Advice on a Convertible Car Seat

We had Britax car seats and realized how wide they were when we downsized to a car with only one row of seats. To gain access to the 3rd seat, we bought two Sunshine Kids Radian 80 seats and LOVE them! They have great safety ratings, are slim, fold for carrying, and are comfortable for the kids. I love that they look like boosters so the kids won't mind using them when they are older (up to 80lbs) but they have a five point harness for better safety.

We did a search on the web to find reviews. One site is, http://www.elitecarseats.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-80.pro. Let me know if you have any specific questions for me. Good luck!

Hi A.-

I have a few Evenflo items and I have been very happy with them. The car seat a use for my 1 year old has a type of nylon fabric and it is really easy to clean. I know that babies to to be both 20 lbs. and 1 yr old before they can face forward.

~M.

THe rule of thumb is one year and 20 pounds before they go forward facing. I can't remember why. I have a fisher price for my 2 year old. The straps don't twist and it has a place on the side for her head to rest if she falls asleep.

If you don't mind a pricier carseat I would totally go with the Britax Marathon! I own two Marathons and one Britax roundabout. The only problem with the roundabout is it is short so the child will outgrow it before they can get into a booster, not by weight but by height. Britax is great in safety and they are sooo easy to install and get a tight snug fit in the car. The straps don't twist. the Marathon goes up to 85lbs so I know my son and daugther ( 3 1/2 and 17 mos) won't outgrow before I can go to a booster. I also have a Costco (cosco however you spell it) in my husbands truck and I am not in love with that one as much as the britax and it even goes to a booster seat and i will probably replace it with a britax booster. when they fall asleep in the car it seems that their heads don't fall forward as much as they do with other brands. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

Hi A.,

We, too, looked at Britax, then found the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. It's made by Britax, and is basically a Marathon in construction with a few less "bells and whistles." It rear-faces to 30 lbs and front-faces to 55, if I remember correctly. Albeebaby.com had them on sale a while ago -- may be clearance, so you'd get a year less use out of it, but SO much less expensive than a Marathon. We've been really happy with ours. :) Blessings.

We just bought our daughter the Britax Marathon carseat and we couldn't be happier! We researched alot of carseats before we bought ours and it came down to the safety ratings of the Britax and how comfortable they are. I know you are supposed to keep them rear facing till they are one year AND 20 pounds.

We have a Cosco that works for babies 5-35 lbs. It's convertible. It faces backwards until the child is 20 lbs. AND 1 year --- then you can turn it to face forwards. We used it because both of our boys were big and outgrew the infant seat. I don't think there are laws (beyond the fact that the baby should be in a car seat) --- only recommendations. I think the recommendation is that the baby should be 1 year old AND 20 lbs (which is also a developmental recommendation). There are lots of good brands out there. I wanted a seat that grew with the baby. So the convertible was nice. I also wanted a seat that had the greatest weight range. Plus, we wanted the 5 point buckle system. I don't know that we waited until our boys were exactly 1 year (maybe +/- 11 months) --- it's so nice for your child to be able to face forward to see what's going on. Facing backward is boring. Plus, facing forward he can see you and you can see him. And, you don't have to carry that heavy, bulky, awkward infant seat anymore! I hope this helps.

Hi, I'm a crazy mom when it comes to the kids and their car seats so here's my advice. I know that at 1 yr they can face forward, at 20 lbs they are out of their infant seats and can use a rear facing convertable seat with the 5 pt harness, and i believe at least from what i've followed, it's 40lbs to use the regular seat belt with the booster/car seat. my advice is two - if you travel A LOT and for long distances where the chances of needing a comfortable napping place is high then spend the money on one of the seats that tilts back slightly. it may help to avoid the bouncing head while snoozing. Second, if your just basically needing one for short trips mostly, I would look at consumer reports and see what they recommend. personally, i did not spend a ton of money on my seats. I've made sure through my fire department that my seats are in the car properly. in the future, as your little one becomes bigger, i recommend keeping them in a booster as long as safe (ie the height and weight of your child). I think too many parents are putting small children in cars without booster seats when they are not tall enough for the seat belt to hit them in the right spot.
age limit, NO. totally developmental. your child must be of the physical capability to be able to withstand a crash if he is facing forward (neck strength) and without the 5 part harness (body strength).

