carseats!!

s2becrawford

My daughter is 13 almost 14 months old she is 19 lbs and 31 in. Her infant carseat only goes up to 32 in so I am in the market for my next care seat but wanted to see what some of the other mothers liked thanks !! 

memali26

Our convertible seat is an Evenflo Triumph. We're very happy with it, DD1 is 2.5you and still comfortably rear facing.

CurlingRocks, we drive a VW Jetta and fit two RFing car seats. The driver's seat can go all the way back, but the passenger is moved up a little to accommodate the infant seat. Not ideal, but almost anyone can still ride there without having their knees totally smashed into the dash. When we flip DD1 FF we'll move the convertible seat behind the passenger RFing for DD2, which will allow the passenger to ride more comfortably.

carlab44

We used a Britax Marathon for DD and DS is still currently using it. We had him rear facing until over 2 without a problem.

We also have a fairly compact car - a Civic Hybrid - and it fit fine behind the passenger seat. Similar to the PP the seat couldn't go all the way back but it was comfortable enough for me or DH (5'11") to sit there. What we did that helped it fit was to not recline it to the full 45 degrees. The seat itself was still in the recline mode (which it has to be when rear facing) but when we installed it we adjusted it so it was more upright. It can be as upright as 30 degrees once a baby can sit unassisted and has good head control.

ASmallWonder

I just wanted to throw out there that what you need to look for is seated height, vs true height.  Some kids carry a lot of their height in their legs and that would allow them to use a seat longer.  She's outgrown the seat when there is 1" or less of shell above her head.  If she's short in the torso you might have more time in the seat.

DreadLoc

You want a convertible seat.  The NHTSA recommends keeping toddlers rear facing as long as possible (to the max limits of the seat) since it's the safest way for them to ride in the car, and a convertible will allow both rear facing and front facing.  The safest seat is the seat that is installed correctly and used correctly 100% of the time, so really your best bet would be to go to a baby store such as BuyBuyBaby or Babies R Us and install several different seats in your car to test them out.  The seat that fits best, lasts longest, and you'll use correctly all the time is the one you want.  

Higher price doesn't doesn't mean that a seat is safer since all seats on the market meet and pass the same tests, so don't let name brands fog your judgement.  Usually the extra price tag just means added features, more luxurious cover materials, and brand.

 

Personally, I drive a compact car and love the XTSL (which has since been renamed to a Diono RXT).  It has a tall shell, high weight limit, low profile, and thin base which helps tons in the small car.  My kiddo is average for height and weight so I imagine she'll last until at least 4 rearfacing.   But if I had to buy another seat then I would check out the Graco Size4Me 70 (MySize 70 at BRU).  It has the highest RF height limit on the market and pretty high FF limit as well.  

rnbeth477

We have the Graco My Ride 65 and love it. We still have it rear facing and will keep it that way until DS is at least 2.

meg1974

I have a small car (Nissan Sentra), and I have a Britax Boulevard 70. I really like it. DD seems pretty comfortable, and I like the extra safety features. 

jtkayla

I also have the Evenflo Triumph.... Got it on sale at BJs for only 106 dollars! It has a weight limit of 65 lbs plus its gotten wonderful reviews. My DS has been using it since he was 12 mos old. I recommend it!

countrywed

I like the sure latch on evenflo.  I can get it really tight.  I like the car seats (Momentum and sympathy) just fine.  Can't comment on space though, it isn't a problem for me.

s2becrawford

thank you everyone we have an expedition so I am not worried on space but I am definatley going to start looking and I am gonna keep her rear facing for a while!! She is such a tiny little thing:) 

 

LoveBug10-09

We have the diono Radian RXT. Great rear facing limits, high five point harness weight limits, and it converts to a booster. We love it.