# convertible car seats



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

i know their are a million threads about car seats....but we need a new one and i would like a convertible that goes up to 100lbs. we have looked at the triumph the omega and the eddie bauer 3in1.....any thoughts, suggestions, stories??? we really cannot afford a britax

i want something safe but comfortable for her as we take several trips to maine each month to visit grammy and papa! she is not a chubby kid so far - but right now she is approaching 20lbs and i know the time in her graco is getting short!

thanks in advance ladies


----------



## lemurmommies (Jan 15, 2007)

I have a few friends who have the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 and hate it. It seems difficult to install, hard to adjust, and the strap height is rather low, meaning that kids often outgrow the harness before they are really ready to be in a booster.

3-in-ones are generally a bad idea, because people rarely get the use out of them that they really think they are going to. Children often outgrow the harnesses on them before they are ready for a booster, and then you have to get a different harnessed seat anyhow.

It might be a better option for you to get a less expensive convertible for now, and then a forward-facing only seat that converts to a booster later. A good, inexpensive convertible is the Cosco Scenera. My ILs have two of them for when their grandkids visit, and my DS, who is used to his Britax, seemed to like riding in it just as much.


----------



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

The 3 in 1 is not a great car seat. The vast majority of children grow out of the car seat by height not by weight, and the 3 in 1 has very low strap heights. Many a parent does buy the Scenera and then explores their options once their child outgrows that seat.


----------



## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Moving to family safety


----------



## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Ok.

There is NO SUCH THING as a convertible that goes to 100 lbs. Those seats that you were looking at harness to 40 lbs. That is all. They supposedly turn into belt positioning boosters after 40 lbs but the fact of the matter is that they make absolutely HORRIBLE boosters. Furthermore, the harness heights are too short, and most kids outgrow them between 2.5 and 3 years old...which is too young for a booster.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A THREE IN ONE.

There are multiple good options out there for a converitble without spending Britax money. Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe is one of them. This seat is a barebones Britax Marathon and can usually be purchased for 130 dollars. It rear faces to 33 lbs and forward faces to 55 lbs, and has 17 inch top slots on its harness.


----------



## LilyGrace (Jun 10, 2007)

1st - are you going to have a 100lb 6yo? This is a very valid question, because getting a high weighted seat for an infant means that it will still expire in 6 years.

2nd - most convertibles that go up to 100lbs (in fact, all) only go so far harnessed - usually around 40lbs. Do you want to go straight to a booster after that?

If I were you, I'd look at the Fisher Price Safe Voyage. It's made by Britax, half the $$, and goes to 55lbs ff. You can look for a ff seat that goes higher after you max this one out.


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

i never thought about the 6 yr 100 lb thing....no i doubt she will be that heavy at that age...my niece is 7 and is still in a booster and weighs nothing close to 100lbs. the fisher price looks like a good seat to consider. thanks for the input, being a ftm i dont think of all those good points!! keep the advice coming please!!









amy idea how well the fisher price stands up for multiple kiddies?


----------



## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

3 beans, as always, is so right!

Please do NOT even consider any 3-in-1 type seat they are CRAP. for all the reason she described and more.

First, what are your harnessing goals? The absolute minimum safe amount of time to harness a child is considered to be 4 yrs and 40 pounds, but the longer you harness, the better. I personally wouldn't consider letting dd out of a harness until 6/60 or older. Also, how big is your child now and what is your best guess for the future? Are we talking petite or linebacker child here?
Second what is your vehicle(s) and how often will you be removing/reinstalling the seat?
Third, what is your budget?

If you give us the current size of your child, height and weight, with your best guess for future growth, the info about your vehicles and your budget,along with any other pertinent info, we can give you specific recommendations.


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

ok right now she is 7/5 mos old and weighs between 17 and 18 lbs and is about 26 in long. i am rather short and on the heavier side but she seems to be taking after her daddy who was always quite thin and is about 6ft right now. so she seems to be quite average.

i have a small car right now and use the straps on the graco base to secure the seat to the built-in carseat ancores.

my husband has a large full back seat truck that we use about 20% of the time and then when my mom is here we usually move the base to her pt cruiser which also has plenty of room.

i would like to spend $150 or less if i can get a comfortable safe seat for that....and yes i want to keep her rear facing as long as possible and harnessed with the 5 point strap as long as possible too (although there is a chance she could be on the tall side...)

thanks sooooo much!!!


