Car Seat - Dexter, MI

Hi S.,

Try Consumerreports.org. They can tell you which car seats are the safest according to crash test results. They also give average retail prices, so you won't be caught off guard once you get to the store and see the price tag!

-A.

Hello,
At 9 months old my daughter wieghed 15lbs. It then became very clear to me that she would be facing backward for a very longtime. So I started shopping for a convertable. She out grew her pumpkin seat in length. I ended up getting the eddie bauer from Target. I love it. It has an ajustable head rest, strap covers and a cup holder. It was only @120$ and becomes a booster for up to 80#. My daughter loves it too:)
here is the link for the exact one I bought
Good luck:)

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_4/601-###-#...

Hi S.!

My daughter is 11 months old and we have had her in a convertible car seat that goes from 0-120 pounds....it 'converts' as they grow. She's been in it for a few months now and doesnt hang out of it like she does the infant carseat. The convertible car seats can be found anywhere...happy shopping!!

Kim

If this doesn't convince you that a 5-pt harness that goes to at least 80 lbs (not one that converts to a booster - a carseat w/ a 5-pt-harness that lasts until at least 65 or 80 lbs) is the best choice, I don't know what will:
YouTube - Importance of a 5-Point Harness Carseat
http://youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Hands down, for long lanky kids (we have 2 of our own!), Britax Boulevard or Britax Regent. Yeah, the brand is more expensive than some, but it's absolutely worth it:

* it's so incredibly user friendly (easy to install correctly, straps don't twist up into a nightmarish mess, very handy velcro patches on the sides of the carseat & harness to hold the harness straps out of the way when you're putting your kid into the seat so you don't have to go fishing for them behind your child who is already in the seat, etc.)
* has such great safety features and is so comfortable with the non-obstructive Side Impact Protection head wings - helps keeping their heads from slumping over so severely to the side when they sleep in the car (great for roadtrips to visit the in-laws) in addition to giving them added protection them in the event of a crash
* the Boulevard will last until 65 lbs and the Regent will take you to 80 lbs - kids should be in a 5-point harness for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE as they're way safer than a belt-positioning booster

* AND, if you're balking at the price, remember that you use it EVERY TIME you drive anywhere over the next 4+ YEARS so it'll end up being just a few *pennies* per day when it's all said and done - people spend more money on cribs which kids grow out of soooner than they do a good carseat, if that gives you any perspective (um, I'd rather have a better carseat than a several hundres dollar crib)

After trying several different carseats, we decided on the Boulevard for both kids. Friends who have different seats and try our Britax seats remark how easy the LATCH buckles clip into the seat, how nice it is that the harness straps don't twist up, how it's so easy to adjust the harness height and headrest height with the dial button (instead of having to rethread the whole harness), etc.

So, definitely go to a good store w/ several carseat options, try them out in your car, see what seems like the best install in your vehicle, which one seems the most user-friendly for you to use, which one your son is most comfortable in, etc. That's what is most important.

Lastly, if you ever have to travel in airports with the carseat, a fabulous gadget is the GoGo Kids Carseat Travelmate (http://theportablebaby.com/gogokidz.html or you can watch BabyCenter's store for a sale and a 15% off coupon code). Trust me when I say that you do not want to lug ANY child's carseat through the airport. Wheels are the way to go!

I purchased SEVERAL child seats when my son was too big for his infant seat. I brought them all home, lined them up, and put him in all of them. I tried the Britax Marathon, Britax Roundabout, Britax Parkway, Evenflo Comfort Series, an Eddie Bauer model, and the Safety First Intera. After trials, research including many reviews and subscribing to Consumer's Reports, we ended up with 2 of the Safety First Interas (3-in-one, up to 100 lbs). It can be used rear facing or forward facing and adjusts more than the others with the child's growth. (My son is also tall & thin.) The head rest is height adjustable, the seat can be used as 2 different booster styles (standard or belt-positioning), and my son has never been uncomfortable or sweaty in his seat. It is a seat that he will be in until he no longer needs a child safety seat. Many parent reviews complain about the "puzzle" style buckle but it has never been problem for either myself or my husband, even with our son's winter coat on. I will say, it is a rather large seat as far as getting it in/out of vehicles, especially if you leave the booster base attached, but once it is in it is very solid. One of the important things to me was that his head and neck had some protection in the event of a side-impact crash. This seat has "wings" around the head area which help with this, but are not as intrusive or obstructive as the Britax models with "wings." The other brands seemed to open to protect in this type of situation. His little head would just be whipped sideways. We love our seat and have been looking for another for the next child on the way. I will say, ours is a really nice classy grey geometric pattern. The new ones I've seen aren't as nice looking, though obviously that's not the important part... Hope this helps some...

