Convertible car seats

snookums2013

Since everyone is having baby sales right now, I'm looking into the next major gear items we need.  We currently have the Graco Snugride 35 for my almost 8 month old daughter.  When did you switch to a convertible car seat and what made you switch?  Which one do you recommend and why?  Do you have one for each car?  Thanks!

Mimaloo

We haven't bought a convertible yet, but the salesman at Buy Buy Baby told us that Britax or the Clek Foonf (sp?) are best because they're the only two seats that have something or other that's steel reinforced. Maybe not steel exactly, but something strong that no other seats have. 

Sorry if that's not much help - bad pregnancy brain - but we are going to go with a Britax since the Clek is stupid expensive (almost $500). 

AKB090609

We switched at 7ish months because DD wanted to be more upright. We only have one seat, the Chicco NextFit, and we love it. DH doesn't like having a car seat in his car and we are able to switch the seat or cars if he needs to transport her.

As far as what seat to choose they all meet the same standards. I would recommend looking at the Facebook group 'carseats for the littles' I learned so much about carseats by reading posts on that page. 

And just FYI many seats have steel or other metal supports including the NextFit and diono among the brands that pp mentioned. However, we have no way of knowing if those seats preform better or worse than any other seat because seats are not rated for safety they eigther pass or fail.

LyndseylovesHugh

We switched dd around 8 months and we ended up with the Clek Foonf. DD is tall so we narrowed it down between that and the Diono Radian because of the high hight limits. We just liked the Foonf better when looking at them in person, but that was just a personal preference.

Eta: if you LO is tall at all I wouldn't get a britax, they have one if the shorter shells and kids outgrown them RFing a lot faster than other seats.

JENandJEH

DS1 switched to a convertible seat at 6 months and DS2 switched at 5 months.  

We had a Britax with DS1 (it was the old style, before they redesigned it and shortened the shells) and I really didn't like it at all.  I hated the HUGS pads on the straps and found it to be difficult to tighten when rear-facing.  For DS2, we started with an Evenflo Symphony 65 e3 and I liked it but he outgrew it rear-facing before he turned 2 so I ended up getting a Chicco Nextfit so that I could keep him rear-facing longer.

Like a PP mentioned, look into the Facebook group Car Seat for the Littles.  They are very informative and can help you find a seat that will fit your child and last you the longest.  All seats that are on the market pass the same standards and those are pass/fail standards.  Britax is a great seat if your child is on the smaller side but since they redesigned them, they are outgrown early in rear-facing mode.  The Evenflo we had is also outgrown early in rear-facing mode.  

The Chicco Nextfit, Graco Size4Me/MySize/Headwise/Fit4Me, Diono Radian and Clek Foonf will last the longest in height mode for rear and front facing.  The Chicco we went with will most likely last DS2 until he is ready for a high back booster seat (typically kids move into a high back booster between ages 5 and 6).  

LittleFish1

Definitly utilize Car Seats for the Littles - you have to ask to join the group in Facebook, however is a great resource & they have a ton of info to hlep you make informed decisions. The BBB store clerk is probably not a car seat tech (have read about all sorts of advice other users have gotten from "helpful" clerks, know what advice we were given there and at BRU. The only part of their advice that was actually helpful was the clerk steering us to convertibles and away from booster seats.

If your LO is happy in the current seat & is not approaching the seat's limits, you have time. Below is a helpful link about the CSFTLs reccomended seats... has pros & cons for their seats. Once you narrow it down to a few, test out in store and in your car for fit

csftl.org/recommended-seats/

Switched my LO from her Graco SnugRide 35 to a Graco MySize 70 when she was about 14 months because she plus carseat were getting too heavy for myself + daycare provider to carry around. Bought the new seats when I saw they were on sale (she was 11 months old & 13 months old when purchased but held out installing as long as could still carry infant seat). Could still be using the infant seat because she was within the seats' limits.

