Convertible Car Seats - Cottage Grove,WI

I am super duper picky and have owned/borrowed/tried over 15 seats in my daughter's 6 years on Earth.

Britax,Britax,Britax......

I've owned the Britax Roundabout,Marathon and Regent and to tell you the truth I should have skipped the Roundabout and just went straight for the Marathon it's worth the extra $50bucks.

You will want to keep your lil one in a 5pt.harness as long as possible and not use a booster seat til you absolutely have no other choice.

I love BRITAX because they're safe, comfortable, extremely user friendly and the straps don't twist and get all tangly.

I just used a Evenflo with a child I was babysitting and their latch system is horrible I got the carseat stuck in my backseat and couldn't un-latch it for like 15min. I was ready to scream.

I'm a single mom who's financially challenged and I splurged and bought the better seats.

My daughter was in the Marathon til 5.5 and could have gone another 1-2 years but I got a great deal on a Regent so switched her. She's now 6.5 and in first grade and loves her 5pt.harnessed carseat.

The Alpha Omega is by the brand of Cosco/Eddie Bauer worst brand I could ever think of. My daugter has actually broken one of their seats when she was 2 years old, their straps twist so bad they become unsafe and to use it as a 3in1 won't work well, when you go to use them as a booster seat they stink.

1 mom found this helpful

To Brandi R- the Evenflo Big Kid Booster is for older kids. THe Minimum you want to use a belted booster is 4yrs AND 40lbs, regardless of what the box says. She needs a convertible, and not a booster for at least 4 more years.

Yes, skip the 3-in-1 seats. They are ok... a jack of all trades, master of none. THe good thing about them is they rear face to 35lbs... but after that they aren't the greatest. The straps twist up like crazy, you want the straps to remain flat against the body. They only forward face to 40lbs, then must be used as a booster, but they are short seats,so most kids outgrwo them by height long before weight, and then must be used as a booster. THat top harness notch on the Alpha omega seats can only be used in booster mode, so the 2nd to the top harness is the tallest that seat will get. My oldest outgrew this seat at 3, and we had to buy another one because there is no way I was putting my 3yo in a booster. Plus the seats are wide, so they make bad boosters, they hold the belt too far away from the body.

THe Roundabout is a good seat, but it will only harness to 40lbs, and again most kids outgrow around age 3/4, and you WANT your child to remain ina five point harness as long as possible, to age 5/6 or longer. So I would skip the roundabout and go with the Marathon if you choose a Britax.

The Marathon is a GREAT seat. I own one and will never own another brand/make of convertible seat again. It will rear face to 35lbs, and forward face to 65lbs. My 5 1/2yrold is 49'' tall and 45lbs and still has a little growing room in the Marathon (but he sits in a Regent). Its so worth the money, your child, teeny as she is, will easily be able to use this seat to age 6 and expire it (seats expire after 6yrs). The seats are large, plush, and you can look online (www.albeebaby.com has the best prices) and find adorable girly covers! We have a Mossy Oak cover on our seat!

Another option for you is the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. It will rear face to 33lbs, and forward face to 55lbs. It has the same shell as the Britax Marathon, it is in face made BY britax for Fisher Price. It is $130 on www.albeebaby.com and its a GREAT seat.... basically a Marathon without all the bells and whistles like belt lockoffs, fancy covers. I really like this seat as well.

The Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE will rear face to 33lbs and forward to 50. It says it will fit most 5yr olds, but my 5yr old was too tall, and I didn't like the eternal adjusting systme, but it was a great seat, but unless your child is shorter and heavier, it will be outgrown in height before weight. BUT its still a great option for hte price!

IMO, yes, it is more important to have the extra poundage on the seats like the Marathon or the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. The Radian seats are great too, but they can be incompatible with some vehicles, so if this is the route you go, make sure you can reutrn it if it won't install correctly. The extra height/weight options iwll allow you to keep your child in the MUCH safer five point harness to age 5/6, or longer! You WANT your child to remain in a five point harness for as long as possible. 4yrs and 40lbs is the bare minimum. My 5 1/2yr old is still in a 5pt (the Britax Regent) and will remain there until he outgrows it.

Safety wise, any seat you choose will be safe as long as you use it correctly, install it correctly, EVERY TIME. It doesn't matter if you spend $40 or $300 on a seat if you don't use it right. BUT, in my opinion, and after owning quite a few seats in my 6yrs as a parent, the Britax seats will last you, the MArathon has lasted us almost 6yrs and I wouldn't trade that for any cheaper seat because of its higher harness height and weight.

