Infant Convertible Car Seats

Hello!

I have two girlfriends who gave me a very helpful insite on "expensive" carseats. One friend is a certified car seat expert for our local fire department, and one a Registered Nurse in the Portland area.

YOU HAVE TO DISTROY ANY CAR SEAT THAT IS IN A CAR ACCIDENT!!! So thinking you save money by purchasing a "convertable" car seat is a myth! It's worth nothing when in a accident.

Car seat makers have the same safety standards from the federal goverment. Just because it has more features, it's not a "safer" seat. It's a "style" preferance.

For safety sake, you are fine with any car seat, just as long as you get instructed by a professional how to install the seat correctly, and how to buckle your child in correctly! You would be suprised the amount of people who have high end seat, but don't use them properly!

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I found the evenflo to be very big and bulky. I took it back and got the britax! We love it and it seemed to be a very easy transition from the infant seat, I also found that the evenflo sat up pretty straight and the britax reclined to a better position for when the baby falls asleep.

We have a Britax Marathon in my van and an Evenflo Triumph in my husband's car. I really prefer the Marathon. Both are now 4 years old (we bought them for my son and now my daughter uses them) and the Evenflo is definitely showing the wear. Its straps get twisted and our daughter can get out of it. The Britax straps never get twisted and she can't get out of it, but she can put herself in the seat. She sleeps better in the Britax and just seems to be overall more comfortable. Plus, it is SO EASY to get in and out and the safety ratings are great!

We have used the Britax Marathon since our daughter outgrew her infant carseat. We LOVED it! VERY easy to use. It is heavier than most convertibles. I'm guessing the Roundabout probably is, too. I love Britax because they have thought about a lot of little features that make using the carseat easier. Our daughter is 42" and has just moved on to a 5-point convertible booster. Not a Britax. And we have noticed the difference. This one is nice, but had we known about the Britax 5-point convertible sooner, we probably would have gone with it instead. I would put Britax as the 'Luxury' model.

Best wishes!
-A.

My son grew out of his infant seat at 3.5 months. :)

I've never had an Evenflo, but I love our Britax seats. European brands are tested at higher safety standards that US seats are. He's been in his seat for over 2 years now and it is still like new, easy to clean and very comfortable. Hope this helps!

Hello E.,

My daughter and I LOVE the Britax Marathon - it is bigger than the Roundabout - but worth it. My daughter who is a small 5 year old has been in it since 1 year of age (rear facing) and can stay in it until she is 65lbs - which will probably be right before she can learn to drive...hehehe. She has never had a days trouble riding in this carseat. She falls asleep regularly and could probably sleep the night in it. It is a SAFE carseat, gets great reviews - although on the price end it does get lower ratings. It is big for my small car, but works well - especially when it is in the middle. Her legs are a little cramped when she is behind my husband - but there is NO leg room in my car. Here is a comparision between the Roundabout and the Marathon...only difference really being the length of time a child can stay in - 40 lbs vs. 65 lbs.

http://www.britaxusa.com/products/compare.aspx?&11=fa...

Positively,
M.

Britax gives more cover options if that is important to you. We got a SunshineKids Radian 60 (older version), the new version holds more pounds. We are pleased with the Radian. It is heavy but folds for easy carrying. It works on airlines. The base isn't as wide as britax or many other car seats. This is important if you are in a small car or may put 3 seats across. The one drawback is you need space between front and back seats for rear facing since the back is tall to accomodate the older kids. It still fits in the middle of a Honda Accord. There are a good amt of slots for strap adjustment.

Without a doubt I recommend Britax Boulevard. This seat will last your son until he is heading off to school. We have two and bought them when each child had outgrown their infant seats (right about 5 months also).

Rear Facing 5 lbs. - 35 lbs. 49 or less''
Forward Facing 20 lbs. - 65 lbs. 49 or less''

Not to mention the true side impact protection. Our children are 2 and 3 now and they fit as safely as they did when we bought them. These seats grow with your child and most likely you will not need another seat (unless you need a booster for your grade schooler). So the initial investment is steeper than most but these seats with stand constant use and grow with your child while being one of the most advanced and safe seats out there. No need for another seat! Hope this helps. britaxusa.com is a great site to check out.

