Babies: 9 - 12 Months
MTipler22
member
Options
Recommend your convertible car seat!
MTipler22
member
Looking to buy my twins convertible car seats. Any recommendations?? I drive a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Recommend your convertible car seat!
You'll hear a lot of people recommend the pricier Britax car seats. I have a Britax Boulevard. While they're great seats, have great ratings, are very safe, etc., I HATE, LOATHE, DISPISE my Britax.
I also have a Graco MyRide 65, which I purchased after the Britax when I went back to work so we could have a second for our other car. I absolutely love the MyRide. They have pretty decent ratings and don't have the price tag.
I can't stand the Britax because they're uncomfortable, according to DD#1 - it also looks uncomfortable to DD#2, and the padding isn't as plush as the MyRide. The straps are also very difficult to sinch, which is due to a differnent internal locking mechanism that they have. Its not fun to fight with that seat when you're in a hurry or just on a daily basis when you have more than one child to get in and out of car seats when you're running errands.
I drive a Toyota Rav4 and they both fit in the back seat fine. My older daughter constantly kicks the back of my seat, but I think you'll get that in most cars.
I have a Britax Boulevard. It's only been in the car for about 2 weeks, but I don't love it yet. It fits in the car great and I have a Honda Accord, but the straps seem so bulky and they are kind of hard to loosen up. My infant carrier was a Graco and it seemed more user-friendly. Will probably get a Graco My Ride for DH's car.
Britax Blvd. hands down. Every time. I'd buy another one in a heart beat.
Sorry, I get it... money's tight right now, but travel safety isn't one of those things upon which I'm willing to compromise. While I got the seat for $149 at FAO's secret sale, they run pretty pricey.
And, sure, ALL the car seats pass the same tests to meet safety standards, but the Britax side-impact protection is a must for me. They do their own research and set their own standards. There are NO national standards for side-impact protection.
I have never had a complaint regarding straps, and neither of my boys seem uncomfortable. My boys started in B Chaperones, moved to B Blvd.s and my oldest is now in a B Frontier.
We have the First Years True Fit Premier and I highly recommend it.
Height limits are tall for RF, you can adjust the harness height without rethreading, the material comes off without removing seat/rethreading straps for easy cleaning, it's easy to install, there is a removable headrest for more space in front seat while RF, etc.
I have the Graco MyRide 65 and mostly hate it. My hatred all has to do with buckling him in and out. It's very, very difficult to adjust the straps when he's backward facing. Since I plan to keep him that way until 2, this will be an issue for us for a while. My solution is to not adjust the buckles at all. This makes buckling in and out fun for both of us. We also took out the infant insert, and it helped, but the problem remains.
The crotch buckle also takes enormous hand strength to buckle. Apparently Graco changed their buckles over recently and have replaced them with this cheaper one. It sucks. Even with a couple months of use, it's still quite difficult to buckle. However, it's very clear when it is buckled as it makes a loud click.
The seat is also huge, but I think that's an issue with just about any convertible. On the comfort issue, he seems quite comfortable in it. We also have a Cosco Scenera (for DH's car, as he rarely rides in there) and he finds that fine too, though it barely has any padding. I also like that the seat has high height and weight limits as my guy is huge and a fast grower.
ETA: We had a Chicco Keyfit 30 infant carrier. I loved that seat. I really wish the MyRide was as easy to use.
ETA (again): I forgot one thing. The cover keeps coming off the top. I have no idea why, other than it's a tight fit and has only elastic on the sides (no velcro). It's annoying.
I have a Britax Blvd. and like it, in fact I'm about to purchase another one. It's super easy to install and uninstall (literally just a click of a button). The padding is really nice, and I like the side impact protection that I didn't see from the other seats when I shopped around. Britax also adheres to European standards for protection, which are more strict than U.S. standards. DD has never complained about being uncomfortable.
We have all of the following:
Britax Roundabout Classic
Graco MyRide 65
Evenflo Triumph 65
My preference between those 3 is the Evenflo. The tightness of the straps is adjusted using a crank on the side which is much easier than having to pull from the center, especially when rear facing. And the shoulder straps can be adjusted without re-threading, which is a major, major plus.
ETA: I believe that most car seats on the market are side impact tested these days. All Evenflo seats have been side impact tested since 2009
~Working Mom~Breastfeeding Mom~Cloth Diapering Mom~BLW Mom~
Blog - No Longer on the DL ~ The Man Cave
Shawn and Larissa
LO #1 - Took 2 years and 2 IVFs ~ DX - severe MFI mild PCOS homozygous MTHFR (a1298c)
LO #2 - TTC 7 months, surprise spontaneous BFP!
We bought convertible seats pretty early b/c DS is tall and broad-shouldered and he was cramped in his car seat. We wanted something that would allow him to have more space to see around him and still keep him safe.
We had to get two, and the first one we got was the (pricey) Britax Marathon. For our second car we got a much cheaper one, an Evenflo Titan.
When we bought the second one it was a few weeks later, and the sales guy leveled with us and told us you're mostly paying for bells and whistles when you pay that much more. They all have to pass the same safety tests.
That being said, we like the Marathon, but DS seems more comfortable in and complains less about the Evenflo Titan. Frankly, it's more simple and I like the Evenflo more.
Both of them suck in terms of taking up front seat leg room.