which car seat brand do you recommend?
Monday, December 7th, 2009 at
1:38 pm
I am trying to research big baby car seats right now my daughter is in a infant seat right now but is ready to go in a toddler seat does any one have any advice as to which car seat brand is best?? i was looking at the britax or gracos? ive been to the babies r us website and both brands have good and bad reviews what do you guys think?
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I am the lady who’s post got copied, lol.
No problem, I’m glad I could help that poster, and even more glad she’s spreading the info! A few things to add, don’t go just by reviews on websites, those reviews aren’t based on safety, nor are they based on how well the seat will fit in your car.
To the lady who posted right above me - the seats I reccommended, Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe convertible, Britax Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard, and Evenflo Triumph Advance should have NO trouble whatsoever fitting in a small car, including a Mazda Protege. It a rear facing seat is placed in the middle, it will likely go in between the 2 front seats and not interfere with how the driver and passenger sit. If a rear facing car seat goes in an outboard position, the passenger seated in front of it in the front seat will have less leg room, just the way it works. It doesn’t mean the seats won’t work in a small car. I have a ‘99 Honda Civic coupe, very small, and any of those seats work in it. If your car has fit an infant seat in it, you shouldn’t have any trouble fitting a rear facing convertible seat in it, as rear facing convertibles don’t have to be as reclined for older babies as infant carrier seats are. They no longer have to be at a 45 degree angle.
As the other poster posted from my copied answer, the Eddie Bauer seats shouldn’t really be considered - not unless you want to buy another seat in a year or two. Britax is worth the money b/c of the extra growth room they give your child. I would definitely skip the Britax Roundabout, though. It only has a 40lbs front facing limit, so really isn’t worth the extra money in my opinion. The Marathon is only another $20 or so and will last an extra 2 years!! $20 for 2 more years of use is a good deal.
So…..I’m wondering….since that lady posted my answer, my words, does that mean if that info is the best that I get the credit?
Here’s another post I did about convertible seats, it will have lots of the same info, but some additional.
Convertible is what you need next. And think first and really do some research concerning child safety. Remember these rules:
1)the BEST seat is the one that fits your child, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. (This is why convenience features DO make a difference and ARE worth the money! If its easy to use, you’re more likely to use it correctly.
2)Children should stay rear facing AS LNOG AS POSSIBLE!!!! The 20lbs/1 year rule is outdated and provides a bare minimum for turning kids forward facing. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration both recommend keeping kids rear facing as long as possible, up to the limits of their seat, preferably until at least 2 years of age. For good reason: A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child’s vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. In other countries, rear facing 2 - 3 - 4 year olds is standard, they understand that its safer. Here, we turn them as soon as we get to, seeing it as a right of passage thing or something. Ridiculous. Most convertible seats have a 30lbs rear facing limit, Cosco/Dorel/Safety1st/Eddie Bauer seats rear face to 35lbs, Britax rear faces to 33lbs.
3)Once you do turn them forward facing, they need to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. 4 years/40lbs is the minimum for riding in a booster, and most 4 year olds have no business using one yet. If they can’t sit upright for an entire trip, they need the harness of a car seat still. And, even if they do sit properly, a 5 point harness is safer, so you want to keep them in one as long as possible. This is important to consider b/c most car seats only forward face to 40lbs. My son just turned 3, and is in the 95th% for height and weight - 40" tall and weighs 41lbs. He outgrew the 40lbs seats shortly after his 2nd birthday. It was a total waste of money. He now has a Britax Marathon, which goes to 65lbs, and will be able to fit it for some time yet. If I’d have bought it when he was born, I could have had one car seat this whole time instead of the 3 I wasted money on. They are more expensive for many reasons, this is one.
So…knowing all that, here’s some about specific seats. Please don’t get a Graco Comfort Sport. Car seat techs call it the ‘crappysport’. LOL Its a crappy seat that won’t last your child very long b/c it has a really short shell. The straps twist all the time, and if they’re twisted they won’t support your child in a wreck properly. They’re hard to install. There’s nothing good about these seats except perhaps they’re cheap sometimes. Ditto the Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That’s what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they’re at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you’ll ever need to buy.
The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn’t have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don’t have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It’s one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.
The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible seat is great, it is made by Britax, without all the frills. It’s the same shell as a Marathon, but for less than half the price. $130 at Albee Baby online with free shipping, or at their eBay name, babysurplus. Rear faces to 33lbs, forward to 55lbs. Easy to use, fits in most cars.
These are the best you can buy that will give you the most bang for your buck. As a single parent I’m always watching the budget - I have no money to speak of, and these are what I would buy. (My son has a marathon and is soon getting a Britax Regent). They will last the longest. I only wish someone would’ve told me all this before I had him, I coulda saved some money for the extra seats I started out with!
All seats in the US must meet the same safety criteria to sell, so technically they all are safe, however, if its hard to install, then it won’t be used correctly and that makes it unsafe. Also, they only must meet the guidelines, some seats barely pass, some exceed them. Britax exceeds the guidelines and is easy to use.
Safety 1st
I would go with the Britax. It has the 5 point harness till the child reaches I think 65 pounds or so. Good luck!! The 5 point harness is the most important thing…
Britax Decathlon.
I know they recently had a recall but I still love them.
