BabyTrend: minimum weight 5 pounds, maximum 22 or 30 (depending on the model, and it's not obvious so you have to look for it). Puzzle buckle (which some people hate, I sort of like :duck
. The handle must be down in the car. Some people have complained that the mechanism to release the handle is sticky or difficult, but I haven't experienced that. Adjustable back model has a no-rethread harness that adjusts up and down with the headwings. The narrowest infant-only seat on the market.
The Graco and Chicco seats are popular with members of this board. They will definitely last longer before being outgrown than the BT. That wasn't a factor for me because I stopped carrying my DD around in the seat somewhere around 14-15 pounds. I'll let someone more familiar with these seats tell you more about them.
The Evenflo isn't recommended largely because in the car, the handle has to be down (in the position right at the top of the shell), plus you then have to have an additional 1.5" of clearance between it and the seat in front. Those rules mean that it takes up a ton of front to back space.
Some comparison pictures, so you can see how the seats compare to each other. All these photos were taken on the same day. DD is about 10 months old, 16.5 pounds, 28" in these pictures.
BabyTrend, 22 pound model, adjusted all the way up. Misuse photo: The shoulder straps must come from at or below the shoulder when RFing.
BabyTrend, 30 pound model, adjusted all the way up. Misuse photo: The shoulder straps must come from at or below the shoulder when RFing.
Chicco KeyFit 30.
Even though the shell itself is as wide (inside) or wider than the BT, she had less room because of the poufyness of the cover.
SnugRide32. She definitely has the most room to grow in this seat.