Car Seat Sugestions

If you change your mind about wanting a booster - I HIGHLY recommend the Britax Marathon. Rated #1 for safety, and my kids love it and I love the ease of use and it does last a long time. Then you can move them into the smaller boosters. Good luck on your search!

Really like the Graco Nautilus.
Good luck!

I have a bnooster seat combo like you are looking at and at about $45 it is a great price although at one year your childs head and body need more support and stabilization then the kind this offers. I would suggest going a different route on the car seat and save the booster converting kind till 4yrs. Good luck

I would strongly encourage you to do some research about car seat safety before you go and buy your next car seat. Most parents rush to turn their babies at a year of age - it's become something of a "rite of passage" in this country. However, many studies show that children who stay rear facing up to two years of age have roughly half the chance of getting a deadly injury in a severe crash. The idea that their legs, which might be up against the backseat in an older toddler, will break in a crash has also been proven false - it rarely happens. In Europe, toddlers are not turned forward facing until they are between 2 and 4 years old. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently come out recommending that parents keep their toddlers rear facing to the limit of their seat. (http://tinyurl.com/AAPrecommendation)

As far as specific car seats recommendations, we are a Britax family, and we love them. Recaro is also a highly-rated brand, and so is the Sunshine Kids Radian line of seats. Most children will grow too tall for their seats before they ever grow out of the weight limit, so be sure to check the butt-to-shoulder height when you compare seats as well as the weight limits. The Roundabout 50 is one of the newer Britax seats. It retails for around $200, instead of the $280 for a Marathon, but it has the same shoulder height limit on it. It's weight limit is 50lb, instead of the 65lb on a Marathon, but again, most children grow out of a seat by height long before they reach the weight limit. You should be able to find online deals for the seats if you google "Britax discount" or something like that. I often see the Marathon for around $180, if you don't want a fancy print. We bought a classic Roundabout (which is smaller than the new Roundabout 50) for my oldest, and we love it. My second daughter has been using it for the past 2 years. Now she is ready to move out of it so we can put the baby into it. We still love it, and I'm going to be totally bummed when it expires next year! If you do buy a convertible carseat, make sure it will hold a larger child. Many of the widely- available seats only harness to 40lb and 40", which is around 3 or 4 years old - too young for most children to sit safely and still in a booster seat. If you buy a low-weight convertible, you will either have to buy another, high-weight seat or you will have to move your son into a booster before it is safe for him.

For older children - My oldest has a Britax Regent, which we love. We got it when she was 2 and we were moving her little sister into the Roundabout. It is a beast, and harnesses up to 80lb, but it's super comfortable for her, and very highly rated for safety. However, you should not put a child under 2 years old in it. If you can make your current seat work for another year, the Regent might be a good choice. Someone recommended the Britax Frontier for your son, which harnesses to 80 lb and then converts to a booster. That seat is also recommended for 2 years and up, so it would not work for your son right now.

Another thing to consider when looking at the claims that "this will be the last seat you buy" is the life of the seat. Most seats expire in 4-6 years. Even if they can hold an older child, they won't really be the last seat you'll buy, because they should be replaced before your son grows out of them. Some of the higher priced brands have a longer life on them. The Britax Frontier, for example, is good for 9 years. The manufacturer's website should have that information on it. Honestly, if you are going to have more kids, don't worry about trying to find "the last car seat." You will wind up moving your kids through the seats anyway. If you do not plan on more children, I would still recommend that you find a good quality convertible seat without worrying about boosters. You will likely need to replace his seat by the time he is ready for a booster anyway. In any case, you can find some good quality backless boosters very inexpensively. The IIHS rated some of the best/worst boosters here: http://tinyurl.com/highwaysafety

From my research, as a concerned mom (not a car seat expert), here is what I would recommend:

* Keep your son rear facing for at least the next year, or as close to it as you can. If you can make your current seat work, go for it. If not, look for a convertible seat with a high weight limit on it.
* Move him into a high-weight harness seat, or turn your convertible seat forward facing when he is at least 2, or reaches the rear facing weight limit of his seat.
* When he is ready (Google "5-Step Test for Booster Seat"), move him into a booster seat.
* When he is 4' 9", he will be tall enough to sit in an adult seat safely.

If you want to contact me via email with any specific questions, I might be able to answer them, or point you to some very good car seat safety forums. There is a lot of good information out there. My best recommendation is not to be in a rush. Take the time to do some homework before you buy your seat.

Best of luck,

S. L

I would suggest you look at a Rear Facing convertiable that can go Forward Facing later and then in a few years when your child is ready then buy a booster.
LOVE BRITAX so easy to use.
We have the Britax Roundabout since our car is smaller-(Marathon would take up too much room) I was able to keep my son Rear Facing until 2 years of age then he used it forward facing for another year before we moved him to another car seat so his little sister could be Rear Facing as long as possiable.
When my inlaws ask what we want for a baby gift (or b-day)we asked for $ towards a new car seat for the older kids.Our son also received the Britax Regence that thing is a monster 5 point harness up to 80lbs, 100? lbs. It is HUGE!!!
I got a Britax Parkway booster from my neighbor (who I know and trust) $20. It is so much nicer then the $45 Evenflo I got at Target.