http://www.safety1st.com/product.asp?productID=647
Check out their "Demo" link near the bottom of the description. It shows the seat in all positions... It also shows the other colors available off to the right. And it looks as if they have done away with the "puzzle" buckle since last year...

My husband and I have the Britax Decathalon car seat and we love it... It is pricey but its worth the extra money. The straps don't twist and fold, there is velcro to hold the straps open so you can put your child in with them out of the way, and I was told that because its overseas it is tested at 55 or 65 mph crash test and american car seats only test to 25 or 35. I had this verified from an executive for graco. We have had ours for almost and year and it looks brand new. IT holds up realy well. I work as a nanny and my daughter is constantly in and out of her seat. That being said... THe only downfall that I can think of is its heavy and alittle more difficult to install. Not impossible... jsut a little more difficult than some others out there.. but all in all.. this seat is wonderful and a perfect fit for us...

I also have Britax. In fact I have 4 of them. I needed carseats for myself, husband, in law and nanny. I almost bought cheaper ones for the cars my son rides in less frequently, but then decided I couldn't cut corners. If someone had an accident and he was in the "cheaper" lower rated car seat, I would never be able to forgive myself. My pediatrician recommended Britax and so did the sales person at Babies R Us.

I love the Britax Roundabout, and it is rated as one of the safest carseats. I think it can be used up to 60 lbs. I used it with my middle child until she was almost 3, and then recycled it for the baby who is now using it at 6 months. Just let me warn you not to put the car seat cover through the washer and dryer. I did that to one and ruined the seat cover.

Well, I know that the Britax is the best but it's very expensive...and in doing a ton of research we bought our sons next seat that went 20-40lbs rear and forward facing and then we'll by the booster. If you purchase one that goes from 20-100 lbs they are not as safe and almost all that we looked at were the same price as buying the one we got and then buying the next booster seat. What is most important is 5 point harness, and then take the seat cover off...you should see the plastic frame and then on top of the frame where you childs head would be should be a thick stirafoam surrounding your kiddos head. This is key! They need it for crashes. All the convertibles we looked at the went into boosters did not have that foam. We purchased a Graco Comfortsport. It's great! I do know you could pay double the price for what we had and purchase the Evenflo Triumph ...but they are very simular.

I have three children and bought all their carseats at 'babies r us' I can't remember the brand names off hand. I do know what helped me the best was to go to www.babiesrus.com. Do some research on the carseats and reading other people's experience and comments about each carseat and then finding which one would be most suitable for your child before even going to the store, so you already have an idea of what you're looking for it makes it easier.

S. H.
Call your local Fire Department and ask them which one they recommend. They also can show you how to install the seat properlly and you can ask the chief or whom ever you talk to when you call if they need an appointment for this etc.
I used to work for a Car Dealership that we would do CAR SAFTEY CHECKS.. ask them if one is coming up they usually hold them a few times a month, but are not published very often they usually go out as a "PRESS RELEASE" which means they do NOT have to pay for this ad but the Paper does not guarantee that it will be published, it is then used as a FILLER for space available.
I do know that a 5 Point Harness IS Recommended. And if your child is small/thin you can use a blanket rolled up on either side of the child to keep them straight and they have the Head and Neck protectors available at any store to ensure the head does not flop over too far. This way you are able to get a car seat that can be around as they grow.
ONE THING TO NOTE: IF YOU ARE EVER IN AN ACCIDENT... EVEN IF THE CHILD IS NOT IN THE CAR AND CARSEAT...THEY RECOMMEND YOU GET RID OF IT...ACTUALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN TAKE THEM AND DISPOSE OF THEM.
Something about the stress points that can break down and be UNSAFE should another accident occur.
Good Luck
C.