Also, please consider practicing extended rear facing. your daughter is a peanut, and she is only 10 months old so she has to remain rear facing right now, but studies now show, and the AAP recommends, that children remain rear facing up to 33/35lbs ,the rear facing weight limits of thier convertible carseat. Here is a great link to support this, and it contains GREAT information. http://z3.invisionfree.com/Carseats/index.php?showtopic=32

We are HUGE Britax fans and willing to pay for what we believe (and the ratings show) to be the safest carseats on the market. We have both a roundabout and a marathon and I much prefer the marathon - it is bigger and more comfortable for our 2 year old. Both seats are easy to get in and out of the car (esp. if you have a latch system) and they are easy to get the child in and out of the seats. We just purchased a Regent (5 pt. restraint booster seat) for our 2 year old (will be three in April) so we can use the marathon and roundabout for our 5 month old who just outgrew the graco infant carrier. Good luck, but check out the ratings for the seats at babycenter.com or amazon.com and see for yourself.

hey! i am a big britax fan and would suggest to go with them. i own a roundabout and a marathon. i originally bought the roundabout b/c we had a smaller car. now that our second is ready for a convertible seat we got the marathon, b/c having your kids in a five point harness is definitely the safest way for them to be in the car. the roundabout only goes to 40 lbs. and i think keeping the kids in the car seat for as long as they fit is the best way so the marathon going up to 65 lbs. is brilliant.

You can get the Alpha Omega for $90 at BabyAge.com (through Amazon.com). My husband likes it, he drives our son to and from daycare so he uses it all of the time. I'm looking into a 2nd one for my car. My son is over a year, but still fits in his rear facing seat, so I still use it when I cart him around. We spoke with a Britax sales rep in a store and he recommended that we keep him rear facing seat as long as he can stand it. It's the safest. I think I'll eventually get the Alpha Omega for a 2nd one, but there are some other great deals on Amazon.com and their partner sites. Babycenter.com has a sale going on now for 2006 models. Good luck! Sorry I can't give more specific advice, I'm in the search too.

I have been in your shoes not that long ago ! We got the Alpha Omege Elite because it was a consumer reports best buy for safety and I found it online for $80 (instead of $120). We bought two of them, but they are horrible to use and I am thinking about putting them on ebay to try to get some money back out of them. It is impossible to pull the straps tight enough. I think the 3 in 1 car seats are the way to go. I will keep a lookout to see if anyone likes one brand over another also.

My husband and I purchased the Britax Boulevard for our son. It was $300, but after all of the research I did, I found it to be the best carseat out there.

It is tested to European Standards, which means it is tested at speeds of 65MPH, whereas the others have only passed American Standards, which are 35-45MPH.

It also has more shock absorbing padding around the sides as well as some "easy to use" features.

We have had wonderful luck with our Britax and I would recommend the brand to anyone else looking to purchase a car seat.

Good luck! I know the information out there can be overwhelming.

B....I have a 3.5 year old. I had always planned on getting a Britax with him but was given a New Free Evenflo Triumph. I loved it for the most part, but I absolutely haveted having to get it in and out of the car. It was not easy at all to get the latch system all set up. It is also a much wider car seat. I have just purchased him the Britax Marathon. He is about 42 lbs. and has out grown the evenflo model that we had. I can't put him in a booster yet because he un-buckles himself, therefor I have to keep him in a 5-point harness. I Absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Britax, and wish I would have bought it from square one. He loves it too. It is worth every penny!!!

I agree that Britax is worth the money, but I may be in the minority on one thing. Personally, we went with the Roundabout and we love it! My son is small for his age (just reached 20 lbs. at 16 months), and we decided that at that rate, if he stays in the 5th percentile he could be 11 before he grew out of the Marathon weight wise. We decided that he probably wouldn't want to sit in it that long, and since we travel by air quite often we decided to go with the smaller seat that was easier to carry around. Saving $50 was a nice bonus, too. It's great and was definitely worth the money.

We have the Evenflo Triumph Advance and LOVE IT!! So easy to adjust, tighten once you get them in, and I got it in the tan stripe color called Sandbox, so it's real stylish! It is on the large side, so you will have to make sure it fits in you car, we have one in both our Mountaineer, and our Grand Prix, and they work well in both.

