Infant (Not Newborn) Car Seat - Too Many Choices! Recommendations Desired.

I have the Evenflo Triumph and I loved it. It goes from 5 to 40 lbs-rear and forwards facing. DD never once climbed out of it and was always comfortable in it. Even during a 18hr straight drive to Disney World. She slept in it through the night during that trip, we got in at 6ish and she didn't get back out except for diaper changes during gas stops until after 11 the next day. I am passing it onto a friend and the only thing I can tell you I dislike about it is in order to take the padding off to wash it is by unscrewing 8 screws, removing the back panel and unhooking the belt. Just a big pain. The screws were so tightly screwed in I had to have DH take over because I didn't want to strip the screws.
Hope this helps.

We have a Cosco Alpha Omega for our daughter and love it. I think as long as it has a 5 point harness, and you get it checked to make sure it's installed correctly, most carseats are pretty comparable. We've also had great luck at Sam's Club. We bought our daughter's car seat there on clearance for about $34 and my son's for about $25! They were the last ones in that style. We wish you the same luck!

I loved our Eddie Bauers. They were easy to put in.
We have a real nice one we got at Babies R Us for about $160, then one at X-Mas Tree Shops for about $80. (The biggest difference was that the more expensive one could be use facing back and facing forward.)

BUT, I will share what the police officer who installed them told me...
It does not really matter which you go with. They are all regulated to a certain standard and have to pass rigid tests. Beyond that, it is about what you like. So, go with what you want to afford.

That said, I think the EB ones were easy enough to install & adjust (which I do often if we have a little friend traveling with us). I also tried to put in my friend's Brittax and was impressed with how easy they clipped into the car's restraint system.

Good luck.

I highly recommend the Eddie Bauer convertible carseat. It is suitable from 5-100 pounds and it hold up beautifully though all the transitions. Between my sister and me we have bought 4 of them over the past 3 years and have never had any problems. They are sturdy and hold up well to the wear and tear toddlers/preschoolers dish out. We have bought them at Babies R Us and Costco, where my sister recently got hers for under $100. Since it is likely the only car seat we'll need for the kids once they are forward facing it is a great investment. Oh, and it is fairly simple to take apart and clean them when the kids make a mess! :)

We have a Britax--can't remember the model name but it's convertible, easy to install and use, and has a high weight limit. It's rated very highly in crash tests and by parents in terms of ease of use.

If you hit Babies R US during a sale and take coupons, you can get this seat for half the list price.

Whatever you get, buy two bases, not two seats, to save cash.

The easiest and safest way to handle installation is to make an appointment with the safety officer at your local police station.

Lastly, for equipment decisions like these, check out the book Baby Bargains. They rate various options, discuss parent satisfaction, etc. Great resource! You can buy a copy for about $20 or check it out from the public library for free.

Best of luck.

Hi L.,
Go Britax!! We have twins & 3 cars which means 6 car seats in all. The Marathon model is a cinch! Easy to use and the money will go you a long ways .. up to 65 pounds!!
L.

L.,
I recommend the Britax-I have 3 boys 5 and under and have always used Britax. I have the Roundabout and the Marathon models. I would recommend going with the Marathon model because she won't outgrow it quickly. My oldest son just turned 5 and we just moved him out of it into a booster. He weighs 44 pounds and was never uncomfortable. As a matter of fact he misses it. Says it was alot more comfortable than the booster.
I like the way they fit into the car. When installed properly they are very secure. Also I did not feel they were hard to install at all!!
Good luck with your search. I know there is nothing more important than the safety of your child!!!

We have the Britax Marathon and for my mil's car the Eddie Bauer convertible. I love the Britax, it is easy to install, easy to buckle her in and just plain great. I don't really like the Eddie Bauer at all. I'd go for the Marathon.

Hi there
I'm a fan of the Britax Marathon myself, but if yo are trying not to spend too much money perhaps you can buy a Britax for the car that your dd will speend the most time in and a cheaper one for the second car. That's the arrangement I have now. The second seat is an Eddie Bauer but I really liked the Evenflo Triumph Advanced also when I researched carseats.

I love our cosco alpha omega seat it goes from birth to 100 lbs. rear facing up to 30, forward facing at 22 lbs and converts into a booster. They also make a less fancy version i've seen at walmart. It is one that isn't packaged in box its pretty much the same as the alpha omega but without the infant head rest. My nephew has one it works just as easy and cleans just as easy too. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8054497 that's the website for the less expensive one. it comes in different colors and paterns. Its very easy to install. Good luck with your search.

Please remember that a newly one year old baby should be rearfacing, not forward facing. Babies should remain rearfacing as LONG as possible, to a bare minimum of 2 years and 30 pound. LONGER IS BETTER.