I got a Britax Boulevard convertible because the infant seat was just too heavy for me to carry and was harder to put him in. Plus there was the Britax sale. I figured that he would only be backwards a month or two until he turned 1. At 16 months, he is still backwards. We have a mirror and for the most part just kicks back in it.
A store here was offering a car seat check (normally I would have had to take off work) on Sat, and we were going to turn him. They were full up, so he is still backwards, and after reading some of your responses, I feel better and plan to keep him that way for some time. Thank you for asking the question.

About the Britax Marathon, though it doesn't convert, it holds children until they are 60 pounds, with a 5 point harness. That is why we got one for our wiggly guy, and we love it. I never thought I would get one because they are expensive and (I felt) were a fashion statement, but we are very pleased with ours.

I don't know if this brand does converting ones, but when our son turned 1, we went with the Recaro, and we LOVE it! You can face it rear or forward, and the sides around his head are so sturdy, and comfortable for him!

It is a bit overwhelming to look at all the seat available and then pick the best one for you. After much research we selected the Learning Curve - First Years True Fit, it is a convertible car seat. It seats little ones from 5-65lbs and 50" tall. It had the best overall ratings from the NTSBA. The True Fit is within your price range and is about $100 less than the Britax models and tested better. The only warning I will give you is that it is a big seat if you have a smaller car it may not fit. We have a VW Passat and it fit great both rear facing and forward facing. The Parker police officer that inspected our seat stated the new best practice is to leave little ones rear facing until 2, not the legal parameters of 1 year and 20 lbs. We ended up turning our little girl at 16 months because she was getting bored in the car. We love everything about the True fit, it is easy to install, easy clean and buckle up our little girl. I have attached the NTSB's link to Safety seats just in case you haven't reviewed all the seats. Good luck!

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/nhtsa_eou/info.jsp?type=c...

Graco Nautilus. It is 3 in 1 and has good ratings.

I bought a Recaro Como for my daughter when she graduated from the infant carrier and loved it so much that we bought four more Recaros for my hubby's car and my in-law's car! We found a great deal on the Signo model (which is a step up from the Como) and I HIGHLY recommend it! Instead of having to take the car seat apart when you're ready to adjust the straps, you simply use the turn knobs at the top and roll it. Recaro is just as highly rated as Britax and they are made by the same company that makes seats for race cars. It is super sturdy, easy to install and both my one-year old and three-year old love them.

They normally retail around $250 but you can buy them online for a lot less. The ones we just bought we got at $150 each with free shipping. They are good for 5-70 pounds. Good luck!

Yes, first, your rear-facing convertible car seat should last you quite a bit longer. My first rode in his until my second needed it. My second rode in it until this summer. He's huge, and hit the weight limit when we was three. My first could have ridden in it until he was 4!
I bought a seat with a harness that becomes a belt-positioning booster at 40 lbs. for my oldest. It seemed the right thing to do. I figured I'd hand it down, but turns out that the weight limit on its harness is the same for the convertible seat. So I had to transition direction from the convertible seat to using the other seat as a belt-positioning booster. Boo! Waste of money!

We had to buy a belt-positioning booster for my older son, one that is only a booster, and it DOES work much, much better than the one that turns into one. The seat belt slides freely in the open-loop positioner design than the slot-like design of the other. (I hope you can keep track of which seat I'm talking about!)

If your son is huge like mine, save up your money so you can buy a forward-facing seat that accomodates a higher weight than 40. You can most likely use your convertible seat until then, and then you can buy one that goes up to 65 lbs. That should last plenty, long, keeping your son in a 5-point harness until he's 6 or so. If you have another child and need to pass down the convertible seat, buy a high-weight seat then.

Car seats are so confusing! I've learned a lot on the past 5 years! Good luck.

Oh, P.S. don't buy one on clearance. It seems like a good thing to do, to save $20 or so, but when I got mine I realized that its expiration date was in a little over 5 years because it had sat out its first year. That's why it's on clearance!

Hi H.,
I also highly recommend the Britax Marathon, it is our primary seat for my 22 month-old son. It can't be converted into anything, but is an easy-to-use, incredibly safe seat. However, if you are set on a seat that converts to a booster I would suggest a Graco Nautilus. We have one in my husband's car and I like it a lot, just not as much as the Britax. It converts to both a high-back booster, and a backless booster, and will be the last seat you have to buy. It runs about $150, is easy to use and very safe. My son loves it, is comfy, and really likes the cupholder where he stashes his toys. It is a great seat.
Good luck with your decision!

Britax - They're pricey (though you can find deals online) but worth it. Good to 60 lbs. Most are only good to 40. I am very happy with ours, and it does convert all the way from rear facing to booster (my daughter stayed rear facing until a year and a half in it).