We purchased a Britax Boulevard and like it pretty well so far. The only thing is we wish we had a hook on the floor instead of behind the seat (we just have a ford taurus though), so that makes it a little awkward. Babies need to be a year old AND at least 20 lbs before they can face forward. This car seat will work until they are 65 lbs.

1 year and 20 lbs is the MINIMUM before you can turn your son to forward facing. It's not, however, recommended. Your little one will be safest if you keep him rear facing as long as possible. In an accident, it's much less potentially damaging to have a child's spine stretched a bit (rear facing) than for them to get whipped forward in the seat (forward facing). You can find loads of sad stories online from parents who wish they'd kept their kids rear facing longer.

We have a Britax Marathon and although I like it, it does take up a huge amount of the backseat of my Jetta. I am looking to eventually replace it with the Radian by Sunshine Kids. They're supposed to be *very* safe and are also narrower and they can be folded up. Safe to either 60 or 85 lbs. depending on which model you get.

Good luck!

HI A., your little guy needs to be rear facing until he is a year old. It has to do with their neck strength. If you were to be in an accident rear facing is the best for infants. As to a car seat that will work through the next few years. I have a Graco and love it. All three of my kids have used it and it can be rear or front facing. Just do you homework a little. I know that car seats are really expensive, but our kids are worth it for the safety factor. As to the use of your passenger seat. Kids just get to over take that stuff for a while, it is just to big a pain to keep moving the car seat. But I hope you mean the back seat of your car. The back seat is the best and safest place for kids to ride at any age. Good Luck.

We bought ours from Costco - the Alpha Omega...I think it also comes under the brand of safety firts. It was ranked VERY high on Consumer Reports safety standards and it is a GREAT carseat. They can turn around at 1 yr old and 22 pounds in that carseat. Usually it is only 20 lbs. But looks like your 7 month old won't have a problem with that when he is 12 months. Costco was the best deal too. The carseat grows with them until they are 60 pounds! It's amazing.

Last I heard kids had to be 20 pounds AND 1 year old before facing forward. I'm using a Cosco Alpha Omega Elite (pretty sure that's the name). Costs a little more but goes from 5-100 pounds. Can be used front and rear facing. Both my 2 and 4 year old have used it. When I took it to one of those car seat safety checks, the safety inspector said it was a really good model.

I have the Britax Marathon. My son outgrew his infant seat at 4 months and he rode in the Marathon until last week and he is now 4 years and 3 months old. Yes, it was pricey upfront, but I would say that it has been worth it. The only reason that we have now moved our son to a booster is so that his little sister who is now 1/4" away from outgrowing the infant seat can move up! It is easy to install, easy to clean and rated very highly.

As for when to put your child forward facing... They say one year old and 20 pounds. It is said that the longer you leave your child rear facing the better. Since my son is a big boy I did turn him at one year. Always ask your doctor, that is what they are there for!

A.,

Just so everyone knows, in Colorado these requirements are a LAW, not a recommendation! A baby must be AT LEAST 1 year old AND 20 lb to face forward.

However, there are several new studies coming out that suggest you would be wiser to keep baby facing backwards until he/she is 2 years old. The neck, spine and ribcage is not fully developed even in a toddler, and toddlers facing forward are more likely to be severely injured in a crash than a toddler facing backwards. Some moms worry because their baby's legs are pushed up against the back seat and they worry that their baby will break a leg in a car crash. My personally philosophy is better a broken leg than a broken neck. My first daughter faced rear until she was two, and it was no problem at all. My second is 13 months, and is still facing rear.

