Car seat for Canada and Europe?

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know of a convertible car seat that can be bought and used in Canada but can also be used in Europe for a couple weeks? We are looking at purchasing the Britax Marathon or Sunshine Kids Radian for our 7 month old son. We will be travelling to Italy and would like to take our car seat with us at it may be more trustworthy then a rental. Would these car seats pass both the Canadian and European safety requirements?

[wendytthomas]

For visitors you don't need to worry about local laws. You're allowed to bring your seat with you without penalty. After three months you're considered a resident and it would be illegal for you to use a non local seat.

The Radian won't fit rear facing on the plane. And it can be tough to install in some cars with the seatbelt, and I wouldn't trust ISOFIX to translate perfectly to UAS. Also in Italy they tend to have tiny cars, and the Radian takes up a TON of space front to back.

I'd look at the Marathon and the True Fit. The Marathon sits up higher and so while they're about the same width, the Marathon may be more comfortable to sit next to on the plane.

Wendy

[amyd]

I would personally buy a True Fit for your car & a Scenera for traveling. You'll still spend less buying both seats than you would buying a Marathon.

[InternationalMama]

I second the idea of just buying the car seat you really want for your car and then buying a Scenera for traveling. This is what I am looking into right now. I will eventually use a Radian for traveling, but since I have yet to find anyone who has installed it rear-facing on a plane (and it sits very upright while FFing) and it seems it is a pain to install with a seatbelt, perhaps especially in foreign cars, I am thinking about using a Scenera for traveling with him while he is small.

The Scenera is often recommended for traveling because it is a cheap seat that is lightweight (at least 7 lbs lighter than the Radian) and is an easy seatbelt install on the plane and in most cars. At least that's what I've gleaned from lurking around these boards. :)

As far as the legal issue goes, I thinK Wendy is correct unless you are visiting family in Italy. I think if you are using the car of someone who lives there rather than a rental car you really should have an approved seat. But it sounds like you're planning on using a rental so I'm thinking this won't apply.