small convertible car seat?

[Unregistered]

We are having trouble finding a convertible car seat that is small enough to fit rf in are volkswagon jetta. Any reccomendation would be great. are little girl (who is not so little) is three months old and is already 20lbs so her infant car seat wont last much longer.

[featherhead]

That is a big girl:) What seat is she in now? How well does it fit in your backseat? I'm not familiar with your vehicle, but I think the smallest convertible would be the Scenera. They sell them at Walmart for $75-80. If that's the one you decide on, check the labels and make sure it says it can rear-face to 35 lbs. If your daughter is 20 lbs already you'll definitely need it:)

I'm not sure how much you know about rear-facing, but around here we suggest definitely rear-facing past 1 year old and 20 lbs. Basically the longer you can rear-face your child, the better. If you want more info on that, feel free to ask:)

[kaysmom]

Hi there!! I dont have a Jetta, but I do have a Passat so I understand about back seats that are on the smaller side;)

We have a Britax Marathon for our daughter that we use in the car in the center seating position and it works great! It is narrow enough to sit nicely between the seats when she needed it at a 45 degree angle when she was smaller, and it isnt overly wide either.

I wouldnt get too worried about not being able to find something to fit, heck there is even a couple of Jetta's in the three across thread with 3 average sized car seats all in a row:thumbsup: It's also a good idea to go to a place like Babies R Us where they will let you take the floor model out and test it in your car.

Good luck car seat shopping!

[canadiangie]

Hi,

Given the smaller backseat, and the need for a 35lb rear facing limit, I'd be inclined to look at the new 3-in-1 seats. With the base removed, you should be able to get a nice install in the middle, at about 45 degrees. You'll need pool noodles or a rolled towel to achieve adequate recline.

Keep in mind the 3-in-1 seats (old and new versions) make cruddy boosters. Down the road you'll want to purchase a dedicated booster.

The upside to the new 3-in-1 seats is that they rf to 35lbs, ff to 50lbs, and have 17.5" top slots. You can find the new version at wal-mart and toys r us. The wal-mart version is about $160, the Eddie Bauer edition sold at toys r us is $230.


ETA: be sure you're looking at the "new" version when you're shopping. The old version only rf's to 30lbs, and ff's to 40lbs, converting to booster mode from 40-80lbs. Has low top useable harness slots, and a warning about not using the top bar position with the 5 point harness.

[skaterbabscpst]

You might want to give the Evenflo Triumph Advance a try or the Learning Curve True Fit. Both are good for tight spots.

A couple of extra tips: you can have the front seats further back if they're completely upright, this also allows more room for rear facing seats in the back.

Do you have other children in the back seat? Are you using LATCH or the seatbelt to install the infant seat? Try using the seatbelt in the center rear seating position - sometimes the RF convertible will puzzle between the front seats giving you more room.