car seats

hartsl01

LO is quickly approaching the height limit on his infant carrier and we're looking at convertible car seats to move him into. I have no idea where to start though. I know we'll need something rear and front facing with a weight and height limit that he'll be able to stay in for awhile. Any suggestions on brands or specific models? Right now we have the Chicco Keyfit 30 and I love it, DS is just getting too tall. I'm hoping we'll have a few months before we need a different seat so I'm starting my research now. TIA

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carawasa

We also have britax. I think the weight limit goes up to 70-75lbs

MrsStuessyWI

https://www.gracobaby.com/products/pages/head-wise-70-car-seat-with-safety-surround-protection-lowell.aspx

This is the one we got. It has got great side impact protection and is rear facing up to 40lbs and front facing up to 70lbs. I have also heard it is great for smaller vehicles, which is what we have. We will be moving into it in a couple months, because I won't be able to carry her in the infant seat, she is getting too damn heavy. 

trackgirlparis

I've been researching like crazy the last few days too! DD is getting close to her height limit also. I've looked into the Diono Radian and all the britax brands...still have no idea which to choose! Good luck!

Eta: YGPM

hartsl01

@MrsStuessyWI Where did you find the Graco? I'm having no luck on Amazon, Target or Bru.

MrsStuessyWI

hartsl01 said:

@MrsStuessyWI Where did you find the Graco? I'm having no luck on Amazon, Target or Bru.

We found ours at Target actually, a couple of weeks ago. It was on sale and then we got an additional 20% off cartwheel coupon and a 5% ed card discount. It was half off in the end! I'm not sure why you can't find it at Target now. It was deft there a couple of weeks ago. 

mancila60

We also plan on getting a Graco my mom has one for my niece and we really like it. I have seen several at BRU and Target (online).

elllaf

Car Seats for the Littles on FB. Link is in sticky up top.
They will give you a car seat that will work not only for the height and weight of your child but also with your car. I know that Britax has short shells so sometimes they are out grown a lot sooner. since you have the key fit you might want to look into the next fit. That's the one I decided to get.

hartsl01

MrsStuessyWI said:

hartsl01 said:

@MrsStuessyWI Where did you find the Graco? I'm having no luck on Amazon, Target or Bru.

We found ours at Target actually, a couple of weeks ago. It was on sale and then we got an additional 20% off cartwheel coupon and a 5% ed card discount. It was half off in the end! I'm not sure why you can't find it at Target now. It was deft there a couple of weeks ago. 

That is weird... when I go to the Graco website, it says you can get it at Target, and then Target comes up with an error. Hmm... Maybe I'll have to check out my local Target and see if they have it in store.

SuperTreesa

Yup, don't recommend the britax carseats if you think your gonna have a taller than average kiddo. They are know for being outgrown quickly for tall kids. I have 3 britax roundabouts. So I love the brand but its not for taller kids.

casey820

Snowboarderbritt said:

We are probably going to get the Chicco NextFit. I have heard really great things about it!

This. And the height and weight limits are great for extended rear facing. I bought the next fit and can't wait to start using it. I have a 95 percentile baby and CSFTL recommended this one for him over the britax ones.

asilwhite

casey820 said:

We are probably going to get the Chicco NextFit. I have heard really great things about it!

This. And the height and weight limits are great for extended rear facing. I bought the next fit and can't wait to start using it. I have a 95 percentile baby and CSFTL recommended this one for him over the britax ones.

This is the reason I'm getting the Chicco NextFit too. We want to ERF and this seat was recommended to us on CSFTL. Also, it has a smaller back to front profile so it fits into smaller vehicles. 

NatesCupcake47

We were deciding between the Britax Boulevard and the Chicco Nextfit.  Went with the nextfit. I've only played with it, haven't tried it out with DD yet, but so far love it! 

yesthisiskim0401

We have an evenflow for A1 and love it! We plan on getting an Evenflow for A2 as well.

pmarie33

We have a Britax Boulevard for DD that she has been in since she outgrew the carrier.  She's over 4 years old now, so she's been using it for at least 3.5 years.  DS will use it next.  

I need to get DD a booster seat, like yesterday.

sleepy33

Holy crap, how tall are your babies?? I think my Britax infant seat goes to 32" tall, and Cam was only 25.25" at the doctor's today.

hartsl01

@Sleepy33 We've got a Keyfit 30 and DS was over 26in. at his 4 month appt. 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping he hit a gs and will slow down in height. DH is 6'3 so I'm sure DS will be tall too. I'm just trying to prepare myself now instead of scrambling at the last minute

sleepy33

quartermisses said:

@sleepy33 - we had DD1 out of her infant seat at 6 months. She was getting pretty close to the 25lb limit (or so I thought. Her weight growth came to a screeching halt after we moved her) on the Maxi Cosi and she was within a couple of inches from outgrowing it height-wise. However, I probably would have moved her soon, anyway, because the infant seat got to be too heavy to carry anywhere, so I just left it in the car, anyway, and she was much happier in a seat that allowed her to see out better. I'm tempted to move Fifi when we leave WA. . 

