Conv. CS that DOESN'T need a towel?

sammyk0688

I just bought a Safety 1st Alpha Elite and FINALLY got it installed to the correct angle yesterday afternoon.  However, I have to use two towels rolled up together in order to get it to the right angle rear facing in my '01 Honda Civic.  I'm uncomfortable (and perturbed) with having to put a towel under the car seat to get the right angle rear facing and am wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a seat that doesn't need a towel.  I'd just really like to find something that sits right in the seat with nothing extra.  I feel like that would be a safety hazard and wouldn't be secure with a towel stuck under one part of the seat.  Thanks for your help! 

Shawnee11507

I agree with you. One of the CS I am considering- the Diono Radian- has an "angle adjuster" which looks to be a foam piece the full size of the bottom of the seat, which would seem safer/more stable then a towel to me:

https://www.amazon.com/Diono-60320-Radian-Angle-Adjuster/dp/B006I1QTYQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=UQ1DHW7PO4CL&coliid=I3EEOCG4HY1KJD

hisbeautyalways

We didn't need a towel for the Graco MyRide 70. I drive a Geo Prizm, so not sure if it's just because of my seat's angle or something?

mbgreenwalt

I'm pretty sure that it is caused by your seat in the car and not the carseat.  I have a Britax Boulevards and Evenflo Symphonys and the have been in a GMC Jimmy, Ford Escape and a Saturn Vue and they fit different in each one.  In DH's Jimmy I need to use towels, but in my Vue I don't.

SoftSpot

Why do you have an issue with it? The manual says its ok and recommended so I'm not seeing the issue.

TheLovingWife

Almost all seats made by the parent company Dorel need a pool noodle or a tightly rolled towel in the seat bite to get the correct angle. This is safe and tested by the manufacturer. However the seat that you bought is a pain in the butt to install and makes a deadly booster seat. If you can, return it and look at other seats.

If you are not comfortable with the towell stay away from Safety First, Cosco, and Eddie Baur, they are all Dorel seats. Check out the Myride, it is on sale at Target right now. Easy install and not a bad price point.

lageorgiapaperie

I don't think it is a safety hazard, as long as it states in the manual you can use them.

When we got ours professionally inspected they put 3 pool noodles under the CS to get it to fit right. It's now much more secure. 

SuperCuteBenz

That seat is known for that issue. As a tech, it is one of the last seats that I would recommend, there are just better seats for your money.

The pp, are correct though, it depends a lot of your vehicle, but that being said I haven't had to use a towel/noodle for any seats other than Dorel seats (Scenera, Apt, Alpha Omega, etc). I own 5 Britax seats, 1 True Fit, and a Graco Size 4 Me. I don't need anything with any of those. 

The Alpha Omega seat is know for being hard to get installed correctly, takes up a lot of room (more than other seats) rear facing, and won't be the last seat you need which is why so many people buy it. It makes a deadly booster and is on the Top 10 Worst Booster Seats list every year.

shortstuff15

meganhighbargin:

Almost all seats made by the parent company Dorel need a pool noodle or a tightly rolled towel in the seat bite to get the correct angle. This is safe and tested by the manufacturer. However the seat that you bought is a pain in the butt to install and makes a deadly booster seat. If you can, return it and look at other seats. If you are not comfortable with the towell stay away from Safety First, Cosco, and Eddie Baur, they are all Dorel seats. Check out the Myride, it is on sale at Target right now. Easy install and not a bad price point.

I have two Eddie Bauer seats and I have never needed to use a noodle or a towel to get the right fit and I have found them very easy to install.  I love my Eddie Bauer seats!  I do have small kids though so it will be a while before they outgrow the seats and I shouldn't have to use them as boosters as they will probably expire before I need the booster feature.

sunnyday016

That is caused by the seat in your car, not the car seat. Different cars have different angles to their seats.

The rolled up towel or pool noodle is not a safety issue. We got ours installed by a tech and she made a pool noodle pyramid for ours (out of 3 noodles) to get the proper angle. 

sammyk0688

SoftSpot:

Why do you have an issue with it? The manual says its ok and recommended so I'm not seeing the issue.

Just because the manual says it's ok and recommended doesn't mean that it's the safest option and doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with it.  That's what the issue is.  I'd rather have a car seat that fits properly in my car without the use of pool noodles and towels.  It's a personal preference and what I feel my baby will be safest with.  Thanks for your criticism.  

sammyk0688

LalaMama81:

Yea, it's just as much your car as it is the seat. You could try 10 seats and 10 cars and you'll literally have 100 different fits. 

As long as the manual okays the use of a towel and you are confident the seat is tight enough, I'm not sure why you are uncomfortable? When done correctly, it's perfectly safe and acceptable.  

That's exactly the problem.  No matter how much finagling anyone does with that seat, I won't feel like it's tight enough or safe enough.  It just doesn't seem like the safest option to me and I'd rather have a seat that fit better without those extra options.  That's why I'm uncomfortable. 

bhead81

Neither my Britax or Graco require a towel in either of my cars but like others said it ususally has a lot to do with the actual car than the carseat.  If you have a babiesrus I recommend trying out some seats there if you are concerned.  They will allow you to take the seat to the parking lot and you can see how it would install in your car.

MrsT2008

sammyk0688:

LalaMama81:

Yea, it's just as much your car as it is the seat. You could try 10 seats and 10 cars and you'll literally have 100 different fits. 

As long as the manual okays the use of a towel and you are confident the seat is tight enough, I'm not sure why you are uncomfortable? When done correctly, it's perfectly safe and acceptable.  

That's exactly the problem.  No matter how much finagling anyone does with that seat, I won't feel like it's tight enough or safe enough.  It just doesn't seem like the safest option to me and I'd rather have a seat that fit better without those extra options.  That's why I'm uncomfortable. 

that's your prerogative of course, but you may have to try countless seats to find one that fits in your car's seat without a noodle/towel - it's more about the angle of the seat in the car than the carseat itself.  Most seats though, are angled slightly downward, which will almost always require something underneath the carseat.

You may be able to try other seats, with a towel/noodle, that are easier to adjust/tighten?  We have a noodle under our convertibles (Recaro ProRides) and it wasn't that difficult to get it tight enough that it feels secure.

dancingmatilda

I don't need a towel with our Graco My Ride 70  (on sale at Target this week for $129). I haven't had any problems with it so far. It may be different for your car seat though.