As far as carseats, we are huge Britax fans. They are indeed pricier, but they rate excellently in crash tests. They last well. My second baby has taken over her sister's Roundabout, and my toddler is now in a Regent. They are super cushy and padded, so they are really comfy. Their covers are washable and easy to maintain. Least important (but my toddler thinks it's important) they have adorable prints! The Marathon is an excellent seat. I believe it runs about $250-280.

If you go on www.taget.com, you can read reviews of lots of different seat models written by mamas that own them. Recaro also makes some nice seats. You would probably have to find it online. When you buy a seat, most moms look at the weight limit, but apparently children usually grow out of their seat by height before weight. You might want to look at one that has a higher height limit. If you go on Britax's website, you can compare all their seats that they make by height and weight limits. I imagine most other brands have similar information on their websites, so if you find a brand you like, you should be able to narrow it down to a particular seat before you go shopping. We bought from target.com because we could return straight to our local store. We bought 3 seats so we could try out which one fit best in our van and was most comfortable for our toddler. She saw the pink Britax Regent (which was thankfully my main choice anyway) and she wouldn't even sit in the other two seats! She promptly dubbed her Britax "The Pink." I call it "The Tank," but it's a great seat.

Best of luck,
S.

I have a Britax Roundabout for my 6 month old and absolutely love it! It goes up to 40 pounds and he looks so comfy! It also has a system where you can tighten and loosen the straps without having to do it on the back! Love it!! Check it out!

We had the Eddie Bauer infant seat and then convertible seat for our son. We really like them. We ended up buying a second convertible one for him for our truck - don't use it often but didn't want to keep moving the car seat when my husband needed to pick him up from day care. For that we got a costco brand. It is very simple, but quite nice actually. We were pleasantly suprised. It was much cheaper than the Eddie Bauer, (but just as safe :o) ) Because of the way it is made, we will probably be able to use it longer too.

Our son was a big boy too. Although he met the weight limit for facing forward in the car, we didn't turn him until the recommended age of 1 yr. (1 yr and at least 20 lbs) Better safe than sorry. I think the guidelines are all based on physical development and strength.

There absolutely is a law. He has to be one year old and 20 pounds before he can be in a forward facing seat. Then, he has to be in a harness until he is 3 years and 30 pounds. At that point he has to be in a booster seat with a seat belt until he is 8 years and 80 pounds, unless he is over 4'9". Yeah, I know it's a long time.

I would suggest getting a convertible carseat that goes up to 40 or 50 lbs and then just investing in a booster seat when he outgrows that. There are seats on the market that will convert to a booster (all in one idea), but when those seats are rear facing they often don't fit well in cars and some SUVs. They might fit in a van.

As far as brands go, if you are willing to shell out the money, Britax has a wonderful reputation and makes very good seats. I personally bought the Graco ComfortSport with the extra GracoPedic memory foam and my son loves it.

Sorry for the long shpeal, I just barely quit my job selling carseats at Babies'R'Us, so I am kind of passionate about it. :)

Good luck!

There are laws for car seats. A child needs to be rear facing until they are 1 year AND 20 lbs. My daughter is almost 20 lbs but just turned a year and we haven't turned her around yet, we are waiting to talk to her doctor for her well baby visit soon. As for a car seat. She outgrew her infant seat a few months ago. We have the Graco ComfortSport convertable car seat. It is rear facing and will face forward up to 40 lbs I think. This is a great car seat. My family and I were in a rollover accident in March. My daughter, who was 10 months at the time, didn't have a scratch on her. Her car seat didn't move an inch and performed beautifully. Plus this carseat has plenty of room for a growing child and there is even a cup holder that attaches to the side of it. It also sits the baby up a little more than her infant seat did. I have a Toyota Echo, a tiny little sedan, and this car seat actually takes up a little less room than her infant seat did.

