One convertible seat to transfer or multiple seats?

TEMPI

New member
DS hates his infant seat so we are ready to upgrade. I've settled on either the new Britax Advocate 70 or the Radian XTSL. Our vehicles are an 04 Ford Explorer and an older (99) VW Passat (the VW required LATCH be installed and even then they only put in one spot, on the outside; we are replacing the VW next Spring).

I seems many just buy one convertible and transfer it as necessary. I'm petite and DH is deployed til January so I likely coulnd't transfer easily and if only had one seat would just stick with one car rather than rotating the two to keep them running etc.

But I've also read that it's "safer" to not transfer them as people tend to not install them correctly every single time.

Suggestions?
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If you're talking about moving it once a year, that's not a big deal. If you're talking about multiple times a week we would recommend two seats.

The Radian XTSL is highly recommended here. The Advocates, not as much. It's a lot of money for a seat that won't last anywhere near as long as others. Not a bad seat, just not cost effective. Plus we know very little about the new Advocates.

Wendy
 

smileybrea

CPS Technician
Like Wendy said, if it will be a lot of transferring, I would get 2 seats but your back up seat can be a cheaper one depending on finances.

I also wanted to add that we have the Advocate CS and while I really like it, I think I just like Britax-soft comfy seats, easy to install. The seat itself is MASSIVE and I was not expecting it to be SO BIG. Considering the airbags, it makes sense but I didn't consider how long he would be RF and therefore, the airbags are useless. In my 2007 Dodge Charger, it literally takes up almost half the backseat! It is extremely heavy as well and difficult to get in the car itself because of how wide it is. Also, at almost 2 yrs old with short stumpy legs, he doesn't have a ton of leg room left and is almost outgrown by height. We recently bought the Safety First Complete Air and LOVE it. The Radian's are also a great pick! :D
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
I have 1 daughter. She has 5 carseats. Why? Because I don't want to be moving her seat around. She has a seat installed in any car she regularly (or semi regularly) rides in. I don't want to be in a rush one day and forget something. The more times you move a carseat, the more likely you are to miss a step or forget to do something.
 

yetanotherjen

CPST Instructor
I personally prefer britax over sunshine kids mostly for the fact of the ease of use for non expert parents. I find them easier to install in many cars, and if you needed to move it back and forth it is one of the easier brands to move. Honestly I would get a MA70 and a Safety 1st onside air, which comes to about the same cost as an advocate 70. I know a few sites already have great deals on pre-order for the britax 70 series, I have seen one site the MA70 for $223 free shipping, and the onside air is $95 :twocents:
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
Since you mention your husband is deployed, is DS currently transported in other cars?

If the seat needs to be installed by someone other than yourself (ie - you drop off at daycare and someone else picks him up), that might be another reason to have multiple seats. You will be more confident the seat is installed correctly if you do the install and the seat remains in the vehicle.

Many folks purchase a "high end" seat for the primary vehicle and something w/o all the bells and whistles for a back up seat (little people tend to make big messes - and covers don't dry quickly :whistle:) or the 2nd vehicle. (Scenera comes to mind.)

BTW - Since you mentioned LATCH outboard in one vehicle, remember you don't have to use LATCH. The center is considered safer - assuming you can get a good install with the seat belt.
 

judesmommy

New member
I would get a MA70 and a Safety 1st onside air, which comes to about the same cost as an advocate 70.:twocents:
:yeahthat:

I think that would be a good way to do it. Then you would have 2 40lbs rearfacing seats for the price of just one.

I have a regular Marathon and I love it! It is so easy to install and even easy to move from car to car. Although, I don't think I would move it on a regular basis. I use my Marathon as my main seat and I recently got a scenera as my second seat.

You also don't HAVE to get a britax. Lots of people love the safety first complete air, the graco my ride 65 and the true fit (only rear faces to 35lbs.).
 

mominabigtruck

New member
I don't understand people who only have one carseat. The people who live around the corner from me have two kids and one carseat from what I can tell and it probably changes vehicles a couple times a day and I don't think I've EVER seen it properly installed. It's not so much as you NEED one, to me its about hassle. I don't want to go to leave and then realize "oh crap, I've got to install the carseat" So then you ended up rushing and possibly not doing something right or in my case breaking a nail which is just as bad;)

Anywhoo, I'm personally not a believer in the practice spending $300 or your primary seat and then $40 on a scenera but that's just me. I figure if you think the $40 seat is ok then why not just use it in all your vehicles and save yourself some money. Otherwise if it's not good enough in your primary vehicle then why is it good enough in a secondary vehicle. JMHO though. I would figure out what you can spend and what features are important to you and then get two seats that fit that.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
BTW - Since you mentioned LATCH outboard in one vehicle, remember you don't have to use LATCH. The center is considered safer - assuming you can get a good install with the seat belt.


Actually, I think the op means a top tether and not latch. I know one vehicle company would retrofit with full latch, was that VW? The car is a 99 passat.

How often are the cars used? Everyday? Are you just switching out the cars weekly, like use one one week, the other the next, so they don't just sit?

How old and big is your son now?
 

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