Question Need car-seat recommendations. RF 22lbs. 26in.

rorysmom

New member
I am preparing to buy my daughter her next car-seat and am very confused. I have slow dial-up and loading website after website is tiring... I am hoping I can count on some of you to give me some great recommendations! My daughter is 13 months, 22 lbs., and I am not sure her exact height (I think 26 inches or so). I have had her in a GRACO SafeSeat in Kasey (not available anymore, I think it was replaced by the MyRide 65). I chose it for the Luxury Pedic Foam and it just seemed safe and comfy for her. NOW that she is older and eating and making messes, I m looking for something that is easier to clean (if thats possible). The foam in this got wet months ago b/c she got sick and I tried cleaning it (too much I think) and the foam is still discolored and damp feeling. I hate that! Safety is a TOP PRIORITY! We have a 3 row 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. I would love for it to also be comfy and somewhat cute at least. I take her current car seat in with me to stores so something that was able to be toted would be great! Oh, and I would like her to be rear-facing for as long as possible, so I guess I am looking for a CONVERTIBLE that has a somewhat high weight/height limit. Thanks so much!
 
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hrice

New member
I am not aware of a Convertible that has a detachable base but I am a HUGE fan of Britax Marathons. (I have 4!) They are super easy to install and the covers wash well. Another option is the Evenflo Triumph advance. The cover can come off without un-installing the seat or de-threading the harness.

I would still reccomend the Britax Marathon over the Evenflo Triumph based on safety ratings and ease of installation/use!:)

Hope I helped :)
 
I would go with Graco my ride 65, she sounds shorter and stalkier (my 19 month old is almost 22 lbs and 30 inches tall lol.. he is pretty slim..but we actually like the my ride for him too.)
I think she sounds like the perfect build for the seat, since it is the same height as the EFTA or the Marathon, but instead of going to 35 lbs rear facing you get 40 lbs it also ff's to 65.

We have an EFTA and a my ride for Nolan, and I like both a lot, but I really think the my ride would be a good pick
 

swtgi1982

New member
If you want to RF as long as possible, she maybe short, but at 22lb at 13mon she is pretty average in weight. I would look at the New radians (XTSL) that have a really tall shell and 45lbs RF limit, highest available currently. Also it goes to 80lbs FF. So you would get a good amount of use out of it for your money.
 

armywife12

New member
She sounds quite short so I think the Graco MyRide would be a terrific seat for her. It RF to 40lbs and FF to 65lbs. It fits most RF to 3yrs old and most FF to 5 yrs old. My tall 2.5 yr old still fits in the MyRide with a tiny bit of room left to go so he'd make it very close to 3 yrs old RF in it

If you have the money and it fits in your vehicle (which it should) I'd also look into the Radians. The 65SL RF to 40lbs and FF to 65lbs. The 80SL and XTSL RF to 45lbs and FF to 80lbs. They'll all fit most children RF close to 4 yrs old and FF to at least 6 yrs old. It can be a difficult install in many vehicles but I believe a friend of mine on here has 2 Radians RF in her Trailblazer (pretty sure it's a Trailblazer) and she said it was very easy and she was able to get nice upright installs (not terribly upright though).
 

DahliaRW

New member
I will chime in that getting the radian covers on and off to clean is a real pain in the rear. But, I think it's reasonable to only allow dry, no messy foods in the car seat and only sippy cups with water that don't really leak much. That'll save you a bunch of messes!
 

rorysmom

New member
So I am looking into the MyRide 65, Britax Marathon in Mariposa, or the Radian 80 in Princess. I guess the Radian is difficult to clean... can any of these be lugged in stores? Are they all pretty safe? What about HEIGHT? My daughter is 30 inches (I thought she was about 26in.) but her feet are past the bottom of her current seat (I don't think that is good...). Cup holders?
 

swtgi1982

New member
no you would not want to try to take a convertible into a store shopping I would suggest finding a carrier of some sort if you wanted to take her in the store and not put her in the cart.
 

Pixels

New member
All seats pass the same safety tests. We have no way of knowing if one seat may be safer than another. The most important thing is that you use the seat properly every time.

Of the seats you listed, only the MyRide has cupholders. The Radian can have a side rider added to it (made by SKJP and approved for their seat).

The Marathon and MyRide are about the same shell height. The Radian is significantly taller.

Feet hanging off the end of the seat is no problem at all. Kids are actually much more likely to have legs broken when they are forward facing.

Marathon has a 35 pound RFing limit. MyRide is 40 pounds. Radian65, 65SL, 80, and XT are 40 pounds. Radian80SL and XTSL are 45 pounds.

What about the TrueFit? 35 pounds rear facing, tallest shell of all of them.

The Marathon is short on leg room. The Radian has the most leg room of all, with the TF a close second. The MR is pretty good as well.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Convertibles aren't typically taken into stores. Both the Radian and MR (my personal favorite two picks for ERF) are monsters, and I would absolutely not take them into stores. I installed my MR once with the baby sleeping in it (had to move from one position in the car to another) and I would never do it again.

The only convertible designed to be removed and reinstalled regularly are the Coccoro, but those aren't going to last you very long rearfacing. And even at that, I'm not sure I would want to reinstall it every time, but it's a bear of an install into my car. I don't think it's that difficult most of the time, at least it doesn't have that reputation around here, but I still would not want to reinstall all of the time.

If you want that portability for a while longer, you could look at a larger infant carrier. Some of them have 35lb limits, I think there's a Graco that does, Keyfit, and the new Onboard. However, you will still need to purchase a convertible after that to keep her RFing longer. So it's up to you whether it's worth it for additional portability to buy an additional seat, or whether you want to go straight to an ERF seat.
 

Wiggles

New member
I know it's expensive, but what about the Orbit if rorysmom wants a seat she can take into stores with her daughter in? Is there a reason no one's recommending that one?
 

Cattitude

New member
Here's another suggestion. Get one of the convertible seats already mentioned AND a baby carrier like the Ergo so you can wear your baby in the store. That is MUCH easier than lugging around a car seat and most babies love it. There are many kinds of baby carriers, the Ergo is only one. Spring is around the corner so this is the perfect time to babywear.

My son loves it and has since he was tiny.
 

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