I reccomend the Britax because they have the best saftey rating. I have the Britax Regent for my almost 7 year old daughter. In Oregon the reccomedation is 8 years old and 80 pounds to get out of a car seat.

We have the Evenflo Triumph and LOVE it! It's scored exceptionally well on safety tests, is comfy, has easy-to-adjust straps, lasts up to 50 lbs, and is a tad shorter than the Britax. (important for space when in the rear-facing position) The price is great, too!

BRITAX all the way!!! I am so happy we spent the extra money and got our son a Britax carseat. We got the one that has the extra set of pads that come out by their head, so when they fall asleep their little head does not bob about in the car. My son has riden in different carseats in my friends cars and he never sleeps as well as he does in his Britax. The sides also work as side impact airbags. If you were to get into a car accident and roll your car, which I have, it keep your childs head from moving around and thus much safer!!! It is SO worth the money! I am trying to convince my husband to buy another one for our daughter! They are also very highly rated and that is the most important in my book! Good Luck shopping!

I looked at the Britax and also wondered why it was so much more money. I was told that it is safety rated for Europe as well as North America, which is one of the reasons for the expense (??). Anyway, after much thought, we went with the Evenflo Triumph and love it. I thought it had more padding than the Britax and would be more comfortable for our son. He's now 19 months and nearly 30 pounds and still enjoying that car seat! Good luck.

We did a LOT of research because we were in a really bad accident when our oldest was 7 months. We bought the Britax Marathon after looking at all options. Europeans have higher safety standards in general when it comes to cars and carseats. We were in a worse accident with the Marathon when she was 13 months old and it held up great. They got rid of it just in case but she wasn't injured at all! I bought the exact same seat afterward and just moved the baby into it, big girl into the Britax Frontier!

We use the Britax Marathon and have been very happy with it. It's a little on the big side though.

I have the evenflo triumph and I love it. You do not have to spend a lot of money to get the best. I believe that the evenflo out did the britax a few years ago. Also I work with a few docs and that is the one they have for their children. Good Luck with your big boy!! I have read a few of the responses and I have to say that I have never had a problem with the car seat it is easy to install and the straps are easy to adjust. Good Luck!!

CHeck out heathlycar.org. It has some great suggestions for seats with low toxicity - low to minimal off gassing for your lil one. I just got the Sunshine Kids one for my growing infant... good luck!

I would recommend going to www.carseatdata.org. They have lists of carseats best for your specific vehicle. They are rated on different elements.

Good luck!

I bought a Britax Marathon for my daughter when she turned 7m and was too tall for her infant seat. I looked at the Roundabout but decided that it was worth the little bit extra money for the Marathon since it will last her much longer (higher height/weight limit). Unless you have a small car and need a smaller seat, I think the Marathon would be a much better investment especially since most kids outgrow their seats by height before weight. My daughter LOVES her new seat. She used to whine and fuss in her infant seat but now she regularly falls asleep in her Marathon, or plays quietly.

If $$ is an issue, I have heard good things about the Evenflow Triumph but have not used one myself. I do know that the official Britax sale is going to be starting soon. I got my Marathon on the sale last spring for $219.

Britax all the way - it surpasses all safety standards and worth every penny.

I bought the britax marathon and love it. It even has this cute little pad that protects their legs/groin from the straps. We have even padded it a little further for long road trips. I also researched on Consumer reports and bought according to safety ratings. Come to think of it, I bought everything according to safety ratings. I love the seat. I would highly recommend it.

I just went to walmart and bought my daughter a convertible carseat on the lower price range.I think I payed about $60 for it.It can be placed rear facing for kids under the age/wieght limit for being placed forward facing and then turned around of course.She is 2 yrs old and about 28 lbs and still has plenty of room to grow and probably use it till she's 3.
I find it very easy to get in/out of the car as well as getting my daughter in/out of it.
Here's a pic, only diff is they didn't have this one when I bought hers.They come in several girly paterns as well as boys.
<a href="http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/akgoth81/?action=vi...; target="_blank"><img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/akgoth81/carseat.jp...; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I have had the same troubles! My guys are just larger than average! My 2.5 yo just outgrew his evenflo triumph (40", 40 lbs) which we loved.