A belt positioning booster cannot be used to a bare minimum of 4 years AND 40 pounds. It's better to wait till older and heavier.

L., I use Consumer Reports for these things to narrow down my options - you can join for a month for maybe $5 and they test the safety and quality. Otherwise it is totally mindboggling!

One that people have recommended to me wholeheartedly is Britax brand, which they also recommend.

I have been researching alot since my little one will be leaving her infant car seat soon. I found the Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. It can be used as a rear facing, front facing, and then converts to a booster seat. It's weight limit goes to 100 lbs. so you will never need another one. It sells for about 150.00. You can goto the Baby Depot web site to find it.

I have and really like the Graco Sport? car seat. It's ~$70 and easy to use, especially if your car has the LATCH system.

I found the best buy to be the alpha omega carseats...they are made by either graco or cosco(not sure which one). they run about $120- $140 but they convert to a booster seat as well so you will be set up to 100 pounds, and if you were to have any more kids they also can be rear facing from birth. We had three vehicles so i totally understand having to buy several seats as i had two in car seats at the same time.

Regardless of which one you choose...Make sure you buy 2 bases not 2 carseats. You will save lots of cash!

L.:
Count me in as another fan of the Britax Marathon for all of the stated reasons! Good luck

Hi there! I'm actually just expecting my first, but I've done more research than you could ever hope for.

I've registered for the Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat. This is one that will take you all the way through the booster stage. It's got great reviews (and I've read almost every one); 4 1/2 stars out of 5 on Babies R Us.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=300961...

Read all the reviews you can from people who have used it. The great thing about the Babies R Us reviews is that they tell you about the person (i.e. first time mom, medical professional, etc). Lots of people give really helpful little details.

Good luck!

Hi--I would reccommend the Maxi-Cosi Priori Seat. Its great because unlike other models it will work for them until they are 4. I just bought one my self and it was easy to install, is super comfortable ( I can only assume). Good Luck!!

I have just realised that they make front facing car seats both with a 5 point harness (for the younger ones) AND the ability to be used as a booster for the older ones! This car seat will take my 1 year old from the time she is 1 to about 80lbs!!!!! The prices for these car seats also seems to be a lot less than for the reversable ones and for the infant ones. I paid $79 for mine.

When buying this kind of thing i have always stuck with a brand name i knew of and staid middle of the road cost-wise. I never went with the least expensive one nor did i ever go with the most expensive one. I figured i couldn't go wrong this way.

I now have three... and it's worked so far!

We just bought and installed the Graco Nautilus (~$150). It's a 3-in-1 seat, which means it has a 5-point harness that works up to 65 lbs, then it can function as a high-back booster, and finally a backless booster. The box says it's good for kids 1-10 years old. So far, we really like it for our almost-3-year-old, but I see that it can easily work as a front-facing seat for a 1-year-old, too. If you're looking to save money, I would skip anything Britax (our daughter grew out of the Roundabout) because the Nautilus is significantly less $$ and will last MUCH longer. Good luck.

I have answered this question many times before, and checking other peoples answers we all seemed to be on the same wavelength. My FAVORITE car seat is the Evenflo Triumph. It is for infant rear facing up to 20 lbs and then forward facing up to 50lbs. We have two, one Triumph and one Triumph adavance, they seem to be pretty much the same and we love them! my son if very comfy and safe, I would buy this seat over and over again for my kids! Plus the price is great, I think we paid about 120 for it at walmart, although it is available at Toys R Us too! Good luck!

I checked with my automobile website and it gave recommendations about what car seats worked best (and where to put them Driver side/middle/Pass Side) and that is what we did. We ended up with a Britax Marthathon for our Honda Pilot because it was the only one that we could use backwards facing until her legs were too long and we then turned her around at 14 months. It was ranked highest in safety, too, which is most important. Check it out for you cars, too! Good luck!

BTW, I LOVE the Marathon! There was a video on the website on how to install and I did it myself. It is also easy to keep clean and comes in so many patterns. It will last forever and we will use it with our new baby, too, when the time comes!

Hi L.,

5-point harness and fits your car would be the most important points.

In VT we have local organizations that do car seat safety checks. They sometimes have car seats available for purchase. The Dept. of Motor Vehicles sometimes has car seats available for purchase. One of our local police stations has a safety seat inspector and had recommendations as to a brand the police force were enthusiastic about (I called regarding a booster seat). You could call one of those in your state to find out where you can locate a car safety seat inspector and give them a call. After your purchase, you can have it inspected to be sure you have it installed correctly and that it fits your car's seat correctly. If not, you can return the seat and get a better one. They might be familiar with what brand fits your car model the best.

By the way, hooray for you. Some people don't put as much care in keeping their children safe as you are demonstrating. Kudos to you!

: ) M.