Alpha Omega Elite Shoulder Straps w/ Infant

[brazzle]

Hello,

I have a 2-month old baby girl. She was born pretty big at 8lb 6oz and 21"! She's beautiful and my wife and I purchased an Evenflo Infant carseat/stroller combo. It has worked well, but for me to secure it tightly in my 2002 Ford Explorer, I have to be a bit forceful with the base and sometimes the cheap plastic components pop out of place after it is secure. To me, this isn't what I want in a car seat.

At Costco I found a good deal on a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. It is supposed to be convertible and work for Infants, Toddlers, and also as a booster seat (5lbs-100lbs, up to 4ft tall). When trying to adjust it for my daughter, I noticed that the guide on the infant head rest is above her shoulders (the main guide behind the removable pillow is ~about~ even with her shoulders). This concerns me as I would really like to use this seat. I turned lowered the head rest as much as possible (by using the red twisty things) and it is still too high.

My question is: is there another way to position the shoulder strap or is it safe having the main guide on the seat be about even with her shoulders (remember that the headrest guide is above her shoulders)?

My daughter still seems to be average or above average for height and weight (not sure about height, but she's easily over 11lbs now), so it seems odd to me that she wouldn't fit in this car seat designed for 5lb infants.

I'd greatly appreciate anyone's help. Thank you,

Braden Bartlett

[NatenMaddiesMommy]

I'm not exactly sure what problems you are having with your infant seat base, but before investing in a convertible seat (the Alpha Omega Elite - AOE) I would highly recommend that you have your infant seat install checked by a technician. Perhaps they can help with any installation issues and determine if your base is defective. It sound unusual that you should be having such difficulties with your infant seat. You can find one here (https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbzap.bin/apps/assess/Webmembers/tool?pToolCode=TAB9&pCategory1=TAB9_CERTSEARCH&Webid=SAFEKIDSCERTSQL).

That being said, I don't own an AOE, but as long as the top of the harness slots (which may be hidden behind the headrest) are even with the shoulders it is fine. If they are above it, than it should not be used until your child grows a bit more. The longer you wait to purchase a convertible seat the better, since most seats have a 6 year expiration date. The AOE is a fine seat, but it does only harness to 40lbs and then you have to switch it to a booster mode. The problem with that is that your child may outgrow the harness before they are both physically and emotionally mature enough to sit in a booster. Plus that seat may not fit your child well as a booster. I would recommend looking into a dedicated convertible seat with a higher weight limit, and wait to purchase a dedicated booster seat when your child is ready.

You might try looking into the Evenflo Triumph ADVANCED. This model harnesses to 50lbs and rear-faces to 35lbs. Since the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is now recommending that you rear-face your children to the weight limits of the seat or when the top of the head is within 1" of the top of the seat shell, whichever happens first, this seat would allow you to rear-face your child for several years. Any of the Britax 65lb convertible seats would be great to look into as well, or even the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe, which is a pared down version of the Britax seats and harnesses to 55lbs - all of those models rear-face to 33lbs. Or if you truly are looking for a bargain the Cosco Scenera is a steal at $40. It harnesses to 40lbs and rear-faces to 35lbs. Good luck!

[skaterbabscpst]

If you paid more than $40 for the 3-in-1 I'd take it back, head straight to Wal-Mart and buy a Scenera (5 point harness, not the shield model).

I don't personally like the Evenflo infant seats, but Evenflo makes a very nice convertible seat, the Evenflo Triumph Delux (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2734223). It has fairly low harness slots as well as a 35 lb RF limit and a 50 lb FF limit. I put my almost 4 yo in it last week and she had two inches of torso growth, so I think an average sized kid will easily make it to 50 lbs in the seat.

[brazzle]

thank you very much for your replies. I took back the AOE and think I will look into some of the options brought up. I was very disconcerting that my child could outgrow the AOE so quickly.

For when she's a little older:

How are these Britax seats that I keep hearing about? I know they're expensive, but do I get what I pay for?

[NatenMaddiesMommy]

I'm probably not the best person to ask since I personally LOVE the Britax convertibles - so I'm biased. That being said I would NEVER pay the shelf price at Target or BRU. I try the seats in those stores, but go home to purchase online. I saved $50 off the MSRP price when I bought my son his Decathlon, and that doesn't include the FREE shipping and no sales tax.

They have relatively high harness slots (~17"), tall shells, and a higher weight limit (65lbs with the exception of the Roundabout which is only 40lbs and has a much lower shell) so an average sized kid will make it to 5 or 6. My 53lbs, 7yo niece *almost* fit in the seat - her shoulders were just a tad above the top slots. So I personally agree with the argument that the Britax seats last a little longer so they are worth the money. My only complaint is that they only rear-face to 33lbs.

You can also look into the Fisher Price Save Voyage Deluxe which is made by Britax, but it lacks some of the bells and whistles of the other Britax seats. It only harnesses to 55lbs, there are no built in lock-offs, and it doesn't tether rear-facing. But with an online price of $129, I think it's a great deal if you don't want to spend $200 and up for a Britax.