We have the Evenflo Triumph Advance and it is GREAT! I recommend it to everyone I know who is having a baby or getting ready to transition to a toddler seat. I even used it rear facing for a while because we had to move my daughter out of the infant carrier when she was 4 months old because she was already 20 pounds! It was hard to adjust the straps in the rear facing position, but it is SUPER easy in the forward facing and my daughter loves it! Definitely better than Britax if money is an issue.

Go with the more expensive Britax. We have the Marathon and I would never get anything different again. My husband has a cheap model in his truck for occassional use and the straps are constantly twisted and it is difficult to get in and out. My mom has a Graco Comfort Sport and the same things happen, her head also falls forward when she sleeps. With the Britax, it fits great in every vehicle I have tried it in, especially with the LATCH system, and my little girl looks so comfortable and sleeps great in hers. The price is a little hard to swallow, but it is well worth it for ease of use and comfort.

We bought the Alpha Omega Elite because we wanted a 3-in-1 car seat to save money in the long run and it was so much cheaper than the Britax. I can't compare it to using any other car seats, but will point the things I do NOT like about it:
1) The straps seem to get very easily twisted
2) The seat is big and will not fit well in smaller vehicles. I have a Ford Escape and when we had our son rear-facing, it would only fit in the center position.
3) I have been able to figure out how to turn the seat around to forward-face, etc and how to make adjustments to the straps but wouldn't exactly call the process "easy" or "user-friendly". Now, that may just be me...

None of these things have bothered me enough to go buy a different car seat, but I would probably check into the Britax closer before buying another car seat...

We bought the Fisher Price car seat. It is made by Britax and is the same as the Marathon, but for about 1/2 the price. The straps are easy to slide, it's easy to put in the car, and my son seems to like it.

For both of my kids I used the Eddie Bauer® Deluxe 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat - Kingston. The nice thing about it is the head rest is adjustable and it reclines. Great quality and great price. I got it at Target... around $150. I think for the most part the car seats you mentioned are good. I think the most important thing when it comes to a car seat is just making sure one buckles their child in correctly.
Here is a site that might be helpful.
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
Good Luck!
S.

It has been posted already on other car seat posts but please please please consider a 5-point harness seat for your precious children. You can find suggested models at www.kyledavidmiller.org and you can buy any one of them through www.hipmonkey.com or at any local children's store such as Target.
I was looking at booster seats for my 3 year old who is tall for his age when I stumbled accross the video for Kyle. After watching Kyle's video, I will keep my kids in a 5-point harness seat until I just can't any longer.
D.

We too have the Evenflow Triumph Advance and absolutely love it! I don't think it's user unfriendly at all. It's very easy to use and its price tag is much easier to swallow than the Britax models.

We have a Britax and I love it. It is not only safe, but comfortable for him. The only thing is that if it's your only car seat for 2 cars, it is very heavy to switch them out. If it is going to be stationary in one car I recomend trying one out. Sometimes you can find a good deal on Ebay.

We purchased the Evenflo Triumph about a year ago for our daughter based on the high safety ratings and the fact that it was about $100 cheaper than the Britax Marathon. We, too, had read about the complaints that it wasn't user friendly, but decided to buy it anyway. Even the guy who inspcted the seat at the car seat safety clinic said he wasn't a big fan of the seat because of the straps. Needless to say, after nearly a year of messing with the straps and spending WAY too much time putting our daughter in the car seat each time, we decided to buy the Britax Marathon and have been much happier with it. Basically, the Evenflo straps require a lot of threading and adjusting each time you buckle the seat (despite the fact that they say you only have to adjust it once). The Evenflo looks nice and is very safe, but if you will be using the seat daily and at times when you may be in a hurry, I'd recommend you go with something else. I think the only reason we lasted so long with the Evenflo Triumph was that I am a stay-at-home mom and wasn't using the seat every day.