I recomomend the Graco Nautilus; if it had been out when it was time to buy a convertible for my 2.5 yo, I would have.

The graco Nautilus supports the Forward facing 5 point harness up to about 65 lbs, and becomes a belt positioning booster later on as well. It runs about $130ish, and you can find it at target.com, walmart.com, etc.

Good luck!

I dont have great advice for a car seat, but a great place to buy/try one. Segals for Children in Beaverton. They have incredible car seat installers that know more about the seats and what works the best in what car than anywhere else I have been. They sell most brands from evenflo, graco and britax. They steered me to the graco nautilus even though it was almost $150 cheaper than the britax as my daughter outgrew her convertible but was still too small for the booster. The nautilus was the best for that situation. However, I am not totally thrilled with the nautilus as my daughters head flops when she falls asleep (we have had two other gracos and they were good and bad also).

They will also install any car seat you buy from another store, so you know you have it in there right. I take my seat back there each time I go on a trip to make sure it is reinstalled the appropriate way. I love them.

As an alternative to the Britax, Fisher Price sells a carseat under its label that is manufactured by Britax. When our arrived, the box looked all "Fisher Price" by there is an obvious label that says "made by Britax." Essentially, it is the Britax Marathon, but you don't get the fabric choses. Oh, and the price is great, too!

It's called the Safe Voyage Deluxe. It is roomy, nice-looking, easy-to-install, and my daughter seems to find it very comfortable - she even sleeps in it on occasion. All the reviews I've read - and I did my research about 3 months ago when we bought ours - have been very positive.

Here's the link, and I agree that Allbebaby is a great place to buy your seat: http://www.albeebaby.com/fiprsavodeco1.html

Hope this helps :)

I received the Evenflo Triumph as a present from 3 of my friends who all used a Triumph for their kids. I really like it and my daughter seems to as well. It is very cushiony and easy to install. ( Easy installation is big for me!) It also leans back a bit which would be nice for a little person under 1 year. My daughter didn't get into until after a year, but it has worked really well for us. Good luck!

We have the Maxi-Cosi Priori convertible car seat and I could highly recommend it. It has higher safety standards (because it's imported from Europe) than even the Britax and it comes in great funky colors if you order one online. We got ours at www.elitecarseats.com. (they have a grey-ish toned one at Babies R Us.)It's $200, so even cheaper than the Britax. Our son (who also is very tall) is content to fall asleep in it and I have been able to transfer him from the car seat to his bed without waking him up many times.

we went with the britax marathon when my daughter grew out of her infant seat, i think because the weight it went up to. (it's now being used for my son) when my son was ready to leave his infant seat, we moved our daughter into the britax regent which will be used until she no longer needs a booster. i will only buy britax for my children because of the crash tests, great reviews from parents & consumer reports. they have such a great reputation. i think it's well worth the money. i bought them both online and got really good deals.

I bought the triumph and hate it. It's really wide so it takes up half of the back seat. It's very hard to adjust the straps. My two year old can wiggle out of the straps. It's a pain to clean and always ends up having little snacks tucked into the various crevices that my son likes to dig out and eat while I'm driving. I haven't used the Britax, but that's what I'm getting for my three month old when he goes to the bigger seat.

britax is expensive, but from my experience (and from what I see most in other cars) I think that they are the best carseats - great safety ratings, good products, great customer service. We have used the britax since our son was born - first the companion infant seat and now the marathon. The roundabout may be small for your son if you are worried about him outgrowing it - check the height and weight limits and compare to the bigger ones. We chose the marathon and not the decathalon (even bigger) because we were warned about the head panel limiting visibility (meaning the kid in the seat basically can only see forward). Out son will be three next month, has been in the marathon since 6 months, and will be in it as long as he can't figure out how to unbuckle it!!! Or until he is 65 pounds...but that may take a while with our barely 30 pounder!!!

