Shopping for New Car Seats

Shopping for New Car Seats

I am planning to purchase new car seats for our daughter who is 10 months old and weighs about 18 pounds. Both of the seats we are currently using for her have the overhead shield which I now know is not as safe as the 5-point harness type. Plus, they are approaching their "expiration" dates since we got them both when our son was a baby (in late 1996 or early 1997).

We just got a new car - a 2002 Jeep Liberty. It has the LATCH anchors so we want to purchase a new car seat that would allow us to take advantage of that feature. I know it's safer to keep the baby rear-facing as long as possible - even past the 1-year/20-pound guideline. Are there car seats that are LATCH-compatible that can be used front- or rear-facing? Which one(s) would you recommend?

We also have a 1999 Chevy Malibu - no LATCH system, of course. We use a locking clip in this vehicle to hold the seat belt tight because the belts don't lock. What car seat(s) would you recommend for this vehicle?

Can you give me an idea of the cost for the seats you recommend? I was hoping to spend around $200 for both seats. Finally, can you tell me where you would recommend purchasing the seats? I am guessing I could order them on-line directly from the manufacturer or is there a better way?

Thanks for your help!

Not the greatest answer, but...

First, for some information on LATCH and available carseats, see:

www.car-safety.org/latch.html

I know it's not the best answer, but any of the convertible seats listed are fine if they fit your child and your carseat well. Also, any of the convertible models with a retrofit kit from the same manufacturer would be fine as well.

As for your Malibu, if you want to avoid the locking clips I might recommend a Britax Roundabout or Advantage. Neither are LATCH compatible, but both have very handy built-in clips. They are also expensive:-( The Fisher Price Safe Embrace convertible and Safe Embrace II also have these clips, and the Safe Embrace II is LATCH as well. Unfortunately, they are recently discontinued and very hard to find. Some have reported that a few remain at local Walmart stores if you are lucky.

You might also check out the Buying Guide link under the top banner. Inside is good information on features and other tips, and also links to other sites which compare models and give recommendations.

Good luck!

Found the Safe Embrace!

Thanks for your response to my earlier question. I was one of the lucky ones - I found the Fisher-Price Safe Embrace at Wal-Mart. I bought one and liked it so much that I went back to the store and bought a second one. They aren't LATCH-compatible so we can't use that feature in our new Jeep Liberty, but the Safe Embrace was easy to install using the vehicle belt. Those built-in locking clips are fantastic!

I am very impressed by the sturdiness of the Safe Embrace - It seems so much better than any of the other seats I've used or seen. And, what a bargain - I got both seats for under $120.00!