Which convertible carseat did you choose?

DiAnne82 · October 2009

DD is just about to outgrow her infant carseat . .

DEBBIE33CASEY · October 2009

We got the symphony and like it so far- but we alternate its use with our infant seat right now- depending on which car we ar etaking

emiliemadison · October 2009

Britax Boulevard/Marathon:

Easy to install, rear facing tether, LATCH bars, built-in seatbelt lockoffs, decently high shells, very comfortable seats. True side impact protection and infinite no-rethread harness on the Boulevard are awesome.

First years TrueFit--super high shell (highest on market). One of the only convertible seats out there that truly fits infants. The top headrest comes off to make rear facing fit better. The premiere version has an anti rebound bar. Very comfortable and easy to install. It will last most kids until an appropriate booster age because of the tall shell.

Sunshine kids radian: They can be a bit hard to install in some cars, but they are barely shorter than the true fit in shell height, they have an 8 year lifespan instead of the usual 6, they tether rear facing. They are very narrow, but do take up quite a bit of room rear facing. They rear face to 40 lbs, and the ones they're now making rear face to 45 lbs. It is safest practice to rear face as long as possible, and this is only one of 2 seats that could get a normal sized child to 40 lbs (most seats are outgrown by height before weight). They will also get most kids to booster age.

Graco MyRide--They technically rear face to 40 lbs. Most kids wouldn't make it that long in it, though. They are similar in shell size to the britax marathon/boulevard. The shell is deeper, which gives it good side impact protection. Easy install.

Safety first complete air--this is the other seat that could actually get a child to 40 lbs rear facing It?s fairly new, but it?s gotten good reviews by the experts. It's very tall, and could get most kids to booster age, too. This seat does only go to 50 lbs FF.

Avoid seats with small shells like the Britax roundabout or diplomat, evenflo titan, and graco comfortsport. The shells and top harness slots are so short, and they're always outgrown too early. You'll optimally want to rear face to at least 2 years old, hopefully longer, and the absolute minimum booster age is 4 years/40 lbs. 5.5-6 years is a more appropriate age for a booster, so you really want to get a seat that will last you a long time rear facing and forward facing, so you don't have to buy a lot of carseats. Also avoid the 3-in-1 seats. While they are taller than the ones from a couple of years ago, they're still outgrown rather early, and they make an awful booster.
If these aren't in your budget, you can opt for the bare-bones cosco scenera ($60) for now, and save for a taller seat--because you will need one.

DNK777 · October 2009

I've been very happy with the Cosco Scenera.

balihaigirl · October 2009

emiliemadison thanks for all of the detailed & wonderful info!!!!

Rangergal9 · October 2009

Britax Boulevard for everyday use and then a Britax marathon in DHs car mainly used on the weekends.

PhilsWife07 · October 2009

emiliemadison:
Britax Boulevard/Marathon:
Easy to install, rear facing tether, LATCH bars, built-in seatbelt lockoffs, decently high shells, very comfortable seats. True side impact protection and infinite no-rethread harness on the Boulevard are awesome.

First years TrueFit--super high shell (highest on market). One of the only convertible seats out there that truly fits infants. The top headrest comes off to make rear facing fit better. The premiere version has an anti rebound bar. Very comfortable and easy to install. It will last most kids until an appropriate booster age because of the tall shell.
Sunshine kids radian: They can be a bit hard to install in some cars, but they are barely shorter than the true fit in shell height, they have an 8 year lifespan instead of the usual 6, they tether rear facing. They are very narrow, but do take up quite a bit of room rear facing. They rear face to 40 lbs, and the ones they're now making rear face to 45 lbs. It is safest practice to rear face as long as possible, and this is only one of 2 seats that could get a normal sized child to 40 lbs (most seats are outgrown by height before weight). They will also get most kids to booster age.

Graco MyRide--They technically rear face to 40 lbs. Most kids wouldn't make it that long in it, though. They are similar in shell size to the britax marathon/boulevard. The shell is deeper, which gives it good side impact protection. Easy install.

Safety first complete air--this is the other seat that could actually get a child to 40 lbs rear facing It?s fairly new, but it?s gotten good reviews by the experts. It's very tall, and could get most kids to booster age, too. This seat does only go to 50 lbs FF.

Avoid seats with small shells like the Britax roundabout or diplomat, evenflo titan, and graco comfortsport. The shells and top harness slots are so short, and they're always outgrown too early. You'll optimally want to rear face to at least 2 years old, hopefully longer, and the absolute minimum booster age is 4 years/40 lbs. 5.5-6 years is a more appropriate age for a booster, so you really want to get a seat that will last you a long time rear facing and forward facing, so you don't have to buy a lot of carseats. Also avoid the 3-in-1 seats. While they are taller than the ones from a couple of years ago, they're still outgrown rather early, and they make an awful booster.
If these aren't in your budget, you can opt for the bare-bones cosco scenera ($60) for now, and save for a taller seat--because you will need one.

Yes Great review! I'm really happy with DS's Graco My Ride 65. It's a great fit for DS and he seems really comfortable in it.