Britax is the way to go. They are the volvo & Cadillac in car seats. They have the best in safty testing. As for which one...the roundabout, Diplomat only goes to 40 lbs. It is easier to put in smaller cars but it won't last forever. The Marathon & Decathlon both go from 5 to 65 lbs. The decathlon has a 4 height push button for the harness and other great features. The Boulevard is 5 to 65 lbs. and has side impact protection, headrest and harness you adjust with a knob.

I hope this helps a bit and that you find the one that fits you best.

We have the Roundabout and LOVE it. We take long trips and our son never complains. It is easy to use for all.

Do not get the Evenflo Triumph. If you don't read any further, just know that seat is a nightmare. I too followed CR's recommendations, and it was the worst seat. Ever. It was hard to get our little girl into, hard to tighten and then would slip off her shoulders before we would get home (basically not protecting her at all). I actually stopped subscribing to CR after that car seat because they really got it wrong. I've also talked to other mothers and professional car seat installers, and they too hate that seat.

After a few days of that seat, we switched to the Graco Comfortsport. Graco and Britax are the only two seats that pass safety standards in all countries and are also airline safe. We had used the Comfortsport for over a year and mostly liked it. We didn't have latch in our car and left our little girl backwards until just last month (after doing tons of research and finding how much safer it is for kids to be backwards as long as possible). The only thing that really bugged me about the seat is that the seat-belt would pull on it and it would eventually be leaning to the side so we had to re-install it often. Also, our (almost 3 yo.) toddler is SMALL and she was already too tall to keep her backwards even though she was only 24 pounds. So, we gave that one to my dad when he moved up here and got that Britax that we always wanted but didn't want to spend the money on.

Well, spend the money. It's FANTASTIC! We checked out the different styles at Babies-R-Us and purchased the larger, Boulevard (which is the same as the Marathon, but with extra side-impact protection). Go test them out, put your baby in the seats and try them in your car. Chose the largest style that will fit your baby and your car. Then order it from www.AlbeeBaby.com (the best price around, always at least one color on sale, FREE shipping and no tax to WA). We lucked out, we ordered ours the week before Christmas and they happened to have a Boulevard for $10-20 more than the Marathon so we went for it. Now they are way more expensive, but she's ridden in her friend's Marathon and it's just as nice, safe and easy to use. Oh, and installation is a dream - whether or not you have LATCH.

Also, I would like to point out that I know 2-3 other mothers who have done the same thing and we all wish we had just saved the time and money and started with Britax. She'll be in this seat years longer than she would have been in the Comfortsport (saving money) and when we move to a booster in a couple years, it too will be a Britax. Go Britax! ;-)

I love our britax, but we have the marathon. Its comfortable for her, the straps never tangle and just looks safe and secure when she is in there. Also a lot easier to put in and take out of the car because of the way the latch clips work. It has a push button release instead of those clips you have to squease and unhook. Its much better than all the other carseats I've seen. Its expencive, but I don't think the car seat is the place to bargain shop. I don't know anything about the evenflo though or the roundabout model.

E.,
We did a lot of research when we bought our convertible car seat. LIke you, we wanted it last awhile. We ended up getting the Alpha Omega car seat which sells for like 139 bucks (I think) at babies r us. WE really didn't want to spend upwards of 250 or 300 dollars that may or may not get him to the booster seat stage (which the alpha omega will). We got ours in February when our guy was around 5 months old. He seems to like it as do we. So, you may want to look into that one. Hope you have success.

E., I got Britax Marathons for each of our cars (hubby and me) based on an absolutely glowing report by my friend who has the Roundabout. We've loved them. There are lots of little things that make them work well for parents. They are super easy to clean (the cover whips off easily and can be machine washed), they are really easy to install and they seem to be comfortable for the babe. Plus, the Marathons will fit a tall baby for some time. They can also be used in an airplane.

We actually also have an Evenflo Triumph for grandma's car, and it is a good car seat, but not very easy to install and the cleaning isn't as easy. It is, I believe, even wider than the Marathon.

