Alpha Omega Elite or Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 Convertible?

We just got the Britax Regent and are happy with it. This is a very large seat, though, should be her last seat.

BTW, VA car seat law is that kids have to be in some sort of car seat/booster seat until they are 8 years old. (The change to the law happened in July, 2007)

We have used the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite since my DD outgrew her Graco SnugRide at 12 months. We have two, one for each car. She's 4 now and still going strong - it is a wonderful seat - we've had no problems with it and it's easy to use - it converts into a booster seat, but we might just keep using it as is.

Good morning. For professional advice on this one you might try calling a woman by the name of Mary Bair, RNC, BSN at Southern Maryland Hospital in Clinton, Maryland. She is the Maternal Child Educator at the hospital and also runs the child safety seat program there. She is certified to install car seats and to do car seat safety checks. She also happens to be a wonderful woman. The number there is ###-###-####. Hope this helps!

P.S. I have twins, too. 6 year old girls.

I don't know about the Alpha Omega Elite, but the Eddie Bauer carseat is what I had for my daughter and we had tons of problems with it. The carseat just fell apart, the screws came out from everywhere and the seat had stability problems.

I have both my kids in the Alpha Omega and they are 2 and 4. Though I am starting to think the 4 yr old needs the regular booster. It just seems to be getting small for her.

We've had the Alpha Omega Elite since my son was about 4 months old. He's only 15 months now, but the seat has plenty of room for him to grow.

I don't know if that helps you or not. The 2 seats are basically the same, they're made by the same company. The Eddie Bauer one is just a little more fancy.

I have a 4-year-old and a 2 1/2-year-old. They're both in the Alpha Omega Elite. I've been very pleased with the seats, though the straps on the newer one are a little tricky to adjust sometimes. The seats will fit them up to 100 lbs. too so I don't have to keep buying different boosters. Very reasonably priced. Good luck!

The fit of a carseat has very little to do with where a child's legs are. Look at their head. If there is one inch of hard shell left over their head the seat still works for them. YOu will likely never find a seat that lasts until your child is 8, which is VA law, b/c you cannot predict how your child will grow in the next 6 years. Even if you coudl, most carseats expire in 6 years so unless you got something dated pretty currently you'd be out of luck and put your child's life at risk.

check out this message board. There's lots of info there.

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=...

PS we have a Britax too. I'd bet that your seat will last your dd until she is around 5 years old and then you can switch her to a belt positioning booster if you wanted b/c she'd likely be big enough and mature enough to sit properly in it.

Have a look at the Sunshine Kids Radian 65 and the Britax Regent. Both will take her to 65#. The key here is to have them in a 5-pt harness as long as possible (all other car seats won't allow you to use the harness past 40 or 45# which is age 4 for us). Not only are they easier for the kids to buckle themselves (and then you safety-check), but they are a ton safer.

Have a look at the video concerning the death of a child when the seat belt on his booster seat failed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

and the realted website: http://www.kyledavidmiller.org

I have done hours and hours of research on carseats and I would not recommend either one of them (they are essentially the same seat, btw...made by the same company, Dorel). There is nothing unsafe about them but they only harness to 40 lbs. and they have very low top harness slots which means that your child will more than likely outgrow the seat way before he/she is ready to use it in the booster mode and you will end up having to buy another seat to keep them harnessed until they are of the age and maturity (generally 5-6 years old) to sit properly in a booster seat. It is recommended that you keep your child harnessed as long as possible. In addition to the links already posted to the Kyle David Miller Foundation, also check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04 It is called "Belle's Gift" and explains the importance of harnessing as long as possible.

If your child is bigger in size I would recommend the Britax Regent. It would definitely last you until booster age. BUT this seat does not fit the average child until around 3ish years old, that's why I say if your child is on the larger side it will fit them pretty good. It is a beast of a seat but harnesses to 80 lbs. I think the perfect seat for your child, if you can find it b/c it is brand new, is the Graco Nautilus. It harness to 65lbs. and then converts to a highback booster and then a no back booster. It will literally be the last seat you need and, in my mind, no other combination seat can claim that b/c they do not have the high harness slots and high weight limit as the Nautilus. Right now it can only be found at Walmart for I think $150. Also, if you have an average size child you can check out the Britax Marathon. It lasts most kids to 5-6 years old and then you can go to a booster.

I just would not go with either of those seats you've listed. I've seen too many people regret buying these seats or they end up unknowingly end up putting their kid in the booster too soon just b/c they have outgrown the harness. Do not believe the hype on the box when those Eddie Bauer/Cosco/Safety1st/Evenflo (all made by the same company) seats say they are the "last seat you will ever need". They should be sued for false advertising.

