Convertible Car Seats

dogperson11

Hi, all. My 4.5 month old is 13 lbs and 23.5 in long. I drive a 2003 Toyota 4Runner and my husband drives a 2004 Chevy Colorado. She is in a Chicco Keyfit 30 now and will probably stay in it until she's closer to outgrowing it, but I want to start watching for deals on convertible seats. We plan to ERF as long as possible. I'm considering an Evenflo SureRide DLX for my husbands truck and a Diono + AA for the 4Runner. I like that the Diono is slim since we sometimes have other adults in the backseat. Any reason these seats wouldn't be a good choice based on her stats? Any other suggestions?

(I posted this on the CSFTL FB group a while ago but got no responses)

FmrAFBrat

Your LOs not super big so you have options. I think a guide 65 would rear face better in the pickup. Car seats for the Littles just posted this deal on Amazon....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADHRZEY/?tag=carseaforth0b-20

I think the Diono would be fine in your car...but maybe look at a Nextfit as well for your car. Target runs great deals on it & you can usurally get it for less than $200 on special with the Cartwheel app.

dogperson11

FmrAFBrat said:

Your LOs not super big so you have options. I think a guide 65 would rear face better in the pickup. Car seats for the Littles just posted this deal on Amazon....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADHRZEY/?tag=carseaforth0b-20

I think the Diono would be fine in your car...but maybe look at a Nextfit as well for your car. Target runs great deals on it & you can usurally get it for less than $200 on special with the Cartwheel app.

Thanks! Does the Guide 65 take up less front to back space then a SureRide?

I've looked at the NextFits and they're super nice. The 4runner is tall and I'm short so the high sides of the NextFit make me nervous, but maybe I should drive up to BRU and try it out.

FmrAFBrat

dogperson11 said:

FmrAFBrat said:

Your LOs not super big so you have options. I think a guide 65 would rear face better in the pickup. Car seats for the Littles just posted this deal on Amazon....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ADHRZEY/?tag=carseaforth0b-20

I think the Diono would be fine in your car...but maybe look at a Nextfit as well for your car. Target runs great deals on it & you can usurally get it for less than $200 on special with the Cartwheel app.

Thanks! Does the Guide 65 take up less front to back space then a SureRide?

I've looked at the NextFits and they're super nice. The 4runner is tall and I'm short so the high sides of the NextFit make me nervous, but maybe I should drive up to BRU and try it out.

Yes! Read the reviews on CSFTLS. It actually is one of the smaller convertibles out there. We've used them rear facing for my husband in a 3 series BMW & the new Honda Civic.

https://csftl.org/safety-1st-guide-65-mini-review/

One of ours is actually the Eddie Bauer version we got at Target when they were on sale...FWIW it was worth the extra $10 not to go to Walmart..and the cushion is better on that version.

dogperson11

Thank you, I really appreciate the input

ASmallWonder

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

dogperson11

erinkaym said:

These are great responses, but you don't have to give up on CSFTL!  Go back and bump your post, or repost at a different time of day.  It may have just been sunk in a flood of new posts.

One recommendation I see on there a lot is to wait as long as you can to buy your convertible.  You will get a later manufacture date and may get more time at the end of the seat's life.  And new seats come out all the time.  I bought a Nextfit for my mom's car and planned to get one for my own.  Luckily, in the month or two between the purchases, the Britax convertible Clicktights came out, which ended up being better for my car.

I've been a participant on CSFTL for over 2 years now and will be getting the newest manufacturer date possible. BRU is doing their trade in event - saving $75 a seat is worth getting the convertible a few months sooner then we planned. I bumped my post twice and reported a different day with 0 response. It's a great resource and I'm glad it's reaching so many people, but the board moves too fast for everyone to get a response.

dogperson11

ASmallWonder said:

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

The guide will take up more space then the SureRide while my daughter is under 22 lbs?

FmrAFBrat

dogperson11 said:

ASmallWonder said:

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

The guide will take up more space then the SureRide while my daughter is under 22 lbs?

Both the SureRide & Guide will probably need pool noodles when under 22lbs. It's really no different than the angle adjuster on the Radian. The Guide is s lot shorter than the SureRide (they are usurally both at Target side by side...but it's an Eddie Bauer there) & fits better in smaller places...that's why I posted the CSFTL review. The Guide takes up the same space as a Combi Corroco per that review.

