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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Please help me with conv. carseats
I hope this isn't an annoying question, but I really need help figuring out which convertible carseat is the best. Originally I registered for (and got) the Graco CozyCline. I had no idea what I was doing so I just picked the seat that matched the design of my other Graco stuff (infant seat, stroller, etc.) 
Now DS is approaching the height limit on his Snugride 32 and we need a new conv. carseat because the CozyCline is forward-facing only. I am looking at the MyRide 65 which fits what I was looking for and seems to have good reviews.
But the Britax seats are beckoning only because they are more expensive so of course seem better which I know is not necessarily true.
What should we do? What are the *true* benefits of the Britax over other seats?
One more question, do you have a conv. carseat for each car? DH and I share daycare drop-off/pick-up responsibilities, and it's been great with the infant seat because we each have a base in our cars.
TIA for reading through this and any advice you can give!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Please help me with conv. carseats
You need to research all of the features that one seat might offer over another and see what works best for you.
Britax seats are great seats but they aren't the only great seats out there, kwim? We use Britax because that's what works for us... they offered the safety features we were looking for so that's what we went with.
I definitely suggest one seat for each car because it's not easy to keep taking the convertible seats out and installing them again. It's the kind of seat that you want to install and have inspected and then leave it there until you absolutely have to take it out, IMO.
Just ordered the Britax Boulevard. Haven't received it yet so I can't provide a review but it gets great reviews from all of my mom friends.
I suggest you go to the bookstore and sit down with the book Baby Bargains for about 30 minutes and read the section on car seats (don't buy it because most of the stuff in there you've already got most likely). It is very thorough and will help you reach the right decision.
Having used a number of different convertible car seats (DS is the third child), Britax are by far the easiest to install and use. Safety wise they are all similar but I've found Britax the easiest to use-we have Marathons.
Britax has great safety ratings, but they are also huge. I drive a two door car (what was I thinking?) and there was no way one could fit into my backseat.
I have a maxi cosi priori--they are quite popular in Europe, have great safety ratings, and fit nicely in smaller cars.
If you share daycare duties, you'll need two carseats because they are a pain to install.
I struggled for a LONG time deciding. Here's my two cents:
We go the Evenflo Symphony 65. It's about $200, it's wide and plush, It's not too tall like some of the other seats, it's not humongous, has LOTS of bells and whistles compared to the others, side-impact tested, and has a weight limit that goes up to 65 pounds.
I agree that 2 years ago this was true. But today, I think there are seats that are just as easy to install. The Graco MyRide is definitely one of them. I've owned or at least used pretty much ALL of the popular seats on the market and 2+ years ago I would say to get a Britax hands down. But so many great new seats have hit the market that are just as good, just as easy and have just as many features, that are a fraction of the price. Yes, the Marathons are great seats! But when you can get a seat that is JUST as good for less money, I'd skip the Britax. At this point, you're basically paying top dollar for the Britax name, because the competition has definitely caught up with them (and I'd argue that several have passed them).
We have the Britax Marathon for my car and the Cosco Scenera for DH's since she doesn't ride in his much. The Britax is great, super easy to install and DD seems to like it just fine.
I also second reading up on the baby bargains book carseat section. It helped me to decide what to get.
Growing Up Olson
While I really love the Radians, the single MAJOR downfall of this seat is that it's by far the most difficult to install in many vehicles. I want to sing it's praises and tell everyone to buy one because it's truly a FANTASTIC SEAT. However, it has compatibility issues with some vehicles and I would never recommend buying it with the intention of switching it between cars. It *can* be a piece of cake to install in some vehicles, but that may not be the case. Plus, even with easy installation, it's a major PITA to move a convertible car seat on even a semi regular basis. Buying two seats is, IMO, a must. If cost is an issue, there are several seats to choose from that will fit the budget.
We have the britax boulevard and I love this seat...the install took like 2 minutes and it doesn't shift at all, it's rock solid. Jack is comfortable, the harness is super easy to adjust and I love that the headrest is easily adjustable too.
I have a seat in my car and in our truck, I didn't want to move them around especially since they are kind of heavy. Although it wouldn't be that big of a deal since installing them took only a few minutes.
I was looking at the myride and evenflow but I didn't like the cover on the myride (it keep popping off the side of the seat) and the harness of the evenflow was thin and the clip was difficult to use IMO.
The myride has great reviews too, just like the britax so don't count it out just because of the cover.
We found our seats at www.morebabycarseats.com for $250 each (20% off, no tax and free shipping). We ordered on the 19th and received them on the 22nd.
Go look at them in person. Seriously. That helps a LOT too.
We thought we wanted a Sunshine Kids Radian 80 this time but when we saw it in person I said no way. While it was NOT cheap, I felt it looked cheap. It also looked to be on the small side and we like big comfy seats.
There are some newer seats that are decent but I personally wouldn't purchase a seat that just hit the market. Again, that's just me. Though I have heard great things about the MyRide 65 as well as the True Fit.
DS went from a Snugride to a Britax Decathlon then then a Britax Frontier. DD is still in a Snugride but when we're done with the infant carrier she'll use the Decathlon until we replace that as it expires next year. A good thing about Britax is that many of their seats last longer, meaning they don't expire as quickly as others. We aren't set on the carseat we will buy for her but I'm almost certain it will be another Britax.
And as a PP stated Britax seats are huge. So if you have limited space Britax might not be the best option for you!
We are in your exact same position. DS is about to outgrow his Snugride 32 also, so we are now in the market for a convertible car seat. We just got one last week, a Britax Boulevard. With suggestions from Baby Bargains and other bumpies, I thought it was the best way to go. I got mine for around $260 (diapers.com had 15% off plus free shipping). I ordered it last Friday and received it on Monday. We will be installing it this weekend.
We too share responsibilities of dropping off/picking up so I am now deciding on what to get for car seat #2. I think I am going to go with the First Years True Fit. It gets good reviews in Baby Bargains also and I found it on amazon for $150 (w/ free shipping).
Another bumpie gave me this link and it came in handy:
https://docs.google.com/View?id=dd8pk5f4_0dz3z3vcc
HTH!!!
The Boulevard has a much higher weight limit--65lbs and the shell is higher. Visually, they are almost identical.
I have this too, along with a few other girls on here. It actaully goes up to 100lbs, I think that's the booster seat. We really like it and it's very confortable and I love how the strapes adjust. If you go to BRU they sometimes give you 20% off coupons so you can get it cheaper. The Britax are ok, I don't really like the looks of them but that's me. I think they're just as safe as the Evenflo 65.
I had a marathon for a week and took it back because it was too big. I liked everything else about it but I could not see my LO through the mirror. I wanted to like EVERYTHING about it because I would have it for a long time.
I got the Myride 65 and I love everything about it. It was easier to install and I can see my son while I'm driving. He also has more space for his legs because the seat is deeper and he loves to put things in and out of the cup holder.