My husband & I just went through the same perdicament about a week ago. We have 9 mo. old twin boys so price was a big factor since we needed to get two. We had a 3-in-one with my oldest son & we hated it so I wouldn't recommend those. Our choices came down to the Evenflo Triumph or the Britax Roundabout. We basically sat in Babies R' Us staring at them forever & comparing all of the features. We finally decided on the Evenflo just because I liked how adjustable the straps were without having to take the whole thing out. We have had them for about a week now & I really like them. The only thing that I am having trouble with is the piece that clicks together across the chest, sometimes it can be a little tough to get apart, other than that they are great. I hope this helps you out.

we have two britax marathons (one for each of my kids) and i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. the straps don't tangle, they're easy to tighten and loosen, they look soooooo comfy! i'd highly recommend them! both my kids are "big"...in the 75 to 90th percentiles for both height and weight. my son is almost 3 and still fits in his quite well.

good luck.

B.,

Think safety...not price!! Your kids will thank you!!

Yes the extended life to 65lbs is GREAT. It is safest for your child to be kept in a 5 point harness for as long as possible. Seat belts do not protect a child as it does an adult.

I have not owned a Britax but I have heard great things about them. We just purchased a Sunshine Kids Radian carseat. They have one that goes to from 5 lbs - 65lbs ($200) and one that goes 5 lbs - 80lbs ($250). I could go on and on about keeping your child in a 5 point harness, but instead please visit the links below - they will show you much more than I can tell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/home/index.htm

We love our Alpha Omega Elites. I have one for my son & daughter. I don't know why it would say not to bother with them, they have been the easiest car seats. My kids are really big too so I have had to adjust them a lot through the years when I would have had to buy another one. My daughter is 4 YO & 40 lbs & still fits great in hers she has had since birth as well as my son who is 38 lbs & 2 YO. They did not fit in the ones you can carry for too long so it worked out well.
Brekka
After being informed by another mom I just bought the Graco Nautilus for my son which harnesses up to 65 lbs. My son who is only 2 & 40 lbs was going to have to have the Alpha Omega car seat turned into a booster to continue to be safe. He is too young & too short for that! So the Graco Nautilius is definitely the best choice & not too pricey at $150. The only downfall is that you will have to have a rear facing car seat for the first year.

I LOVE our Britax Marathon. I have a 26 month old son who is in the high 90th percentile and needed a good convertable seat. The price was a little high, but it is SO easy to use and move. I found it cheapest on-line, but I can't remember the site...if you search for Britax you can price shop that way. We also have a Graco convertable that is in our rarely used vehicle, and it is really not too easy to use. I definately recommend the Britax Marathon!!!

Hi B.,
I have 3 convertible car seats...yes 3...I need to have one for my husband, myself, & my mother since she watches the kids 2 days a week for me. Here is my take on my 3:
1. Cosco Scenera $40: fine for quick trips doesn't appear to be very comfortable (to me anyway), I believe it to be safe though.
2. Graco Comfort Sport $80: this is really a nice car seat for the money. I read in consumer reports it is the best buy. I think my dd (22 mo) is very comfortable in it and I LOVE the straps and buckle. It works easily and straps do not twist.
3. Alpha Omega Elite 3in1 $130: I like this seat about equal as my Graco, there are some features that are nice, it reclines which is really nice for long trips (we drive 12 hrs to my inlaws) and has a deal that supports the head so it doesn't fall to the side so much when she sleeps. But it is heavy and kind of big I think, if you have a small car I don't think it'd work so well...my friend had a 2 door and had a really hard time with any one being able to sit in the seat in front of it. You can order this site to store with Wal-Mart and pay no shipping too!!

If $130 is a little much go for the Graco Comfort Sport sold at Target in different patterns even. I don't think you can go wrong! Good Luck!

We bought the Evenflo Titan Elite and we love it. It is very easy to install and my son always seems to look comfortable. It is very soft and he has plenty of room. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8145139

We like it very much. Although we got the silver and black it does not seem to be available online anymore. I got ours on Walmart.com they are a lot cheaper and since most stores don't carry a very good selection in the store we had to pretty much buy online regardless of what we bought. Wal-Mart makes it easy you can do a site to store delivery and you don't have to pay for the
shipping. Hope this helps.

Evenflo Big Kid Booster Car Seat, Wakefield Tan

$29.97
Was: $39.42
The Evenflo Big Kid Booster is the car seat made especially for toddlers transitioning out of their infant car seats. It converts to a no-back booster and has convenient one-handed full body adjustment. This is the last seat you will need to buy for your child as it accommodates children from 30lbs to 100lbs and up to 57" tall.