----------



## All together ooky (Jun 3, 2004)

3 Beans gave good advice. The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe is a good choice (same top slot height as a Marathon) and will last most kids until they're around 5 yrs. Another choice in your price range is the Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE. It has an infinite adjust harness (no rethreading) and RF to 35lbs, FF 50lbs. It is a little wider and deeper than the Marathon but lasts kids about the same. Make sure it is the ADVANCE and not the older model.


----------



## LilyGrace (Jun 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *All together ooky* 
Another choice in your price range is the Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE. It has an infinite adjust harness (no rethreading) and RF to 35lbs, FF 50lbs. It is a little wider and deeper than the Marathon but lasts kids about the same. Make sure it is the ADVANCE and not the older model.

I was really curious about this seat so I went to Walmart and played around with it.

I had the Evenflo On My Way seat with my oldest (the one that should have been recalled and instead killed a few kids) and I thought, maybe, with this seat, they would try to do something right.

I hated it. I flat out hated it - it feels flimsy and the adjustments don't feel secure and it just felt horrible.


----------



## skaterbabs (Jul 31, 2005)

Are you certain it's the Advance and not the old version? I played with the Advance a bit the other day (our Babies R Us finally got it into stocl, none of the local Wal-Marts have it yet.) It's pretty nice.


----------



## LilyGrace (Jun 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *skaterbabs* 
Are you certain it's the Advance and not the old version? I played with the Advance a bit the other day (our Babies R Us finally got it into stocl, none of the local Wal-Marts have it yet.) It's pretty nice.

I'm quite certain it was the Advance. I had been hearing about it since two weeks into its release, and when I finally saw one I had to stop to play. (could have been Target, but I'm pretty sure I was in Walmart). It just felt so flimsy to me and the adjusting pieces were wonky and didn't feel stable in the least. (I've owned a Boulevard, which could be part of the problem







)


----------



## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

With your info, the FPSV seat would be a great choice. Right about in your price range, and will RF until 33 pounds, and FF until 55, with a top slot height of 17 inches, which gets many kids to 4, some to 5.
Another great choice, a tiny bit more expensive, but also will last longer, is the Radian 65 seat. It is $199, but can sometimes be gotten on sale or with a coupon/discount for a little less, but it has a 33 lb RF limit, and a 65 lb FF limit, with 18 inch straps, and while it might seem like only a little bit(one inch more), when you are talking about a child who is around 5 years old, that 1 extra inch of torso height can easily be a year or more of growth - this seat frequently fits until about age 6+. This seat also has a great 8 year expiration, so can be used a long time/handed down to siblings, etc. *best value option*
There is a new seat out called the REcaro Como, which is a bit more out of your price range, but would last even longer, it is $249, but has a 35 LB rf limit (those extra 2 pounds beteen 33 and 35 can be sometimes months of use) a FF 70 lb limit with 19 inch slots. Most kids can expect to get to 8 in this seat, although it expires in 6 years, so you have to figure that in. If you bought it for a 1 yr old, obviously it would expire by the time that child was 7.

If you believe what you will end up with eventually is a regent (largest seat on the market, goes up to 80 pounds and top slots of 20.5 inches, fits most kids until 8-11 years old), then I would not bother getting a convertible that extended harness, because the regent will do that for you. You could get a cheaper convertible, like a cosco scenera(basic) or safety 1st uptown(more padded, cushy). these seats are $40 and $99 respectively, and both RF until 35 pounds and then FF to 40 pounds. . This will likely get your child until 3+ RF at which point you can get a regent, and use until your child outgrows it, at which poijnt your child will likely be between 8-11 years old, and you probably won't even need a booster, but can just use the car seat belt. This is the truly safest way to keep your child RF and the FF harnessed the longest. Plus, it means you only have to spend $40-$99 right now, and then have about 2 years+ to save up the $249 for the regent. *safest option*

I LOATHE, with every fiber of my being the Triumph advance. I could never, as a mom, after playing with it, ever recommend this seat. But, as a tech who is supposed to be impartial, for your information, it is only $120, it has a 50 lb FF limit, a 35 lb RF limit, and about 16.5 inch top slots. I believe the "50 lb limit" to be truly misleading, as only a very short, chunky child could EVER come close to that in this seat. My dd weighs 31 pounds, is 35 months old, and 37 inches tall, and is within 1 inch of the top slot in this seat, so I doubt she has more than a year (or less) left in it, which would make her still shy of 4 when she outgrows it. A child with average/normal proportions will outgrow this seat WELL before 50 pounds. Plus, the adjusters simply don't work,they don't stay in place, many, MANY people have reported this(go to www.car-seat.org for more info) , and no way am I gonna chance the straps not being secure in an accident. It makes me ill they even sell this seat. I freely admit my bias against this seat. While many of us hate it, there seems to be a small, but very adamant minority, like the pp, who LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this seat.....so you have to make your own call.