Hi A.!
I LOVE our Cosco Alpha Omega carseat. A friend of ours is a State Trooper and strongly recommended it to us. He said in his experience it held up the best in car accidents. It is a 3 in 1, meaning it is reversible, faces front, and becomes a booster. Essentially you will only need this one. They need to be rear facing until the first year. Our son is tall also, and this carseat has been the most comfortable for him. Anyway, I highly recommend it! Good luck shopping!

Babies can face forward at 1 yr and 20 pounds. I purchased the Britax Marathon for my son. It has an extended weight limit so he can be in for a long time to come. It is so much easier to adjust and very user friendly period. It comes with incredible safety ratings. It is pricy but if you were in a car accident, I am sure your baby/toddler would be kept incredibly safe. I have compared this to the Evenflo Triumph, which we also have in a second car. That one is nice too, but not nearly as nice as the Britax.

I have the britax boulevard and I love it!! It has side impact protection also. My daughter is 16 months and still rear facing, her seat can be rear facing until 35 lbs.

The Britax Roundabout is the best rated convertible carseat in the consumer reports. We bought one and it is compact and comfy and it comes in lots of different colors and materials.

Good luck!
M.

A.,

I was in the same position as you a few months ago. I was not sure what to get either. I wanted something that would take my daughter into the toddler years and beyond. ( I did not want to buy 4 or 5 ) The one I bought is an Alpha Omega Elite. My daughter loves it! It has great padding and it sits on one side of the car so it will not take up the whole back seat. She seems to be the most comfy in this one. Law is: 1 year OR 20lbs. I waited until my daughters first birthday before I turned her forward but it is what you feel comfortable with. This seat can also be rear facing so it is very flexible. I bought it at Babies R us for 189.00. It was worth every penny! Hope that helps!
Good Luck! :)

Here's what the Colorado law states for child restraining systems...

Rear facing:
Colorado law requires infants to ride in a rear-facing child safety seat until they are at least one year old and weight at least 20 lbs.

Forward facing:
Colorado law requires that children ages one year to four years who weigh 20 pounds up to 40 pounds be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat.

Booster seat:
Colorado law requires that children who weigh over 40 lbs. or who are at least four years old but less than six years old be properly restrained in a child booster seat or with a child safety belt-positioning device, unless they are 55 inches tall.

This info was found at www.carseatscolorado.com/law.cfm

The "law" I guess is based on development. Babies' necks are not strong enough to face forward until they are a year old, so the law says, "One year and 20 lbs." Obviously you don't have to worry about the weight limit for that, but he must stay backwards until his first birthday, and it's recommended that he stay backwards even longer than that. You'll have to check your car seat (when you buy it) because they have weight limits for how long a child can sit backwards. Personally, my kids just weren't very happy backwards by the time they were one, so we turned them around.
I bought the Cosco Touriva/Regal Ride (I think they've changed the name to the latter) for my first son almost 4 years ago. It's not fancy, but it's inexpensive (I bought mine for ~$40) and safe. It's also the narrowest car seat on the market. When my friend put her third forward-facing car seat in the back of her small car, the doors wouldn't shut unless she slammed them. She went to the fire station to get it checked, and they said no, that's not safe. They gave her a new car seat, the one they give out to everyone who can't afford a safe seat. She thought it was so great because it was so narrow, and she came over to show me. It was the same one I had. I felt good knowing that my car seat was endorsed by the local car seat authorities.
My second son, who turns 2 tomorrow, has used this car seat since he outgrew his infant seat, and he's still got a few inches to grow until he's too big for it. So you can use it for a long time. The cover's gotten worn after nearly 4 years of constant use, but what can you expect?
A few pieces of advice I've heard: First, buying those car seats that turn from one thing into another (from convertible car seat into booster, for example) sometimes backfires because ALL car seats expire in 6 years from their manufacture date. So if your child needs a booster longer than that, you'll have to buy a new one anyway. Especially if the manufacture date isn't super recent when you buy it. That brings me to my second point (which I learned on my own). Don't buy car seats on clearance. They clearance them because their manufacture dates are getting old, so even though it's brand new, you may only get to use it for 5 years. And third, if you're planning on having more children, you'll want to pass your car seats down. I bought an infant seat, then a convertible seat, then a booster seat with an internal harness (which is then removable when the child is too big, and becomes a high-backed, belt-positioning booster that uses a shoulder belt) totaling about $120 for all of them. My kids have stair-stepped them. When my second son outgrows the convertible seat, we'll have to buy another booster for my oldest. We'll probably have a new car by then, one with a built-in head rest, so we'll probably get away with the $15 booster seat. So I'll pay about $140 for car seats for two kids. Or you could pay $180 for each kid, or $340 total for those seats that grow with your child. Just some food for thought!