BTW, absolutely try each out in your car!!! My friend chose the Roundabout because it worked perfectly for her Saab. We should have tried our Marathon in our Outback before we bought it. The Marathon fits, but barely, and not very comfortably for the front passenger. The Triumph isn't any more compact. Good luck!

I have both a Britax marathon and an Evenflo Triumph Advance. I would definitely recommend the evenflo triumph over the britax any day. It's easier to adjust and it holds a larger child. Not to mention it's just as safe and less expensive. I really love my Evenflo carseat, I wish I would have purchased it before I bought the Britax, because I wouldn't have spent the extra money on the britax.

I have 2 Evenflo Triumph and love them!!! The latch system is so easy with just the push of a button. The hooks on most carseats are really difficult to get out when switching. Hope that helps. K.

we've had very good luck with the marathon. i chose it over the roundabout because it will last you longer. i think it goes up to 60 pounds and roundabout goes to 40. my girls tend to be lean so i figure they will outgrow it in height before they outgrow it in weight.

the marathon is a big carseat and roundabout's almost as big. whatever you get, just make sure to try it out in your car before you buy. i think toysrus will do it. also i think i ran into a carseat website where you can tell it the model of your car and it will tell you if it will fit.

Hi E.,

I did some serious research before my daughter was born about the different car seats and I found that the Britax was by the far the best out there. I read all the reviews from consumers and asked around friends and family. We also got applauded at the hospital after my daughter was born and she had to pass her car seat test in order to leave.

My daughter loves her seat and gets excited every time we load her up and head out.

I highly recommend this seat both personally and safety.

I have the Britax Decathelon. I love it except that it is huge. I have a Honda Pilot and it was a tight fit in the backwards position, but in face forward it is awesome. It is heavy too. I never move it from my car. I bought a less expensive cosco carseat for an extra seat and it works fantastic too. But my daughter is very comfortable in her Britax, rarely fusses about getting out. The cover washes well too. I liked the decathelon because it has the adjustable bottom latch, which isn't common in a lot of car seats. I would just reccommend trying the seat in your car before you purchase one. To make sure it fits.
:-)

We have a Britax Roundabout and Marathon. I'd suggest getting the Marathon as it will last longer. It's a comfortable seat, the straps don't tangle and it's super-easy to loosen and get on & off. My parents have some other brand and I HATE it. We're spoiled with the Britax. If you search around online you can sometimes find closeout deals on old patterns. I got a brown one for a good deal (it's not cute like a lot of them but I figure - it's a car seat!) Good luck.

E.-
I HIGHLY recommend the Radian 65 or 80. It will keep a child in a 5-point harness until they are 65 or 80 pounds depending on which one you get. It can be used rear facing up to, I believe it's 35 pounds. The interior of it is wider so it can be more comfortable on their hips and bum. But, as a whole, the carseat is thinner and in most SUVs and standard sized vehicles, you can even fit THREE across the backseat, if there is ever a need for three of them at one time. :) It is a cinch to install, especially if you have a vehicle with the latch system. It takes most people I know, about 60 seconds to get it installed. If you want to see one, feel free to stop by a store called My Precious Kid in downtown Hillsboro, it's on 5th and Baseline. They sell them and the people there are really friendly. They can tell you all about it. Good luck!!!
-M.

hey,
I have the Britax Roundabout, although i would have the Britax Marathon if i'd known about it when i chose my carseat. I chose Britax because Consumer Reports rated them #1.

i used to worry about the money that i'd spent on the car seat, but, i've had the occasion to use other brands while travelling (and borrowing from people on the other end of plan flights), and i'm sold on my Britax. Compared to the other brands that i've used it is easier to adjust (making the straps longer or shorter in some seemed really hard!), easier to use (it is easy to install and set up), has nicer (thicker, more likely to lay flat) straps, has a softer and more pillowy liner, and generally seems more comfortable for my baby.

I'm sure other people have had other experiences, but, there you go.