Yeah, I have been starting to ponder the move to a convertible just b/c I hate lugging him in the infant seat, and I mostly wear him or put him in the cart these days anyway. He is also not one of those babies who stays asleep in the car seat, as soon as the engine goes off his eyes are open.

kelle017

My sister has the next fit for my 10 month old nephew. He's 21lbs (not sure height). She likes it but says the straps are really tough to tighten sometimes.

megs1409

We have the Chicco KeyFit 30 as our infant carrier.  We bought a Chicco Nextfit for our convertible, but obviously haven't started using it yet.  Hoping to use the KeyFit for as long as possible (up to the weight/height limits, of course), as I think I would prefer the convenience of getting him in and out of the car in that than having to take him out of the seat and put him into a carriage, etc.

elllaf

sleepy33 said:

Holy crap, how tall are your babies?? I think my Britax infant seat goes to 32" tall, and Cam was only 25.25" at the doctor's today.

Sometimes you can't just go by the height limit. There has to be at least 1 inch of shell above their heads. If they have a long torso they could outgrow it in that respect before they reach any of the 'limits'

elllaf

https://csftl.org/how-much-headroom-a-height-comparison-of-rear-facing-convertible-car-seats/

Here's a link for comparisons

sweettooth87

A few friends have the Peg-Perego 5-70 and love it for its RF longevity and the fact that it can still fit relatively well in a smaller car. 

My LO was 27 inches at his 4 month appointment and the Chicco Keyfit 30 has a height limit of 30 inches, so I'm guessing I should start researching this soon.

casey820

We moved DD to a convertible at 6 months old. I plan on moving DS once the weather is nicer. I hate lugging that infant seat around when he's already so heavy.

slh6363

We have the Chicco Nextfit and love it! We already installed in DHs car. It's super easy to install, doesn't take up much space, and seems super comfy!

kimbo1216

The best thing to do is to go and look. It really comes down to personal preference, car model, and budget. All seats have to pass the same safety tests. So all seats on the market are considered equally safe when used properly.

We have a Graco MyRide. I love this seat. It has built in cup holders and my 2.5 yo still has one strap level to go before she outgrows it rf. But, it's bulky and a lot of people complain that they have issues getting he straps right enough. This has never been a problem for us.

If you drive a sedan and want to rf longer, you might try to budget in a Diono Radian as they are one of the lore upright rf seats on the market.

But seriously, go look at them. Places like BBB will supposedly even let you take them out of the store and test them in your car.

MrsStuessyWI

crunchymama11 said:

diono radians with the angle adjuster. High RFing limits, high FFing limits, turns into a booster and back-less booster. goes up to 120 lbs. Fits 3 across a back seat. And with the angle adjuster it fits in small cars. only car seat/booster you need.

I am all about prolonged RF and FF, but 120 lbs? Wow! That seems a tad bit excessive. Just wondering why that would be necessary. 

elllaf

MrsStuessyWI said:

crunchymama11 said:

diono radians with the angle adjuster. High RFing limits, high FFing limits, turns into a booster and back-less booster. goes up to 120 lbs. Fits 3 across a back seat. And with the angle adjuster it fits in small cars. only car seat/booster you need.

I am all about prolonged RF and FF, but 120 lbs? Wow! That seems a tad bit excessive. Just wondering why that would be necessary. 

It's not just about "oh my child is this tall or weighs this much so he/she is ready to use the regular seat belt" it's how the seat belt fits.
A child could weigh 120 lbs but be short and the regular belt won't lay it the correct areas on their body...so you use the booster.

MrsStuessyWI

crunchymama11 said:

elllaf said:

crunchymama11 said:

diono radians with the angle adjuster. High RFing limits, high FFing limits, turns into a booster and back-less booster. goes up to 120 lbs. Fits 3 across a back seat. And with the angle adjuster it fits in small cars. only car seat/booster you need.

I am all about prolonged RF and FF, but 120 lbs? Wow! That seems a tad bit excessive. Just wondering why that would be necessary. 

It's not just about "oh my child is this tall or weighs this much so he/she is ready to use the regular seat belt" it's how the seat belt fits. A child could weigh 120 lbs but be short and the regular belt won't lay it the correct areas on their body...so you use the booster.

and many states are requiring a child to use a booster up to age 8 or 80 lbs. it doesn't stay a carseat- it turns into a regular booster and then back-less booster.

ok, but I just think that would be a super heavy kid. But, whatever works. 

hartsl01

@crunchymama11 and whoever else recommended the radian, is it a tall seat? I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to see over the back of it.

Also, I know reviews have mentioned how heavy it is, is it impractical to think we can move this easily between cars? I drop
off for daycare and dh picks up, I'd like to avoid buying two if possible.

huntjul

We're planning to get the Diono Radian RXT with an angle adjuster.

Chrisanna0508

MrsStuessyWI said:

crunchymama11 said:

elllaf said:

crunchymama11 said:

diono radians with the angle adjuster. High RFing limits, high FFing limits, turns into a booster and back-less booster. goes up to 120 lbs. Fits 3 across a back seat. And with the angle adjuster it fits in small cars. only car seat/booster you need.

