Question Tall baby graduating from infant seat

[dmcpdx]

Hello-
I learned on a fb mama forum that I could ask for car seat recommendations here. I hope this is the correct way to do it!

My 10 month-old currently rides in a Peg Perego Primo Viaggio. He is at the 75th percentile for height and weight and is closing in on the 30 inch max. I want to choose the safest seat I can for him that will accommodate his height. I drive a 2004 Subaru Forester, and even the infant seat is a tight fit. I'm assuming what I want is a convertible that will grow with him, but I can be convinced otherwise if that's not the best way to go.

Thanks for your recommendations!

 

[wendytthomas]

Hi there!

A convertible is your only option.

What is your budget? Right now do you have his Peg in the middle or on the side, and with the middle or with the seatbelt?

There is no safest, so we'll focus on longevity within your budget, and fit to car.

Wendy

 

[dmcpdx]

Thanks!
We don't have a set budget. On one hand, we kind of can't afford to buy it at all, and on the other hand are willing to cut corners elsewhere to get him the safest seat we can. We don't need to spend extra for luxury fabrics or features, but if there is a cost benefit in terms of safety, we would spend more.

Peg is unfortunately on the passenger side because I am so tall that I have to drive with the seat all the way back. We use the latch base.

Thanks again!

 

[Patriot201]

I would look at the Evenflo Sureride. It is a very tall seat that is also affordable for many families. It should last your child many years.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-SureRide-Convertible-Seat-Paxton/dp/B00ISS2KVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421144837&sr=8-1&keywords=evenflo+sureride"]Amazon.com : Evenflo SureRide DLX Convertible Car Seat, Paxton : Baby[/ame]

The good news is that many convertibles take up less space than many infant seats.

Also, please don't worry about having to have your child on the passenger side. As long as his seat is correctly installed and is used correctly every time, there is no shame in using an outboard position.

 

[dmcpdx]

Is the Evenflo equally safe to something like a Britax Marathon or Clek Foonf? I'm not trying to buy a bargain seat if it means compromising on safety at all. Are they like bike helmets - all safe, just some with extra features that you don't really need?
Thanks!

 

[lgenne]

I would look at the Scenera NEXT over the Sureride. They have the same rear facing height limit, and the Scenera NEXT is less than half the price of the Sureride, and will take up less front to back space in your small car.

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Cosco-Scenera-NEXT-Car-Seat-Choose-your-Print/41126739

Alternatively, you can watch for deals on the Graco "clones" (Size4Me, Fit4Me, Headwise, MySize). They're all really the same seat, and can sometimes be found for not much more than the Sureride.

A couple of links you might find helpful:

http://carseatblog.com/22818/the-ul...ertible-space-comparison-review-size-matters/

http://carseatblog.com/30022/comparison-of-budget-priced-convertible-carseats-under-100/

 

[babyherder]

All seats, when used correctly, are equally safe.

 

[wendytthomas]

All seats pass the same very stringent tests. We have no way to know if the Britax or Clek is as safe as the Evenflo or Cosco. Used properly and installed correctly, all seats reduce injury and death rates significantly.

Wendy

 

[1mommy]

Is the Evenflo equally safe to something like a Britax Marathon or Clek Foonf? I'm not trying to buy a bargain seat if it means compromising on safety at all. Are they like bike helmets - all safe, just some with extra features that you don't really need?
Thanks!

Yes! The safest seat is one that properly fits your child and that you use correctly every time. It is much safer to have a $50 seat that is used correctly then a $400 seat that is used improperly.

People have suggested some good options, you just need to think about what you need in a seat. The Scenera Next is a good cheap seat that will last your child for a year or two, but then you will need to buy a new seat. The pro is that it is almost guaranteed to fit rear facing in your car and that it will give you more time to save up for a longer lasting seat.

The Evenflo SureRide will probably last your child until they are ready for a booster (around 5-7 ish) but you might have some problems fitting it in your car- you may want to try it out at a Babies r us before you buy it, or buy from a place with free returns like Amazon.

