# Help me choose a car seat/Is Britax ALL THAT?



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

We're currently using a Graco Safe Seat that is working fine and will last us a good long time still... but with our upcoming fall schedules we absolutely need a 2nd car seat for our 2nd car. (An extra base won't cut it- I will be taking DD to school with me; DP will be getting off work and running into my classroom right before class starts to pick her up... and I don't want to lug a car seat around campus with me.







) So I figured that a convertible would be the way to go. Is that what I should be looking at? I checked out the sticky about choosing a car seat, and the link only seemed to be about ease of use, not safety or quality or anything...

Also, all I ever see around MDC about car seats is about Britax. I just checked out their website, and looked at all the nice features in their seats... and then checked the prices at BRU, and holy crap- do I really need a $300 car seat? Is there something about Britax specifically that makes it better than the other brands, or say- a $40 convertible car seat?

Educate me about car seats mamas.









Oh BTW- DD is almost 11mo, around 18 pounds, 28". One car is a Toyota Corolla, one is a Volvo S80 if that makes any difference. Both have LATCH (although I can't use it in my Corolla, because they only put it on the outside seats, not in the middle.


----------



## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

I don't know if Britax is any safer than other seats, but I will say that I really really like ours. The straps don't get all tangled up like I've seen in other seats, the upholstery holds up really well, and they seem to have a lot more comfortable padding.


----------



## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Britax seats are very nice seats: they are easy to install and have some great features. All seats currently made are tested to the same standards. One manufacturer, Sunshine Kids, releases some of its testing results. Others do not. We know they meet the standards and they may claim that they exceed the standards, but we don't know by how much.

Features that are important IMO/IME include a 35-pound rear-facing capacity, a forward-facing harness capacity above 40 pounds *and* top strap slots high enough to take advantage of that capacity, and EPS or EPP foam in the shell. Britaxes rear-face to 35 pounds and have the good foam. Most of them harness to 65 pounds, but do not have very high top shoulder strap slots.

Are Britaxes nice seats? Yes. Are they safer than a $40 seat? They say they are but they don't prove it. Does the $40 seat meet crash test standards? Yes. If I had a $300 and needed a seat, would I buy a $40 seat and bank the rest or would I buy a Britax? Neither; I'd buy a $100-$150 seat and bank the rest.


----------



## adtake (Feb 1, 2006)

I have used no less than 10 different car seats with my kids and my best friends 2. The Britax are a dream!! I have never installed a seat as easy! And the adjust wonderfully. The material is great to wipe up. I have been very happy! I just ordered my little ones new seat yesterday! Britax is getting ready to have their bi annual sale in September, might be a good time to get one. Or check out Live Cash Back. I tried them this time. We will see how it goes.

Good luck!


----------



## hockeywoman (Nov 6, 2007)

I love my Britax's, but I never have paid $300. The most I paid was $150 on clearance at Target. I also have the FPSVD, which is almost the same but not made anymore. We also have the Sunshine Kids radians, which are comfortable for the kids but a pain to install with seatbelts in most cars, and very large when used rearfacing (not yet a problem for us). These last longer than the Britaxes for most kiddos, and are cheaper at about $180 on sale.

For budget carseats, the Cosco Scenera has been recommended a lot - lightweight, about $40, but not as padded as the others.

For forward facing only, I would go Graco Nautilus hands down (I know you're not quite there yet). Much more useful than the Britax Frontier.


----------



## MaterPrimaePuellae (Oct 30, 2007)

I have a Britax Marathon that I bought on clearance for $200; my M-i-l has a scenera for when my DD is visiting her. I can definitely tell a difference in comfort/quality of fabric. Also, my marathon has the tether that can be used front or rear facing; I think most tethers only work when ffacing (?). I have found that the rfacing tethering has added a LOT of stability to the seat.


----------



## bandgeek (Sep 12, 2006)

No you don't need a $300 seat.







What is your budget?


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bandgeek* 
No you don't need a $300 seat.







What is your budget?

Exactly! There are plenty of great seats out there now. The biggest thing I try and push a parent to look for is for a seat that harnesses past 40#, there's way more now than there used to be. I love my 2 Britax seats, I also loved my Sunshine Kids Radian, and the new Alpha Omega harnesses to 50# as well so it's become a contender IMO. I don't care much for the Evenflo Triumph Advance, I have a lot of problems installing it so parents can actually use the knobs on the side to loosen the harness. Another one would be the First Years True Fit, Target carries that now, at least ours does.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Wow- thanks for all the quick responses!

