Question HELP! Needing convertible car seat suggestions!!

U

Unregistered

Guest

• Apr 3, 2010

• #1

We are ready to move our 12.5 month old to a rear facing convertible car seat! So many to choose from! Lots of people suggesting Britax but wondering if any one likes or recommends something SAFE but a bit cheaper??

Thank you for your help!!!

 

B

babyherder

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #2

Yay for keeping your son rear facing! How much does he weigh? How tall is he? This info will help us suggest carseats that are likely to fit him well and for a long time. What car(s) will the seat be in?

 

msg221

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #3

I also went with Britax seats before I found this site and learned a whole lot more about what to look for. I do like the Britax seats as they are very easy to install and certainly seemed very safe. That aside, they don't offer as much leg room if you plan to rear face your child for as long as possible, not to mention they only rear face to 35 pounds and the shells aren't as tall as some other seats, so if you have a tall child, he or she will outgrow it by height first. I didn't realize how much less room my Britax seats had until I bought a True Fit Premiere and saw exactly how much more room my godson had in it! I also got a Radian XTSL that my goddaughter is using right now. I'm giving both seats a test run with seeing how the kids fit in them and how they fit in my car. So far, so good.

If you can, I suggest going to the store and trying your child in various seats. However, not many stores carry the True Fit Premiere, so in that case, I suggest ordering it online from somewhere that has a good return policy, like Diapers.com or Amazon. You will also find that these seats are considerably less expensive, especially when you can find them on sale.

 

Last edited: Apr 4, 2010

scoutingbear

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #4

As the pp poster said, there are many good convertible seats out on the market right now. The True Fit, the Complete Air, and the My Ride are all significantly cheaper than the Britax seats and provide much more room rear facing for the child's legs. Good for you for wanting to keep your child rear facing! :thumbsup:

 

barnmama25

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #5

The MyRides are on sale at Target for $119 right now (at least when I walked down the car seat aisle this week). They will last you longer than the Britax rear facing and just as long forward facing and are super easy to install and use. They rear face from 5-40lbs and Forward facing from 20-65lbs.

 

F

Factfinder

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #6

1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

We are reAdy to move our 12 month old to a rear facing cAr seat but would love some input!

Several friends recommend Britax but we really need to spend less than that if there is something else that rates high on safety and comfort!

Your input is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!!!!

 

BananaBoat

Well-known member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #7

Re: 1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

Welcome to Car-Seat.org :happy-wavehello:

I'm sure on of the techs will be along shortly, but in the meantime I'll try to help with some info.

It's great that you're looking for a convertible to rear-face your 12 month old since the current recommendations from the AAP is to keep a child rear-facing until at least 2 years old & preferably until the rear-facing limits of that seat. Since most rear-facing convertibles go to anywhere from 35-45 pounds, that gives your child a nice long time to be rear-facing.

While seat choice is important, the most important choice in safety is that one you've made already: to keep your child rear-facing for a while longer :thumbsup: There are not safety ratings for car seats. They either pass or fail the federal testing, which means if it's on the shelf it has passed. The most important factors in choosing a seat is making sure it fits your child & car properly, you know how to use it properly every time & it fits your budget.

If you could give us the following info, we can give more customized recommendations:

1. Weight & Height of your child
2. Vehicles you are purchasing seats for
3. Any special needs/preferences you have regarding seats

Currently, the favorite seats around here are:
Graco MyRide 65 - review link, $150 at Target & BRU
First Years True Fit Premier - review link, $230 online at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-True-Convertible-Black/dp/B002WN20GA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1270065298&sr=1-4"]Amazon[/ame]

Safety 1st Complete Air - review link, $180 at BRU & Target
Sunshine Kids Radian - review link, $200+ (depending on the model) mostly online only & some boutique baby shops. *note: they are the ONLY car seat manufacturer that publishes the results of their crash tests. This is done voluntarily & NO other company is willing to follow suit*


Hope the info helps get you started!

