Best Convertible Carseat??

go online to Sunshine Kids-they have a great product, free shipping and amazing deals. I think some of their seats go up to 80 pounds.

My infant seat held my son well past his first birthday (up to 30lbs) so we just used it for as long as it held him and purchased a Graco Cargo Booster with a harness when it was time to move him up. Well I should have gone with my gut feeling and purchased a Britax because the Graco was horrible and we wouldn't have wasted the money. I am now a proud owner of a Britax Marathon and my 4 1/2 LOVES it just as much!! I can also tell you that Evenflo is by far worse in every area compared to Graco so stear away from that. (I purchase an evenflo for a spare and literally felt that it was so unsafe that I threw it in the trash.... and I am not one to throw things away). The Britax Marathon will hold your little one rear facing up to I think 35 or 40lbs, which is awesome and than forward facing up to 65lbs. I love how easy it is to install and can get it in so tight that it doesn't move at all. The harness itself never twist and is very easy to strap the child in safely. I can tell you Britax is awesome, safe, easy to use and I don't that you will regret it if you were to get one!!

We have 2 Britax Boulevards in our minivan and love them! We have another cheaper brand in my husband's truck and I hate it; I have to fight to unlatch it by myself, but the Britax is so easy. Our boys still fit in at 3 1/2 years and still have some room to grow. You can save a considerable amount of $ by ordering online for Britax if you can wait a week or so.

We have the Graco MyRide 65. I like it because they can be rear-facing until they hit 40 lbs (and our pediatrician recommends rear-facing until age 2) and forward facing to 65. It is very easy to install and recently I had to remove the cover to wash it and that was super easy as well. You also can't beat the price and it got great safety ratings. And my son loves the cup holders :) We switched to that seat when he was 8 months old, about a year ago and I haven't had any problems with it.

The "best" carseat is the one that fits your child and your car best to keep them safest. That being said, I really like my Britax Marathon and think the latch system is relatively easy to install. My 4 year old model rear-faces to 35 pounds and forward-faces to 65 so I'm sure the newer ones are at least that.
I have a friend who is a carseat tech and she has said her favorites are the TrueFit Premiere by First Years, Britax Marathon, and Graco My Ride.
Good luck making your decision!

Britax all the way. I've had other brands and always go back to them. Not only are they the safest, but super parent friendly.

I have the Britax Roundabout and love it. But you might want to go with something bigger since your son seems to grow fast! Good luck!

to help narrow your search get one that will keep him in the 5 point harness the longest. most only go to 40 lbs so get the ones that go longer at least 50 lbs . a 5 year old should still be in a 5 point harness as their insides arent strong enough to withstand a crash with a regular car seat belt that a booster uses. thoughts right off the top of my head are the graco 65 (you'll need to buy a booster after he's outgrown this) the evenflo triumph or momentum and the alpha omega...not all alpha omegas are rated to go as a five point past 40 lbs so watch for that but the great thing about this seat is its the last seat you'll need as it becomes a belt positioner. i'm sure there are more choices out there like britax but i dont know the names of them off the top of my head.

I still love the britax marathon! After a fatality accident in one with no injuries I'm convinced! Plus it's comfortable, easy to clean, great latch system, etc. I'd buy new in box on eBay or at www.albeebaby.com fir the best deals.

I've been very happy with my Britax Marathon. It was more expensive but after the research I did I felt it was the best choice for me. Both my kids have been happy with it. I have a toyota sienna w/captains chairs and it anchors in really securely. It also has a higher height and weight limit than the other brands which I like. I want to keep my kids in a 5 point harness as long as possible.

Hope this helps :)

I did a boat load of research as well and I think you have narrowed it down to two of the best seats out there! I am really sold on the evenflo sure latch system on the evenflo symphony. My friend has it and it is really easy to install and just basically tightens itself with a few good pushes down on the seat and you are set! It also can be rear facing for much longer than most seats and it is now recommended that you keep them rear facing as long as possible, not just the first year as was the previous recommendation. And it goes to like 65 lbs which is overkill for most kids but it could come in handy! I also like the Britax seats as I really like the push button latches. My seats have all had the hook latches and it is so difficult to get them in and out of the car and to tighten them enough! The other seat I found that I was leaning toward is the first years convertible car seat. That one had many good features as well. I think you are on the right track with any of those, so it just comes down to personal preference. Good luck!

We are a Britax family, after I saw them in my friend's car for her kids. We have Marathons. They now make them rear-facing to 40 lbs and forward to 70. Ours is a 35/65.

I like the rear-facing tether. Ours is attached to the skid on my passenger side seat. When we turn her around, it will be latched to the hooks on the back dash.

I also like that the seats are fairly easy to clean (usually all I need is spot-cleaning). Like someone else said, there's the single button release - I'm a big fan of that. I watched my nephew struggle with their Graco infant seat without it and I was grateful for my Chicco.

If you had a Britax before, go to Toys R Us or something and check out the new ones. We are very happy and our toddler is quite comfortable in it, even extended RF. We have one in a compact car and one in a van.

I figure that by 65 lbs or when the seats expire (she's tiny) we'll see what the rules are. I have read that you should pick a seat that does a smaller set of things and does them well vs one that changes fifteen different ways.

I have the Britax Boulevard CS and love it. I also looked at the Evenflo with the sure-latch, but I ultimately went with the Britax because of ratings and reviews. The latch system is easy to use, and I like that you tighten each side individually as opposed to tightening just one side. It really stays tight and it's not very often that I have to tighten up the latch. It also goes up to 65 lbs which is nice, because as of now my daughter is a bit big for her age. The Boulevard CS clicks when you have the safety straps tightened properly. It was an extra $20, but worth it to me.

My favorite seat, it is rated one of the best also, is the First Years Learning Curve True Fit car seat. I have one for my 17 months old son, he has been in it since he was 6 months old and I absolutely love it. It is easy to install and super safe.

well, since you'll be the one who will be using this all the time, if possible go to a store that carries the ones you're interested in and try them out :-). Reading is one thing, actually getting a hands-on how-easy-is-this-to-buckle, install, adjust etc. is another.