Next car seat

GavinIsMyBabyBear · June 2013

My 10 month old is getting too long for his infant car seat so we are starting to look into purchasing a convertible car seat. Any tips or recommendations from other mommies?

JulesDiane · June 2013

Some things to think about when buying the seat. How big is your car? Do you plan on having more kids? Will it always stay in the car? will you take it when traveling? We have a Britax for dd1. It is big and comfy for her. We have done some traveling and it's big and bulky and hard to travel with. We ended up buying a Diono also which DH says is much easier to traveling with. It also allows for more room on the back of the car for additional carseats. We had to turn the Britax forward facing when Dd2 arrived because when it wasn't in the middle seat, there wasn't enough room to rear face. Just some things to think about b

allardr · June 2013

We're going with Diono Radian because:

1) It'll be her last carseat since it rear fracing/front facing/transforms into booster seat

2) It's easy to travel with since it folds flat

3) it's "skinny" so you can fit other carseats next to it in the backseat (3 in the backseat fit)

danabsd · July 2013

I have seen a lot of STMs recommend the Diono Radian RXT for various reasons. I am personally underwhelmed with the seat. I don't like that you can't use the head wings with an infant and the recline is ridiculous. Even with the angle adjuster it takes up A LOT of room.
When I looked at the options we went with Britax Advocate(s). Mainly because it offers the most side impact protection you can get on the market today, and Beb rides in the outboard seating position in my car. We currently have one installed in our Toyota Corolla and one in out Mazda CX-9. It fits great. And IMO you cannot go wrong with Britax. andplusalso, they are currently having huge sales.

There's some really good info here.

Do what's best for you, your cars and your budget!

gimmietimmies · July 2013

Please check out Car Seats for the Littles. None of the recs here have taken into account your car, and lo's height, weight and torso size. Britax is not often recommended to kids above 30%ile as it is often outgrown rf too early. Graco Headwise/MySize/Size4Me, Chicco Nextfit, and Diono Radians are often recommended for their ability to rf to a decent age (most kids, even tall ones can hit the NHSTA recommendations of as close to 4 as possible in these), and yes they all can fit in tight spaces, even the Radian with the angle adjuster (if it can fit in my Mini, it'll nearly fit everywhere, you may need a tech to correct issues in your install).

And to whomever thought the new Diono Radians will be the last seat you'll ever buy, that's incorrect. The Radian has a minimum weight of 50 lbs to booster. Most kids outgrow the harness before they hit 50 lbs, and the harness and the belt guide are outgrown at the same time, usually around age 5-6. It's a fine convertible, but a very short lived booster. Expect to buy a decent high back booster after, for maybe $60 - $80.

BTW, there are no safety ratings. If it's on the market, it's safe. There is no regulated testing to say one seat performs better than another, just the pass/fail from the government. There is also no standards for side impact protection. They can say they offer it, but rear facing alone can do that. A Scenera can offer just as much as a Marathon, just by being rf. Headwings are fluff, like many of the extras. If you want them and are willing to pay extra to get them, great, but they offer no additional safety beyond using the seat correctly.

Seriously, join CSFTL, get advice from actual techs.

Shellykleis · July 2013

Love the Radian. So much so that I'm thinking of getting another one for the second car. DD is so comfortable in it and she has so much room to grow. Love that is is narrow too.

sunnyday016 · July 2013

I'll echo asking on CSFTL. You need to take into account your LO's torso height, overall height, weight, and your vehicle.

jmschmidt23 · September 2013

I absolutely love my Britax Boulevard. I trust Brtiax to do all the testing and safety standards while adding key features for looks and comfort. I chose the Boulevard for my daughter and have been very happy with it. It fits her well and is easy to buckle and install. I have even taken it on airplanes or trips in rental cars. I would suggest looking into one of these. I am a member of the Britax Safety Squad but the opinions expressed here are my own.

smileybabyboy · September 2013

Britax are not recommended. They have a great marketing team but there is not 1 car seat that is safer than another because they all must meet the FAA regulations. I hear BRU is pushing the Britax right now but don't fall for it.

kasheton · September 2013

We recently purchased the graco size4me 70 (also called graco my size 70 or graco headwise, depending on where it is sold and when it came out). We really like it and haven't had any problems with it. It adjusts like the chicco nexfit or graco smartseat, but it is about $100 cheaper! It also adjusts so your child can fit rear facing longer than most car seats because the back adjusts to go up so high. Hope this helps!

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