Convertible carseats...lost in Info Overload

Hi K.,
You bet, call my daughter Kate O'Connell. She's a MA certified car seat installer and owns Baby On the Go. She'll help you out. Her web site is www.babyonthegoathome.com and her email is ____@____.com
###-###-#### She is extremely knowledgeable about car seats and their safety. Also all other baby equipment...
Good luck.
Kate's Mom, L.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance is well regarded...but I dont have any personal experience with it.
You just cant go wrong with the Britax seats....I have had no trouble installing them in everything from a camry, to a minivan to a truck to an airplane and the harness adjuster is great. Often times, websites like albeebaby.com or babyage.com has Britax patterns that have been discontinued onsale for really cheap, this is how I got mine.

K.- go with the Britax Marathon. We have one and love it- it is worth the cost (and it will last up until 60lbs!)

Hi K.,

We have 2 Britax Marathon's and never regretted spending the money. It's a fantastic car seat and I've never known a child who didn't like it.

I wouldn't suggest the smaller Britax (forget the name) my sister has it and her 2 year old has out grown it. So she spent the money once, now she'll spend it again. If you're on the go like we are, it's worth the money.

As for carrying your daughter, you might want to consider a sling. I kept one handy for my daughter, when I took her out of her car seat, into the sling she went. Of course, carrying your child in a sling is a little bit of an 'art' so reach out to someone who uses one and have them give you some tips and tricks.

Good luck to you!

I absolutely love our cosco alpha omega convertible carseat. My son was also on the tall side. Its very easy to adjust and install. When we looked we stayed away from the evenflo triumph because its all one piece so if your straps get twisted and jammed up your carseat is useless. The britax is very pricey and actually has a lower safety rating then the omega seat we have. You should definately head out to a Babys r us. You can take the floor model out to your car to see how they fit. Some cars aren't flat enough to work with all seats. Once in your car you can put your daughter in to make sure that she will be comfortable and have plenty of leg room.

I have a friend who works with auto safety and she swears Britax is THE safest choice, hands down. It's expensive, but that's why it's the best. We have a Marathon for my 3 year old and a Roundabout (smaller and a bit less expensive) for my one year old. Both my kids were in Graco 'bucket' seats as infants but quickly outgrew them because they are tall (and they screamed the ENTIRE TIME!!!!). I LOVE both our Britaax seats. They are big and bulky (the Roundabout is less so), but easy to use, the straps don't twist and feel safe and secure. If cost is an issue, I hear that Evenflo are good choices (my friend bought them as second seats for the other car). Just avoid Costco ones-- they don't have a good safety record.

Hi K.,
My daughter is also very tall and off the charts for height just about ever since she was born. She's four now. We bought 2 convertible car seats before the one we have now. If I had known how tall and how fast she was going to grow I would have just bought the one we have now. We have the Britax Regent. I think (although things may be different since we bought it) that it is one of the only seats to accomadate really tall kids AND that will keep them in a five point restraint (safer than lap belt boosters) up until 80 pounds (I'm pretty sure it's 80). My daughter loves her seat, very comfortable and the straps are so easy! I know that Britax is pricey - we struggled with that too - but it could save you money in the long run if your daughter keeps out growing the smaller kinds of convertible car seats.
As for carrying your daughter without the infant seat, I also was a big user of a sling. I used the Maya wrap. It looks hard to use at first, but I had a friend who helped me with it. It also came with a short instructional dvd. It's very versatile - can be used from infancy up to about 35 pounds and has many different ways to hold/carry your child.
Hope this helps. :)

My daughter hated her carseat with a passion, so when it came time to switch to a convertible, we took her to the store and sat her in all the different model seats. She was only happy in one, so that's the one we bought. I don't especially like the one she chose (Eddie Bauer convertible), but she does ride in it happily so it's worth it. You can also sometimes save money on carseats by buying them online from a site like babyage.com (they do free shipping).

I agree with all the other moms on getting a wrap or sling to carry your daughter around. I have the Moby wrap and the Ergo sling, and use both of them with my 6mo for different things. If I had to choose one, it would be the Ergo (http://www.ergobabycarrier.com) - it's so easy to use, lightweight, very versatile, and I love the pocket to hold a few small items.

