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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Chuck1906
member
Help with choosing a new Car seat...
Chuck1906
member
My 11 month old son is out growing his carrier car seat and I would like to get a new seat for him soon. I went into the store the other day just looking around and I was overwhelmed because there was so many to pick from and didn't know what I was really looking for. So what are some things or features I should be looking for in a car seat? Here in the state of DE, its the law that babies must remain in rear facing seats till they are 2 years old. I was looking at some convertible car seats the other day. I noticed some included a booster seat built in so down the road I would be able to detach it from the car seat saving me money from having to go out and buy a booster seat. He is currently about 22-23 lbs so is there a weight limit I should stay within?
Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Help with choosing a new Car seat...
Most of the differences are going to fall into the "bells and whistles" category...
You have to decide what you want out of the carseat...other than safety of course
Carseats all have to pass minimum safety codes, but many car seats go above and beyond these minimums.
Ease of installation is a major factor, as well as adjusting straps/reclining the seat, etc. If you pay more, you will get a caresat that is more user friendly.
Also, if you have to install your carseat on the outboard space, you might want to consider a carseat with side impact protection above and beyond the minimum. If you are installing it in the center it isn't so important.
We just bought 3 Evenflo Symphony E3 convertible seats and we love them. They are super easy to install, the straps are easily adjustable without rethreading them, I've never had the straps twist yet, and DS has tons more room and seems to love it. We purchased them from BRU when they were doing their trade in event and got 25% off, however you can use their 20% off cupons for this seat (you can't with the Britax).
Compromise and Balance are key. JH.
Baby Bargains (9th edition is the newest) is also a good resource for deciding what you want. They describe lots of car seats, give ratings, and list pros and cons and prices. You might want to check your library for this as well. I took the book with me and went into stores and checked online to compare what I liked based on looks with what the book said about them.
(I ended up going with the Britax Roundabout 55 and I really like it so far!)
I used this as a first resource - took down the makes and models of the top rated carseats. I've heard that the consumer reports research isn't very trustworthy/accurate/valuable.
Then I did some research on our particular make/model of cars. Not really much of an issue for my Accord, but DH drives an old model, 2-door BMW M3 and it can be tricky to find a carseat that fits well in such a small car.
We ended up getting Recaro Prorides for both cars because - they're well rated, fit in his car, and we scored an amazing deal where they were almost $100 off list price. I love how sturdy and substantial they feel - nothing plasticy about them.
My mom got a carseat for her car and we went with the Evenflo Triumph, which was the least expensive/best rated carseat. It's fine, but definitely lacking in the bells and whistles and feels a little more plasticky than the Recaro. Our kid doesn't seem to mind though, he knocks out in both of them!
FWIW, I am a CPST, so I am totally on board with rear-facing, but rear-facing isn't law in any state yet.
As far as seats go, there are many great seats to pick from. The best seat is the one that fits your vehicle, your budget, and your child the best. Also, one that you are confident that you can install correctly 100% of the time.
The most recommended seats are:
Evenflo Triumph/Evenflo Momentum
Graco MyRide/Graco My Size 70/Graco Size 4 Me 70
Safety First Complete Air/Safety First On Side Air/Safety First Guide 65
Diono Radian
Maxi Cosi Pria 70
First Years True Fit
Britax Classic Marathon (Found only at Target), and other Britax seats.
** I have many Britax seats, but my children are all small for their ages, so they work well for us. If you have a child with a longer torso, then I would not suggest buying a Britax, because they won't last as long as the other seats mentioned.
Jenn & Jason
September 27, 2008
The unfortunate part about this is that the Radian's harness is commonly outgrown before a child can even use it in booster mode. I believe a child has to weigh 50lbs in order to start using the booster function, so while it is a good seat, it definitely isn't the last seat you will need.
I am a tech on that board.