As far as convertibles go my son uses an Eddie Bower, didn't buy for name brand was actually rated better and cheaper. We really like this one and just got the (EB) 3 in one booster so he is still in a 5 point harness but can transition to a belted booster and then backless booster. My daughter uses one my parents bought believe it is an evenflow, I don't really like it. The straps are weird and sit far out on her shoulders. When it comes to legality, to face forward a child must be 1 year my husband is a firefighter so both of our children faced rear well into the 14-15 month range because they were short enough. The longer they can face backwards the safer it is for their necks.

Working mother of a 2 1/2 yr and a 13 mo married to the hero of my dreams for 5 years May 24th!

The Colorado Law states that the child must be 1 years old and 20 pounds to be face forward. My friend has a baby boy was about the same age as your boy when she faced him forward mainly because he had rsv at 3 weeks old. But he was at legal weight.
She also just bought a great car seat at for about 180.00 at babys r us and it had alot of padding. It goes up to 100 lbs and turns into a booster seat at the end. I just not sure of the brand. I bought a costco at target for my dd for about 40.00. It seems to work great it goes from 5lbs to 40 lbs. and its one that faces forward and backwards. I haven't had any problems with it. It will last her until shes about 3 years old. I hope this helps and gl

Hi A.,
I use the Britax roundabout and I LOVE it. I am a huge carseat safty person. I couldn't afford this carseat at the time but I bought it anyway knowing that it was the #1 carseat. You should go to the website http://www.britaxusa.com . I bought mine at Target. I would recommend this carseat to anyone. I love it because it straps in the car so good. It doesn't move by the time I am done putting it in. It is really easy to move in and out of cars. Also it is pretty thin so that your whole back seat isn't full. The car seat is made of the same stuff that motorcycle helmets are made of. Anyway go to the website.. This is just my advice. Good luck!!

I have a Graco Comfort sport and I like it, but if I had it, I'd spend the money on a Britax.

There are laws regarding when your child can face forward. You can check with your local fire department and they can tell you the laws. Also if you have any questions regarding installation of your new car seat your local fire department can help you with that. Typically though the child needs to be at least a year old and weigh more than 20lbs before they can be forward facing with the car seat. I personally like the five point car seats. They are a little eaasier to manage then the ones that pull down over them. I think everyone is different. You just have to go and look and see what is available and what works with your lifestyle

A. -

I have loved our 'Graco ComfortSport Convertible' (~$70-100). It is very comfortable for my kids (good padding for them to sit on) and also a comfortable price. I looked at the Britax seats but they were all so expensive (~$200 or more). The Graco seat comes in many colors and styles, is a safe and comfortable seat and we have loved it.

This seat can be rear or forward facing. I asked my doctor about the "20 lbs. and 1 year" rule and he said it is a safety measure for the babies because their necks are not strong enough - if they are forward facing and in a crash, their necks are not strong enough to hold their heads and serious injuries can occur. It is not worth the risk.

Good luck and stay safe.

We got the Britax Roundabout. I really like it even though reports say it's wider than others. It seems very solid and safe and it's gotten good reviews. We started my son in it in the reclined position at 8 months. You can turn him around at a year and 20 pounds (and you change the recline to upright). It's wonderful to be able to turn them around because they have so much to see that they don't fuss nearly as much!

