Looking for Experienced Users of Convertible Carseats and What You Recommend

I love the Graco Nautilus or Graco Matrix carseat. everyone sells it, but we got it online at walmart - and one we bought right off the shelf in the store. It's about $150 - is one of the highest rated seats and goes up to $100. So you won't be buying another seat in a few years.

I liked the Graco Snug Ride too; so I bought another Graco for the next size up. My boy is on the Graco booster now.
Deb

My twins have the Alpha Omega Elite, which someone else also mentioned. I chose it based upon safety and the weight limit is higher than most others so I won't have to buy another one for a long time. My girls were 8 weeks early, so they are also on the small side. The belts do twist easily, but it's manageable.

If you're daughter is already outgrowing the Graco I wouldn't go with the Alpha Omega. They are outgrown in height long before they are outgrown in weight (I have 2 of them, one for each of my boys and my 2 year old has outgrown his in height even though he only weighs 23lbs.). Also, do not believe it when the box says it would be the only car seat your child will ever need. My husband still can't get over the fact that we've had to buy a new car seat for my oldest to stay rear facing. The Britax seats are more money but they are definitely worth the money. My oldest is now rear facing in his Marathon and will stay that way until he maxes out the rear facing limit of the seat, which is 35lbs. And it forward faces to 65lbs. So this seat should last us for quite a while. Hopefully it doesn't expire before he outgrows it he grows so slow :o) If you can't spend the money on the Britax seat the Cosco Scenera is a great choice for only $40-50. It rear faces to 35lbs and forward faces with a 5-point harness to 50lbs I believe.

The car seat I have is awesome...The EVENFLO TRIUMPH ADVANCE LX. They can be in it from 5-50lbs I believe...pretty much from birth til about 5 yrs!
My daughter was the same as yours, growing out of the infant seat lengthwise, she's 6 mos now (my son grew out of his at 4.5 mos).
And just so you know, I literally did a few MONTHS of studying and comparing the different brands online AND in the store if they had it (playing with buckles, adjusting stuff, etc). It's sold at a few retail stores and some stores have different fabric styles, so shop around. The seat is sold at an average of $140 depending on where you get it.
GOOD LUCK!!

We had an Alpha Omega convertible carseat that both of our kids used. I really liked it. (It was purchased about 7 years ago, but I assume they still make them about the same.) My sister recommended it to me and had used one for each of her boys as well. It says it is good from birth to 80#, but my kids did switch to a regular booster seat because they were too tall for the Alpha Omega by the time they were ready to convert.

We use the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite for our kids (http://www.coscojuvenile.com/product/detail.asp?ID=562).

Depending where you go to buy or see one, they can range from $80 on up. You can find them at Babies R Us, Costco (sometimes), and www.babyage.com, where we purchased ours (it was best price hands down).

We used it when our youngest was just a few months along, and our oldest was about 3 and are still using them. They're very good and versatile for the price. The company advertises the boosters as the only one a parent needs to buy, and so far that has been true for us. The kids like them, and so do we.

My only complaint was when we used the rear facing feature, the back to the booster was rather long so we had to have the seat the next row over pushed forward pretty far to make space for it. Other than that, they've been worth the price.

The Britax Marathon is the best seat out there. My daughter was very excited to sit in it and loves her seat.
I know that they are expensive but they are well worth the money as you will use it forever and they are super safe.
And you can always buy different covers for them to change the look as your child grows.

We have a Costco Alpha Omega Elite and have loved it. It fits up to 80 lbs, and can be used as a booster. We paid $160 for ours at Target but I just picked up a second one at Big Lots for only $80.00.

My complaints about it are the straps do sometimes twist easily and the cover is difficult to remove for washing. (I've given up and just febreeze it or spray a little carpet cleaner on it for stains.)

Despite my complaints, it is a very sturdy carseat and I have been very pleased with it. My daughter is comfortable in it on long trips (5 hours +) and it is easy to install with the latch system. I plan to buy two more (one for each car) when our second child outgrows the infant seat.

We have the Britax Boulevard for our 11 month old and we love it!! It's a bit pricey, so if it weren't a gift I'm not sure we could've gotten it, but I know that it's very highly rated and easy to use.
It's for use up to 65#...so I know we'll be using it for a while!

We used the Evenflo Triumph with my 4yr old (don't remember with my 10yr old). My 8 month old daughter is also in the Grace Safe Seat right now - she is 20lbs and about 29" long - it gets heavy, but we manage - or should I say my husband does...lol.. She will be using the Triumph soon also.

