Need Carseat Recommendation - Houston,TX

I like the alpha omega brand. Not sure what models they have now, but that's what we got when my first was about 10 mo old (she outgrew the weight limit on her infant one, she was a big girl too!). It can be rear facing but also forward facing up to 100lbs and you can take out the straps and use a seat belt when they're bigger. And they're reasonably priced =)

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I agree with Mommy G. I have the Evenflo Triumph Advanced DLX Lincoln for my 18 month old daughter. i too intend to keep her rear facing as long as i can. she is actually small, as she was a preemie, so i wanted something i could keep rear facing until she was big enough. it is easy to adjust the straps and i also did research before buying and it was on one of the consumer lists of safest convertible car seats. it was also in the 2009 Car Safety Seats guide from the American Academy of Pediatrics for car seats that meet the federal safety requirements. I'm putting the link for the car safety guide so you can see all the seats that meet the requirement:
http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

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My biggest consideration when buying a car seat is always safety (and ease of use next), so I check safety ratings at Consumer Reports online. The highest rated seats are Britax Diplomat, Cosco Scenera, and Evenflo Triumph Advance. But for more specifics, I highly recommend that you pay the $26 for the online Consumer Reports subscription since you sound like me, obsessing over what to buy. LOL.

Evenflo Triumph Deluxe Advanced (or some combo of those words) is the best because the knobs are on the side. It is soooo easy to use and tighten. Very safe. The newer model (2007 at least) goes up to 50 lbs! It says it fits an average 5-year-old. Well, my kids are big too, but at least it'll last a few years. You can use it rear-facing too, of course.
These have been dream seats for us. Love them. The seat is big, but great.

I have the Britax Boulevard.

I have no complaints. My daughter is very comfortable and enjoys it.

As for a secondary carseat in my husband's car, he has the Evenflo Triumph.

I did lots of research and ended up these were two of the safest carseats just different price points.

Since the majority of the people I spoke with had the Britax, I decided to go with the Britax for the primary seat and Evenflo for the secondary seat. My parents even got the Evenflo for their car.

I've had the Britax Marathon and loved it, but it is huge. We now have the Radian 80 from Sunshine Kids and I would recommend it to anyone. It's slim and easy to install. I travel a lot, so the only caution I would give is that it is heavy since the frame is steel. Good luck to you!

I also did months and months of research. We went from a Snugride to the Britax Boulevard. I love the weight limits on it and Britax is known for safety. Yes, it's pricey, but it's also the last car seat you should have to buy. It's good up to 65 lbs - I have no problem keeping my kids in a 5 pt harness until that weight limit is reached!

S.

I'm afraid that you're going to have trouble finding something that rear faces beyond 35 lbs. There are a lot of seats out there that are extended harnessed now. I have used the Britax Marathon (rear facing 5-35 lbs and forward facing to 80 lbs harness only) and the Britax Boulevard (rear facing 5-35 lbs and forward facing to 65 lbs harness only) and the Britax Frontier (smaller then the Marathon but for ages 2 and up...it harnesses forward facing only, to 80 lbs and booster seat/seatbelt to 100 lbs.

Britax is not an American company and has for many years kept a much higher safety standard then the American companies. Even if Graco or other multi baby product companies have seats that are extended harnessed now, I would feel safer with a company that focuses exclusively on carseats. At the very least get a seat that harnesses to 65 lbs or more.

Be safe,

S., mom to 4 lovely little girls ages 2-7 whose lives were protected by Britax Marathon in a serious roll over accident just 3 months after purchasing the seats "just in case we're in a rollover." This year My brother in law's cousin was in a roll over accident, in a booster seat but not a harness as she was "too big" for a harnessed carseat (she's 8 I believe.) Her seatbelt choked her as they were upside down. She died twice (she's ok now, and rides in the Britax Frontiere.)

We have the Graco My Ride 65 for both of our cars. They have them at Babies R Us, Walmart and Target in different patterns. I did lots of research and the only other seat I would have chosen would have been britax, but the Graco seat can stay rear facing until 40 pounds and then goes forward facing until 65 pounds. Also when looking at them both in the store, the Graco one looked more comfortable for him and seemed to have more protection for side impacts. My baby boy is in the 95th percentile for weight and height and I want to keep him rear facing as long as possible also. He is 6 months and is 21 pounds. He was 10 pounds at birth. We moved him out of the infant carrier relatively fast as he was looking cramped in it and it was getting to heavy for me to carry comfortably. I hope this helps you :)

britax. i love them - have a boulevard and advocate. very safe, sturdy and has high weight limits.

We have a Britax and love it. My son just turned four and still uses the one we purchased several years ago. Also, a friend of mine who is a police officer and is certified in carseat safety reccomended them. also, make sure you stick with the 5 point harness until they are big enough to ride in the regular back seat belt safely. 5 point system save lives.
Best of luck and God bless your family.

Britax Marathon. We have two and they have been fantastic! The kids sit up high in them so can see out the windows well. It's a snap to remove and reinstall and it's easy to remove the cover and wash. We couldn't be more pleased with these carseats. One is 5 years old and the other is 1 year old. The covers hold up really well too! They are not cheap but our 5 year old will probably be in it for another year. Six years is a pretty good investment, if you ask me.

I, too, was obsessed about the car seat situation! Stories and reviews were so conflicting and I was so overwhelmed with it all. It was not until I was at an event where they had a car seat check booth that I really felt better. If you go to seatcheck.org - you can find the places who will do the checks for you and they have tons of information! I was told that one car seat may be designed perfectly for one type of car, but perform poorly in another car. Unfortunately, there is no real way of knowing which car seat is designed for which car. When they did the check on my car, I was surprised to learn how many things are NOT safe, but they added a styrofoam tube used in swimming pools - a cheap little piece - to make the car seat sit better in my car - and then it was considered safe. After going through about four or five car seats - my advice is to consider what you want - I regretted having a cloth car seat during potty training, so my second child has a seat that is easier to clean. Another thing that was nice is one of my car seats has little "pockets" where I can store toys for my daughter to reach while we are driving. Of course, you do want to check the safety of the seats, but I have learned that the expense of the seat does not REALLY mean it will be safer. Good luck in your search!

Get a Britax. The price is expensive but you won't regret it. They are the best car seats ever. We have the Britax Boulevard with side impact. The best you can get. I searched online for months before purchasing it but any of the Britax carseats are great. Good Luck shopping.

Oh! I remember those car seat shopping days! I am so glad that is over. It is such a hard decision! If you have narrowed it down between a Britax and a Graco, I would go with the Britax. I'm not saying that Graco is a bad brand, we actually have a Graco car seat in my car for our 19 month old and it is a fine seat. I am basing it on my sister's experience as well as countless friends who also bought Britax.
I hate to add another brand on top of your list, but here goes...Our other car seat is a "The First Years" True Fit, and we absolutly LOVE this seat. Our daughter loves it too!! It is so easy to use and to clean...important factors for busy mommies! It is very similar to the Britax Marathon so if you don't want to add another car seat to your list, just go for the Britax...you can't go wrong!