Question 2007 Corolla - Convertible Car Seat - Canada

Hi everyone,

I decided to pick my log on name as 'overwhelmed' because that's exactly what carseat shopping is making me feel! Wow, the choices!

We have a 2007 Toyota Corolla and also a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. I'd like to buy ONE convertible carseat that I can change (one/twice a week) from vehicle to vehicle fairly easily.

We have a 9 month old average sized baby in an infant Graco ClickConnect at the moment. The base is a hassle to undo from the Latch connectors because the buckle is very hard to loosen. I would love something easier with my next purchase.

As for rear-facing, I'd like to do this as long as possible - therefore the SIZE (front to back) will make a difference with my small vehicles. It narrows my choices.

So...I'm wondering if anyone can tell me their favourite convertible carseat with these items as features:
1) Easily installed as we will be back and forth between the vehicles
2) A good rear facing fit for smaller vehicles (front to back)

I will mention - so far I've looked into the Diono (wow, is that thing heavy and not easy to install!) and a Britax (pricey but may work - overwhelmed with the different versions and not sure on the new connect system?). Perhaps I'm overlooking a cheaper seat that would do the trick?

Thanks everyone, I appreciate any help!

Re: 2007 Corolla - Convertible Car Seat

I'm not sure about your specific car, but I've got a Jeep Liberty which is pretty small front to back unless you want the passenger to eat their knees, and my sitter drives a Mazada 3, also super small. We have a Maxi Cosi Pria in the Jeep Liberty, fits great in that car, but I've heard that it can be fussy in certain vehicles. We have a Roundabout in the Mazda 3. The Roundabout is super easy to install, but it will not last as long as the Pria because it maxes out at 55 lbs, where the Pria goes to 70lbs. Both rearface to 40 lbs. Not sure if that helps you or not.

Re: 2007 Corolla - Convertible Car Seat

This list should help you

http://carseatblog.com/22818/the-ul...ertible-space-comparison-review-size-matters/

Do you have a budget?


A good suggestion would be the Graco Milestone, you can find it at Walmart for $200. Its not the fanciest seat with bells and whistles, but it faces backwards, forwards and becomes a booster eventually. It installs fairly easily, but if you want a super easy install then you want to go for the Britax Click Tight Marathon or Boulevard, or Advocate. Unless you have a very tall child the Marathon should last you plenty long enough (the Boulevard and Advocate have slightly higher harness heights). The new connect system Click Tight makes it very easy to switch cars but keep in mind the seat is still very heavy and bulky and the more times you switch it the more times you could possibly install it wrong. And for the price of the Britax you could also buy two different seats one for each car- is that a possibility? If you need a budget seat the Cosco Scenera Next is a brand new seat that will keep most kids rear facing in a tight spot until they are 4, but the seat is outgrown forward facing before it is rear-facing so you would need a new seat for when you want to turn your child around.

Re: 2007 Corolla - Convertible Car Seat

Thanks for the opinions!

I don't think I can get a Graco Milestone in Canada. I'm concerned the Britax is still quite heavy (equivalent to the Diono), but I like the fact that it's super easy to install from those I have chatted with.

We'd like to just have the one carseat (versus one for each vehicle) since our truck is away most weeks and hubby carpools and carries luggage with him while away at work (so leaving a carseat in the truck all the time isn't ideal, nor is leaving it in my house all the time when not in use).

As for budget, I'm not opposed to the cost of the Britax if it fits our 'wants'. I just wanted to make sure there's not a cheaper seat I'm overlooking that I should be considering also.

Re: 2007 Corolla - Convertible Car Seat

Ahh, missed that you were in Canada, umm the Safety First Guide 65 is fairly compact for kids over 22 pounds, but can be a pain to install RF. Other then that I am drawing a blank, maybe someone from Canada can provide more help.

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=19761086

Hi there - given your situation, I would try out the Britax G4.1, Britax Click Tight (Boulevard and Advocate have higher harness slots than the Marathon), and maybe Clek Foonf/Fllo and Peg Convertible. Here are some pros and cons: http://vicarseattechs.com/our-favourite-seats/infantchild-seats/

I personally find the Britax G4s *very* easy to install in almost every car I've tried, especially with lower anchors / UAS. The seatbelt takes an extra minute or two. The Click Tights can be a really simple install as well, but the click tight panel can be really hard to close in some vehicles, so I'd try it before buying for sure. The click tights have the highest harness slots of all these seats, but you also have to keep in mind overall standing height and head height when considering rear facing limits.

The Britaxes, along with the Cleks, do require an Anti Rebound Bar, which adds to the weight and these seats are quite heavy. The Peg is not a seat I've worked with, but is compact front to back as well. I'd go to a store and try all of them in your vehicles to check for sufficient leg room for the parents, as well as ease of install. The Dionos with their low belt path make them hard to install in certain vehicles.

The other seats on the list are worth a look also, and could work depending on height of parents. The SureRide *might* work, and has really high top slots for forward facing, but the highest rear facing slot is pretty low, meaning a 2-ish year old may have reached them and using them after that is allowed, but the harness straps may come from quite far below the child's shoulder, then up and over, which can cause problems for narrow/sloped-shouldered kids. Just something to keep in mind.