seattle mom
New member
I've looked through multiple posts on this and other websites, and I'm still having trouble deciding on what convertible carseat is safest for our 2 family cars, and I'm hoping you might help clear things up!
(1) We have a 2005 Pontiac Vibe and are looking at getting either a Britax Marathon, Boulevard CS, or Decathlon. My daughter is a chunky baby: 20 lbs and almost 27" long, and I'm worried that the crotch straps may be too short on some of the Britax models. However, the Vibe didn't perform that well in side impact crash ratings (and doesn't have side airbags), so I'm wondering if the Boulevard is a better option. I haven't been able to find all the models in stock (granted I've only done a cursory look) so I'm also unsure which would be the best fit for our car. Given the crotch strap issue and the side impact protection, which seat would you recommend? We'd like to have her RF in the middle of the back seat for as long as possible. Which seat would be best for this? (My husband is 6'3" and I'm 5'9", if that makes any difference.) I've heard the Boulevard can only be tethered to 50 pounds; what is the importance of this in terms of safety?
(2) We also have a 2005 Ford Focus HB, which did even worse in side impact testing. I visited the carseat data search engine on this site (http://www.carseatdata.org/search) but didn't find any information for any Britax seat other than the Marathon. Again, which seat would you recommend for this car? Do we need to opt for the Boulevard since the Focus HB performed so poorly in side impact crash testing? Do you know if there's any convertible seat that will fit in the middle rear position in this car?
(3) I know you recommend getting the seat that fits best in the car, but since not all these models are carried in all stores, and since it takes quite a while (or so I hear) to get them installed properly, how can we ensure we get the carseat that fits best?
(4) I've heard conflicting things about using LATCH in the middle rear seat. Can you use them, or are you supposed to use the belt instead?
Sorry for the incredibly long post. My daughter's safety is my number one priority, and I want to make the right choice for her carseat. Thanks for your help!
(1) We have a 2005 Pontiac Vibe and are looking at getting either a Britax Marathon, Boulevard CS, or Decathlon. My daughter is a chunky baby: 20 lbs and almost 27" long, and I'm worried that the crotch straps may be too short on some of the Britax models. However, the Vibe didn't perform that well in side impact crash ratings (and doesn't have side airbags), so I'm wondering if the Boulevard is a better option. I haven't been able to find all the models in stock (granted I've only done a cursory look) so I'm also unsure which would be the best fit for our car. Given the crotch strap issue and the side impact protection, which seat would you recommend? We'd like to have her RF in the middle of the back seat for as long as possible. Which seat would be best for this? (My husband is 6'3" and I'm 5'9", if that makes any difference.) I've heard the Boulevard can only be tethered to 50 pounds; what is the importance of this in terms of safety?
(2) We also have a 2005 Ford Focus HB, which did even worse in side impact testing. I visited the carseat data search engine on this site (http://www.carseatdata.org/search) but didn't find any information for any Britax seat other than the Marathon. Again, which seat would you recommend for this car? Do we need to opt for the Boulevard since the Focus HB performed so poorly in side impact crash testing? Do you know if there's any convertible seat that will fit in the middle rear position in this car?
(3) I know you recommend getting the seat that fits best in the car, but since not all these models are carried in all stores, and since it takes quite a while (or so I hear) to get them installed properly, how can we ensure we get the carseat that fits best?
(4) I've heard conflicting things about using LATCH in the middle rear seat. Can you use them, or are you supposed to use the belt instead?
Sorry for the incredibly long post. My daughter's safety is my number one priority, and I want to make the right choice for her carseat. Thanks for your help!