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

do you mean the britax regent? i just looked at that an it does look like a very nice seat indeed. also i do plan to have another child probably within 2 yrs in which case if i got the fisher price now, when the younger baby needed it we could get the regent for dd having had the time to save for it. it looks so much roomier, safe and comfortable than the boosters!!

thanks!


----------



## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

Hi Katie! I was in your DDC







My DS is in a Boulevard. I would agree with the other posters that the Fisher Price or it's Britax cousins are great choices. With my DD we bought a Graco ComfortSport to save money, and then we bought a Boulevard because I hated the ComfortSport and DD hated the stupid seat! You can get a Marathon on sale at AlbeeBaby for down to $209, which although IS more than the FPSV it has the the rear facing tether, the higher weight limits and the plusher cover. In all reality, the Britax seats will last as long as the 3 in 1's they just aren't marketed that way. The 3 in 1 seats have the marketing advantage down pat!

I have a Triumph Advance and I like it. It's DS's seat in my IL's car. I won't buy another because of the Evenflo expose recently done in the Chicago Tribune (not fixing a problem that was causing serious injuries in several seats). But I like the one I have. The straps lock in place when the child is straped in. If you didn't want to mess with the infinite adjust of the Triumph, the new Evenflo Titan's have the extended harnessing capablities w/o the infinite adjust.

And as one of the OP said, there is also the Radian 65 and the Recaro, more pricey but with some of the same features.

I've encouraged my friends to look past the price tags of the car seats. Divide it out over 6 years, 12 months a year, and you aren't paying more than $6 a month! Not a bad investment, especially when you consider that getting into a car is one of the most dangerous things your child will ever do.


----------



## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Please visit my website (link in signature) ... page "Safety Seat Basics" with helpful resources for choosing a new carseat


----------



## All together ooky (Jun 3, 2004)

Agreed with others. I personally dislike the Advance and would much rather have the FPSVD. I don't like the knobs and the straps kept getting twisty when I played with it.

The Advance will last most kids as long as a Marathon (I don't know any kid that makes it to 65lbs in a Marathon before outgrowing it by height). I have comparision pics of my DD in both a MA and Advance on car-seat.org. (same user name).

From what I've read, the new Titan has a higher weight limit, but the top slots aren't any higher so the new wight limit is pretty much useless.


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

i actually had found the fp carseat on albeebaby for 129 and was going to order it but hadnt thought to look at the marathon there - 209 isnt too bad, but im not sue i can convince dh....he already wanted to get the eddie bauer at bjs last night and told me that HE thinks it looks perfectly safe, safer than the fb that i sent him the link to the other day. i asked him how often he checked the consumer ratings and reports when purchasing a new vehicle (he was obsessed) - i told him to check out the carseat section and look at some online reviews as well before coining himself the carseat expert







.

its hard to tell from the descr online but does the fb recline at all? amelia dislikes the carseat unless she is napping and usually will fall asleep if she is reclined enough and comfy.


----------



## T&D2005 (May 29, 2007)

Ohh I'm so glad I read this post before buying a carseat! I have no advice but good post


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

oh ya and Carrie....whats a rear facing tether??







:


----------



## angie3096 (Apr 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *katie9143* 
oh ya and Carrie....whats a rear facing tether??







:

This might help answer your question. The site is a little outdated because it says only 4 seats on the market have a RF tether. Britax has since come out with way more convertible seats (Boulevard, Decathalon, etc.), all of which can be tethered rearfacing. The Radian can also be tethered RF. But the other info is still good!
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/isakswings/ratetherrf.html


----------



## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Here's the more recent RF tethering page > http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/...tethering.html







(this is a New Zealand site, the owner was certified in the U.S.)


