Convertible seat suggestions - was Re: PLEASE, stay rear-facing past 12mos/20lbs

[JamieLee0718]

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I am really glad I found this site..my son is 7 months old and already passing 18 pounds, 27" long...and he is soon to outgrow his infant seat and I was searching for a 3-in-1 seat, but was sent to this site...if anyone has any suggestions....at first I was like"what is he supposed to do, cross his legs against the seat?" and it seems that is what you have to do!! I was afraid if we got rear ended badly or something his legs would get broken....not really up to date on the whole car seat safety, but am terribly concerned about it... I am sorry to hear about your grandson and hope he makes a speedy recovery!!!

[LISmama810]

The fear of broken legs is a common one, though unfounded. In the unlikely event his legs were to break in a crash (there are either no or very few documented cases of that happening), it is MUCH easier to fix a broken leg than to fix severe spinal damage! As you saw from Joel's story, it's best to keep kids rear-facing to the limits of the seat (usually 30-35 lbs), which takes most kids to about three years old.

If you give us some more details (model and make of your car, budget) we can get more specific with recommendations.

In the meantime, I'll say that we tend to recommend the larger Britax convertibles, the First Years True Fit, and the Evenflo Triumph Advance quite a bit. Mostly it will depend upon your budget and what features you're looking for.

We used to not recommend the 3-in-1 seats (Alpha Omega Elite, Eddie Bauer 3-in-1) very often, but the new ones that forward-face to 50 lbs make it a much better seat than it was before. We still do NOT recommend using it as a booster, so if you were hoping it would be the last seat you'll ever buy, it probably won't be. Just something to keep in mind.

[zeo2ski]

Well you definitely came to the right place!

Your fears about the legs are a common fear people have, but the legs are totally fine rear facing. Leg injuries just plain don't happen when rear facing (even bigger kids) but are actually common with forward facing children. But even if a leg did get broken, it's fixable and a broken neck from forward facing is not. I heard a great saying on here: "broken leg, cast it. Broken neck, casket." Really paints the picture!

At 7 months your child's feet may just be starting to touch the back of the seat. As his legs continue to grow he'll bend his knees and find a place that's comfy for his feet--some cross their legs, hang them over the sides, or walk them up the back of the seat. It's actually really comfortable, like sitting in a recliner. When kids turn forward facing they often start complaining that there's no place to put their feet because their legs are just dangling there!

What you need to get next is a convertible seat. It will keep your son rear facing for a couple more years, then when he outgrows it by height or weight rear facing, you just turn it forward facing and continue to use it a couple more years. You want one with a 35 pound rear facing weight limit and a tall shell (the "back" of the carseat) so that the child won't outgrow it too soon by height. A 50 or 65 pound forward facing weight limit will help make sure your child doesn't outgrow it FFing before he's ready for a booster.
A few commonly recommended seats here are (in order least expensive to most): Cosco Scenera, Evenflo Triumph Advance, The First Years TrueFit, Sunshine Kids Radian, Britax Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard.

There are many other great seats out there too, but stay away from anything with a 40 lb limit as it will be outgrown too quickly for most kids. Also stay away from the shorter shells because it will be outgrown too fast by height. The best seat is one that fits your child and your car and is used properly every ride!

[brightredmtn]

Originally Posted by LISmama810

We still do NOT recommend using it as a booster, so if you were hoping it would be the last seat you'll ever buy, it probably won't be. Just something to keep in mind.

Why is that? Aside from the fact that it will probably soon to be expired by the time any kid reaches booster mode.

[LeeLi]

Originally Posted by brightredmtn

Why is that? Aside from the fact that it will probably soon to be expired by the time any kid reaches booster mode.

I think there are several reasons: it doesn't adjust very high, it tend not make the seat belt fit well, and the guides can be hard to use correctly.

[LISmama810]

Yeah, it tends to fit kids horribly. http://carseatblog.com/?p=906

[brightredmtn]

Originally Posted by LeeLi

I think there are several reasons: it doesn't adjust very high, it tend not make the seat belt fit well, and the guides can be hard to use correctly.

Originally Posted by LISmama810

Yeah, it tends to fit kids horribly. http://carseatblog.com/?p=906

Got it thanks! I didn't know much about them.