I have heard great things about the Britax carseats, although they are more pricey than other seats, the child can use them much much longer. I would go this route, but I already have the seat from my son.

Good Luck!!

My son has been in the Britax Marathon since he was 6 months old and I LOVE IT! It is comfortable for him - we drive alot - and he is able to stay in it until he is 65lbs. They are expensive but well worth it as far as safety, usefulness and comfort.

The thing with picking a convertible car seat is that you want it to last for awhile. I would suggest getting a convertible car seat that harnesses past 40lbs (which is the typical weight max). Britax has quite a few great seats which I have heard many great reviews about. I on the other hand could not afford a $200-$300 seat. I instead choose the Graco Triumph Advance which harnesses up to 50lbs or five years. I figured it would last my son a long time, have extended wear for the harness, and it was only $129 at Walmart! I really love the seat. It is really easy to use, the harness adjusts soo easily and my son seems to think it is quite comfy. I would definitely recommend this seat to anyone. The only down side is that it takes up a little more room in the back of the car (it is a bit wider than the other one that I have) but my son is our only child so its really not a problem for us.

I would agree with some others. Britax is the best! We had a Cosco Alpha Omega with my oldest and we didn't like it at all. The straps kept getting twisted and it wasn't very comfortable. When my second child needed a convertible, we bought the Britax Marathon and my third child is still using it. The straps don't twist, it is very easy to adjust the strap tension and it is comfortable! The seat cover washes very nicely (another complaint of mine about the Cosco) and is very safe. Good luck with your search!

I agree - look through the notes on the Kyle David Miller website. http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/3137/Our_Recommended...
D.

Graco Nautilius is the best for the price it is around $150. It is only forward facing though so I would wait another 2 mos & until 20 lbs to use that. It harnesses up to 65 lbs & boosters to 100 lbs though which is great for me since I have big kids! My son is 2 & was 40 lbs so weight wise he was supposed to go to a booster, but the Graco Nautilius is much safer. In the meantime I would try to just find a cheap one at a yard sale to use for the next couple of months.

The Britax Marathon is the way to go as it is very long lasting and is the safest on the market...not to mention the straps NEVER get twisted...a HUGE convenience!

My 4 year old son is still in his and my 2 year old daughter is in one as well. They're not the cheapest, but they are most certainly the best! A great investment!

Check out the following site:

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/

It has tons of links to car seat safety sites as well as an install video for the Sunshine kids Radian which is a convertible car seat that goes up to 80 lbs forward facing using the restraints instead of a booster option which is not as safe for your child. It also has nice pads for infants so you don't have to use anything aftermarket.

We just recently purchased a Britax Regent which is only forward facing for our three year old son who is over 50lbs and were told that Britax is the safest and best on the market. What ever you do don't try to save money when purchasing a car seat. Children's lives are worth the extra investment. The website above also has an install video for the Britax Regent.

We have been very happy with our Evenflo Titan Deluxe; at the time we purchased it, we read reviews and it was reviewed just as well as a similar Britax but cost significantly less. Our boy has been using it since just before he turned 12 months and is now 23 months and he still loves it. I find it easy to install and adjust, we have 2 and it fits well in our Chevy Malibu, Toyota Corolla. When visiting grandparents, we have also had it in a Cadillac and Ford Explorer- no problems.

my daughter is also in the 25th percentile. when she was 6 mos we bought 2 britax marathons - one for each car. they are expensive but since she is so small and the weight and height for the marathon is generous, we'll get to use them for a while. she's 2.5 years old now so we've had them for 2 years. my sisters and parentz each have them now for my daughter and my nephew. the marathon also has great safety reviews and ratings. hope this helps!

We have two Alpha Omega carseats (I think one is Elite, I don't remember). We really like them. I recommend them to everyone who asks. They recline very easily, are easy to install forward facing, and once you get the hang of it, they aren't too bad to install rear-facing. My daughter is very, very tall for her age. She's 34 months old, and probably about 40-41 inches tall. She's been off the charts for height for a long time, but about 85% weight. She has no problem fitting in this seat, and I think it will continue to fit her for a long time. She seems very comfortable in it, too. The seat is a bit of a pain when you have to take it all apart to wash it, so I recommend using some sort of piddle pad on the seat. It's very easy to adjust the height and the recline, though- just levers to pull, no taking it apart. I think the buckles are easy to use, but you do have to make sure the straps don't tangle. I imagine that is the same with all of the seats. Oh, another benefit- my daughter can't release the lower buckle. If she tries for awhile she can do the top, but she isn't strong enough to do the bottom (and I doubt she ever will be). Oh, this seat also goes to a booster, so that saves some $ later. Good luck.