You may want to check out the Britax Roundabout, which is kind of the "baby brother" to the Marathon. My DS was in the Roundabout from 6 months to about 3 years old - when he outgrew it in height. We liked it so well that we bought the Marathon, which we used for about 8 months then sold. He wasn't nuts about sitting in it because of the comfiness and recline - he'd sit back there craning his neck to be upright...so the timing was right and the Graco Nautilus was just coming out, so we bought that (since I want to 5-point harness him as long as I can). I can't put my finger on it, but I liked the Roundabout better than the Marathon too. Technically, your DD could go directly into the Graco Nautilus that we now have (and love), and if you're looking to only buy one more seat you could certainly do that...but I don't think it's nearly as cushy. Definitely more of a big kid seat. The other seat we have and love is the Sunshine Kids Radian. It is also convertible and has high shoulder strap slots and harnesses to 65 lbs (they make an 85 lb one as well). We bought it for travel since it folds, but it is also a great every day seat. Nice low profile so DS was able to get in and out by himself a lot earlier than the other seats.

I don't know much about the Triumph, especially the Advance. It was a "finalist" back when we got the Roundabout, but I crossed it off the list because folks seemed to be having troubles with the strap adjustment and the top shoulder slot was lower than the Roundabout, thus the child would outgrow it faster, I'm not sure what the Advance offers - possibly higher slots and better ease of use...not sure, though.

A good resource for info is www.carseatdata.org (especially the forums there that are frequented by CPS Techs) as well as the car seat forum at the Baby Bargains boards: http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=3

Best of luck!

i have 4 carseats - my car, husbands, nana's and babysitters..... they all ended up being different - and by far the best one is the Britax Marathon i have in my car - she's been in it since she was 9 mos old. It was the most expensive - but worth every penny for ease of use - it is the easiest to adjust 5 point harness, latch clips are the best (similar to a regular seat belt buckle) i can take it in and out myself (i've taken it out to clean/vaccum my car, put in girlfriends car, adjust the harness straps to the next height) and the marathon can hold up to 65lbs. it sits more upright so she has no problems looking out the window.

2nd car seat Graco Comfort sport in my husbands car - we didn't get this until she was like 15 mos old (husband got rid of pickup and got a maxima). this one is really big and she looks like a peanut - but i bought it b/c when she's old enough we can use it with the regular seat belt. there is this extra piece for under the butt/legs (gracopedic support) sometimes gets in the way. but low profile sides allow her to get in and out by herself.

Safety 1st - Uptown - this is in the babysitters car - it's comfy enough - decent padding.... straps i find twist alot

Cosco Scenera - least amount of padding - only used once a week in nana's car....

the biggest thing is the latch system and the hooks that are used for every car seat but the Britax brand. i find them very hard to adjust - to pull the strap to tighten there is just no easy angle to get it to pull tight enough - and find it's usally a 2 person job - one person to push down on the seat and one person to pull the strap to tighten.

I'm having a second baby in July.... and plan to get the britax when we're ready.

Britax Marathon is great. (The step down model seems a bit easier to use because of the button to pull the crotch strap tight, but if your daughter is tall, you'll want the Marathon, not the smaller one.) We have the Marathon in light brown, the soft fabric is perfect on these hot days - doesn't heat up, is very comfortable for our 1 year old. The FP Safe Voyage we have too. Very nice. Darker color & shinier fabric not as cool in heat, otherwise a great buy. Crotch strap a little bit harder to access than Marathon.

I just went through the same thing and ended up with a Fisher Price Safe Voyage. It is made by Britax and modeled after the Marathon...but half the cost because it is sold under the Fisher Price label!! I paid $132.00 for mine and I LOVE it.

