Opinions: which convertibles make good FF seats?

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Ok so I have never had a forward-facing child before and I am likely going to be transitioning my older daughter into some FF seats sometime after she turns 4. Because all our convertibles were specifically purchased for their RF features, I don't know which ones I am willing to give up to become FF seats. Her younger sister will likely be RF for 2.5 years still, so we are definitely not done with the RF stage.

Which would you choose?

These are the seats that we currently use RF:
Chicco Nextfit
Combi Coccoro
Britax Roundabout (G4)
Britax Marathon (G4)
Graco Milestone
Graco Extend2Fit 3-in-1

The Graco Milestone and E2F3-in-1 seem like the best seats for forward-facing because of their tall top harness slots. But I LOVE those seats for rear-facing. I'm kind of not willing to let them go. Do any of the others make particularly good FF seats?

She is almost 4, 30 lbs, 36.5", and her current seated shoulder height is about 12.5."
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
In my experience it depends on the child and their build as much as anything.

Mine have always preferred deep leg support and lower profile once forward facing; Radians and a SureRide are the only convertibles I've actually used ff for my kids as a result (I tend to sell or pass down the convertibles and use combination seats because my kids are big anyway.)
 

lgenne

New member
I love my FF Milestone. I like Radians better FF than RF as long as you can get a good install.

Does she fit in the Coccoro? My kids have all outgrown it by height before I'm ok FFing them. It seems like a much less finicky seat if you use it FF.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Does she fit in the Coccoro? My kids have all outgrown it by height before I'm ok FFing them. It seems like a much less finicky seat if you use it FF.

I think she'd fit in it FF. We've only used it RF for my younger daughter, so I have no idea, but according to her "stats" she should be able to use it FF -- although I don't know for how long.....and I'd have to check the top of the ears rule.

I still love my Coccoro as a RF seat and don't find it finicky at all! :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

abigaylebelle

Active member
My kids like a seat with a base forward facing. They can see out of the windows better. I'm pretty sure we have used every single convertible we owned forward at various times. The only one I can think of that is weird ff is the myride, which you don't have listed.

My dd likes the coccoro ff. It can be kind of reclined in some cars and more upright in others. It's very dependent on the slope of the vehicle seat. I'd think your little one would have a long time left ff, my kid is quite a bit larger and is only outgrowing it by hitting 40".
 

brooksfamily

New member
I'd probably ff the Britax seats, unless you need them rf because the are compact. I found them difficult to load towards the end of our rf stage because of the lack of leg room, but now that dd is 4 and ff I like them much more.
 

oakster

New member
I like the Marathon FFing, and we used a NextFit FFing for a bit and it seemed fine too (though was higher than the Britax seats, I think). The Coccoro is fine FFing but watch the height limit--my petite DS hit it pretty fast after we turned him (but he was taller than your DD, so you should have time). The other thing to consider, if it matters in your cars, is how much space the seats take up RFing (assuming your younger daughter fits in them all). The Coccoro was better front-to-back than the Britax seats for us; I don't know the Graco seats so not sure where those fit in. Also factor in whether you want to/can tether RFing (we did) and which seats allow it.
 

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