A few things to know:
-look for harness limit (both rear-facing and forward facing)-40 lbs will not be adequate to keep your child harnessed past the age of 4 (most kids aren't mature enough for a booster until 6 years-the law is the minimum)
-harness height-get a seat with a harness height of 17 or 18"

-DO NOT BUY the Graco Nautilus, Britax Regent, or Britax Frontier-they are all forward facing ONLY seats and your daughter still needs to rear-face for a while.
-DO NOT purchase a seat second hand-it has an unknown history. It could have been in a crash, expired, washed improperly(soap degrades the harness straps).

Seats (in order of price)

Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE: rear facing limit 35lbs, forward facing 50lbs, harness height 17" $130ish at Walmart, Target, Kmart
Advantages: inexpensive, infinite harness, takes up less space (front to back) than any other seat on the market
Disadvantages: red tabs at top of harness hurt some kids, very wide

Learning Curve Truefit: rear-facing limit 35lbs, forward facing 65lbs, harness height 17", $170-$200 Amazon, Target, and other online retailers(look for best price, and return policy)
Advantages: lockoffs to make installation easier, infinite adjust harness (like the EFTA, don't need to uninstall seat to change harness height), lots of padding, top of seat can be removed (up to 22lbs, and 1" below shell) so it takes up less space rear-facing
Disadvantages: seriously, I love this seat! It's not as wide as the EFTA, some people don't like the harness (I do),

Sunshine Kids Radian 65/80: The 65/80 is the weight limit, but the harness height is identical on the seats (17"), most people only need the 65. The Radian is nice, but it takes up TONS of space rear-facing and can be difficult to install. While it's a great seat (we have 2 as back-ups), it really is a pain rear-facing. Depending on the size of your vehicle and placement of the seat, this could be okay. If you can get a good install in the center of your vehicle (for some this is hard) the Radian is great. However, if you can't get it installed in the center or need it to be installed outboard, someone will probably have to eat the dashboard (especially in a sedan, or smaller car).

Britax Marathon: 35 pound rear-facing weight limit
65 pound forward-facing weight limit
17 inch top slots
EPS foam
Built-in seatbelt lockoff
Rear-facing top tether
Well-padded
Four sets of harness slots
$220-$270
I don't know a lot about this seat as I've not owned one. The Truefit and the Marathon are the same width.

Britax also makes the Boulevard and Decathlon, but they are more expensive.

Hooray for you for keeping your little one rear-facing! The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends rear-facing to the weight/height limit of the seat (35lbs for most or 1" from top of seat shell) because it's 4 times safer, in a crash, than forward facing. Here's some more info on extended rear-facing:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=40366

I totally agree with Becky W, she knows her stuff. However, the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe is no longer manufactured (carseats have an expiration date) and the most recent date of manufacture is last fall, so you will be paying for a seat with only 5 years of life left in it.

For any more carseat related questions, or to do research go to www.car-seat.org I like the Truefit, but it's because I own one. It's a great seat and a good value. Happy shopping!

I'd suggest the Sunshine kids Radian 65. It does not fit well in every car, but fits easily and tightly in our Honda Odyssey. It is one of the safest car seats out there.

I highly, highly, highly recommend the Britax Boulevard or Marathon. Both seats are top-of-the-line and very highly rated for safety.

We have one of each and we couldn't be happier with them. My little girl has been in hers since she was about 7 months old. She is comfortable and happy, but above all she is safe.

The Britax Marathon and Boulevard both have rear-facing weight limits of 35 lbs. The front facing limit is 65 lbs. One of the hightest weigth limits on the market. These seats are bigger in size...might not be very suitable for smaller cars. Yes they are a bit bulky...not the kind of seat that you want to have to move from car to car daily. They are super, super easy to install.

Yes...they are expensive. If you search the web you can usually find the Marathon for around $230 and the Boulevard for around $275. To me, it was worth the money to have my child in something safe...something that I didn't have to question!

I have the Graco Nautilus and my 8 month old and I love it. He is a big boy and fits it real well. It is worth the price and it will be the last seat you will buy.

A.

We love our Eddie Bauer car seat! It is a bit difficult to take apart and clean, but that would be my ONLY complaint! The back is adjustable without taking it out of the seat belt! I hated taking the carseats apart to move the straps, so I think that is one of my favorite features.
Plus there is a very easy to use lever that allows you to adjust the seat to lay back with one hand when baby is napping.
And then, when the child is older it works with the seat belt as a booster seat. So the seat goes from newborn to 6 years old. Well worth the investment.