----------



## All together ooky (Jun 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *katie9143* 
i actually had found the fp carseat on albeebaby for 129 and was going to order it but hadnt thought to look at the marathon there - 209 isnt too bad, but im not sue i can convince dh....he already wanted to get the eddie bauer at bjs last night and told me that HE thinks it looks perfectly safe, safer than the fb that i sent him the link to the other day. i asked him how often he checked the consumer ratings and reports when purchasing a new vehicle (he was obsessed) - i told him to check out the carseat section and look at some online reviews as well before coining himself the carseat expert







.

its hard to tell from the descr online but does the fb recline at all? amelia dislikes the carseat unless she is napping and usually will fall asleep if she is reclined enough and comfy.

The FPSVD does recline just like the Marathon (well, the way you do it is a little different, but the outcome is the same). BUT, you can't use the tether to adjust the RF recline like you can on the Marathon.


----------



## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

Katie- glad to see you got replies on the tether. We've all had the stomach flu over here! Yuck! My best stubborn DH convincing tool is to divide out the cost per month for the likely use of the seat. For you child, it would probably be 4 to 5 years. Unless you plan on more children, then you get the full 6 years. A Marathon will almost certainly be useful longer than a 3 in 1 becuse they have higher strap heights and weight limits. It's totally possible you could go to 5 and 50 in the Marathon, then move to a booster (or a Regent if you wanted to continue harnessing). And, like the OP said, the FPSV does recline like the Marathon. I believe it does everything that the Marathon does except top tether rear facing, the forward facing weight limit is a little lower (50 vs 65) and the fabrics aren't as nice. Not that big of a deal, and still a MUCH better seat than a 3 in 1!


----------



## angie3096 (Apr 4, 2007)

I think it's also missing the lockoffs.
But again, it's still a great seat!


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

lockoffs?


----------



## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Britax has built-in seatbelt lock-offs on the sides ... other manufacturers include the more typical Locking Clip > http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lockincss.aspx

_Usually_ these are only *necessary* for vehicles without manual seatbelt locking mechanisms (ALR/SLR/LWL: all described in the link above as well as in the vehicle manuals) -- such mechanisms are required on every vehicle since 1996


----------



## reducereuserecycle (Jan 16, 2007)

i have the Eddie Bauer 3-in1 and love it. It is hard to install, but still doesn't take that much effort. it didn't rate extremely toxic on the car seat toxicity chart. It was in the middle.


----------



## Papooses (Dec 20, 2006)

Just beware that the EB3n1 harness is usually outgrown much too soon before a child is ready for a booster & there are more dedicated boosters available once the harness is outgrown + it has a really high misuse rate because of the headrest/harness issue: top position is for booster use only.... For the money, there are way better choices, IMO


----------



## angie3096 (Apr 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Papooses* 
Just beware that the EB3n1 harness is usually outgrown much too soon before a child is ready for a booster & there are more dedicated boosters available once the harness is outgrown + it has a really high misuse rate because of the headrest/harness issue: top position is for booster use only.... For the money, there are way better choices, IMO



















The 3 in 1 seats aren't bad, as long as you realize that the booster mode it is worthless because it has bad belt guides, and the harness is very short and is outgrown quickly. Considering that, they are incredibly overpriced. If you want a Dorel convertible that only goes to 40 pounds, look at the Scenera or the Uptown. Same basic features as the 3 in 1; lots less money.


----------



## skaterbabs (Jul 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *angie3096* 







If you want a Dorel convertible that only goes to 40 pounds, look at the Scenera or the Uptown. Same basic features as the 3 in 1; lots less money.

Exactly. And since Dorel does not make *any* convertibles with a higher than 40 lb weight limit, there is absolutely no sense in the 3 in 1 seats anyway IMO.


----------



## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

I ditto the other ladies on the Dorel 3-in-1s. They are a waste of money for what they cost vs. what they can actually do. Children rarely reach 40 lbs in them, and the booster portion of the seat is a useless POS.

I would absolutely never recommend someone buy the 3-in-1.


----------



## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

I have an Evenflo Triumph that I bought in 2004 and I love it. I find it very easy to use, especially the harness adjustment. It works well for me FF or RF. I do have to put a rolled up towel underneath the front end when it's rear-facing to get the 45 degree angle, I think. I'm only eyeballing it. I noticed that the Britaxes RF are in a more upright position than I'd like so I think I'd have to do the same with them. The newer Triumphs go to 50 lbs and 50 inches and have even easier to use features. It has the EPP or EPS foam the entire length of the seat for side impact, not just around the head. According to Consumer Reports (redone testing), it got the same overall ease of use score as the Britax, either Roundabout or Marathon (I can't remember which), but it scored higher in crash protection. On the NHTSA site, the Triupmh DLX was the only convertible that got straight As. Not even the Britax Boulevard got straight As. The Evenflo Triumph Premier, which is their top of the line model, is about half the price of the Britax Boulevard. The Advance is cheaper still but it doesn't have the new quick latch system that is the same as on the Britax. I chose the Triumph over the Britax in 2004 because it scored either the same or higher then as well.

