My 5 month old is in the 90th percentile for his length and is only 2lbs off the weight limit of his travel system. I've loved his graco spree but I know I need to get him a convertible carseat since he's way too young for a forward facing seat. My question does anyone have any reccomendations? I really didn't expect him to out grow it so fast and I really haven't looked into it and I would appreciate some advice, thank you!
Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice! It made it very easy to research my options. I still had a hard time choosing, but in the end I took my son to the store, tried out several different seats and decided I liked the evenflo symphony 65 best. So again thank you very much!
We have the Graco MyRide 65, which I love. It is great for tall kids (my son is in the 95th percentile), rear-facing up to 40 pounds and forward-facing up to 65. You can buy it from Target, Walmart, BRU, some Bed Bath & Beyond stores, etc. Some great sites for convertible car-seat recommendations are:
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/tp/topconvcarse... and
http://carseatnanny.blogspot.com/
graco myride 65 and also right now they have a britax on sale at target for $100 I'm not one that would normally suggest a britax bc of the outrageous price but for $100 this week I'd at least give it a look.
edit:I double checked its the roundabout 50 and its in stores only the deal is not available online.
We have a Britax Roundabout50 and love it!
Britax is definitely worth the price tag!
A rear facing car seat is outgrown when the child reaches the weight limit or there is less than one inch of hard shell above his head. So he's probably outgrown it in height. My boys wre out of the infant seat at 4mos and 5mos of age because of height. :)
Here are some seats to get you started in your research. All the ones I list are extended rear facing and extended harnessing seats, meaning you will keep your child rear facing beyond 1yr and 20lbs. New AAP recommendations are 2yrs and 30lbs or until the rear facing limits of the seat are reached! Extended harnessing means keeping your child in the harness beyond 4/40lbs, safer for the child.
Britax Roundabout50 ($160 at Target, harness to 50lbs, rear face to 35lbs),
Sunshine Kids Radian ($200-$300 harness to 65lbs or 80lbs depending on model, and rear face to 40lbs or 45lbs depending on model)
Graco MyRide 65 ($150 harness to 65lbs, rear face to 40lbs)
Evenflo Triumph Advance ($130 harness to 50lbs, rear face to 35lbs)
Avoid the 3-in-1 seats (except the Symphony suggestd below, it is actually ok) because they are ok seats but are typically outgrown fast in height and they make terrible booster seats, failing every crash test. Namely the Cosco Alpha Omega.
Please google EXTENDED REAR FACING and JOELS JOURNEY for more information on keeping your baby safest.
Also, for rear facing the harness slot should come from just at or BELOW his shoulders, and the chest clip needs to be level with his armpits, and the harness should be 'snug as a hug'. NO BULKy clothing in the car seat either, anything that causes you to have to loosen the harness to accomidate is TOO BULKY for a car seat.
It's britax time. You're lucky, though. 8 years ago they didn't have the rear facing convertibles for big or tall kids, we had to go fwd facing at 6mo. Their site has a seat-finder that lets you imput height and weight to find models that work.
what BeckyW said plus the First Years/Compass TrueFit is another good seat with high height and weight limits that is well regarded by techs for safety and ease of use. The Graco ComfortSport has a short shell and 40 lb. weight limit so most kids outgrow it long before they're ready for a booster - if you like Graco the MyRide 65 would give you a lot more bang for your buck.
the forums at http://www.car-seat.org are a great resource - many certified child-passenger safety techs are regulars there and are very well informed and helpful.
Britax Boulevard, it has the extra side impact support, I would think that important for such a young guy. ( I had to switch my daughter really early as well, because she is in the 120th percentile for height and weight.)
Britax Marathon. We have 3 and LOVE them for rear facing and forward facing. If you can afford it, you wont be disappointed.
My son is in the 90% in his weight too! I switched him at 6 months to Evenflo Triumph LX Convertible Carseat - Median from target he is 15 months now and I just love it!
We use the Graco Comfort Sport for our kids and LOVE it! They are easy to install and comfy for the kids. They go rear facing and forward facing. They sell at target for about $75-80...
It is the height they often reach before the weight. They aren't supposed to be lease than with in 2 inches to the top of the seat. Get the convertible and have it rear facing at least until a year if not longer. Then you can flip it, forward some even into a booster. I have the Evenflo Symphony and love it. The side impact protection is great for even a head rest. It is like a little lounge chair my daughter is very comfortable. Easy to install.
Hi K.!
We really like the Britax carseats. They are a bit expensive but our kids have always been very comfortable in them! We had the roundabout after our travel system! Good luck!
Love the Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL. Rear facing to 45 lbs, the highest out there I believe. New Britax 70's now RF to 40 lbs as well.
