Convertible Car Seats

ragsdalejennifer · August 2013

I know this has been brought up before, but can you share what car seat you have chosen or will choose and what your reasoning was behind this decision. I am having a hard time deciding!

Thank You!

Litgirl77 · August 2013

We chose a Britax bc several people told us they liked it. We have a Camry, so we were a little concerned about size, and ended up getting the Boulevard. It's a bit tight, but works pretty well and I like that it offers a little more protection.

kjsmith9 · August 2013

We got the diono radian r120. We wanted one with great safety ratings and potential for rear facing as long as possible. We are both tall (I'm 5'8" and DH is 6'1"), so we're expecting her to be tall as well. The radian seats have tall shells compared to most other convertibles. They also turn into boosters, so we won't have to buy other car seats in the future. I love how stable it feels in comparison to the seat she uses with my MIL (I think it's the graco myride 70), but that's probably because I've only ever put her in the radian and never realized what other seats felt like.

What truly works for you depends on your budget and what fits safely and securely into your car(s). A lot of people recommend liking Car Seats For The Littles on facebook - they give lots of great tips and reviews of lots of seats.

minervacullen · August 2013

We have the Graco size4me 70, it's the same as the Graco headwise and my size. They're referred to as the graco clones. They have the highest shells on the market right now. Diono and foonf also have high shells. We are tall and want to rear-face as close to 4 as possible. It's very very easy to install and she seems to like it. I had the Britax roundabout for DS and he was able to rf until 2 without issue, but outgrew it ff by three (he was above 95% for height). This seat will get Milla rf most likely until 4 and ff until 6. I used my very tall almost 7 year old as a guide. His shoulders are about an inch above the harness, she's slightly lower in the % than he was (between 75 and 90), so I figure 6 until she's above the harness height. At that time I will get her a harnessed booster, I think the frontier since it has the highest harness height.
I read a few reviews about the harness being difficult. I used Car Seats for the Littles on fb to get info about it in advance and knew how to make sure it didn't happen. No issues so far. You just tighten it with a tug tug instead of a pull. I reallllly recommend joining their group. Just give them LOs age, sizes, car, and budget and they will help you pick the best seat for you.

ETA, oh duh it also has a no re-thread harness. Just makes it easier.

Fullcircle06 · August 2013

We went with the Graco my ride 65. For a couple of reasons - 1. It goes up to 40 lb RF and 65 FF. He is already on the big side, so I wanted him to have room to grow. 2. It received good reviews and had good safety ratings. 3. In my research and I've seen on here - that Britax is not always best for taller/longer babies, which DS is (the max height is lower). It's a bit bulky, but not too bad. We have a normal sized 4 dr sedan, and there would be room in the backseat if we had two other passengers back there. Also, it has cupholders (not important yet, but might be later). Some of the reviews said that it was difficult to install, but we didn't have any issues with it. Oh, and I liked that it is washable.

kerbear135 · August 2013

Another Graco family here...we have the My Size 70. It fits well in my Pontiac Vibe which has a smallish back seat. It's super easy to install (we've been having to install it in the cars we've been test driving to make sure it works with whatever car DH finds) and like @minervacullen said, it has a no-thread harness which is super convenient.

Jackiemxoxo · August 2013

We went with the radian r120 for one car and the graco my size 70 for another. Basically for all the reasons mentioned above but we are still in the bucket cause she still fits and sleeps in it. I would shop for deals when finding a convertible seat because the prices can really range if there is a sale.

Snowmum1212 · August 2013

We bought the clek foonf last week. LO loves it ! We decided on it because of the long term use while rear facing (hoping until 3 at least) and same with forward facing. I have an Equinox and plan on getting a surburban in the next year so size wasn't a problem.
My husband drives an Acura TSX and we plan on getting a Radian for his car. With the lower profile and height it should fit great in there.
I also highly recommend Car seats for the littles on Fb! It's a very knowledgeable group.

ForeverEverAfter · August 2013

It really depends on your vehicle and budget. We got the Eddie Bauer XRS. We have a truck and it actually fit our tiny backseat, it was reasonably priced and RFs to 40lbs. My LO is only 17th %ile so that should last us a long time.

robyn2201 · August 2013

We have two Graco My Ride 65's. It's nice a nice car seat but big for our little Corolla. Price was nice and it is easy to install.

If you are thinking long term and may want to have 3+ kiddos, and having to fit three seats across, consider getting something smaller like a Radian.

minervacullen · August 2013

Babar78 said:
We are debating between the Chicco NextFit and the Britax Advocate. They are both pricey but BRU has layaway and we can pay it off over time. We are going to test drive them both this weekend.

I've heard great things about both!

Beth.1212 · August 2013

Got the Nextfit bc of rf size, price, and bc we love our keyfit.

If price was no object, would have probably gotten the clek foonf.

velazquezk1 · August 2013

As best as you can see, this is our Britax in our 2012 Camry. It's so easy to install, no thread harness, and we can comfortably fit our 5 and 7 year olds in their booster seats on either side.

Don't mind her Star Trekking with her bow.

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