I did not know that Target carried Britax too, so maybe I will just have to keep my eye open for sales.

I'm thinking our budget is probably more in the $100-$150 range... maybe $200. I definitely want to get something that is comfortable and will hold up, because that will be her seat for quite a while!

How does the tether work for rear facing? I know that I have the tether anchors behind my back seat in my car... but I can't picture how that would work if the seat is RF.


----------



## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

I have a Radian, and feel perfectly good about it.
But I installed a friend's Britax once, and it was *amazingly* easy to install (with latch). I installed it soooo tight the first time, that I decided to loosen it and do it again. Even then it moved less than 1/2".
That said, I most likely won't buy Britax if I can find a recommended seat that is less expensive. $ is somewhat of an issue, yk? There seem to be a lot of non-Britax seats that are liked by car safety advocates.


----------



## Mommy2Haley (Oct 25, 2007)

We have the Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX. It's awesome! 5-35 RF, 20-50 FF, up to 50".

I read the reviews on installation, safety, comfort, etc at car-seat.org. I couldn't justify $300 for a car seat when there was another just as good for a lot less.


----------



## Mommybree (Jul 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
One car is a Toyota Corolla, one is a Volvo S80 if that makes any difference. Both have LATCH (although I can't use it in my Corolla, because they only put it on the outside seats, not in the middle.
















Maybe I am misunderstanding what you wrote, but I just wanted to point out that just like in your Corolla, you can't use LATCH in the middle of your Volvo S80 either; it only has LATCH in the outside seats and you can't borrow the inner anchors to use LATCH in the middle. I have an S80, and for the first 15 months of my daughter's life her seats were installed wrong using LATCH in the center!

As for rear-face tethering (only available on Britax and Radian seats), here's a page that explains it http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/...tethering.html


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
How does the tether work for rear facing? I know that I have the tether anchors behind my back seat in my car... but I can't picture how that would work if the seat is RF.

The seats that tether rear-facing come with an extra accessory for the purpose. It's a short strap with a loop at one end and a metal bracket for hooking the tether to at the other. What you do is, you put the strap around something stable below the seat (usually where the track for the front seat is anchored to the floor of the car), bring the end with the metal bracket through the loop, then attach the tether hook to the metal bracket.

In countries where rear-facing tethering is routine or required, cars have built-in anchors for the purpose, but very few cars here do.

As for Britax being "all that"... we've never owned anything but Britax seats. We borrowed a Graco Snugride from a friend for DS2 when he was a newborn, and every time I had to deal with those straps folding over and turning around and scrunching up, I fantasized about moving him up to the Marathon. ;-) Also, the comfort pads on the shoulder make tightening the strap a much less cringe-worthy experience.

Now I'm considering buying another set of seats for our nanny's use, and for cost reasons I'm thinking about going with non-Britax seats, but... I just love them.

Also, there's been one voluntary recall since we got our first Britax seat. I was so deeply impressed with how they handled it (determined a problem during internal testing with no complaints in the field; voluntarily recalled part and sent new one out; automatically sent replacement part to registered owners; had three methods available for ordering a replacement part if you weren't registered; super-easy photo instructions for correction), it dramatically increased my brand loyalty.

Costco stocks the Marathon now too (at least, they do at the moment; not sure if it's a permanent part of their repertoire). It's $229.99 there, which is a fairly good price, but you can find it under $200 sometimes.


----------



## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

We just bought Radians, and in my research, I much prefer them to Britax.


----------



## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

Yes, IMO, Britax is safer, and here's why.

The safest seat is one that is used correctly each and every time.

Britax has added features that make this much more likely than with other seats. They are easier to install. The straps don't twist or tangle. The straps are generally easier to adjust properly.

SK has a lot of these too (as well as the ability to tether RF), and I also have a Radian, but as for a seat that I don't mind moving from car to car and trust MIL/anyone to install properly, I'll always send the Britax. LATCH or seat belt, I got that thing in in under 30 seconds the first time I tried it.
(ETA: other times...
SK Radian, seat belt, 2-3 minutes, LATCH incompatible w/ my 03 Durango)
Graco CrappySport, seat belt 15 minutes, LATCH with noodles 10-20 minutes
Safety 1st Uptown, 5 minutes LATCH with noodles, never tried seatbelt yet)

Now, if you've got a lot of research in seat-installs, know what to do and look for, and get your seats checked by a good CPST... then yes, any seat is the safest seat. The EFTA is right in your budget too







Of course you'll get MUCH more use out of a Radian65









Happy hunting!