I am all about prolonged RF and FF, but 120 lbs? Wow! That seems a tad bit excessive. Just wondering why that would be necessary. 

It's not just about "oh my child is this tall or weighs this much so he/she is ready to use the regular seat belt" it's how the seat belt fits. A child could weigh 120 lbs but be short and the regular belt won't lay it the correct areas on their body...so you use the booster.

and many states are requiring a child to use a booster up to age 8 or 80 lbs. it doesn't stay a carseat- it turns into a regular booster and then back-less booster.

ok, but I just think that would be a super heavy kid. But, whatever works. 

I know he didn't weight 120, but as I said in another post, my nephew was in a booster until he was 10 because the seat belt didn't hit him right. He didn't particularly like it, but if the belt doesn't fit right it can be so dangerous.
ETA: I do think that he liked being in high back booster until 7-8 because it gave him a place to rest his head when he fell asleep in the car.

DisneyMamaToBeTTC

Does anybody have the baby bargins online subscription? Do they have a rating/review for the chicco nextfit?

CatieG

Heads up on the Diono Radians. It definitely won't be the last seat you buy. When the harness is outgrown so is the high back booster mode (more or less). It also doesn't convert to a no back booster like crunchy said.

psychdoc12

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the different Britax convertible seats (Marathon, Boulevard and Advocate)? There's a significant difference in price, but I'm looking at specs and all I see are some differences in various types of cushioning "technology." Is that all it is?

RedZee

We have the Britax Marathon 70. We considered getting the Advocate or whatever the more expensive models are but there is so much padding that LO can't see out the window. We also just got the Diono Radian on super sale for when DD2 outgrows the infant seat and now I wish we had just gotten that one because you can fit 3 in the car.

DisneyMamaToBeTTC

wedding06 said:

I got a coupon in the mail today for BRU for 20% off and there was an additional coupon that would take $10 off every 50 you spend. I am going to try and call to see if they can be combined because I can't tell anything in the fine print. But if they can that would take $100 off the Chicco Next Fit. I think Britax was listed as an exclusion. Anyway, just an FYI if you have a BRU membership card and get coupons.

I called my BRU and you can stack them! Plus most of the nextfits are on sale right now! Yay!

sooner1981

hartsl01 said:

@crunchymama11 and whoever else recommended the radian, is it a tall seat? I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to see over the back of it.

Also, I know reviews have mentioned how heavy it is, is it impractical to think we can move this easily between cars? I drop IDF
off for daycare and dh picks up, is like to avoid buying two if possible.

I really, really wouldn't want to have to move this seat in between two cars everyday. I also have a britax and wouldn't want to move that seat between cars.

Once you get a good install on a convertible, it seems easier and safer to just leave it there.

RedZee

sooner1981 said:

hartsl01 said:

@crunchymama11 and whoever else recommended the radian, is it a tall seat? I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to see over the back of it.

Also, I know reviews have mentioned how heavy it is, is it impractical to think we can move this easily between cars? I drop IDF
off for daycare and dh picks up, is like to avoid buying two if possible.

I really, really wouldn't want to have to move this seat in between two cars everyday. I also have a britax and wouldn't want to move that seat between cars.

Once you get a good install on a convertible, it seems easier and safer to just leave it there.

Get 2 seats. We do the same and if i had to uninstall and install a seat every day I'd lose my mind. Just think of the time and hassle of that alone. Are you going into daycare to drop off the baby, then come back door the car seat? What are you doing in the rain? If you use one car only for pick up and then not on the weekend you can always get a cheaper seat.

Graco just came out with a click connect seat that you can take off the base and can be used until age 2. That might be another option for the shorter term.

hartsl01

RedZee said:

@crunchymama11 and whoever else recommended the radian, is it a tall seat? I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to see over the back of it. Also, I know reviews have mentioned how heavy it is, is it impractical to think we can move this easily between cars? I drop IDF off for daycare and dh picks up, is like to avoid buying two if possible.

I really, really wouldn't want to have to move this seat in between two cars everyday. I also have a britax and wouldn't want to move that seat between cars. Once you get a good install on a convertible, it seems easier and safer to just leave it there.

Get 2 seats. We do the same and if i had to uninstall and install a seat every day I'd lose my mind. Just think of the time and hassle of that alone. Are you going into daycare to drop off the baby, then come back door the car seat? What are you doing in the rain? If you use one car only for pick up and then not on the weekend you can always get a cheaper seat. Graco just came out with a click connect seat that you can take off the base and can be used until age 2. That might be another option for the shorter term.

Yea.. the more I'm reading, the more I'm thinking that we'll need 2 seats. We could probably switch cars throughout the day. I'm thinking DH might be able to get my car on his way to day care. I'm really between the Radion and the Nextfit right now.

@wedding06 - where did you find that $10 off of $50 coupon for BRU? I just got a 20% in the mail but am not sure about the $10 off of $50.

Nevermind.. I found it for anyone else needing it... It's printable

https://www.retailmenot.com/view/babiesrus.com#print.5568435