If I had to buy another carseat, I would buy it again, even though it is pretty expensive.

What I did was, I went to Baby's R Us and tried out the car seats. They have a car seat that you can sit and practice on to see how you like it. And you can get help and go try it in your car, too. (at least most stores should)Then you KNOW if you like it or not.

We've been using the Alpha Omega for both of our boys and it has been fantastic! My oldest used it until he was big enough for a booster and now my tall 18-month-old is using it.
My only complaint is that it is a HUGE pain to disassemble should you need to wash the cover in case of a diaper leak, upset stomach, or snacks gone wild. We've had experience with all of the above. It does wash nicely, though.

Hi, J.!

We just switched our 10-month-old son to a convertible for the same reason. We chose the Britax Boulevard convertible because of safety ratings and also because it goes up to 65 pounds front-facing, so it can be used for a long time. It was quite the investment at $250, but well worth it in the long run because it has side-impact protection and other safety features that other seats just don't have.

When we took it to a car seat safety check conducted by our local police station, the officer that checked it said she had heard about these in a recent training session, but never seen one since it just came out. She was VERY impressed and said that THIS was the type of seat she would have used for her children if they had been around a few years ago! I thought that was GREAT to hear since she said she's been checking car seats for over a decade!!

I know they sell them at Target, but we chose to get ours online through Amazon.com so we could get the type of cover we wanted. Hope this helps!

I have the graco comfort sport i think. It was about $70 and i hate it. It's easy to buckle in and out forward facing but not rear facing. The straps adjust one time and then not the next. Comfort-wise I don't think my baby minds it. I have heard great things about the Britax brand~ although they are pretty expensive.

Hi J.,
I have the Alpha Omega Elite, and have been happy. I wish they were easier to get buckled, but I'm sure all the safest ones can be a pain!

The Graco Nautilus is ONLY for kids over 35 lbs!!!!! your little one can use any convertible rear-facing to forward facing seat. We used a cheaper brand called Cosco from Kmart, and the only issue we've had is that the straps get twisted easy. But if you aren't easily irrated by something like that, go for it. I have taken the car seat training course and really, every company has to follow the same guidelines. It's up to personal preferance and how much money you want to spend. I actually own the nautilus for my older girl, as it becomes a booster seat with a back on it and then again becomes a booster for use with the actual car seat belt. Graco tends to be the brand of most moms' choice around here...good luck! :-)

We love our Britax Boulevard - super safe (per Consumer Reports and other places). The best part are the head cushions becuase our little guy loves to sleep in the car and they give him some extra support so his head isn't flopped over and he is also comfy this way. We call it his la-z-boy for the car. I wish I had one to sit in!

We just moved our chunky 8 month old into the Alpha Omega Elite and LOVE it. It is a 3 in one and will last her until she is ready for the big kid booster seat. We saw it as a definite investment. It had good padding and lots of room for our daughter to grow. We found it at Babies R Us for $159 and used a $20 coupon. Found it in only one color at Walmart for $165. Good luck!

She will not outgrow the infant seat until there is less than one inch of hard shell (the top of the seat) above her head. Her legs being over the end of the seat or touching the seat of the car is NO PROBLEM! As long as she is under the 30lb weight limit of the Safeseat and there is more than 1 inch of seat above her head, she is just fine in the seat, no need to move her.

My oldest rear faced until 18 months, when he reached 33lbs. He is now 6yrs old and in a five point harness still, the Britax Regent. It will harness him to 80lbs, he has at least another 3yrs in this seat before he outgrows it! My youngest rear faced to 21 months, whe nhe reached 33lbs. He is in a Britax Marathon, and hes 2 1/2, 34lbs and 36'' tall and still has at least 3yrs before he outgrows this seat, hten he will move to the Regent.

If you are looking for a seat that will rear face your child as long as possible, and forward face beyond 4yrs/40lbs of other standard seats, then steer clear of the 'combo' seats lke the Alpha Omega Elite, Eddie Bauer 3-in-1, etc. They claim to be the only seat you'll ever need, but most kids outgrow the seat in height long before weight, and long before they are mature physically or mentally to use the seat in booster mode. The very top spot on those seats can only be used in booster mode, not in harness mode. So the seats are generally very short, and outgrown in height aroudn age 3 with MOST kids.

You WANT your child to remain rear facing as long as possible, preferrably beyond age 2, and up to 33/35lbs (reaf facing weight limit of convertible carseats). The AAP recommends children now remain rear facing to 2yrs/33lbs.