----------



## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

We have a Britax Boulevard that we've been using since my son was 2 months old. He was never comfortable in the bucket due to his acid reflux and the position, but the Britax was a dream for him. Our opinion is that it's very comfortable for kids, easy to install and maintain (acid reflux makes for lots of car seat cover washing) and exceeds safety standards most carseats have, especially for extended rfing. As for price, I got mine in June of 2006 for $230 shipped to my house because it was a 2005 (manufactured in December 2005), and when I consider the price over 5 years, it's $46 a year. I see them on sale all the time for similar or better deals; watch Slickdeals and you'll find them about once a month on sale.

My dad bought the Scenera for his car, and my son outgrew it within a year. So he ended up spending about the same amount for the year's usage, and the seat was not nearly as comfortable and I wouldn't risk washing the cover because it seems so flimsy.

He now has a Nautilus, which the verdict's still out on. So far, though, so good.


----------



## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TefferTWH* 
We have a Britax Boulevard that we've been using since my son was 2 months old. He was never comfortable in the bucket due to his acid reflux and the position, but the Britax was a dream for him. Our opinion is that it's very comfortable for kids, easy to install and maintain (acid reflux makes for lots of car seat cover washing) and *exceeds safety standards most carseats have, especially for extended rfing*. As for price, I got mine in June of 2006 for $230 shipped to my house because it was a 2005 (manufactured in December 2005), and when I consider the price over 5 years, it's $46 a year. I see them on sale all the time for similar or better deals; watch Slickdeals and you'll find them about once a month on sale.

My dad bought the Scenera for his car, and my son outgrew it within a year. So he ended up spending about the same amount for the year's usage, and the seat was not nearly as comfortable and I wouldn't risk washing the cover because it seems so flimsy.

He now has a Nautilus, which the verdict's still out on. So far, though, so good.

Many seats rear-face to 35 pounds.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mommybree* 
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you wrote, but I just wanted to point out that just like in your Corolla, you can't use LATCH in the middle of your Volvo S80 either; it only has LATCH in the outside seats and you can't borrow the inner anchors to use LATCH in the middle. I have an S80, and for the first 15 months of my daughter's life her seats were installed wrong using LATCH in the center!

Well... that's good to know. I knew that DP's older Volvo that he traded in only had the side latch, but I thought he had looked up the S80 and found that it had LATCH all the way across. It must have been a different model Volvo that we saw.

BTW- that is SO lame. Why do they only put LATCH on the sides, when the center is where you're _supposed_ to put the car seat?







:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ironica* 
Also, there's been one voluntary recall since we got our first Britax seat. I was so deeply impressed with how they handled it (determined a problem during internal testing with no complaints in the field; voluntarily recalled part and sent new one out; automatically sent replacement part to registered owners; had three methods available for ordering a replacement part if you weren't registered; super-easy photo instructions for correction), it dramatically increased my brand loyalty.

Costco stocks the Marathon now too (at least, they do at the moment; not sure if it's a permanent part of their repertoire). It's $229.99 there, which is a fairly good price, but you can find it under $200 sometimes.

That is impressive about the recall stuff. And I'll have to check out Costco.

The more I hear, the more I want the Britax... of course the one I'm drooling over now is the Boulevard... the most expensive one.


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
The more I hear, the more I want the Britax... of course the one I'm drooling over now is the Boulevard... the most expensive one.









That's what we'll probably get when our current Marathon expires. However, the Marathon is a *great* seat, and even goes a skosh taller than the BV. The additional side impact protection and infinite strap adjustment are nice though.


----------



## RoadBuddy (May 19, 2005)

Britax are great seats. But I don't have one. I would have if I found it was that much safer or better, but I did a lot of research and found good things about the Evenflow Triumph Advance (has to be the Advance, the plain Triumph is different). It was maybe $140, rear faces to 35lbs, forward faces way beyond that, and so far has been great. Easy to use.

The important thing for me is that at that price we could buy 2. I feel much better being able to leave it installed in each car as opposed to taking it out and switching whenever we needed to use the other car. I think un and reinstalling a Britax would leave more room for error than having the evenflo correctly installed and then not moved.