Check out the Britax line. They are pricey - but then again you will be using it for years. They are always rated #1. They have seats that can last as the child gets taller. I beleive the Decathalon model is one of them. That is what I am getting ready to transition my 2 1/2 year old to. My 9 month old will be taking over his current car seat.

I bought 2 Cosco Alpha Omegas when my oldest child was about 1. She is now 7, and we're still using both of them (as boosters). I've had none of the trouble the other person described such as the straps getting weak and twisting. We love them, and they've been very comfortable for both of my girls.

I highly recommend a trip to Babies R Us. Their folks are very helpful. They can explain the features and benefits of each model, and you can see which ones seem to "fit" your son best.

Good luck!

Eddie Bauer is the way to go. the seat grows with the child. we have one for my daughter and that is the best seat. what else is nice it will be the last seat you have to buy because it grows with your child.

I have a 16 month daughter that’s 100th percentile for her height and about 25th for weight, we bought the Britax marathon when she was 10 months old this past march and I love it! They are rated number one and are a breeze to install. I know a lot of parents get sticker shock when they see the price but its worth it!

Hi S.,

I have a little boy that will be 10 months old in about a week and a half. He is a big boy (85th percentile-weight and 95th percentile-height) so we had to get him a new car seat when he was only 4 1/2 months old! After doing a lot of research, we decided to get the Alpha Omega Elite. It is supposed to go up to 100lbs and be able to be used for a rear facing, forward facing, and also a booster seat. You can also adjust the strap height from the front without unhooking the car seat. So far, we have had no major problems with it. The only downsides that we have comes across are, the straps are a little bit more flimsy than the more expensive brands, but you just have to make sure they are straight whenever you put him in and they won't twist....I have never had a problem with them twisting. It also is very bulky. It isn't really too wide it is just very tall so when you have it rear-facing it may force you to move your seat up in the front. I have a G6 so the backseat is larger and it fits in there just fine, especially in middle where it can fit between the front seats. And it comes in different colors, I wouldn't recommend getting the one that is all black, everything sticks to it and it all shows up. We have the one that has black and grey checkers and that one doesn't show all the fuzz. This one costs approximately $150 and I'm sure there are more expensive ones out there that may have some better features....but for the price, this one works great!

The suggestion that I have is to go online to Babies R Us or other stores that carry carseats and check them out. They will give you all the information that you need....weight, age etc that the car seat is good for. I bought mine at Babies R Us and talked to one of the workers in that section. He was very helpful and had knowledge about the car seats.

My daughter is in the 99% for height, so I can relate! We have the Cosco/Eddie Bauer Alpha Omega, and Alpha Omega Deluxe. They are basically the same thing, except the deluxe model has armrests, a cup holder, and a small pocket on the side. There is also a model you can get with leather, if you wish. They are convertible seats (3 in 1) that go from 5 to 100 pounds, and from rear facing to forward facing to booster seat, so you will never need another seat for him. They are highly rated for safety, and run between $109-179. I believe they still have them at Babies 'R Us, but I found them cheaper online. Babyage.com had them the cheapest when I looked, because I got one on clearance. The headrest and straps are very easy to adjust, and can be done without any rethreading. The only time you have to do rethreading is when you pull off the cover to wash it. Initially, this seat was a little difficult to figure out- took about an hour or so to install correctly, but now that I know how it works, it's a breeze. And, if you have a LATCH compatible vehicle, it's much easier. This is a big seat, so it doesn't fit well in compact cars. We have a compact Saturn SL-2 4 door car, and the only place the seat fits rear facing is in the right rear seat, with the front seat all the way forward. This makes it impossible to have someone sit in the front seat. This is temporary, though, because when we switch it to forward facing this week, it won't be a problem anymore. We have a Taurus that the seat fits in just fine, even in the rear facing position. This seat is also FAA approved, and fits okay forward facing in a CRJ (regional) airplane. The website carseatdata.org has measurements on various car seats, compatibility fits for car seats in different cars, and advice on how to pick a car seat. I thought it was very useful. The Toys 'R 'Us or Babies 'R Us is a great place to look, and you can usually find someone to answer questions. It would be best if you could take the seat out to your car to make sure it fits well. Good luck. Hope this helps.

