My 8 month old son is about to out grow his infant carrier. I need to buy a carseat that will face in the rear position, switch to forward facing, and hopefully go into a booster. I have been looking at some online consumer reports. II want something that is safe, comfortable for my child, and less expensive than the Britax carseats. I saw some positive reports for the Safety 1st All-in-One Deluxe Convertible Car Seat. Does anyone have that one? Or, is there another one you absolutely love and would recommend? Please include the approximate price of your recommendation. Thanks!!!!
Well, I've decided to go with the Recaro Signo (post recall version.) I kept doing lots of research. My father-in-law is a paramedic. He told me that there have been many times where he has come upon an accident and the only one not injured or not killed was the baby in the carseat. I definately wanted to try to find the safest carseat after those stories! The Recaro Signo is the only convertible carseat that received 4 stars for both rear facing and forward facing position for "Securing the Child" from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. They are from the makers of the Porsche. The seat goes up to 70 lbs. and 51 inches in height. I did see a few consumer reviews that had some negative things to say. Some said the straps get twisted easily and some stated that they still need to roll up a towel to put under the seat in the rear facing position. They cost from $270-$290.
Also, during my research I found a huge list of carseat recalls of many of the carseats recommended to me. I found the list at www.hsrc.unc.edu
I found some of the information about the Recaro Signo ratings at www.nhtsa.gov
Thank you everyone for all of your help! I really appreciate it!
if it's possible, try to switch seats first. If he's in the side, try the middle...or vice versa. Then you don't have to buy a 3rd carseat....
I second the Evenflo Triumph. It's soft, comfy, easy to get in and out of and the crank tightener ensures a secure fit everytime. This seat goes rear or forward facing and I believe holds a child up to 40 lbs. It doesn't convert into a booster though. Personally, I don't think boosters are very safe. When my oldest outgrew the Triumph we bought the Britax Regent which can hold a child up to 80 lbs!. I believe in keeping my kids in 5 point harnesses for as long as possible, as they are the safest.
Hi K. T. yay! Yes, indeed keep that lil boundle of joy in a convertible car seat preferrably a seat that has a 5 point harness-those are excellent protection for that lil man...rear facing until yr old or exceeds the length of car seat & starts to kick the seat-another thing is u can check with you closests fire dept. or hospital & ask if they provide car seat checks.... I am a car seat technichian & I luv it...Good luck & B safe! Good Job Mommy..
Britax makes the best car seats and while they're expensive, your child will be in that seat until their 4 and 40 lbs (recommended size/weight for booster seat), so you'll get your money's worth. With my oldest, I bought something cheap (but well rated on the Highway Safety site) and while it has worked just fine, I wish I had bought something better. For my younger son, I needed something that would accomidate his height until he's 4. I bought the Fisher Price Safe Voyager - it's actually made by Britax but without the frills.
The Highway Safety site is a good palce to look both reviews and height maximums (not usually listed on other sites). Good luck!
Before you do anything else...Check with your local Fire Department to see which is the safest carseat. These men and woman are dedicated to child safety to the point that they will give you free instructions on THE SAFEST WAY TO STRAP in your precious child.
Hi K.,
I just bought my son a new convertable carseat, the Evenflo Triumph. I love it and so does he. It is very comfy for him, and best of all you don't have to uninstall it in order to wash the fabric part of it. Also you are able to tighten or loosen the straps from the front. We take road trips home to New Mexico often and he has been very comfortable in it.
Oh yeah, it costs about $130.
G.
My daughter used the Cosco Alpha-Omega. It went from rear facing to forward to booster. It was very easy to adjust as she grew - no rerouting of straps, just a pull up lever in the back, it can hold up to 80lbs. She is now in a Graco High back booster (with removeable back), b/c it is a princess theme and she picked it out and paid for most of it herself. She's 6 3/4yrs. old, 4' tall and 48lbs. Although our state laws say kids only need to be in child safety seats to age 5, we are following our car manufacturers suggestion of keeping her the booster until she's tall enough for her to sit with her bottom all the way back against the seat and her legs able to bend over the edge of the seat and feet touch the floor(about 4' 7" - 4' 9") and the shoulder belt fits over her shoulder not against her neck. My brother is a paramedic and he has seen some bad results of kids not fitting properly in the seatbelt without a booster/carseat - major abdominal injuries, lacerated neck, spinal cord injuries. My daughter knows most of her friends are no longer in safety seats, and some have called her a baby for still being in one, but she agrees she'd rather be safe, and comfortable, than be sorry. My parents have the Cosco to use for when she or her cousins visit them.
M. J.
Hello!
We have two Graco Sport Convertible Car Seats that we got at Target for $70-80 each. We are very happy with both and they are very easy to set up, handle and clean.
Hope this helps!
D.
I love my Radian80 (made by Sunshine Kids) Costs a little more than others ($249) but holds a child from 5 lbs up to 80 lbs, so no need to buy another seat later. (and keeps them in a 5 point harness the whole way, which is considerably safer than a booster) Steel alloy frame instead of plastic so it takes up less room in your car but leaves more room in the seat for the kid. Very easy to install and use / adjust. And has a cool -weave fabric that has better airflow, my son doesn't sweat anywhere near as much as he does in other carseats. Also has a nice plush body pillow / headrest, that seperates into two pieces for continued use as your kid grows.
They also make another model, Radian65, that is cheaper but only goes up to 65 lbs (so most kids will need a booster later) and doesn't have the body pillow.
Another great feature - it folds up whne not being used, and comes w/ a carrying strap. (very handy if you ever need to take your carseat on a plane)