----------



## TefferTWH (May 13, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
Many seats rear-face to 35 pounds.

When I bought mine, I thought it was the only one that did, but maybe I'm wrong.


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TefferTWH* 
When I bought mine, I thought it was the only one that did, but maybe I'm wrong.

Until recently, Britax seats only rf to 33#. Cosco seats have rf to 35# for at least 5 yrs now, others are finally catching up.


----------



## AlwaysByMySide (May 4, 2007)

Britax should be going on sale about September 15th, for about a week. Keep an eye out for good pricing on them.

I am "in the market" for either another Britax or a Radian 80, to move DD into so I can move DS into her Britax Marathon. Right now, they are running at about the same price. I figure if I'm dropping $200+ on a car seat, I'll go with the one that harnesses to 80 pounds. We'll see once the Britax sale hits.

I heard somewhere (I don't remember where) that there is a Britax outlet store in North Georgia. Anyone happen to know WHERE?


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AlwaysByMySide* 
Britax should be going on sale about September 15th, for about a week. Keep an eye out for good pricing on them.

I am "in the market" for either another Britax or a Radian 80, to move DD into so I can move DS into her Britax Marathon. Right now, they are running at about the same price. I figure if I'm dropping $200+ on a car seat, I'll go with the one that harnesses to 80 pounds. We'll see once the Britax sale hits.

I heard somewhere (I don't remember where) that there is a Britax outlet store in North Georgia. Anyone happen to know WHERE?

The 80lbs is useless for most kids. Most kids outgrow even the radian by 65lbs or well before. the 80 has the same top slots as the 65.

-Angela


----------



## sunnymw (Feb 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
The 80lbs is useless for most kids. Most kids outgrow even the radian by 65lbs or well before. the 80 has the same top slots as the 65.

-Angela









:

I have the 80, but only because I liked the print and the cushioning stuff (which you can buy seperately and pair it with the 65)


----------



## AkRotts (Sep 2, 2007)

We have three Britax car seats. We have two Boulevards and one Decathlon and love them all!!!!!


----------



## AlwaysByMySide (May 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
The 80lbs is useless for most kids. Most kids outgrow even the radian by 65lbs or well before. the 80 has the same top slots as the 65.

-Angela

Good to know! The the Radian65 is already lower in price than the Marathon, in most places.

The Marathon looks SO comfy. I wish they made it in adult sizes.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
The 80lbs is useless for most kids. Most kids outgrow even the radian by 65lbs or well before. the 80 has the same top slots as the 65.

-Angela

That's really good to know. I was actually looking at that one!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AlwaysByMySide* 
Britax should be going on sale about September 15th, for about a week. Keep an eye out for good pricing on them.

So how good of a sale is the Britax sale? Should I wait for that, or just pick one up locally now? And is the sale through their website, or through another retailer?


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Anyone in the market for a boulevard- amazon has one for $229 This is a better price than I expect to see on the sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Bouleva...9803242&sr=8-1

-Angela


----------



## KaliShanti (Mar 23, 2008)

We have the Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX, as well. I love it. It was recommended to me by the good folks at car-seat.org


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
Anyone in the market for a boulevard- amazon has one for $229 This is a better price than I expect to see on the sale.

http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Bouleva...9803242&sr=8-1

-Angela

I saw that one too. It's actually from another retailer, Baby Age (but sold through Amazon). I wonder why it's so much cheaper...? (Prices that discounted always make me suspicious.







) Could it be an older model, or is it just a less popular color or something?


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I expect it's a discontinued color. Someone ordered one recently and said it was a recent enough DOM to be the 35lb rf limit- which is what matters to me at this point.

-Angela


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *the_lissa* 
We just bought Radians, and in my research, I much prefer them to Britax.

We had to switch from Britax to Radian. Radian is the only seat that will allow us to install three across. The Radians are obviously good seats, but we miss our Marathons. I think yours might be the first post I've ever seen from somebody who used both and didn't prefer Britax.


----------



## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ChetMC* 
We had to switch from Britax to Radian. Radian is the only seat that will allow us to install three across. The Radians are obviously good seats, but we miss our Marathons. I think yours might be the first post I've ever seen from somebody who used both and didn't prefer Britax.

I've used both as well. I prefer the low profile, narrowness, and higher top strap slots of the Radians. I think they are better suited to an older child.