Hello!
Our ten month old son has been in a convertible carseat since he was 6 months old as we were rearended on the way to his 6 month well baby visit and once in an accident, you cannot use a carseat. He's never liked being in his carseat, though he's much better now (used to scream inconsolably). I think comfort is iffy in a carseat if you have a child who isn't crazy about riding in the car to begin with. Not sure if a more expensive one is any more comfortable. We have a $140 one and a $40 one and honestly, there's little to no difference. I would recommend you contact your local police station and go to a carseat safety course. Worcester has them, you need to schedule an appt. Also, I've heard at one when you can turn them around, most children are more comfortable. Not helpful now, but believe me, I'm looking forward to that! Good luck!

We use a Britax Marathon and though I struggled with the price we would buy it again without any hesitation. It's seemingly comfortable (22 month old has been riding pleasurably for over a year), easy to install/remove which I have to do at least once a week and straps manouever effortlessly for adjusting. We initially got the Consumer Reports pick which is a misery. Son can't sleep in it his head falls to the side and the straps take incredible strength to adjust. If we need to ride for a longer period in my husband's car we switch to the Britax. As far as carrying the infant seat--I always dreaded it and used an Ergo carrier which we still use. It is amazingly comfortable and incredibly useful. Nearly 2 and he loves it still. He'll ask to get in it. I did all winter shoveling with him in it and still do housework toting him. I can't recommend the Ergo enough. I will miss his closeness when he's outgrown it.

I did loads of research too and bought a Britax Marathon. It is easy to use and is really comfy for my baby. I know that they have a big sale in August so if you can wait till August you may get a better deal on it.

Also, you may want to consider a sling or an ergo for carrying her around, easy to use and not as heavy as the car seat itself. I actually hated carrying the car seat but found that my sling or my ergo made all the difference. Good luck!

We have the Evenflo Triuph Advance Deluxe--the one that goes up to 50 pounds and 50 inches. I love it, so does my son. I had the same problem with my him--he was too tall for any other seat--and at 3 years old and 40" tall but only 35 pounds this is the perfect seat since he is not heavy enough for a booster. The straps are very easy to adjust, they don't tangle or twist up, and it's cheaper than the Britax. Evenflo customer service is also very good if you have to call them for anything (the very first seat we had when he was an infant we had problems with but they sent us a new one).

Whatever you do don't spend all out doors on a carseat. I know that some of them can be outragous.I have found that all of the evenflow products are great, even the cheaper ones. I used them with my daughter and she is going to be 8 next month, so they are all safe. Take care and good luck.

Do you ever check out Consumer Reports for info on this sort of thing? They usually do lengthy analyses of products. Be aware that certain model numbers of certain products apply only to certain stores, and not just for car seats. Applies to TVs, etc. So if you see a good company review and the name of the product is what you are looking for, don't worry if you don't see the same exact model number. There might be a different one for WalMart vs Target, you know? At least that's how Consumer Reports explained it for vacuum cleaners and DVD players! You can get the magazine at the library, or you can subscribe on line for a yearly fee. Good luck!

I just pulled up consumer reports and Britax Roundabout and Evenflo Triumph scored the same overall. The Britax Marathon scored about 1/2 that of the other two. So I would say not the Britax Marathon but the Roundabout. I have the Roundabout and my kids LOVE it. It is now being used by my third child (the second one to use it). We had a graco convertible seat before and it started to loose the grip on the straps so my oldest could actually loosen them by pushing forward in his seat!! I love the fact as well that the Britax, which is Australian made, is subject to higher standards than US made ones so is overall safer than the US ones. My middle child wants the Britax seat back but he is nearly ready for a booster at this point and his sister needs it more than he does. Hope this helps!

We have a Britax Roundabout right now and absolutely LOVE it. We are looking into getting the new Frontier by Britax. My son is 2 and a half and loves to be in his seat. It is extremely easy to adjust the belts and has velcro on the sides to hold the belts so they aren't under your child when you put them in the seat. Very nicely padded. We also have an Evenflo seat for a second car that rarely gets used. I prefer the Britax. Well worth the money, you will not regret. After all it's for the safety of your child! Not something to skimp on IMO. You can use a carrier that you were for your daughter instead of carrying her all the time. We had a Maclaren carrier that I loved. Tried the Baby Bjorn and it wasn't comfortable for me. Also the floppy seats are wonderful, they fit in all types of carriages and highchairs. Try the car seats out in your car and see what fits best and you can also put your daughter in them at the store to see how she fits. We switched our son when he was 6 months old. Good luck!