The Evenflo Big Kid Booster has a one-hand, full-body adjustment to allow the seat to grow with your child
Pivoting armrests improves ease of entry and proper buckle position
Fits children between 30 and 100lbs and up to 57" tall
Two retractable extra large cup holders and convenient storage space for snacks or Gameboy players
5-position height adjustments facilitates a growing child
Easily converts to a no back booster when your child is ready
Removable, washable cloth pad

This is the car seat I got at Wal Mart. I got it when Sierra was 3 but is supposed to be good for kids 30 + so your daughter would be a little small... but if you don't need a car seat immediately I would consider it. B.

I'd recommend you talk to a certified 4-day Child Safety Seat Technician. They inspect and install car seats free of charge. They also recommend new ones. They are aware of which seats have been recalled due to defects. The following link will take you to the Safe Kids website. They are the authority on child safety. Enter your state in the "Find coalitions and events near you" That will get you a phone number to call. Good Luck!

http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=182

I know you've had a ton of responses but I felt compelled to chime in since we actually are using both of the seats you mentioned right now. I have a 26 month old who was born at 10 pounds and transitioned to a convertible seat well before his first birthday. We got a Britax Roundabout initially after reading so many positive reviews everywhere. We would have gotten the Marathon if we had a bigger car but it's pretty huge for a mid-sized sedan. We later bought the Evenflo Triumph (I think ours is the LX) as a back up for the other car. We have ended up using the Evenflo more than expected and if we had known, we would have spent the money and gotten another Britax. The Evenflo is just such a hassle compared to the Britax. I can see how those who don't have a Britax might disagree with me but those who do and have used others know what I'm talking about. It's a combination of the straps and the tightening mechanism and the simplicity of the clips. I never knew all of this would really make a difference but I also didn't realize how many times he would be in and out of that seat every day. They are both safe seats but the Britax is just so smooth to use. I am a huge follower of Consumer Reports (and Baby Bargains too) but I don't think that they take the usability factor into account as much as the safety - which of course is a priority.

I absolutely agree with everyone else that you should get a convertible seat that you can use for as long as possible, and definitely avoid the 3 in 1. Good luck!

I've had two Britax carseats for my boys and I think they are definitely worth the extra money. For one thing, the headrest sticks out so the kids can sleep in the car without getting noodle neck. The other wonderful feature is that they are adjustable on the side. You don't have to take the carseat out or remove anything, you just turn the dial on the side to adjust the height of the straps.

I absolutely LOVE my Marathon. I would not trade it for any other seat. I intalled it my myself in about 5 minutes. The only reason it took that long is because I had to take it out once to put more padding under it to get it level in my car. I am able to swap it in and out in minutes when we change cars. We have a less expensive one in my Husband's truck and it is not as comfortable for James and it takes much longer and is much harder to install, most of the time it takes two people becasue I am not strong enough to pull the strap tight enough.
I definitely feel that it was worth the extra money for the higher size range and the added comfort for my son.
Good Luck!

Hi, I own a Britax Marathon and then the step up the Britax Regent. I like both seats very much and when from the Snug Ride to the Marathon. Both were easy to install and have styrofoam at certain points of the seat. The Britax rates very well as far as safety and that's why I went for those no matter what the expense. I think it was the Evenflo that I heard was like a Britax but cheaper. It was that or a Fisher Price model. I don't remember. The straps on the Marathon are thicker and don't twist like the thinner Regent. I'd get the Marathon over the Roundabout because of the increased weight. You can use it longer depending on whether the height or weight is outgrown first.

I have the Evenflo Triumph and LOVE it! I have never thought it to be user unfriendly, actually quite the opposite. I love that there are no straps to pull snug, there's a crank dial instead. I feel it ensures the safety of my son completely. LOVE it! will get one for next baby.

Hello-
We actually have the alpha omega elite, and it is an okay car seat. The straps would get turned around once in a while and would be a little bit of a pain. We actually switched to the Britax Marathon and love it. Our daughter would and still does fall asleep all the time in it. We now use the Aplha car seat in our other car that she only rides in occasionnaly. I can tell the Britax is made a lot better just by looking at them next to each other. We also have never had the straps get twisted in the Britax. Personally I would recommend the Britax. It does cost a lot more, but definatly worth it!!

Hi B.

