need advice--do I need an infant seat upgrade??

This is such a wonderful forum! I was hoping you all coud help me...it may just be my hormones but I am beginning to contemplate buyting a new infant seat for my child despite just getting the new Snugride with EPS foam earlier this year...

My child is nearly 5 months old...she is a peanut--weighs 11 lbs and 23 inches and if she is like her sister, will not reach 20 lbs until she is 20 months! So, I am anticipating that she will be in the Snugride for at least another year. Spending the money is not a huge worry...

Right now, her head is sooo small in the seat--several inches from her head to each side--would a different brand be safer for such a small peanut?? I am thinking Chicco Keyfit, Britax Companion or Peg Perego Primo Viaggio--they seem to have more side impact protection (??)--ie cushioning on the sides of the head. Is this a true observation?

Do ppl like their KeyFits, Companions or PVs? Also, which if these has more cushioning overall--the snugride I have is seriously lacking--she is basically riding on the hard plastic shell with just a little fabric covering it...yuck.

She'll eventually move into her sister's Roundabout RF when she does finally grow out of the infant seat but as I said, it will be a long year if I feel uncomfortable about her seat...

I so not live anywhere close to someplace where I can go and compare theses models so I am flying blind

PS we have a Subaru Outback and she rides on the outboard since there are two seats in the back

THANK YOU!!!

I'd keep using your seat till her head is an inch from the top of the seatback (may be WAY before she reaches the weight limit, most kids are too tall for seats before they are too heavy for them. It's a great seat, the padding and SIP marketing of the other seats are more to make the parents feel better...if you can get a great install and you are using the harness properly every trip, then there's no need to upgrade. If you think you'll want an infant seat a lot longer (I needed one, my dd didn't walk till 15 months, and it was springtime when she was finally good on her feet), then the Graco Safeseat 1 is a much larger seat that will be worth the time and effort to buy.
:twocents:

I agree... I would only invest in another infant seat if you think that you will be using it for a long time due to wanting to carry her around in the seat. If you do invest in a new infant carseat, I would look at the Graco Safe Seat 1 or the Chicco KeyFit 30. I would prefer the SS1, though, since it sounds like your DD is probably going to outgrow her seat by height long before weight.

I agree with the pp. The Snugride with EPS is a good infant seat. I don't see a reason to switch. I've also read about quite a few babies who didn't like the SIP head pillow in the Companion. It might be a hard adjustment at 5 mos.