Hi sara! I am a mom of 3, my oldest is 12 and my youngest is 5. I have done some babysitting for about 20 + years. I was given a britax a year ago for the little one I was watching. I loved it. I have since given it to my best friend for her new little one. I had check them out , they are very costly. but for peice of mind and the comfyness its worth it. I am very picky when it comes to carseats and kids. I dont like to see them slouch when they fall asleep. the britax is adjustable and I never had that problem with it or the baby who used it. I also had purchased an alpha omega when my little one was 2 and I hated it. Her head always feel forward while she slept, and I dont think it was very comfortable.

As far as one that is a rear facing convertible all the way up to the youth booster I don't know, but I have really liked the Graco Comfortsport. It goes up to 40 lbs (my son is 4 1/2 and just now hit 40 lbs). You can check out www.gracobaby.com and click on carseats to find a pattern that you like, click on it and there is a description and a tab that says "where to buy" and it will tell you which stores carry which prints (they make certain prints exclusively for certain stores). Hope this helps

My son is exactly the same and we bought the Britax Decathlon for the extra inches. It has the adjustable crotch setting which was nice to make sure he had a good fit in it since he is so thin. He has been in it since he was 4 months old-he is 13 months now and LOVES it. The extra height will hopefully get him through for a long time. It is easy to use and I feel like he is really safe when riding in it!

I did ALOT of research on this topic! I found Britax carseats to be the safest. The weight limit is 65 pounds, it doesn't convert to a booster but it is very comfy for my supper skinny girl and it is just an over all great seat for her, she actually enjoys long car rides now! I have the Marathon but the Decathlon is excellent as well, the rounabout is good but the weight limit isn't as high, With the decathlon you can move the strap between the legs, it has 3 different spots, to change as they grow. They are pricy though, but well worth the money!

here is a link to the aap guide for car seats http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm scroll down and it will give you the maximum height it will have before you need to go to a booster seat (some may even convert to a booster) I have a convertable one same crand I have used for my 5 yr old and 3 yr old but the problem I NEVER thought of is my 3 yr old is one yes ONE inch away from being to tall for his car seat (40 inches is the carseat height before you need to convert his seat to a booster) but the law in my state is 4 yrs and 40 inches....so I need to find a taller car seat for a year....with your sons height in mind look for the one that can accomodate him over 40 inches - there are some and yes they convert - they are $$$ but IMO worth your kids safety......

Ok, I see that reasonable moms can differ in their preference for seat, so let me just share my experience with you. I bought 2 car seats when my now 5 year old son turned 1 year: the Cosco Alpha Omega (ranked #2 overall) and the Britax Roundabout (ranked #1). I could not see paying $400 for 2 Britaxes, and so I put the Cosco in the car we use less.

Let me tell you how much I came to love my Britax and hate my Cosco. The Cosco straps became weaker after just a few months of occasional use and washing, and within the year got to the point that they were always twisting up and no matter how hard I tried to untwist them (big pain) they would just twist up again. So each time we got in and out of the car seat (and on errand day that could be a lot) the twisted belts were a major pain and not at all safe.

The Britax on the other hand held up perfectly and while it is faded by the sun still functions as well as the day we bought it almost 5 years ago. My husband and I fought over who got the car with the Britax in it because it was just so much easier to use. When we needed a second convertable car seat we bought the Britax Marathon for our older and used the old Britax on the younger.

The Cosco on the other hand got thrown in the trash long ago.

While Britax is expensive to buy, you won't need to buy another. My Cosco on the other hand cost me $125 more than my Britax, because I had to throw it away and buy me another Britax! Also, $200 over the life of the car seat, which we use each and every day, seems a small price for what is probably the most important baby gear purchase you will buy.

I found them cheaper at online stores than in the brick and mortar stores. I paid only $169 with free shipping for my second Britax. Also sometimes you can find them used on ebay.