----------



## ChetMC (Aug 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
I've used both as well. I prefer the low profile, narrowness, and higher top strap slots of the Radians. I think they are better suited to an older child.

This may be why we aren't loving the seats. We're using them with an infant, and two preschoolers. They aren't bad, but I can see how they would work better with older kids. Very likely, we'll appreciate the Radians more in a year or two.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Ok- one last question:

*How important is having a seat that reclines?* Do you use that? Or I guess would *I*use that with an 11mo, or is that more for infants?

I was looking at the First Years True Fit at Target, and I really liked it. It was really nice and padded, seemed like it would be super comfy for DD. It also had the side impact protection and no-rethreading adjustable harness. It was sitting right next to the Marathon, and I gotta say- for $100 less, it sure seemed like a better seat. The only downside is that it doesn't have the recline, which so many others do.

But I'm off to BRU today to look at the Boulevard in person... and then hopefully make a decision and buy one this weekend!

Oh yeah- and I saw a 3-in-1 Eddie Bauer seat at Target that was an infant/convertible/booster seat that went up to 100 pounds! Are these any good?


----------



## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
Ok- one last question:
Oh yeah- and I saw a 3-in-1 Eddie Bauer seat at Target that was an infant/convertible/booster seat that went up to 100 pounds! Are these any good?

These are not all they are cracked up to be. Generally they have really low top slots and a low weight limit (for the harness) and don't last as long as you would hope. Plus, they are lousy boosters.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
These are not all they are cracked up to be. Generally they have really low top slots and a low weight limit (for the harness) and don't last as long as you would hope. Plus, they are lousy boosters.

That's kind of what I figured. Try to cram too many things into one product, and it usually compromises on the quality of each individual part.


----------



## KayleeZoo (Apr 8, 2003)

I've been a loyal Britax user for over 8 years. That said, DS has a True Fit that replaced his Marathon and Boulevard. He loves the True Fit and so do I. The seating area is wider, the whole seat is covered with EPS foam and the side wings are much deeper, providing more side impact protection, from what I can tell.

I would not use it RF because I feel strongly about RF tethers. Some people aren't convinced that a RF tether is safer, so it depends on what set of info. you believe.

I love the belt path on the TF- SO much easier to get to than the Britax convertibles- and the non-rethreading harness.


----------



## mama k nj (Dec 18, 2006)

We got the Radan 65 by Sunshine Kids. I think actually bought it off of Amazon.com. Anyway, it ranks as well (might even be better) as Britax on safety testing and is a little bit cheaper. I got it after my "car seat geek" friend recommended. I also like that it's slimmer so you could fit three across the back seat if you wanted. So definitely less bulky than the Roundabout.


----------



## KayleeZoo (Apr 8, 2003)

We use the Radian 65 as a back-up spare seat and are happy with it, too. I wouldn't use it as a primary seat because the shell is so shallow (no side wings that actually contain a child's head or body on either side), but it can be tethered RF and it's certainly a VERY sturdy, well-constructed seat. If you need something that will be narrow enough to fit 3 across, the Radian is the only way to go.


----------



## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
I saw that one too. It's actually from another retailer, Baby Age (but sold through Amazon). I wonder why it's so much cheaper...? (Prices that discounted always make me suspicious.







) Could it be an older model, or is it just a less popular color or something?

i bought that one and its not the new "click" BV or whatever its called but it is a newer one in that it has the new head wings (post 6 or 7/08). ive also purchased from baby age previously through amazon.com and had a return and they were great to deal w/.

believe it or not, there is nothing suspicious about the deal. i dont think the cover is popular and not my pick of the litter but i purchased one and one of my friends did also and we are both very happy w/ them.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KayleeZoo* 
I would not use it RF because I feel strongly about RF tethers. Some people aren't convinced that a RF tether is safer, so it depends on what set of info. you believe.

Oooohhh... good point. I guess I would prefer to have the RF tether.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PassionateWriter* 
i bought that one and its not the new "click" BV or whatever its called but it is a newer one in that it has the new head wings (post 6 or 7/08). ive also purchased from baby age previously through amazon.com and had a return and they were great to deal w/.

believe it or not, there is nothing suspicious about the deal. i dont think the cover is popular and not my pick of the litter but i purchased one and one of my friends did also and we are both very happy w/ them.

That's great to know- thanks! Definitely not my choice of colors either, but who can beat that deal? I was hoping to find a good deal over the holiday weekend locally, since we need the car seat like yesterday... but if I don't find anything, I will probably order the one from BabyAge.