I am a car seat tech and work in a police department. I am not sure what kind of vehicle you have. The three most important elements are you know how to use the car seat, it fits in your vehicle properly and you use it right every time. Since we all can't be car seat tech's I find most parents love the britax seats because of there ease of use. Yes, you pay more but I find more parents using these car seats properly everytime. A lot of parents like the evenflo that tightens by cranking the sides. The crank is a huge plus when the child is still rear facing, so you don't have to try to get your hand between the seat and the cord to tighten the seat belt.

When you buy the car seat take time to take it out of the box inside of the house and try it. practice puting your child in it a couple of times and making sure you use it properly and you feel very comfortable using it!

Another mom mentioned consumer reports. All the car seats that consumer reports recommends I recommend. If money is an issue sometimes you can find last year's model 07 or 06 at Marshalls or TJ Max. On the seat you can find the model # and the date manufactured. The National Highway administration does not recommend using car seats that are more than 6 years old.

Any more questions please send me a message.

Hi! With all the choices out there, it really is overwhelming. I belong to a messageboard on Ivillage, and there is a lady who is VERY knowledgeable about carseats. I am going to paste the seats she recommends down below. I just purchased a Britax Marathon and LOVE it! Going up to 65 lbs. is DEFINITELY a bonus! I purchased it from albeebaby.com, and got the Olivia. The cover is being discontinued so it was $40 off. Also, Britax is having a sale Feb. 24 to Mar. 2, so you may be able to find a good deal then. Good luck with your decision! Here's her recommendations:
Britax Marathon/Blvd/Decathlon...The MA is the "base" model of the 3 if offers umpteen covers and is a great seat (also I personally own this one) The DC offers infant padding which you probably won't use, unless your considering handing it down to another child, the Blvd has TSIP (more side impact protection because it has wings). 209-299 depending on model and sales, let me know if you're interested I have a few links for sales :D
All Britax seats have the ability to tether RFing which helps with head excursion in an accident, and HUGS (rubber things on the straps) that when FFing help spread out the crash force. The Tether ability made the difference for me.
The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe, A Britax shell, offers a 55lbs weight limit but has the same harness slots, doesn't allow tethering RFing like the Britax seats. $129 from albeebay.com, not found in stores (occasionally Burlington Coat Factories carry it)
Evenflo Triumph Advance (make sure it's the advance and not the regular), it's a newer version of the original with a better shell height for longer use RFing. RFs to 30lbs and FFs to 50lbs. about $129
Or the Cosco Scenera 5 point and not overhead shield only $40 at Walmart, it RFs to 35lbs and FFs to 40lbs and is a pretty base car seat but safe and easy to use. It doesn't have a lot of padding. I usually tell people it's a good back up or Grandma seat.

I think the Britax Marathon is the way to go. We love ours, it is one of (if not the) safest brands available, and is very user friendly. Good luck!

Consumer Reports always does a good job at breaking things down so that you can get exactly what you need to know before making a purchase. I use it everytime I go to make a major purchase.

I love my Alpha Omega despite the reviews out there. The only thing that happens is that the seatbelts turn and the simple solution is to used the fluid left in the wipe box and leave it on overnight, so it hardens up a little bit. This tip came from a police officer that installs car seats through the birth center. I started using this car seat when we moved our kids from a carrier to this one, so at around 20 lbs and used it until we needed a booster. In our other car we still use one as a booster, because it has no head supports. It's well worth the money, since you will be using it for a long time and my kids think it's very comfortable. Just my two cents...:-) A.

I definitely recommend the Britax. The are so user friendly, easy to install, adjust the straps, remove cover and wash, etc. (You can even by replacement parts if needed~change the cover for your next child, replace the straps, etc....) I wouldn't think you would need to spend the extra money on the one that goes up to 65lbs. I have a 9 year old who is not even close to 65lbs.

I am going to solve your problems right now, Fisher Price Safe Voyage. Its awesome, its made by the same people as Britax, but for half the price! I got it at www.albeebaby.com for $129 with no shipping! I absolutely love that thing and it doesn't even begin to compare to our back up Evenflo. Seriously, the only seat it compares with is Britax and at half the price, I am sure you know which one to get! There are lots of reviews at that site, too.

One of the best car seats that I have found is the Cosco Scenera 5 Point Convertible Car Seat it can be purchased at Walmart and is under $50. It is very durable and easy to work with when installing it. I would reccomend it, I used it for my nephew, neice and now my own son is in it! It has simple adjustments too which is great!!