K.-

Britax ones are the best. Whether you get the big one or the smaller one depending on the potential size of your child. They are the most comfortable, the straps almost NEVER twist, both of my kids liked it. I have since bought my oldest a 5-point harness booster vseat and the straps are constantly twisting, but my son is in his sisters Britax and they never twist. Almost everyone I know with children had one of the Britax seats.

That is correct, you can't carry a convertible car seat, but you can always get a sling or other baby carrier (they make carrying a baby so much easier than lugging around a car seat).
I can't give you any info on either of the car seats you have mentioned, but I do have 2 other recommendations, the graco comfortsport and the cosco scenera. We have both and really, we can't complain about them. The cosco seat doesn't have too much padding, but it was only about $40 and does the job and it had high ratings. The graco has really thick foam padding and I'm assuming is more comfortable although my daughter doesn't complain in the cosco. That one was about $80 and oddly enough didn't have as high ratings.
There are a couple really important things you should look for when you're picking out a seat. The most important is the safety rating and the second is how it fits in your car. Some can take up more space (or at least it seams that way) so you want to make sure that if you need to fit other people in your back seat, you can do that.
Higher prices don't mean more safety. Sometimes you paying for visual appeal, which really doesn't matter.
There is a website called car-seat.org that has info and reviews about carseats, but there are lots of websites you can check out, just do a search for the car seats you're looking at and you'll get lots of info.
Don't rush into a decision, you probably have more time than you think before your daughter outgrows her seat.

Britax hands down. It has a high front facing weight limit, and that is what sold us (we now have 2, one for our son and one for our daughter). I don't know about the evenflo, but when it comes to carseat safety, the extra money is worth it. and again, the front facing limit was the BIG selling point. It's one less car seat we'll need to buy in a few years.

My daughter is now 16 months old and LOVES her Evenflo seat. We actually have 3 different Evenflo models (my car, my husband's and my mothers) and she rides comfortably and easily in all 3. The straps don't twist and are easy to adjust. All 3 are rated for both auto and airline travel (which we have done with our seat). Which ever you choose just be sure to get one with a high weight capacity and a tall back. That way you won't be spending more $ too soon. As usual, every child is different. I would recommend going to a store that you can try out the seats and see which ones your daughter sits in most comfortably. We had originally purchased an Alpha Omega Elite and it was aweful. I brought it back in 2 days. Unfortunately, you're right, these seats aren't portable and once installed, remain in the car. If still in doubt, consult consumer reports for more objective testing. Best of luck.

S.

I went through the same exact thing with my daughter. When she was 6months, she was too tall for her infant carrier. We had been given an evenflo convertible seat as a shower gift. I had registered for it without doing much research. I absolutely hated it. My daughter didnt seem to mind it much, but it was near impossible to get her out of and into because I was constantly fighting with the straps.

I talked to some of my girlfriends and co-workers and everyone recommended Britax. I went with the marathon because it goes up to 65lbs, and I figured if I was spending this much money on a car seat, I want her to use it as long as possible. I have to say- you get what you pay for. It took me 2 secs to get it in the car, and 2 more to put her in it. It's like a big comfy recliner. I would highly highly recommend it. She seems very comfortable in it, has never put up a fuss.

I missed having my carrier though, especially when she was still so little and I couldnt really carry her around on my hip yet. I would just keep it in the back of my car and put her in it once we reached our destination. ( like a restaurant or food shopping). She was well under the weight limit, just too tall for it.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
I have both a Britax Marathon and the Evenflo Triumph (in my Mom's car.

The European seats are tested to endure an accident at a higher speed (65 mph vs. 35 in the US) That is why I chose the Britax for the main car. I just love the Britax!!!

Another thing you might want to do, is bring your daughter to the store, and see how she fits in them-some are wider than others. And also check into the height and weight limits of both to see which will last longer.

Good luck!
M.