I have to agree with those that say Britax. We purchased the Boulevard for our little one and I think it was the right buy. I love everything from the harness (which is not only very secure but also doesn't get all twisted up) to the sturdy latch system to the extra cushion. My son seems to like it too. It may be expensive, but it's worth it.

I did not spend a lot of money on my car seat. I made sure it was wide and tall enough to allow for growth. We just moved him out of it into a booster, he will be 5 in December, so as you can see we got several years of use out it, and now our youngest is using it. I can not remember how much it cost, but I am sure it was under $100.

I have Graco Nautilus for both my 3 year old and my one year old and both of them love it, we needed something that would hold my three year cause she is very tall and nothing else was tall enough to last very long and it sounds like your little guy is going to be a tall one. It is a really great car seat!

Hi,

We looked at many different car seats when our daughter was out growing her infant seat. We found that in testing the car seats in our vehicle and trying out the straps that nothing beat the Britax. I know other moms who bought the even flo and ended up later buying the britax because they didn't like the straps on the even flo. The other brands have car seat straps that are hard to tighten or lopsided we found by playing around with them in stores. The problem with a roundabout is that you will have to replace it once your little one reaches 40 pounds but more likely he will reach the height restriction first. If you are going to buy a britax I would suggest buying a decathlon or marathon or a boulevard since they go to 65 pounds and have more height to work with. We owned a roundabout which my now three year old daughter out grew around 2.5 and we have a marathon which still seems to have plenty of room for growth. I know they are pricier then the other models but it's so worth it if you can afford it. It's comfy and the straps are heaven compared to no britax models.

At Babies r us you can go and leave your drivers license at customer service and take and try one car seat at a time in your vehicle which is useful to see the fit and getting your child in and out as well of the seat and your vehicle. We did buy our car seats online to save tax I think we bought at tip toe turtle or albee baby.

Good luck!

D.

I used Britax for my daughter from age 10 months to five. Great seat best for safety!!

I had a Britex and loved it, it goes to 80 lbs. Although.......I don't know of any kid who would want to sit in it at 80 lbs. LOL! My daughter is in the 1st grade and is not even close to that, she sits in a low back booster.
The Britex was also voted #1 in saftey.
D.

I also noticed that the evenflo and britax were similar in ratings. I've heard great things about the britax, but I had twins and I just couldn't afford two of them so I bought the triumph and I'm very happy with it. It feels very snug and secure and it seems very comfortable for them (not to mention that they are a very attractive design). I really like the infinite slide straps - they are self adjusting and are always in the right place instead of having slots for the shoulder straps. I do recommend adjusting the tightness of the straps before you install it - in some cars the adjustment knob is hard to turn in the rear facing position. I did this and it hasn't been a problem for me. I highly recommend it!

Britax is the gold standard for car seats so I would encourage you to go with that brand. There is a britax on albeebaby.com that is sold under the fisher price label that a friend of mine has and adores. I'd really recommend checking out carsafekids.org or going to the car safe kids class at Overlake Hospital. They can tell you what to look for and how to install etc. You can also call 1-800-Buck-L-UP for help. If you go to BRU, Merry Go Round, or The Right Start, you can take various seats out to your car and see how they fit. Just remember that you MUST install the carseat rear facing until your son is at least one!

Hi,

I recconmend this type of car seat. Maybe not this brand, but the style. I went to Babies R Us and got his when he turned one and invested about 150.00, he is now almost 5 and still sitting comfontably in it. He sets up high enogh to see out the window and still has the protection of the high wing sides to keep him from being tossed around. I like the front adjustable harnes strap. (only need one hand) My son likes the arm rest on his seat.

Youth & Toddler Car Seats (cut and paste this link)

Graco Platinum CarGo booster seat (can't past picture)

good luck with shopping around

I completely recommend the Britaxs. We bought both our boys the Boulevards which have the added protection of side impact and accomodate up to 80 lbs. We love that it accomodates even larger children and keeps our kids harnessed for longer than other brands.
Just keep in mind that your little one is safest rear-facing for as long as possible, though the minimum standard is 25lbs and 1 year old.