I agree about not getting a 3-in-1. From what I've read, they are not as safe.

My car was in a collision recently so I have to get new car seats and have been looking into all of this again. I have narrowed it down to either the Evenflo Triumph Premier or the Britax Boulevard. I was going to post a thread asking about these two specifically. I'm trying to determine if there's anything safety wise that makes the Britax worth twice the cost. So far, I haven't found anything. The only thing I'm wondering about at this point is if the Triumph might allow for more side head movement than the Britax since the head part is wider. Looking at the Britax, though, it looks like there's still plenty of room for side head movement. I'm off to post that thread if anyone would like to come and give me their opinion if they have knowledge of both car seats.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Consumer reports is not a good source for carseat information.

-Angela


----------



## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
Consumer reports is not a good source for carseat information.

-Angela

Why not? Their conclusions jibe with the NHTSA. Are there any other independent sources that test and rate car seats?


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

They do not release their testing data (BIGGEST reason because then it can not be recreated)

They have had several of their "studies" recalled because they were so flawed.

They don't use certified techs. to install- even saying they couldn't get seats installed right.

-Angela


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

so i have talked my husband into paying for half of the marathon and we are going to order one tomorrow when he gets paid. at first he could not believe that she could potentially use a carseat for so long - my youngest niece who is 7 would just have grown out of it by an inch and 3-4 lbs. well we went to target where they stock them (for 270) and took one off the shelf and laced her in it....

i cant find the thread where ppl were saying where the deals were and the one i was going to get on albeebaby is out of stock. has anyone seen other more current sales?


----------



## MarineWife (May 1, 2004)

Babycenter had the Boulevard Regal for cheaper than Albee, oh, and much cheaper than anywhere I've seen the Marathon


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Traveling tikes has all their Marathons on sale for $229 with free shipping.

Best buy baby also has several patterns on sale, from $224


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
They do not release their testing data (BIGGEST reason because then it can not be recreated)

They have had several of their "studies" recalled because they were so flawed.

They don't use certified techs. to install- even saying they couldn't get seats installed right.

-Angela

Supposedly this last time they had some techs on board for once when they did their testing and for once all the seats 'passed' I guess. Go figure. In general I think you get better info from places like www.car-seat.org, but I did at least agree w/ their #1 infant seat pick this time, the Chicco Keyfit.


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
Supposedly this last time they had some techs on board for once when they did their testing and for once all the seats 'passed' I guess. Go figure.











I think that's really funny. Sad. But funny.

-Angela


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Traveling tikes has all their Marathons on sale for $229 with free shipping.

Best buy baby also has several patterns on sale, from $224


hey thanks! oh and for anyone else looking to order one, traveling tikes actually went down to 224.99 this morning and they have the best selection of patterns (and free shipping)!


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Cool! Which one are you ordering?


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Cool! Which one are you ordering?

i ordered the erin pattern. i thought it looked busy enough that it might not show the dirt and wear but not super girly in case baby #2 is a boy.


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Cool!


----------



## ScotiaSky (Jul 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *katie9143* 
i ordered the erin pattern. i thought it looked busy enough that it might not show the dirt and wear but not super girly in case baby #2 is a boy.

Nice.







I just got the Erin cover in the mail yesterday and agree that it will hide the dirt/dust well. It makes me think of fall.

We own both an Eddie Bauer and an Marathon...the Marathon has the Eddie Bauer beat hands down. You really will love it.


----------



## katie9143 (Oct 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ScotiaSky* 
Nice.







I just got the Erin cover in the mail yesterday and agree that it will hide the dirt/dust well. It makes me think of fall.

We own both an Eddie Bauer and an Marathon...the Marathon has the Eddie Bauer beat hands down. You really will love it.

that is great to hear, very reassuring. also im glad to know that i can get new covers. i was thinking that i was stuck with this one for 6 yrs!!

thanks


----------