The Graco seat is a little nicer and a little more expensive (but if you can find a sale its not that much more expensive then the SureRide) and has some more bells and whistles like a no-rethread harness and adjustable headrest. it will also probably last you until your child is ready for a booster.

 

[dmcpdx]

Sorry, I think I'm not being clear. I am not particularly looking for a budget seat.
Priority 1: safety and quality
Priority 2: not spending excess money unnecessarily

If I had a budget of $500 but didn't want to waste money unnecessarily, would you still recommend the knock off brands?
Baby's safety (and comfort) are our first priority.

 

[dmcpdx]

Sorry - new to using this type of forum and missed the messages about all seats being equally safe. It is so hard to believe that.! I keep hearing that the Clek Foonf is the safest one.

If they are equally safe, why do people spend $400+?
What am I missing?

I would love to choose a seat my son can stay in as long as possible. We are big people and I expect 40 lbs isn't so very far away. There is done chance we may be able to buy a new car - like a minivan - in the summer.

Apologies for my ignorance - I haven't really researched this at all because our infant seat was a gift.

 

[jjordan]

Sorry - new to using this type of forum and missed the messages about all seats being equally safe. It is so hard to believe that.! I keep hearing that the Clek Foonf is the safest one.

If they are equally safe, why do people spend $400+?
What am I missing?

I would love to choose a seat my son can stay in as long as possible. We are big people and I expect 40 lbs isn't so very far away. There is done chance we may be able to buy a new car - like a minivan - in the summer.

Apologies for my ignorance - I haven't really researched this at all because our infant seat was a gift.

It might seem like just semantics... But actually, all seats are NOT equally safe, it is pretty much guaranteed that some seats are safer than others. The catch is that we don't know which ones are safer. We don't have crash test results for all seats to compare them, but even if we did, there is no guarantee that a seat performing better in a crash test is going to be safer in a crash. It might be the case that one seat is "safer" in one certain car in one certain kind of crash, and another seat is "safer" in another car in a different sort of crash. There are just too many variables involved to say that one particular seat is "safer" across-the-board.

So, all that being said, why do people spend so much money on a seat? Because they THINK it is safer. And they might be right, or they might be wrong. In the end, you are the one that has to live with your choice in car seats. If you buy a $40 seat and your child is injured in a crash, are you going to wish that you had the $400 seat? Maybe, maybe not. Many seats brag about various "safety features" that they want you to think are worth the extra money. Are they worth it? Maybe, maybe not. The best you can do is to look into those safety features - don't just go from the claims on the side of the car seat box. And then (budget allowing), select a seat whose safety features YOU think are important, the ones that you are willing to spend extra money on.

There are a few things that we know improve safety. One is having the seat installed correctly. Another is using the seat correctly. And a third is keeping the child rear facing (assuming he/she fits the seat's rear facing requirements). So by choosing a seat that you know you can install correctly and use correctly (and going to see a good CPST to make sure you are doing it right!), and one that will keep your child RF for a long time, you are choosing a very safe option, regardless of the cost.

And it might make you feel better to know that even really big babies/toddlers usually slow down their weight gain quite a bit, so 40 pounds is likely farther off than you think!

 

[corrielainedd]

The Britax seats fit nicely rfing in smaller cars, the newer Click-tight seats (Boulevard & Advocate) have a longer lasting rfing heigh now.
My DD2 turned 4 in Oct, she is only 34lbs, just had a big growth spurt, she outgrew her Britax Boulevard G2 rfing right before her birthday, and has just now outgrown her Radian rfing in height. My husband and I are 5'10" & 5'7"... Our kids are not above average size. (Just to give you an idea).

Often, Convertible seats fit better rfing than infant seats do.

I'm kind of a car seat snob, lol, and in the same boat so to speak... If I needed a new seat, it's not really in the budget, but we could cut corners to buy the best possible.
I love the Diono seats, but are not the best in small cars rfing.
I'd look in to the Click Tights, the Foonf, and Chicco Nextfit.
There are others recommended for rfing longer... I'll see if I can find the link

 

[Mary_Ann]

To add to what everyone said, I would suggest you to take a look in store at the seat that have been recommended. Try the chest clip, the crotch buckle and the harness adjuster. Do you like them, are they easy to use? You will deal with them on a daily basis, so they should be! Personally, I don't like Graco and Dorel chest clips and I would swear every time I'd use them. I like one-hand release style, like Britax, Clek, Diono, etc.

