VW Beetle

DisneyWorldNanny-

I think the reason you got some harsh feedback is not because of what you choose to use in your car, but because your blog appeared to give the wrong message to others who might be looking for advice. (I did not actually see the blog--I'm just going on what others have said.)

Most people here like Britax seats a lot (including, I imagine, some of the people who have already responded). It's just that they like other seats, too. The car seat industry has come a long way in just a few years, so while Britax was once seen as innovative, other companies are fast catching up--and even surpassing them.

No matter. If the Roundabout works for you, your car, and the kids you watch, that's great.

It's also true that many technicians are not up-to-date with their information, so I'm not surprised you've gotten some bad advice in the past. The techs who frequent this board, though, tend to be much more current about things.

DisneyWorldNanny said:

As for the matter at hand- I primarily use the seat rear facing and Olivia will be rear facing until she is 35lbs...15 more lbs which will be a good year or two.

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I just want to make sure you know that once a child has less than an inch of shell over his/her head, the seat is considered outgrown rear-facing. Most children get too tall for the Roundabout by height long before they get to 35 pounds, so keep an eye on that.

As for the tether anchor in a convertible VW, please note that most VWs have LATCH limits of 48 lbs (meaning that you can no longer use LATCH once the child reaches 48 lbs). Because the VW Beetle convertible does not have a tether, the limit is 40 lbs for the lower anchors. That doesn't matter for the Roundabout, but you should know that if you use other seats for heavier kids. (Actually, I'm not sure if you even have that car or were just asking. But just in case.)

DisneyWorldNanny said:

.I simply stated what I liked and what works for me.

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With respect, you did not simply state your personal preferences, and that is what I took issue with.

You stated that you would have "succeeded" if you convinced someone to buy a Roundabout instead of an Eddie Bauer seat and I questioned your definition of success.

You implied that higher height and weight capacity was less important than perceived "flimsiness", and I questioned that.

You stated that a Roundabout will "serve a good 4-5 years in most cases", and I disagreed.

I agree that you should buy the seats that suit you, and I respect your right to cheer for those seats. In that, I agree that your opinions are perfectly reasonable. Some of your generalizations are not, IMO.

I also want to say, on re-reading, I have known three parents to successfully install Marathons in their VW bugs (not convertibles) rear-facing. So, I've seen it done, successfully.

I think part of what is at issue here is the tone (on both sides) in this thread. We can all always benefit from re-reading three times before we post, to make sure we are being as polite as possible (a lesson I've learned the hard way, I tend to post in haste and repent at leisure sometimes.)

We are all here for the same reason. To keep our kids as safe as possible. It tends to touch alot of nerves around here to simply hear a statement like "Britax is the best of the best" or something similar. It's something techs deal with so frequently, it becomes frustrating. A lot of parents think that by spending $200-$300 on a Britax seat, their job is done. Most of them don't take the time to learn the quirks of the seats or how to install and use them properly. A $40 "flimsy" (in your terms) Cosco Scenera, properly installed, is safer than a $200 Britax seat, improperly installed. So rather than promoting certain brands, we (generally speaking - I am not a tech) try to advocate promoting proper usage.

I'm not knocking your love for your Britax seats. I love mine too. But I hesitate to recommend them to just anyone. They might work wonderfully in my vehicle, but they're very difficult in my mom's vehicle.

So when people here come across a promotion for a brand like Britax, and statements that "flimsier" or less expensive seats are not as good, it tends to touch a nerve. Personally, I would buy a taller shell, higher harness "flimsier" seat if it meant the difference between turning my child forward facing early (in something like a RA) or leaving him rear facing longer (in something like an AOE.) And I think most people around here would say the same thing.

This thread seems to have run it's course and is being locked now due to the overall tone.

I know that the original post invited comments on the blog before the post was edited, and that most of this conversation has been an off-shoot of the blog as opposed to a response to the question at hand. We do like to keep things friendly and inviting around here though, so in the future it may be best to place the blog-related comments on the blog itself and keep the thread to the main question at hand - in this case tether anchors. :thumbsup: