Next Car Seat

I love the britax Roundabout. I have installed it in many cars and a plane. WE love it and my son never seems to get uncomfortable in it. It also has some of the best crash test ratings.

I have used the Britax roundabout since my daughter was 9 months old and she is almost 2 and it is perfect.

What you want is a "convertible" car seat. These can be used rear or front facing--usually from birth to 40 pounds or more. For safety, comfort, and ease of use, buy a Britax. They cost more, but are worth every cent. My 20-month-old girl uses a Britax Wizard, and my 3-month-old boy uses my little girl's old Roundabout. In both cases, I found secondhand seats in excellent condition. An extra advantage--the convertible seats are safer than the carrier/base type infant seats. I have been in a crash where one of those (empty, than heaven!) detached from its base & went flying around the car! I won't ever have another of those seats.

the following link has a lot of good info on car seat shopping - features to look for, etc. You'll need to scroll down about 6 posts to get to the FAQ, the links at the top of the thread don't work
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a991035/faq_and_car_...

You want a convertible seat that will not be easily outgrown - please note that many seats are outgrown by *height* long before the child reaches the weight limit, so even if 50-65 lbs seems ages away, it's often worthwhile b/c most seats with a 40 lb weight limit are outgrown *before* the child reaches 40 lbs and is old enough/mature enough for a booster seat.

Some frequently recommended convertible seats that have high height and weight limits (in order of price range):

Evenflo Triumph Advance - 35 lb Rearfacing weight limit and 50 lb forward facing weight limit, harness height adjusts by a knob so the harness doesn't need to be rethreaded when you change the harness height. Retails for around $129 and up (the price differences are mostly due to the amount of padding, and the highest-end one has easier-to-use LATCH connectors). Note: Be sure it's the Triumph ADVANCE, not the old Triumph with 40 lb weight limit and much shorter height limit, and not the Titan Advance, which has a much shorter height limit even though it has a 50 lb weight limit

First Years/Compass TrueFit - 35 lb Rearfacing weight limit and 65 lb forward facing weight limit (height and weight limits about the same as the Britax Marathon), retails for about $165

Sunshine Kids Radian65/80 - both seats have the same height limit, the 80 has an 80 lb forward facing height limit but most kids would outgrow it by height before reaching 80 lbs so the 65 lb version is fine for most kids. Best known for being a narrower seat that works well if you need to fit 3 carseats across a bench seat in your car. Retails for about $200

and of course plenty of people have already told you about the Britax seats. My personal opinion is that although the Roundabout is a very nice seat, it'll probably be outgrown by height before your child is ready for a booster and for the price of a Roundabout you could get something like a TrueFit that will most likely last until your child's ready for a booster. And the Cosco/Eddie Bauer Alpha Omega may sound good in theory but most parents will find it's really NOT the only seat they'll ever need b/c most children will outgrow the harness by height before they're old enough/mature enough to use the seat as a booster, and it's not that great of a booster anyway.

We had great luck with the Britax Roundabout. However, if your car has the capacity, I would strongly suggest the Britax Marathon. Try this link for helpful info about all carseats:

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

GL

Britax marathon. We have it for both of my kids.

Britax Marathon. Definately. If your car cannot fit it, go with the Britax Roundabout.

Don't gasp at the price tag. Instead of buying another 2 or 3 carseats, you are investing in a quality car seat that will last. My nearly 5 year old son still uses his Britax Marathon! It is an excellent 'convertable' carseat. It is also Airline approved...so you don't have to check it and risk it being damaged.

This one is even on sale and has free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Marathon-Convertible-Car-Sea...

I highly recommend the Britax Marathon or Britax Roundabout. Its a little expensive for a car seat but very worth it. The Britax have a very safe rating and your kid will be very comfortable in it.

My son is at the same point and he is 6 mos (and looong). You can get what's called a "convertible" carseat that faces backward until 1 yr and can then be turned forward.

I don't know about the "best", but I am sure a lot of people will mention a Britax. If you want to spent a ton of money, maybe it will be worth it to you. However, we have been using the Alpha Omega Elite for our kids over the last 3 years and love it. The newer model (one we bought this year) is softer and more cushiony.

We are in the same situation and plan to get the Britax Boulevard CS or the Britax Diplomat - these are the newest and have side impact protection, but the Boulevard is larger so it doesn't fit in every car (which is why we plan to get whichever one fits). It seems to me that Britax is the best, although one of the most expensive, and most of my friends with babies about the same age, have gotten the Diplomat.

Britax was out of our price range when it came time to change, so we went with the Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 Convertible. We bought it at Target, and my son's been using it for 18 months now. We like it a lot!

We have the Britax Marathon for our daughter which I highly recommend. It is pricey but definitely worth it. It fits up to 65 pounds.

Hi T.,
I go with the Britax. We have a Boulevard for our son, but he is a little older. They are pricey, but it will grow with him until he is ready for a booster and also has good resale value due to the high quality. I'd go on Britax.com to check the models out. Happy Hunting. :)R.

We love love love our Britax Roundabout!!

I'm probably gonna sound like everyone else, but yes.. we love the Britax!

Britax Marathon is what we chose, but not just for the high safety ratings. I took my son to Babies R Us & pulled the 3 car seats I had done some research on & felt they were "worth" the price because of their safety ratings. I sat them on the floor & put him into each one, checking out the buckling systems, etc. & tried to determine which one he was most comfortable in.

Obviously the Marathon won. I have a tall, skinny kid & the Marathon definitely gave him plenty of room to grow, it had the widest amount of weight range capacity compared to the others & all 3 ranged in about $75 from each other, so it wasn't a huge price comparison for what I was looking for.

If you are on a strict or tight budget for the car seat, then peruse the safety ratings for those car seats that are within that budget price & go from there!

I recommend starting with NHTSA to determine the car seat rating and from their start your search. I look at this site, decide what is "not negotiable" for the safety piece, and then once I narrow down the car seats to a select few, begin doing consumer report reviews.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/...

Personally, if you have the space in your car, I recommend the Britax Marathon convertable car seat. It has a high safety rating, and it is rear and forward facing. Plus, it reclines in the rear facing direction. Very comfy for your little one...

Try the Britex Roundabout, it was best on the market a couple years ago when I had the same issue. Im not sure if their model names of changed any but Britex has always been very highly rated. Check their web site. I belive this seat is good up to 33lbs and can face rear or forward with incline adjustment.

Britax Marathon. My son sat in it rear facing until he was 18 mos. He is three and is still fitting in it well. It is expensive, but it is my belief that carseats are one thing not to skimp on.

K.

totally agree w/ what Serena said.

Britax Marathon...it's the best!

I personally like Britax carseats. They go from 5 lbs up to 65lbs (usually). When I was pregnant with my first son, a CHP officer came and talk to my birth prep class and he said he would not use any other kind. My husband and I did a lot of research and Britax is very highly rated for safety. They are expensive but worth it when it is your childs' life you are protecting.

Hi T.,
I have heard Britax is the best for safety and that's what we plan to buy next. You can check out their website -- they have a product comparison page and also place where you can type in your child's height, weight, etc. and they can recommend the right products for you. On their website it says the convertible ones can be rear facing up to 35 pounds.http://www.britaxusa.com/products/

Hope this helps!
M.

You've recieved many responces for the Britax brand. I also love the brand. It is top rated for safety, but also easy to use. I've experienced 2 other brands, one of them Cosco, and both were a pain to use. Both were harder on adjusting the straps as well as securing the child into the seat. Britax is very easy to use in comparison. If you have room in your car, go for the Marathon. It will last your child until she is 5 or 6. If you don't have the space, go for the Roundabout. It should last her until she is about 4. If you choose the Britax car seat, check online. There are various websites where you can get a really good deal with free shipping.

We use Britax Marathons for both our boys. One is 5 years old and 45 pounds, the other is 22 months and 25 pounds. We absolutely love them! They are convertible(forward and rear facing) so they will last a long time. Good luck!

http://www.chefwalton.com