Here’s a web site that should help you! Shows you how toxic some of the seat covers are.
http://www.healthycar.org
Peg Perego.
consumer reports did a study recently, check them out
http://www.mysimon.com/Consumer-Reports-Car-Seats/4002-9375-6310830.html
This is what I rated as my best answer when I asked a few days ago. I choose the Fisher price one, and I hope it will work. I hope this answer form this lady helps you as much as it did for me:
Best Answer - Chosen By You
The first 2 answers were both great, although very different! A Cosco Scenera is a good choice for two reasons: price and the fact that it rear faces to 35lbs. Very important since infants should stay rear facing AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! The advice of turning babies forward at 1 year/20lbs is outdated. The AAP and NHTSA now say to leave babies rear facing as long as possible, until they reach the weight limit of their convertible seat rear facing (all go at least to 30lbs) before turning them forward facing. Preferably keeping them rear facing until at least 2 years of age. A forward-facing child under 2 years old is 4 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash than a rear-facing child of the same age. A child’s vertabrae do not fully fuse until 3-6 years old, before then, she is at great risk for internal decapitation. The spinal column can stretch up to 2 inches in a crash BUT the spinal cord can only stretch up to 1/4 inch before it snaps and baby is gone. And once you do turn the child forward facing, he should stay forward facing in a 5 point harness as long as possible, 4 year olds shouldn’t be riding around in boosters, they’re not ready yet and much safer in a 5 point harness.
So the Scenera is great for this, and cheap, too, $40. But, it doesn’t make a great forward facing seat, that is, it won’t last very long. So, you get what you pay for. Don’t plan on it being the only convertible car seat you will buy. The harness slots are too short for most kids to ever reach 40lbs in it, they will outgrow it by height first.
I agree with the first poster - increase your budget some, pay more now so you can save buying another convertible seat later. Buy a seat that will give you the most for your money. Most kids outgrow their seats by height before weight (my son outgrew his 40lbs convertible seat when he was 30lbs, he was too tall for it.. So you want to look for a seat with a high rear facing weight limit (over 30lbs), high forward facing weight limit (over 40lbs) and tall top harness slots. Seats with short harness slots are likely to only last your child until they are 2-3 years old, whereas taller slots can last double that. The Scenera’s top slots are only 14.5inches. Some other seats to steer clear of: Graco ComfortSport. Car seat techs call it the Graco ‘crappysport’. The top slots are also 14.5inches, and it only rear faces to 30lbs. Cosco Alpha Omega Elite/Eddie Bauer 3 in 1, Safety1st 3-in-1 are a bad idea, too. They are all 3 the same seat, made by the same company, just different covers. They are hard to install rear facing, and have short harness slots, 14.5-15inches, same as the Scenera, but 3-4 times the pricE!!! Not worth the money, and it makes a crappy booster seat, too. The longer the seat lasts your child, the further your purchase goes, so spending more now saves money in the long run if you purchase a seat that will last longer. Consider, too, how much time and irritation you want when installing/reinstalling the seat. Look for wide belt paths - look at a Safety1st/Cosco/Eddie Bauer seat, then take a look the belt path (where you put the seat belt to install) on the Britax Marathon, Evenflo Triumph Advance, or Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe convertible. Small skinny belt paths hurt and scratch your hands all over, and take more time.
Here’s your best choices:
The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.
The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn’t have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don’t have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It’s one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.
The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible seat is great, it is made by Britax, without all the frills. It’s the same shell as a Marathon, but for less than half the price. $130 at Albee Baby online with free shipping, or at their eBay name, babysurplus. Rear faces to 33lbs, forward to 55lbs. Easy to use, fits in most cars.
All seats in the US must meet the same safety criteria to sell, so technically they all are safe, however, if its hard to install, then it won’t be used correctly and that makes it unsafe. Also, they only must meet the guidelines, some seats barely pass, some exceed them. Britax exceeds the guidelines and is easy to use.
Source(s):
EVENFLO TRIUMPH ADVANCE:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...
FISHER PRICE SEAT:
http://www.albeebaby.com/fiprsavodeco1.h...
http://www.albeebaby.com/fiprsavodeco2.h...
MARATHON:
http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/ns...
GREAT RESOURCE:
http://www.car-seat.org/index.php?referr...
WHY KEEP THEM REAR FACING
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi...
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.ph...
http://www.carseat.org/resources/633.pdf...
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrea...
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html...
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/rfalbum...
http://www.thecarseatlady.com/car_seats/...
http://myangelsaliandpeanut.tripod.com/i...
http://momtoaliandshae.tripod.com/keepin...
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.h...
http://www.aap.org/family/1to2yrs.htm...
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/tra...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krp7ynni8...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916868...
http://www.carseatsite.com/rear-face_art...
CAR SEAT COMPATIBILITY DATABASE:
http://www.carseatdata.org/compatibility...
MEAUSREMENTS OF COMMON SEATS:
http://www.carseatdata.org/measurements….
3 days ago - Report Abuse
I love my daughter’s Britax Roundabout. The ones mentioned in the previous post are good too, but they were too big to fit in my car, especially rearfacing. (I drive a Mazda Protege). My friend drives an Impala and the Eddie Bauer wouldn’t fit in her car either. So that is something you need to consider too.
We have a Britax in my car and a Graco in both my husband and my mother’s car and they are both good. The Britax is expensive but you can find good deals online. I found one for a $100 cheaper b/c the pattern on the seat cover was just discontinued!