Rec. your convertible seat...

notkateanymore · April 2014

My back isn't getting any better and M isn't getting any smaller, so I think it's time to change to a convertible seat in the next month or so...

I've always had Britax seats, but am open to something different this time around. Cost isn't an issue, but I do need something that will allow somebody to sit on either side of it and use the seat belts, have room, etc. M did not love the head wings on his Peg Perego infant seat, but I'm open to getting a seat with them this time since they don't seem as narrow on convertible seats.

Thanks!

caybeh · April 2014

We have an Evenflo Symphony that we love.

Arnegard · April 2014

We've always done Graco and had good luck. We have a nautalis which is only FF. I am not sure about current RF options.

ETA: Hope your back feels better soon.

JENandJEH · April 2014

We have a Chicco Nextfit and love it. It should be the only seat DS2 (80th percentile for height) will need until he is ready for a dedicated booster. It has one of the highest rear-facing limits on the market (second to the Graco Headwise/Size4Me/MySize) and is incredibly easy to install. He is still comfortably rear-facing and has plenty of room to go before he outgrows the rear-facing limits.

We initially had an Evenflo Symphony but when I found a good Cyber Monday deal on the Nextfit, I got it because DS2 was going to outgrow the Evenflo rear-facing before he turned 2. The Evenflo has a standing height limit of 37 inches or when the headrest is in the bottom 2 positions.

MomIn2013 · April 2014

We recently got the Evenflo Symphony for DS and so far we love it. It was super easy to install, easy to get him in and out of, and he really seems to like it. I like the feature where you tuck the buckle into these little pockets, both to keep the belt out of the way when I'm putting him back in, and to keep the metal ends cool in the summer. It's also supposed to be made out of a new material that keeps them cooler in the summer too.

goillini823 · April 2014

I just put LO in the Graco My ride 70 because my back as well. We love it so far.

Lolapop29 · April 2014

What do you drive? That makes a huge difference on seats that will work nest.

I'll share what I currently have.

We have a Recaro Proride, in my husbands Silverado. It's in the middle seat and we can easily fit people on both sides. I love this seat. It's super easy to install, and easy to adjust. I would buy this seat for my car BUT...

My civic is so tiny it was hard to find a seat that would allow the passenger seat to still be usable. I ended up getting a Maxi Cosi Pria 70. It's a really nice seat, but it's a PAIN to install. I can't do it myself. I would only recommend this seat if you are not moving it in and out of the car frequently. I have in installed on the passenger side, only one other person can sit in the back. This is more a tiny car problem, than a seat being too big though.

notkateanymore · April 2014

@Lolapop29‌ I drive a Mercedes GL450, so basically a big ass SUV. But, I need to be able to sit people on either side of him bc I'm driving carpool for theatre camp for my older DD. So I need one that is thinner if possible, without sacrificing comfort and safety. It will stay in my car, we'll use the infant seat in DH's car until he outgrows it probably.

notkateanymore · April 2014

I liked the look of the Chicco seat and I've been happy with my infant seat from them...is it as hot as their infant seats though? I have black interior on a grey car in the Deep South...

Lolapop29 · April 2014

Everyone I know that has the Chicco Nextfit loves it. I didn't get it because of the high sides can make it harder to get in and out of cars, but with your SUV that shouldn't be an issue. I don't know about it being hot though.

rosesandpetals · April 2014

We have the combi coccoro. Someone can easily sit next to it and use the seat belts. The only thing is, it is kind of a smaller seat so they tend to outgrow it quickly. Otherwise, I really like it.

alexio06 · April 2014

We have a radian, and I love the fact that it is so narrow. You could definitely fit people on both sides of it. You can use an angle adjuster so it doesn't take up so much room front to back.

Lolapop29 · April 2014

Here's a link to a great site in case you haven't seen it yet.

https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/

There's also a FB group called "car seats for little ones" that will recommend seats, and give great advice, help you install correctly etc. You just look it up and request to join.

dizzycooks · April 2014

auroraloo said:
I"m getting a Boulevard because I get it free if I buy a britax baby carrier. So that one.

eta: correct seat

Tell me more @auroraloo

LatteLady5 · April 2014

I would go with a diono radian if budget isn't an issue. It's super slim and once he can sit unassisted you can use an angle adjuster so it will take up less room front to back.