Ensuring your seat is safely installed and your child is properly buckle is really safe.

 

[lgenne]

People also spend more for convenience. Britax doesn't even sell ClickTight as a safety feature, but I love me some ClickTight installs!

 

[Hazelandlucy]

Well, all seats pass the same tests, but I personally feel rebound control (tether or bar), deep side walls and headwings with eps/epp foam, some kind of energy management and a steel frame offer additional protection. So for me, the Clek Foonf or Fllo with the React/Eact, the Britax G4 or click tight with safe cell, the Peg Perego with the "SAFE" and the Diono Rainer/Pacifica/Olympia are the "safest" although I think the Dionos "safe stop" crash energy management only comes into play forward facing. The most important thing is the rear facing so with a 75th percentile kid I would avoid the G4 Britax and only consider their click tight version (lasts much longer). What really injures kids is the neck force when forward facing so just rear facing keeps your child very very safe, but I prefer a seat with all the safety extras as well. All of the above seats, minus the G4, should last a bigger kid until at least 3 rear facing.

 

[tesslouise]

Definitely go to a baby-stuff store and play with the car seats. Maybe you'll prefer one buckle style over another, or find Click Tight the coolest thing since sliced bread, or want to spend more than the minimum to get a no-rethread harness.

I've used an Evenflo Triumph Advance and a Chicco NextFit for my girls. The NextFit is "nicer" (and more expensive), but there are things I prefer about the Evenflo--and it also depends which car it's installed in!

The one thing they both have, that was important to *me*, but is not a safety issue, is the no-rethread harness.

 

[1mommy]

I would start with this list because you are short on space:

http://carseatblog.com/22818/the-ul...ertible-space-comparison-review-size-matters/

Of those I would say really take a closer look at is the Maxi Cosi Pria, Britax Click Tight (it says Boulevard but the Marathon is still tall and should be enough to get your kid to booster age) Diono Radian/Rainier with angle adjuster (but try it out first, some people hate the install and others hate the harness adjuster) Graco Size 4 Me, Graco 4 ever, Graco Milestone, Chicco Nextfit. Also be aware some people/kids don't like that Graco does not have a lot of padding, and some people/kid hate the Nextfit's deep sides because they are always bonking their kids head on the ceiling of the car loading them.

Do a little bit or research by reading the reviews and googling about the seat to narrow it down, then stop by your local store and check out your top 2-3. I know its a pain to stop by the store but its better then finding out you hate a seat and are unable to return it. Babies r us will allow you to take display models and try it out in your car if that would help, some Targets do as well so ask at the custoemr service desk.

 

[Anitra]

I have big & tall kids - all have graduated from the infant seat between 6-8 months. We tried a few different rear-facing options before we found one we really liked.

The biggest *noticeable* differences between cheap seats and expensive ones are comfortability and ease/security of install. With our oldest, we went with a Cosco Scenera, because it was cheap and short (and therefore fit rearfacing in our Focus backseat), and it was a real struggle to get my baby to get in the seat and stay in long enough to buckle her. She was just not comfortable. Then the seat started having adjustment issues, so I reported it to the company and I went out and bought a different brand (Graco MyRide) which was MUCH more comfortable for her. By this time, we had a larger family car, so we've never tried the MyRide in the Focus - but I can tell you that my oldest stayed in that seat until 4 years & 45+ pounds.. and my middle child is still in his at 4 years (he's a little smaller, about 38 pounds). Both of them I was able to keep rearfacing past 2 years old.

So, all this to say - yes, you're going to have to try out seats and find one you like. I'd stay away from the super-cheap range (under $80), but otherwise, look for one that's going to be short enough to fit, secondarily looks comfortable for your little one, and tertiary for other cool features (no rethread, click install, etc.).