Picked the Graco MySize70 because of the taller heights run in DHs family & the seat will allow her to RF for longer (while being better priced than Diono Radian & seemd like would take up less length and had fewer parts to keep track of since day care sometimes needs to take seat out the vehicle & figured reinstall would be easier. Adjusting headrest/harness height is also easy since is no rethread).

LittleApple

Mimaloo said:

We haven't bought a convertible yet, but the salesman at Buy Buy Baby told us that Britax or the Clek Foonf (sp?) are best because they're the only two seats that have something or other that's steel reinforced. Maybe not steel exactly, but something strong that no other seats have. 

Sorry if that's not much help - bad pregnancy brain - but we are going to go with a Britax since the Clek is stupid expensive (almost $500). 

Please don't listen to the salespeople at BBB about the best car seats.  They are there to sell car seats and of course they are going to sell the most expensive ones.  There is no evidence that steel reinforced bars actually help or hinder in a crash.  

KikiCohen

Our infant seat is the Chicco Keyfit 22.  DS only has an inch to go before he outgrows it, so we went ahead and put a convertible in DH's car.  We're still using the bucket for my car, but will probably put the convertible in sometime this week or next.  

We bought two seats, one for each car.  FWIW, when we have more children, we will probably get a van or SUV and just have seats in that car.

We chose the Chicco Nextfit.  This was the seat we were eyeing the whole time, but what really made the decision was when we found two of them new-in-the-box at our local consignment shop.  They get a lot of overstocks from BRU and these were part of that.  Needless to say, for $199 each, we couldn't say no.

JilllyBean

We have a Chicco Keyfit and decided on a Chicco Nextfit. I liked it because it is good for tall kids and has is compact front to back. I also like how it looks, seems comfy. We got it during the sale at Target for $160/ea. So pretty much 2 for 1!

slwprincess

LittleApple said:

Mimaloo said:

We haven't bought a convertible yet, but the salesman at Buy Buy Baby told us that Britax or the Clek Foonf (sp?) are best because they're the only two seats that have something or other that's steel reinforced. Maybe not steel exactly, but something strong that no other seats have. 

Sorry if that's not much help - bad pregnancy brain - but we are going to go with a Britax since the Clek is stupid expensive (almost $500). 

Please don't listen to the salespeople at BBB about the best car seats.  They are there to sell car seats and of course they are going to sell the most expensive ones.  There is no evidence that steel reinforced bars actually help or hinder in a crash.  

This. Also, I find that they all have the same rehearsed speech about what is best/most popular. I hear them telling parents to be that the travel system is the best way to go every time I go to BRU/BBB. Well, that's crap. But that gets new parents to buy more now only to come back in a year when they realize that massive stroller is a PITA and they should have gotten something smaller.

Kohler2009

We had a Graco infant seat that only went to 22lbs so DS went into a convertible seat at 6 months. We bought the Britax Boulevard and have been happy with it.

FmrAFBrat

slwprincess said:

LittleApple said:

Mimaloo said:

We haven't bought a convertible yet, but the salesman at Buy Buy Baby told us that Britax or the Clek Foonf (sp?) are best because they're the only two seats that have something or other that's steel reinforced. Maybe not steel exactly, but something strong that no other seats have. 

Sorry if that's not much help - bad pregnancy brain - but we are going to go with a Britax since the Clek is stupid expensive (almost $500). 

Please don't listen to the salespeople at BBB about the best car seats.  They are there to sell car seats and of course they are going to sell the most expensive ones.  There is no evidence that steel reinforced bars actually help or hinder in a crash.  

This. Also, I find that they all have the same rehearsed speech about what is best/most popular. I hear them telling parents to be that the travel system is the best way to go every time I go to BRU/BBB. Well, that's crap. But that gets new parents to buy more now only to come back in a year when they realize that massive stroller is a PITA and they should have gotten something smaller.


Yeah....the guy at BBB told me I needed a Nextfit for my car and needed to move DS1 to a Nautilus for DHs car since he is 2. The girl at BRU thought I needed a MyRide for my car and a Guide for DHs BMW. She was right on the BMW 3 series...only that & the Corocco fit that stupid car.