Britax seats are typically only recommended for kids who are under the 30 percentile in height because the shells are shorter and they're outgrown quickly. Though I would get one if I could get it for free

bumpuser8448316 · April 2014

Chico next fit. The Clek Foonf has a narrow base I believe.

penguingrrl · April 2014

I would shy away from the current generation of britax convertible seats because they have among the shortest shells on the market despite having the highest price tags. They're also known for having very little leg room RF,which usually leads to turning FF prematurely. My girls (who are insanely tall) both outgrew an old generation marathon (which is 1" taller shell than the current generation) RF before 18 months and FF before 3.

The recaro is also reputed to have a shorter shell and little leg room.

I have radians and while I love them for what we needed them for, I don't know that they're the seat I would choose if buying now. They have extra parts that are weird (one must be used always RF, but never FF, one must be used if a child is FF and under 40 lbs and cannot be used over 40 lbs, fussy!) and it's a beast to install in my honda (although it installs quickly and beautifully in my VW and my mom's volvo). They also have a long life (8 years to expiration) so the one I bought when Julia was under 2 will get Drew to 3.5 and I'll never need to buy another convertible seat (Emma's will get him to 4.5 so I may never buy another harnessed seat!). They are advertised as being RF, FF and booster but the booster mode is all but useless for 90% of children. They must be 50 lbs in order to use it as a booster, but my girls outgrew it for height 2+ years before hitting 50 lbs.

My sister is due any day now and when her daughter is ready for a convertible I'm buying their seat and we're leaning towards a chicco nextfit. I've heard it's easy to install and easy to use. Not sure if it's narrow or not, but on paper it looks awesome.

Spin313 · April 2014

I've been very happy with my Britax seats. DS is in a Frontier (FF) and DD is in a Marathon (convertible).

JENandJEH · April 2014

KateMW said:

I liked the look of the Chicco seat and I've been happy with my infant seat from them...is it as hot as their infant seats though? I have black interior on a grey car in the Deep South...

Not in the Deep South but in Tennessee and spend summers in VA. DS2 always runs on the hot side and I thought the kid was going to sweat to death in his Keyfit as a baby but we've had no issues with the Nextfit. We have gray interior but the seat itself is black and he's been fine in it. He does have an air vent that blows directly down onto his seat which helps but it's usually never pointing on him because he likes to mess with it when I'm putting him in the seat.

I will say that at first, the straps are hard to tighten but if you push the chest clip all the way down to the crotch buckle (after you've hooked both of them) and pull all of the slack from around baby's hips, it tightens just fine. Once you're able to move the headrest out of the lowest position, it's much easier.

Andrewsgal · April 2014

We are going with the next fit for DS mainly because I make really large kids, and I like the ease and look. It is a lot more plush than the drain we own and we are in the car so much I wanted something really comfortable.

lyingliarlies · April 2014

love our radian. he's in the middle, still RF, & it's so easy to sit next to him & get him buckled even with the huge headwings. my only minor complaint is the lack of a cupholder (but that's part of the reason it's so narrow.) we have the cupholder that attaches but DS won't leave it alone so we just leave it off.

scubagirl81 · April 2014

MomIn2013 said:

We recently got the Evenflo Symphony for DS and so far we love it. It was super easy to install, easy to get him in and out of, and he really seems to like it. I like the feature where you tuck the buckle into these little pockets, both to keep the belt out of the way when I'm putting him back in, and to keep the metal ends cool in the summer. It's also supposed to be made out of a new material that keeps them cooler in the summer too.

We just got this one too, and so far I love it! Plus the surelatch thing makes it super easy to install. I would recommend it hands down. And you can use it until your LO is 110 pounds (converts to a booster) so it should last about forever!

notkateanymore · April 2014

Thanks y'all!!

myatala · April 2014

Graco MySize 70, has good RF limits to RF a good long time for most kids, fits in our teensy 1996 Nissan Sentra and leaves enough room for this long-legged mama to be comfortable in the front seat.

Aussie45 · April 2014

We have the Britax Marathon I believe. I love it; It's super easy to install, or take out, DD seems comfy in it. We have no complaints and will probably get something similar for our next kid.

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