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #8

Re: 1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

Your earlier, unregistered post has replies in the Carseats section of the forum at: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?p=1237571 ETA: I merged your two threads together since cross posting can be confusing and is generally discouraged here, and now you'll have your info. and answers all in a single thread.

 

montanamama

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #9

Re: 1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

I just wanted to chime in and say that I have owned many Britax seats over the years and thought I would never buy anything else but when our budget didn't alow for a new britax for a second seat for my 18m/o DD we went with the Graco My Ride. I must say I love that seat!! She loves the seat too. It was easer to install with latch than the Britax we have for her. It is now our main seat and the britax is the extra!!! Britax is a great company but there are others that offer so much more for lower prices I don't think i will be buying another one!

 

F

Factfinder

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #10

1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

We are reAdy to move our 12 month old to a rear facing cAr seat but would love some input!

Several friends recommend Britax but we really need to spend less than that if there is something else that rates high on safety and comfort!

Your input is greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!!!!

 

M

Maedze

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #11

Re: 1st time buyer of a convertible car seat & need help!!

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=121986

Goood morning and welcome to c-s.org!

Looks like you've posted your question multiple times all ready and had all your questions merged into one thread, with several answers.

 

F

Factfinder

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #12

Thank you for the merging of the posts as this is my first time and I did not realize the unregistered one even posted !!!

And THANK YOU for all the input so far !! VERY helpful!

here is The additional info asked for:

My son is currently 21 pounds & I believe he is 27 in long
Our main car is an Acura TL (4 door) & the second a Kia sportage
No real special needs. Although I like the recline feature.

Once again I really apprecciate and welcome all of you advice and opinions!!

It is nice to hear other opinions (and why) regarding britax.

 

barnmama25

New member

• Apr 4, 2010

• #13

If you are interested in a Britax, there are a couple at this site that are below $200. But like the others have posted, Britax seats do not last as long rear facing as some of the other options on the market.

 

F

Factfinder

New member

• Apr 5, 2010

• #14

I need to correct my former reply!

My son is 21 pounds and 31 inches not 27 inches!

Any input on the Evenflo Triumph and Titan?
My mom has purchased the Titan to use when she has my son but I am concerned it may not be the safest!!

 

Pixels

New member

• Apr 5, 2010

• #15

Any seat will be safe if it fits properly and is used properly every time. We don't have any way of knowing if one seat is safer than another.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance is a good seat. It has a good shell height and weight limit for rear facing a long time, then turns around forward and will last a good while that way as well. The no-rethread harness is nice, especially if it will be used in Grandma's car for mulitple children. The harness adjustment knobs can get buried in the back seat when rear facing, and people either love them or hate them.

The Titan has a shorter shell so it will be outgrown by height sooner. Still a safe seat.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Apr 5, 2010

• #16

The Titan Deluxe is a fine seat to use to its limits, but it has a shorter shell and harness than many other higher-weight harnessing seats on the market, so it will not last as long either rear- or forward-facing as some other seats. However, as long as your child fits, it's perfectly safe to use.

I like the Evenflo Triumph Advance quite a bit.

 

R

raider23

New member

• Apr 5, 2010

• #17

I want a MyRide..they look great!

 

Last edited: Jul 11, 2010

F

Factfinder

New member

• Apr 5, 2010

• #18

I am so thankful I foundthis website and can't believe all of the helpful input wehave had.

My husband asked if I would mention that one of our concerns in regard to the carseat for grandma's car is that our son sits in a bucket seat next to the sliding door. So my husband is worried about side impact and the car seat which she bought which is the Titan that I mentioned before.

We have still not decided on the one for us yet although it seems that alot of people recmmend My Ride, true fit, and the new complete air.

I love the air protect technology in Safety First but it seems like my little one would have to look around those wings to see out??!! I also wish it had cup holders and the tilt feature!!

Again, thank you for all your input!!