Car Seat Advice Needed

My daughter is 12 months old - at 29 inches long and 20 pounds, she is just about at the limit for her Graco Snugride Carseat. Can she switch to a forward facing seat at 12 months ? We have a 5 year old Century Next Step that we used for my older son but it can only be used forward facing and I am not sure if I should use it even though she meets the height/weight requirements for the seat. Any recommendations for which carseat to use next or if the Century is fine to use?
Thank You

At only 12 months you would be safer going into a convertible seat that allows you to rear face longer. The Britax line will allow you to rear face to 33 pounds, and the new Diplomat and Advocate will allow you to go to 35 pounds rear facing.

There are many other car seats on the market that will allow you to keep your child rear facing longer as well. Since 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics has been advising parents to keep their children rear facing as long as the seat will allow, due to the crash forces found in a frontal crash (the most common type). By keeping the child rear facing, the entire spine rides down the crash force in a crash, allowing better protection to the spinal cord. When turning your child at 12 months, the only part of the child unrestrained is the head. Thus, in a frontal crash, your child's body is restrained by the harness, but his or her head continues to move forward at whatever speed you were going just before the crash. As a result, a forward facing young child, with an undeveloped spinal struture for protection, is more likely to suffer spinal injuries which can not be repaired.

This is why it is so important to keep children rear facing as long as possible. For your particular situation, a rear facing convertible, regardless of brand, would be safer for your child. As long as the seat fits your child, fits your car and can be used correctly every time you use it, any convertible seat you choose should be fine.

Babies outgrow infant seats 1 of 2 ways: either by the weight limit as stated by the manufacturer ... or when there is less than 1 inch of space between the top of the head & inside edge of the plastic shell/frame.

1st step = infant seat or appropriately sized RF convertible
2nd = RF convertible
3rd = FF harness
4th = booster

If you visit my website (specifically the "Newborn -- Preschool" page) you'll learn more about why keeping kids RF until the maximum limits of a convertible carseat is sooooo important.

Carseats also expire within about 6 years from Date of Manufacture.

What is your vehicle year, make, model
Do you have a budget?

This will show you what happens to a child's body in a forward-facing crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMFPSStXfqE

This shows you how much better protected your child will be rear-facing in a crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62Ea8Fs4ng

The results speak for themselves...please keep her rear-facing.

I wouldn't recommend using the Century seat you have. Instead, get a convertible car seat that has a high rear-facing limit. There are so many options to pick from!

If you are on a budget, go for a Cosco Scenera: This seat has a rear-facing limit to 35 lbs.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5996315

Any Britax convertible goes to 35 lbs. The Marathon and Boulevard are favorites.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance also rear-faces to 35 lbs. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5933974


Hope this helps a little.

I would definately keep her RF, and there are many seats. If the Britax line is too much, there is also the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe, manufactured under the Fisher Price name but made by Britax, just doesn't have the frills such as lockoffs, easier to use Latch and no RF tether and FF to 55lbs You can only find online for about $130. Or your local walmart has the Cosco Scenera for $40, RF up to 35 lbs, not much padding or the step up is the Cosco Uptown, which has the EPS foam and much more plush, around $100. FF only to 40 lbs. Also there is the new Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE which RF to 35 lbs and FF to 50lbs, very nice cushy, EPS around $130+. Good luck in your search.

VLsMom said:

Any Britax convertible goes to 35 lbs. The Marathon and Boulevard are favorites.

Click to expand...

Only the two new Britax seats RF to 35 lbs, the Advocate and the Diplomat. All the other convertibles are only 33 lbs.

I agree with the the others, get a convertible that can RF and keep her that way until she hits the weight limit.

Britax has traditionally had a 33# RF weight limit (the Advocate & Diplomat are very new).