Car Seat - Algonquin,IL

L.,

Here is a link to the carseat nanny. She is really great and if you have any questions she will be happy to answer them. She is pretty quick in responding.

http://www.carseatnanny.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

K.

In 2007 Consumer Reports ranked the Britax Roundabout the top pick for their car seat, and that is what we used. It also fits well into airplane seats when traveling. I no longer have a subscription to Consumer Reports, otherwise I would have looked up for you what they think currently today. Maybe someone else has a subscription and can help :) Good luck!!

Another vote for keeping her rearfacing. The laws of physics clearly demonstrate that we all would be safer riding rearfacing so we may as well let our kiddos take advantage of it as long as possible.

Check out this site too http://www.joelsjourney.org/

And here is a message board/group that you can ask about specific seats. I have gotten lots of good info for keeping all 4 of my kids in the right seats. http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a7645/car_seat_que... Be sure to check out their FAQ sticky

We have a Britax for our son and he has often fallen asleep in it without a problem. We used to have to switch it from car to car before we got a second one and what I loved about it was how easy it was to install and remove - so simple! The height/weight limits are also great and we will be able to use the seat for a very long time without having to buy a seat every time we turned around.

I have the forward Car recline..the same from Graco..Love it..

THe feel is similar to the infant car seat and recline helps them slepp rather than other ones where head drools all over especially 1-3 age. I have that issue in my Hubby's car as that has a straight toddler cum booster. But on long drive and other time she is with me so I like it. She will be 4 soon so we will get booster, BUt I did got real good use out of it.

V.

I have done a TON of carseat research, and for our family the best seats for a toddler have been the Britax marathon and decathalon. There are lots out there though, you can check EliteCarSeats.com for good reviews and suggestions. They have amazing customer service and you could call them up for help. The other seat we love for my older, large 4-year old (we got it when he was about 3) is the Graco Nautilus. We tried it on my big 2-year old and his head was flopping all over the place, so we gave it back to the 4 year old after he was practically lying horizontally on the armrest with his seatbelt and booster seat. I don't think they're old enough for a booster until they will no longer fall asleep in the car. Good luck finding the best for you!

We ended up buying a Graco Nautilus (after our convertible carseat), because it has a 5 point harness that lasts to 65 lbs. If you are going to invest the money in a Britax, get one that lasts past 40 lbs (I think that's the limit on the Roundabout). You don't want to have to buy another in a year or two if you don't have to. I feel like my 4 year old is safer with the harness than a regular seat belt (he's not 40 lb yet, but he's pretty small). I guess my point is, do some research and try to find one that lasts past 40 lbs before you spend the money.

You can consult with the Safety Squad: http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam... They are carseat specialists.

We have the Britax Blvd, it ranked high in safety, low in toxic chemicals so I got the best of both worlds.

Good Luck,
J. W. MPH
Chicago Examiner Family Health
Maternal and Child Health Educator

this tells you why:
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

these links SHOW you why
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8&feature=re...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKIeExpDLDA

this might help you decide what is best for your toddler. Rear facing is dangerous and you should keep your child rear facing as long as possible in order to keep your child safe.

i would definatly stay rear facing. our daughter is 27 pounds and 34 inches long and is still rear facing. i think its the safest way to go

We ended up getting the new Britax Roundabout50. Thought it was a great compromise between the really HUGE Britax and the smaller one they sell. It is sold at BuyBuyBaby in Downers Grove. They are owned by Bed Bath and Beyond, so you can use the 20% off coupon. The cost was lowered enough that we felt the Britax was an affordable option at that point. Oh, my good friend who had her last baby and a girl was able to get Britax super-cheap on clearance at Target. Often the models with a feminine (not gender neutral) fabric/print seem to go on sale at stores and online.

Good luck. Oh & the firemen who did a safety check on our car seat installation said that's what he bought b/c Britax is supposed to be one of the safest seats around.

If you want the safest, check out the safty ratings. I am surprised that all the moms seem to mention the most expesive and highly advertised car seats, like Britax.

Do your own research. Check out recaro car seats. They are made by the company who makes the steel cages the race car drivers sit in inside the race cars. You will not find a car seat that has higher ratings than this one.
Good luck to you!

We have the Britax Marathon and love it. It seems very comfortable. Also many other car seats advertise a recline feature, but when you read the manual, the recline feature is only for installation purposes and is not to be installed in the recline position. We were told the Britax seats recline the most of any of the seats - safely. Also it has a super easy latch system that operates with a push-button release. They are more expensive but if you live near Buy Buy Baby in Downers Grove, you can use the 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond coupons!

I also absolutely recommend the Britax Marathon. Totally worth the money.

An important note on car seat safety from the AAP: "The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital. They should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds."

It used to be that the AAP just had the 1 year and 20 pound limit for rear-facing. Now they have found that it is much safer to keep children rear-facing as long as possible.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also says: "For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat."

Infant car seats have weight limits between 22 and 30 pounds (although my daughter was too tall for the infant seat long before she hit the weight limit). Many convertible car seats have rear-facing weight limits of 30 or 35 pounds. My daughter did not reach the weight limit until she was over 2 years old and she happily and comfortably rode-facing rear until then.

As far as brands of car seats, I love everything about Britax except the price. They do have higher weight limits so you don't need to switch to another car seat later (my 50 pound 4 1/2 years old son still fits comfortably in his). They are easy to install in lots of different cars and the straps for your child never tangle making it easy to buckle them every time. Both of my children have had no problems sleeping in their Britax seats. I have tried a few other brands and they were not as easy to use or comfortable for my kids.

Good luck with your decision.

I am a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and I agree with many of the responses urging you to keep your child rear facing as long as possible. You do not mention if your child is still in an infant seat or a convertible, but if you do not have a convertible yet, please get one that has a high rearfacing weight limit and utilize it. Children have a 70% lesser risk of serious injury when sitting rear facing and it is now recommended to keep them rearfacing to 2 years, or the max rearfacing weight limit for your child.

As far as car seats go, any carseat that is comfortable for your child, fits in your car well and you can use correctly every time is the best choice for your family. Go to a retailer like Babies R Us....even if you don't buy your seat there, they will let you try the seats out in your car (usually you have to leave your license with them). Take it out to your car and try to install it (following the instruction manual). Sit your daughter in it and see how she fits in it. There are lots of good seats out there. And yes, the Britax are nice but there are other seats that are equally as safe, without the big price tag. ALOT of the features you pay for there are more convenience then safety. I personally have a 18 month old and I have him rearfacing in a Britax Marathon in one car and a Graco MyRide 65 in the other car. Both seats can flip to forward facing when he reaches the max weight and keep him in a 5 point harness for a longer time (past 40 lbs, which is what alot of the older seats have as a weight limit for the 5 point harness). The Marathon was expensive, but I bought it for my 5 year old when he was just a little over one, he used it till he was 4 and now my other son is using it, so I have definetly gotten my money's worth. The Graco is a newer seat on the market, but I got it for only about 150.00 and that is a great deal for a seat that will likely last him till he is at least 4. There are lots of seats now that have a good rearfacing weight limit and offer harnesses that have a higher weight limit. Evenflo, Sunshine Kids, The First Years. Just try some out and figure out what works best for you.