there's not a lot of room front to back.

The Radian and the True Fit are both very tall but if you can grab a Marathon on sale those fit great in small backseats.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
You can have your DS pretty upright now that he isn't a newborn anymore, if that helps at all



















Britax convertibles can go very upright. I've seen them in TINY backseats.

-Angela


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Neera* 
i don;t know if my last post went thru.

we bought this last month:

http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com...s_baby_depot=1

it is 2-in-1 for up to 100 lb toddlers and we won't be needing another car seat until she is ready to get off the seat.

There are a lot of seats that will harness much larger kids, though... and a lot of kids will reach the 40-lb. limit of the harness on this seat well before they have the maturity to use a vehicle seat belt safely :-/.


----------



## Neera (Jul 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TechnoGranola* 
This won't work for the OP as it's a forward facing seat. Her little one is only 8 months, so she needs a rear-facing seat.

sorry, I forgot about the age of the baby. I thought it was time for the baby to be fwd. facing.

Actually, my lo was RF until 16-17 mos. I did see the 3-in-1 seat by Eddie Bauer as well - infant-100 lbs . it is available at Sam's club.


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

We've loved our Britax seats the best by far. We've used Marathons and Roumdabouts, and they were very easy to install and use. They also looked very comfy, and have excellent safety features. I'm not sure if I've known anybody to use a Britax seat and prefer something else.

We have Radians now. They are obviously good seats. We prefer the Britax seats, but the Radian is the seat that will allow us to get three in the backseat of a VW Golf. As far as I know, Radian is the narrowest convertible seat on the market.

Also, please check the expiry date on any seat that you buy and be sure that it will last for the period that you need it. I've seen carseats on sale because they're nearly two years old. That's fine if you will only need the for one child for a few years, but not great if you're hoping to use the seat for multiple kids. We always get our carseats from stores that move a lot of stock. We've actually gotten Britax seats three weeks past their manufacture date.


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Neera* 
sorry, I forgot about the age of the baby. I thought it was time for the baby to be fwd. facing.

Forward vs. rear-facing isn't a matter of time or age, except insofar as there is a minimum legal age for forward-facing. It's a matter of the child's size and physical development, and the limits of the seat in use.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Neera* 
I did see the 3-in-1 seat by Eddie Bauer as well - infant-100 lbs . it is available at Sam's club.

The 3-in-1 seats (including the Eddie Bauer) tend to look like a great deal, but then it turns out that, by trying to fit ALL sizes of children, they don't fit any child all that well, and are often outgrown much earlier than convertible seats. In many cases, the child will outgrow the harness before they are ready for the booster on the *same* seat!


----------



## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ironica* 
In many cases, the child will outgrow the harness before they are ready for the booster on the *same* seat!

True. My daughter fit the older version of the Alpha Omega by height just as long RF as she did FF. When she outgrew it both RF & FF at the same time, she was still almost 2 years away from being heavy + mature enough to use it as a booster.... It was the only seat I ever had (& I've owned a *ton* of seats!) that was only really usuable RF for my daughter: since there's generally no reason to FF a child who fits RF. Of course each child is different, but I have never come across anyone who genuinely prefer 3-in-1s for primary use once they've experienced other seats in the same price range, spare/travel maybe but not primary use.

Jacks of all trades, masters on none


----------