Remember that any seat is safe as long as you have it installed correctly and use it correctly EVERY TIME YOU ARE IN THE CAR! This means having it installed correctly by a trained professional (CPST) if you can't do it yourself. Having the harness at or below the shoulders rear facing. At or above the shoulders forward facing. Have the harness snug on the child, and the chest buckle should be at armpit level. A carseat is outgrown rear facing when the childs head is less than an inch from the top of hte seat, or the rear facing wieght limit is reached. A forward facing seat is outgrown when the childs shoulders go over the top harness slot, the ears become level with the seat back, or the child goes over the max weight limit.

Here is a list of convertible seats that will rear face your cihld as long as possible, and will forward face your child beyond 4yrs/40lbs. These seats are a good choice because your child will be able to remain in a five point harness well beyond her 5th birthday with these seats, and you WANT your child to remain in a 5pt harness for as long as possible. The bare minimum you want to use a belted booster is 4yrs/40lbs, but its best to remain ina 5pt as long as possible.
Remember that carseats expire 6yrs after the date of manufacture, adn with these seats you will be able to use them for their full life for one child!

1--Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathlon. These seats will RF to 33lbs, unless your date of manufacture is 2/7/08 and after for the Boulevard, 2/19/2008 and after for the Marathon and 1/21/08 and after for the Decathlon, then they will all RF to 35lbs. They will FF, IN A HARNESS to 65lbs. These seats run $200-$300. There are small differences between them. The Marathon is the basic model of the 65lb convertibles with a lift lever harness release--with quite a few different covers to choose from! The Boulevard has "wings" called True Side Impact Protection. It also has a harness adjustor knob that will move the harness without having to uninstall the seat. It is about 1/2" shorter than the Marathon and the Decathlon. The Decathlon has extra padding--the infant insert--and a push button harness release and 3 position crotch buckle settings. http://www.britaxusa.com/

2--Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE--harness to 35lbs RFing and 50lbs FFing. It has the infinite harness adjustor (no slots), so you can easily lift two red tabs and move them. This seat runs $129-$159, depending on which model. The higher end model, the premier, has more padding. http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=e...

3--Compass TrueFit--- Itl RF to 35lbs (with the headrest on and 22lbs without the headrest on) and FF to 65lbs. From all the other techs and instructors that went to Lifesavers and experienced this seat, they LOVE it!. It seems to be competitive to Britax convertibles. Runs about $179-$189. They have several covers available. http://www.amazon.com/Compass-True-Convertible-Seat-Monet...

4--Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe--Made by Britax, but has been discontinued due to FP not making carseats anymore, so you will likely get an older date of manufacture. Harness to 33lbs RF and 55lbs FF. The only place I have seen it is at this website and runs $129. It just doesn't have all the 'bells and whistles' that the Britax seats have. NICE tall shell! I have one and love this seat! http://www.albeebaby.com/fiprsavodeco1.html

5--Sunshine Kids Radian 65 or 80--These seats will RF to 33lbs (newer ones will RF to 35lbs) and FF to either 65lbs or 80lbs, depending on the seat. These are the narrowest seats on the market, but have the highest incompatability with vehicles due to the low FF belt path. Runs $180-$300. www.skjp.com

6--Recaro Signo or Como--RF to 35lbs and FF to 70lbs. These seats come in a variety of microfiber covers. They have true side impact protection, but the Como is VERY oddly shaped. The shoulder area is 9" of space and the butt area is 11" of space, so unless you have a tall beanpole, this seat may be awkward for some children. I haven't played with the Signo, so I don't know the measurements off the top of my head. They are supposed to go to 59 or 60" tall---I dont' see it. Runs $250. http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=3312&L=2

Most of these seats have a higher sticker price on them, BUT the seats that have the 40lbs harness limits, that are less expensive, usually only harness the child to maybe age 3-4. AT that age, MOST children are not ready to go into a booster. Bare minimum safety standards say that you can put a 4 year old AND 40lbs child in one, BUT being in a harness is MUCH safer....not just for children, but adults as well.

****Just remember that the right seat for you is one that your child fits in, it fits your vehicle AND you use it correctly each and every time.****

They only outgrow the Graco Safeseat when there is no longer 1 inch of shell above the babies head. It doesn't matter if their feet are sticking out or super long. And aslong as the child's shoulders are even with the top slot or below. And aslong as your child is still under 30lbs your good to go. Your child may not be outgrowing the carseat yet like alot of people think...

Try this website it's all carseat techs and they're nuts about seats and helping, ask the exact same question you just asked on here and you will get your help.

http://www.car-safety.org