Yuck, car seat shopping in Canada

I am in need of a new car seat for my son. He is in a Quinny without the base and I would like to get a base for him again. We live very far north and I have to order the carseat. Which makes me nervous as I don't want to get one that isn't compliant. Nothing worse then buying new and finding out the carseat is two years into its expiry date! Plus the whole compliance thing.

my son is 4months, 15 lbs and about 24". we drive a 4dr gmc Canyon so it is a compact back seat. I also catch rides a lot so the option to go baseless is a must. i need easy to tighten harness. the snugride looks like it will last the longest but some people say it only lasts to 22lbs.

Should i go with a convertible?
is the snugride warm for northern climates? Will it fit in a compact vehicle?
What are some other options?

thanks

There are 3 different models of Snugride in Canada, and the weight limit for each is reflected in the name of the seat: Snugride22, Snugride30 and Snugride35. If you are wanting to make sure the seat lasts a long time then you should pay attention to height limits as well. The Snugride22 has a 29" limit, the 30 has a 30" limit and the 35 has a 32" limit. The snugride35 will definitely last you the longest, but can take up quite a bit of space front to back. Hopefully someone else can chime in about the install of one in your vehicle as I'm not familiar with it.

You can order the Snugride35 online from www.snugglebugz.ca. They are a sponsor of this site, offer free shipping, and the Snugride35 they carry in Viceroy is an 'elite' type model that has Gracopedic foam in it. This is an extra layer of foam behind the baby and will help with warmth.

With the Snugride35 you can tell if a model is compliant because it had the addition of 'wings' to the front to corners of the seat. If you look at pictures of the canadian models you will notice the front corners are much larger and more square than those on the current American and pre2012 Canadian models. That is how you will know the model you have is compliant.

Now enough about the SR35. There are other options out there that have a 35lb limit like the Evenflo Embrace 35, but the height limit is only 30".

You could also invest in a convertible at this point...if its something you need to be able to move from vehicle to vehicle regularly I would probably choose a Britax for the ease of install. In my opinion no other company really comes close in that regard with a convertible seat.

The Snugride 35 is extremely easy to install with the base, and is generally compatible in every vehicle (I've not personally encountered an incompatibility, but that's not to say it doesn't exist). Most infant seats are pretty simple to install baseless as well so long as you understand how to do it, and have some practice. The colour called 'Flint' also has the extra foam up the back. I have no doubt you will get new stock, and a seat that is compliant, from Snugglebugz. That model will last you a long time with the size your son is at this age. It's easy to adjust, and tops my list of favourite infant seats.

Thank you so much for the help. I went to a local town. I noticed that the Super store had some iffy car seats for sale. Then I went to sears. I loved the graco snugride and how easy it latched in and tightened and was soft and and... So I decided to order from snugglebugz and get the flint model (they didn't have it). I am very pleased with it and now have been telling everyone to get it. It fits way better in my vehicle rear facing then any combo seats I have tried to put rear facing. And I just flip the handle back, loosen the straps, and take him right out of it when I don't want to pack the monster (talking about the carseat not the child) around.

Glad to hear that it is working well for you!