I realize that the OP's issue has probably already been solved (though I'm curious to know which seat they went with!!), but I thought I'd add my own question to this thread...
I am currently expecting my first lo. I'd like to buy a seat before baby arrives (s/he is due in February and I really don't want to be sending DH on an emergency trip to the store during a blizzard!!) but I'm really confused.
I'd like to keep lo RF as long as possible, and though I do have the option of inheriting a 13 month old Evenflo infant seat (travel system) from my sister in law, I'm leaning more towards just getting one seat before birth that will see our lo through as long as possible.
I really like the Britax seats, but recently I'm reading more about how they're overpriced. Now I'm seeing (at BRU website, but not at Britax.ca) the Advocate CS is RF to 35 lbs and FF to 65 lbs which brings this seat in line with the TF (but the Adv is hella expensive for an extra 5 lbs RF?). But there's also the AOE, which RF to 35 lbs (though FF only to 50 lbs).
As I see it right now, we have:
Britax options:
- Adv (RF 5-35 lbs, FF 20-65 lbs) $450 TRU
- Blvd (RF 5-30 lbs, FF 20-65 lbs) $360 TRU (I wouldn't get the CS version)
- MA (RF 5-30 lbs, FF 20-65 lbs) $330 TRU
Compass/First Years:
- TF (RF 5-35 lbs, FF 23-65 lbs) $200 TRU
Cosco:
- AOE (RF 5-35 lbs, FF 22-50 lbs, Booster 40-100lbs) $240 TRU (I'm looking at the Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1, not sure if this is really the one called AOE in the Canadian car seat list)
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Should I get the Evenflo infant seat and wait to see which one fits baby best? Obviously I have no idea if we're going to have a tall/narrow baby or a short/chunky one (or any other combination). Price isn't really a concern, though obviously if the seat that works best for us just happens to be the least expensive of the high-RF weight limits, bonus.
If it makes any difference, the seat will primarily be used in a 1994 4 door Grand Am (read, no LATCH), but we will either be buying a second seat or transferring it into a truck for camping (we haven't bought the truck yet). So ease of installation since we are fairly unlikely to spend an additional $400 on a seat that is only used every other weekend for 3-4 months of the year.
Also, I'm in Calgary, Ab, if that changes things. (I will go to TRU and other stores if necessary to try these seats in our car before buying.)
Thanks in advance,
Melissa