Get a forward facing car seat that fits your car and your kid. However, doesn't your rear facing flip forward? In which case, you don't need to spend any money right now. :) Seriously, worry much more right now about a forward facing that fits your kid. I had a terrible time finding one for my kids' skinny, skinny butts - they simply swam in most of the forward facing seats. I ended up taking them into the store and making them sit in all of the display models. Don't worry about getting one that will turn into a booster. Almost all of them do and most won't work properly for your kid.... The forward facing car seats have good head protection. However, that's also where they guide the belt. So, if you have average or skinny kids (like me), the seat belt won't hit them until way below their ribs - not good! Also, they'll likely need boosters to the age of 8 or more (I think ALL of my son's 2nd grade class are still in boosters - even the biggest kids) and they won't fit in the forward facing as a booster that long because they'll be too tall, so you'll end up replacing w/ a booster at some point anyway! And boosters range from $16 to $50 - not enough money to really worry about.
If you really want to know - go to the fire department and talk w/the car seat installer - they've seen all the models and have the best knowledge, in my opinion.
Good luck!

We have the Graco Nautilus and the Britax Marathon. Our son is 4 and he's just about done with the Marathon and he's pretty average sized. He's still way away from the weight limit on the Britax (65 lb), but it's just a smaller seat. The Britax is, of course, an excellent carseat, but very expensive (we got ours off of Craigslist, couldn't afford a new one). We love our Graco Nautilus and we joke that he'll be able to use it until middle school. It gets great safety reviews, and I got ours on Walmart.com for $140. It also harnasses to 65 lbs. The only difference is that if you still want your son rear facing at 1 yr, the Nautilus doesn't do that. Some moms like to have their little ones rear facing as long as possible, and if that's the case for you, the Britax Marathon is the way to go. Our children were very large and very strong, so we turned them around at a year, but I do feel strongly about them being in a harness past 4 years old (too wiggly to have that lap belt on right all the time!) If you do decide to go with a Britax that will last, the Regent harnasses up to 80 lbs. but is larger and will last longer that the Marathon. But, like the Nautilus, it's not rear-facing. I guess it's really about how long you want to go rear-facing. Good luck!

Hi H.-
I'm another fan of both the Britax Marathon and the Graco Nautilus- both are excellent carseats. I have the Britax in my car- my son will fit for another 25 pounds (he's a stocky boy- a heavy 2 1/2 year old at 38 pounds already!!) but he's already outgrowing the Britax Roundabout my husband has in his car. Rather than getting another Marathon, we decided to go with the Nautilus, as it can be used to 65 pounds with the 5-point harness- EXCELLENT for safety to keep him harnessed. He'll be big enough to use the boosters (safety belt positioning), but not old enough to understand the reason to stay in it.The harness is the safest option. My son loves both carseats- the Marathon is comfy for him, the Nautilus is comfy and has the little storage compartments for his matchbox cars.

Good luck!

We bought a Graco Nautilus and so far we have loved it and so has our daughter. I like that it will hold up to 65 lbs with the 5-point harness if so desired. It becomes a high back booster and then a backless booster. It runs about $150-170.
Make sure you take your son with you when you shop for a new seat so you can check for fit and comfort.
Good luck!

We bought a Nautlist (Graco) nearly two and a half years ago and we LOVE it! My son is now a little over 4 and he thinks it is great - lots of cubbies for him to put "stuff" in and a cup holder. Me, I love that it has a harness until he is 65 pounds and then is a booster. There is nothing about the seat that I don't like.

First of all I highly recommend keeping him rear facing till 2 yrs of age and 30 pounds or until he outgrows a convetable carseat in the rf mode. If you want one that is not too expensive I highly recommend the costco scenera (about 40 dollars at any discount retailer)this should last most children until 3-4 yrs old.
I really like the Graco Natalus-it harnesses to 65lbs and than converts to both a highback or lowback booster that is good to 100 pounds.
It is available at walmart and Rus stores and Target

both these seats have a 6 yr lifespan from the date of manufacture not the date of purchase.

T.

Hi H.,

My husband works in the automotive industry, in research and testing. He did a lot of research before we bought our second seat. He decided that using a NON convertable seat was safest. Then when our boy gets big enough, we'll buy the booster. We bought a Britax, which is great! It is super easy to install, which is nice. When we fly to visit relatives, we can pop it into our McClaren stroller and get through the airport with ease, and use the seat on the plane.
Good luck.

My girls are 3 1/2 and 18 months. They both have the Graco Nautilus and we love it. It starts out as a 5 pt harness and can be converted to the high back, as well as just the regular booster. 5 pt is supposed to be much safer, so that was a big selling point for us; the seat can be used well into the older preschool years with it.
The patterns were cute for girls, but since you have a boy, thats moot. I know it comes in a grey color. We bought ours from babies r us, as they often have a 15% off coupon.
One thing to mention is that the cover is very labor intensive to get off to wash. Inevitably the girls always spill something nasty on them and I make my husband take the pads off because its just that annoying!
We were actually in a wreck and had to get all new car seats about 3 months after we bought these- I went back and still got the nautilus. Graco's customer service is superior. We've owned a total of 7 seats of theirs, and if any one of them ever have a problem you just call and they'll help you out. Best of luck!