Edited to add: Trust me when I say that your 2 year old is not outgrowing the Decathalon. My over 100th percentile 19 month old is still rear facing in her Marathon and has plenty of growing room. Her feet will dangle on any seat you get. If you want to nip that in the bud and she is under 33lbs, turn her back reafacing. It is the safest way to travel for children and it will solve the problem of her feet dangling. I turned my daughter for one car ride and she was complaining the whole time about her feet dangling and falling asleep. I dread the day when she outgrows that seat rearfacing and I have to turn her.

Hi L.,

I researched car seats through many sources, including the National Transportation government website and they provide various rating information and ratings on most car seats. We have the Alpha Omega Elite...two of them,which rated well. I have 3 1/2 year old twin boys. I love the Alpha Omega Elite. Easy to install and remove in the car. Removing the pads for cleaning can be a bit of a project - but we've had them now for over two years and they're holding up beautifully.

By the way...where are located? IF your anywhere near Suffolk, VA...I have a double stroller (albeit tan and blue plaid) that I'd give to you.

T. A

What you are looking for is the Britax Regent. It will last until about 12 years old. I have four and they are totally worth the money!

My son is 3 and I've had an Alpha Omega since he came home from the hospital. I think it is very versatile and adjusts very well according to your child's growth.

L.,
I have the Alpha Omega for my 2 year old and we have had it since he grew out of his carrier/carseat. I love it and he seems very comfortable in it. I plan on getting another one when my daughter is ready in a few months. Don't know much about the EB one, but we have no complaints with AOE.

We have the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 convertible for our daughter. We are pretty happy with it. She seems to be comfortable in it. It's easy to adjust the straps. It's kind of big, but I think they probably all will be. I'm happy we bought it. It's the only one we have had like this though, so I really don't have anything to compare it to.

Congratulations on your twins and good luck!!

I bought the Alpha and hated it so much I had to return it. After the ease of a britax roundabout, the Alpha was ridiculously hard to install and use. Britax now makes a car seat that goes up to 80lbs. It's very big, but comfortable, safe, easy to install and easy to use.

I have the Alpha Omega Elite and absolutely love it! I will definitely be buying another one for our next child!!

Hi, L.. We have the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1, which is absolutely fine. It's held up through several washes, is easy to install, take out and re-install. My son likes the cup holders for toys and snacks. It's nice that the pillow and armrests can come on and off. My son is 3 and about 35 pounds, and he's got plenty of room to grow in it. Most importantly, it keeps hims safe.

I only have two reservations:
1. The central bottom clip (the one with the red button on it), even on it's largest setting, is placed rather close to the child. While my husband and I have learned to pull it out a bit in order to clip it, often when a friend or grandparent tries to get him in, they have a terrible time of it, on occasion catching my son's pant leg. If your little girl is big for her age, you may want to try her in it at the store to make sure you can clip her in easily. My son is pretty skinny, so it's always surprised me how tight it's been for him.

2. In order for you to adjust the straps (which you need to do often in the spring, for example, when frequently switching between a big winter coat and a lighter one), you need to make sure the straps are not caught up in the back. If the slack strap (which allows you to make the straps bigger in front) is caught under the seat, you have to take your kid out and rearrange the seat, which is a pain. If you remember to organize the straps behind the seat when you install it, you're fine. This may be a problem for any seat, as they all have loads of straps now (latch, seatbelt, etc), but I've only encountered it with this one. Again, it's the kind of thing that once you learn and remember to do isn't a big deal, but it's worth knowing about up front.

Good luck with the decision!

M.

I have an Alpha Omega for my 3 1/2 year old and am trying to convince my husband we need another one for our almost 1 year old. I don't have any experience with the Eddie Bauer, but would never ever buy another car seat that doesn't recline! We really love the A-O and would reccommend it to all.

I have three of these seats...one is the Eddie Bauer and the other two are the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite...basically all the same car seats though. I LOVE them! I have used them since my kids outgrew their infants seats. I have a 4 year old son who still uses it and fits great in it. I also have twin boys that are almost 3 and I feel like they fit all three boys great. I would highly recommend them!

I don't know about the Alpha Omega Elite, but I own the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 Convertible. It was one of the best purchases that I have made. My daughter is almost 2, and I love the fact that once she's too big for the carseat, I can use it as a booster, and the weight limit is 100lbs! I'm a frugal fanny, so I purchased this one because I won't need another!

i have the eddie bauer 3 in 1 convertible car seat and love it. we have a 17 mo old and it is great. i highly recommend it!!!!!!!!

I have an Alpha Omega and a Britax Regent and I like the Britax seat much better. The Alpha Omega is a good seat when you use it as a car seat, but it seems to slide around a lot when I use it as a booster for my 42 pound 4-year-old. We use it as our extra seat. The Britax Regent can be used up to 80 or 100 pounds (I forget!) with the 5 point harness instead of a seat belt. The only negative about the Regent is its size...it's a HUGE seat! Oh, and you probably want to have it installed by the fire dept...it was a little tricky to get right (but that was the case with the Alpha Omega, also).