Still curious about the recline option- if anyone has any opinions about that... ??


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama k nj* 
We got the Radan 65 by Sunshine Kids. I think actually bought it off of Amazon.com. Anyway, it ranks as well (might even be better) as Britax on safety testing and is a little bit cheaper.

Just for the record- there are no sources actually comparing safety testing of carseats.

-Angela


----------



## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 

Still curious about the recline option- if anyone has any opinions about that... ??

im sorry..i went back to see your Q and couldn't find it. what do you mean about the recline option?

and yeh, i figure it i care that much about the cover, i can get another one later on. i like having an extra cover anyway (this is BV #2 in my car and we have an extra for that one BUT make sure you get a post 6 or 7/08 date cover b/c from what i understand, the covers are a bit different b/c of the wings - im having a hard time seeing that and i think i may try to put an "old" cover on the "new" seat and see if it works...but Britax is dating their covers now too b/c of the wings).


----------



## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Got my new cheap boulevard- and for the record it was a 7/08 DOM









-Angela


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PassionateWriter* 
im sorry..i went back to see your Q and couldn't find it. what do you mean about the recline option?

Oh sorry- it was a few posts back. I was wondering how necessary a recline option is, because the First Years True Fit didn't have any recline. Is that something that's important more for infants, or do you use recline with older kids? Will I miss it if I don't have it? (DD is 11mo.)


----------



## lovemybabies924 (Aug 8, 2008)

if u read the manual of the carseat it even says to use the recline AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE because in the even of an accident your child is not in the proper position. I would go for one w/out recline i have the safe seat step 2 by graco and i never use it.


----------



## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
Oh sorry- it was a few posts back. I was wondering how necessary a recline option is, because the First Years True Fit didn't have any recline. Is that something that's important more for infants, or do you use recline with older kids? Will I miss it if I don't have it? (DD is 11mo.)

oh, ok. well, we have the True Fit and it does recline (its one of the reasons the seat annoys me b/c they were adamant about recline to 45 degrees when RF"ing but apparently have rethought that issue)....the BV reclines also and i keep it reclined for my 32 month old b/c he prefers that to the straight up (he's still RF'ing).

i guess i prob. dont understand so much what you mean by "recline" b/c i never used a bucket.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Hmmm... I'm only going by the little chart on the carseat shelf at Target, and the True Fit was the only one that didn't have the "recline" box checked. But if it actually does recline, then never mind.









So why would they put a recline feature if it makes the car seat unsafe? Like in what circumstances would it be ok to use it??


----------



## zosiasmama (Dec 22, 2006)

Someone probably already posted this but:

Britax runs a semi-annual sale. It is coming up in 2 weeks. here is the info with what prices to expect for each seat.
http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/2...atch-post.html


----------



## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
Hmmm... I'm only going by the little chart on the carseat shelf at Target, and the True Fit was the only one that didn't have the "recline" box checked. But if it actually does recline, then never mind.









So why would they put a recline feature if it makes the car seat unsafe? Like in what circumstances would it be ok to use it??

It's fine to use rear-facing. Most seats don't allow it to be used forward-facing.


----------



## changingseasons (Mar 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
It's fine to use rear-facing. Most seats don't allow it to be used forward-facing.

Ooooohhh.... ok


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *changingseasons* 
*How important is having a seat that reclines?* Do you use that? Or I guess would *I*use that with an 11mo, or is that more for infants?

There's two types of recline:

* Many (most? all?) convertibles have a "recline block" or some other adjustment. To use the seat correctly, it *must* be reclined while rear-facing, and not reclined while forward-facing. The recline is NOT for comfort; it's for adjusting the angle of the seat for different seating positions. Combo seats (harness & booster, forward-facing only) may require a recline during harness use and more upright during booster use, too (the Frontier is like this).

* Some seats have a comfort recline. Thing is, recline interacts with the safety of the seat. A more upright posture while rear-facing is safer, provided the child has sufficient head control. Not sure exactly what the parameters are on front-facing recline, but I'm guessing it's similar. So... seats that recline *for comfort* are trading some safety for that comfort.

My DS1 has never had an issue falling asleep in his Marathon or Frontier, rear-facing or front-facing (only the Marathon rear-facing of course). The only time his head has ever flopped forward was when we were on hilly terrain, changing the overall angle of the car.


----------