Good luck!

http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/carseats/convert...

here is the link to the carseat I bought for my son. I love it and it goes through all the stages. Hope this helps ya out

My daughter is tall and skinny too! We have the Envenflo Triumph and love it. It has very good ratings, you can check on the consumer reports site. She seems to be very comfortable in it. I like it because the straps are very easy to adjust and it is nice and comfy without being too bulky. Good luck with your choice!

Try Babies R Us when you are ready they let you take the model out to your car, try it out for a little bit, puting it in the car and then putting your child in it. Then you don't have to buy several models to figure this out. We have the evenflo triumph and have been quite happy with it even on long trips.
A.

Hi S.,

My daughter is the same way. She is in the 15th percentile for weight and 96 th for height. I have two car seats for her. One is by Safety First (purchased at Burlinton Coat Factory) it is able to ride backwards and then turns around and can go forwards. It has an adjustable headrest and the adjustable harness. It is pretty easy to get her in and out and she seems to like it. The other one is by Graco and it is also adjustable and can go forwards or backwards. This one is also easy to put her in and take her out.
My advice is to take your son to the store and try putting him in the display. Usually you can even take the display out to your care (get permission first!) and see how it is getting him in and out.
Hope this helps!

S.-

I have a 10.5 month old daughter and I bought her the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 convertible carseat for that very reason. It will transition from rear-facing, to forward facing to a booster seat. She travels well in it. I recommend it for its safety and its price...I just couldn't bring myself to buying a Britax that wasn't going to convert to a booster.. for $100 more than the Eddie Bauer. JMO.

Good luck!

E.

My almost 3 year old son has the alpha omega. He has had it since he was 6 months old when he became too long for an infant carrier. We would go to put him in the car in the infant carrier and he would push he feet against the back fo teh seat and would not let the infant carrier latch into the base. The alpha omega holds up to 100 punds and switches to a booster seat. The nice thing about it is that it sits up high enough in the car so that even when he was littler he would look out the window. Good luck finding a new seat. When we were shopping for a new one we took our son with and put him in the display seats just to make sure that he looked comfortable. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Babies-r-us was probably the best place to look for a carseat because they are actually at eye level and you can test them out.

I too have had LOTS of different car seats between my two kids. Above all the best and the one that lasted THREE years was the Evenflo Triumph 5 Convertible car seat. We used this for my daughter from 5 months- 3.5 years! The knob to tighten the straps helped keep her snug and SAFE and we never had issues with it not working.

The previous seats we used...eventually the strap in the front that you pull to tighten would stop working well or completely. It was hard to pull and took a lot of time with a sometimes fussy child...trying to struggle to get it tight enough. Many of my friends just stopped making it tight because of the pain the strap was.

WE were not comfortable with that option at all ! So kept getting new seats with my son, until my daughter was born and found this seat. We love it and SWEAR by the design.

Blessings.
M.

I have been using the alpha omega car seat by cosco. It last for all the stages, backward, forward and booster. I tried another one before I bought the omega and it was awful. I couldn't get him in and out easily, it didn't seem to fit in the car well etc. etc. Then the lady at the store told us she used the omega and she loved it. This one is nice and middle of the road as far as price ( I think anyways). However my son was not skinny so I suggest trying your baby in it in the store. Babies r us will let you do that.

Check with your local AA. I got brand new seats for both of my sons fit to their sizes and ages and they even installed them properly into my car for FREE!

Hi S.,

We have 4 Britax (3 Marathon's and 1 Roundabout) and absoultely love them. They are very expensive, but well worth it. They are rated #1 in safety and that is most important to us!! I can't think of any complaints. Once you get the hang of it, they are very easy to install too. Good luck.

S.,
I had the same problem with my son. He's really tall, but very skinny ... he's 2 and a half now and over 3 feet tall, I think almost 3 and a half they said at his last dr. visit. My husband and I did some research and found this car seat:

http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Alpha-Omega-Elite/dp/B0...

We love it ... and when our daughter out grew her infant seat, we bought one for her too. We felt unhappy that we had spent all that money on the infant seat when we saw the Eddie Bauer because the infant seat was 199.99 and the additional base was 39.99. Good luck.

We have the Eddie Bauer top of the line car seat- I think it is made by Costco and love it! It goes up to 100 lbs and can be used as a booster seat.