We have one from Costco that we love. We travel a lot and the biggest feature for us was that it reclines. I don't like how big it is, but we have a minivan and it's no problem to do 3 seats across with it. My understanding of the law is 20 pounds and one year. You probably won't find a forwad facing for less than 20 pounds and the baby's neck isn't strong enough to support the still large head before 1 year. If you have questions, you can always take it to the firestation. They can answer any questions you have. I always have them double check after we vacuum out the car and reinstall the seats. I've never run into any fireman who wasn't extremely kind and helpful (also, they can usually improve our installation job).

Babies are safest rear facing as long as the seat allows. My son rear faced until he was 25 months, but then he hit 35 pounds, and that was the rear facing limit of his seat. We put him in the Britax Boulevard in my car, because he has to sit outboard, it has side impact protection. In my husbands car, he rode in the Costco Scenera. you might try going to Car-seat.org. There is a great group of Car seat techs that are really helpful in getting the right seat for you and your child. They helped me!

Hi A.,
We went ahead and invested in the Britax Marathon and I am so glad that we did. It is so easy to get our daughter in and out. We can adjust the straps very easily to accomodate whether she is in a coat or just her clothes, so she is always snug away. We had a small problem with the cover and their customer service team sent us a new one right away. Their customer service is great. It was also pretty easy to install compared to other seats we tried in our car. Good luck!!

Hi There A.,

I am a certified child safety seat installation technician. I've listed a link for the laws in Oregon & Idaho. http://www.childsafetyseat.org/CPSLaws.html

Also, NHTSA, (National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration) has started new "Ease of Use" ratings this year and there's some cool info on their website: www.nhtsa.gov and click on "Ease of Use Ratings"

If, you live in the Treasure Valley area, I can provide you info on local Car Seat Clinics that are free to the public. Just let me know, if you need some of that info.

Happy shopping :)
L.

We just bought an Evenflo Titan convertible car seat for my son about 2 mos ago. It was one of Consumer Reports "best buys". I think it cost us about $100 and so far it's working out just fine. CO law states children are not supposed to face forward in their car seats until they are at least 1 year old and at least 20 lbs.

Hi A.,

I have had really good luck with the Britax brand. They have several that can grow with your little one. I have 2 "Roundabout"s and a "Marathon". The Marathon is slighty larger but I am very happy with it. My 3 1/2 yr old is big for her age and she has quite a bit of room left to grow. As far as turning around...I know that they say 20 lbs. and 1 yr. old. Hope this helps.

H.

Experts say rear-facing until 20 lbs AND 1 year, but highly suggest staying rear-facing until 30-35 lbs if possible.

I kept my kids rear-facing until they were about 18-months when they finally got miserable not being able to see Mommy and Daddy and what was going on. Even now, my 3-year old is just barely over 30 lbs and I know there would be no way I could've kept here rear-facing all this time.

Our convertable car seat is a Britax Marathon and we love it. But it is large and the versa-tether strap (which you use when rear-facing) does attach to the chair rail of the passenger seat which does effect how far the passenger seat can be moved back (unless you have some place else to attach it). But if you want to change your child to forward-facing at 1 year, it would only restrict the ease-of-use of the passenger seat for a few months anyway. (It doesn't make the passenger seat unuseable, just not comfortable for anyone who's tall).

I believe all Britax convertable car seats are top-rated for safety.

Britax is the BEST!!!!! of the BEST!!! it is ranked #1 in safty its easy to install. and these carseats are tested weekly and at a faster speed than any other carseat. also they can be in them until they are 5 yrs old.

A.-
We were in the same situation that you are in a while back. We went to Baby R' Us and found our convertible car seat. The brand in an Alph Omaga and it was made by Costco. It is really comfortable and our daughter really enjoys it. Hope everthing works out for you.
S. A