Economical and Easy to Install

taz13ew · Nov 20, 2013

I'm looking to purchase a convertible seat for my twins to use in the nanny's car and also as a backup. As a bonus, it would also be nice to be a travel friendly seat. They are in NextFits as their primary seat and since I need to purchase 2 more seats, I'm on a tighter budget. I'm looking for something that will be easy to install as my nanny will be removing it from her car on a daily basis. She drives a 2004 Xterra, which should have LATCH.

I'm debating between a Safety First Guide 65 Sport ($80 Walmart) or Roundabout 50 Classic ($119 Walmart).

The Guide 65 is more budget friendly and often recommended on the travel boards. Is this seat easy to install on a weekly basis?

The Britax are known to be easy to install and the Roundabout 50 is the cheapest. The Roundabout 55 is significantly more and likely out of my budget. I understand that the 50 is outgrown quickly. However, my girls are TINY. They are 16 months and actually have not outgrown their infant seats at 14.8lbs/26in and 17.75lb/28in. Am I missing anything?

Are there other budget friendly seats I should consider?

joolsplus3 · Nov 20, 2013

Hi and Welcome!
The Roundabouts are definitely easier to install, just because the LATCH is so click-click-pull-done, while the LATCH on the Guide 65 has hooks and a tougher-to-tighten strap, and for rearfacing I find it needs an additional noodle for proper recline (But cut a couple keep them with the seats, no big deal in the end). Do you have a Babies R Us near you? You can give the Easy Fit 65 (same model) a try, and the Roundabout 55 (not quite the same as the RA 50, but will give you a general idea).
Of course the Easy Fit is lighter to haul around and toss in and out of cars and stacks nicely, so it would be great if that works!

Might also look at the Evenflo SureRide, while bulkier, it's light and has a big recline stand to make rearfacing installs quite simple.

Don't worry too much about weight limits, most are quite inflated... my smallish DD outgrew the old Marathon--same as RA50, when she was 6 and 45lbs and definitely old enough for a booster

. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/FFAlbum/Sarah.aspx She would have been in the Easy Fit about the same time, the harness slots are roughly the same height.