I will say both the Guide & the Sureride are lightweight & good second seats (even on planes) to have if you travel a lot.

I'm not sure about the Scenera Next. I haven't seen it. I know the current versions of the Scenera only harness to 40 lbs & requires a pool noodle as well.

dogperson11

FmrAFBrat said:

dogperson11 said:

ASmallWonder said:

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

The guide will take up more space then the SureRide while my daughter is under 22 lbs?

Both the SureRide & Guide will probably need pool noodles when under 22lbs. It's really no different than the angle adjuster on the Radian. The Guide is s lot shorter than the SureRide (they are usurally both at Target side by side...but it's an Eddie Bauer there) & fits better in smaller places...that's why I posted the CSFTL review. The Guide takes up the same space as a Combi Corroco per that review.

I will say both the Guide & the Sureride are lightweight & good second seats (even on planes) to have if you travel a lot.

I'm not sure about the Scenera Next. I haven't seen it. I know the current versions of the Scenera only harness to 40 lbs & requires a pool noodle as well.

-------

Hmm, maybe we will be getting 2 NextFits during the trade in event then... Guess we'll take the truck and see what fits best. I wish our BRU had Radians in stick so I could try one out. Thanks for all your help!

FmrAFBrat

dogperson11 said:

FmrAFBrat said:

dogperson11 said:

ASmallWonder said:

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

The guide will take up more space then the SureRide while my daughter is under 22 lbs?

Both the SureRide & Guide will probably need pool noodles when under 22lbs. It's really no different than the angle adjuster on the Radian. The Guide is s lot shorter than the SureRide (they are usurally both at Target side by side...but it's an Eddie Bauer there) & fits better in smaller places...that's why I posted the CSFTL review. The Guide takes up the same space as a Combi Corroco per that review.

I will say both the Guide & the Sureride are lightweight & good second seats (even on planes) to have if you travel a lot.

I'm not sure about the Scenera Next. I haven't seen it. I know the current versions of the Scenera only harness to 40 lbs & requires a pool noodle as well.

-------

Hmm, maybe we will be getting 2 NextFits during the trade in event then... Guess we'll take the truck and see what fits best. I wish our BRU had Radians in stick so I could try one out. Thanks for all your help!

Target has better deals than the BRU trade in...just get the Cartwheel App. You should be able to get a Nextfit for well under $200 with the specials they run. They just sell out really fast. The Graco Headwise & Safety 1st Advance Air will run $125ish with the specials. The SureRide & Guide clone $80ish.

Just another thing I recently found out BuyBuyBaby does the trade in event at the same time to compete with BRU. It's just not advertised.

gimmietimmies

FmrAFBrat said:

A Guide is actually going to take up a lot of space for a child under 22 pounds.  I'd suggest a Cosco Scenera NEXT over the Guide.

The guide will take up more space then the SureRide while my daughter is under 22 lbs?

Both the SureRide & Guide will probably need pool noodles when under 22lbs. It's really no different than the angle adjuster on the Radian. The Guide is s lot shorter than the SureRide (they are usurally both at Target side by side...but it's an Eddie Bauer there) & fits better in smaller places...that's why I posted the CSFTL review. The Guide takes up the same space as a Combi Corroco per that review. I will say both the Guide & the Sureride are lightweight & good second seats (even on planes) to have if you travel a lot. I'm not sure about the Scenera Next. I haven't seen it. I know the current versions of the Scenera only harness to 40 lbs & requires a pool noodle as well.

The SureRide rarely needs noodles and has only one level line - and will be more compact under 22#.. It should fit fine in the Colorado and the Radian with aa will be fine in your 4Runner

Designermomma

I'm glad I found this post! We are looking for convertible car seats and had never heard of CSFRL. Thanks for introducing me to it. Great resource! I find it very difficult to make a choice. They all seem to be about the same and there are no safety ratings to help narrow it down. It's all about ease of use. I'm leaning twords a Britax Clicktight but not sure how soon the baby will outgrow it. If I fork over hundreds if dollars I want it to last a long time.