What Toddler Car Seat to Buy?

We bought the Britax Marathon and Derek LOVES it! he falls asleep everytime he gets in it. It's pricey, but the weight limit is up to 65lbs. so we felt that the price was worth it. Plus it was ranked #1 in the consumers report.

But it really depends on what you and your child like... and what fits in the type of vehicle you have and the finances you have. The marathon works great for me and my car but it is too big for my husbands mustang. I suggest take your child with you so you can see how they fit in it and the car it will be in so you can see if it will even fit properly.

1 mom found this helpful

Go down to your local Babies R Us: in the carseat aisle/area they have staff that have been specifically trained in carseat knowledge, and they can help you find exactly what you want within your price range. Choosing a carseat for ones child is really a very personal choice, so I would recommend you go down there with your children and hubby, see what your options are, and decide what is best for YOUR family.

Hi A.,

I agree with most of the posters too about Britax but if you cannot afford to shell out $300 or more to buy one, there are others out there. We just moved our 2.5 year-old from the Marathon to the Safety First Alpha Omega (same as the Cosco Alpha Omega mentioned earlier). We got ours for $160 and it does hold up to 100lbs with a 5-pt harness. It also has an expiration date of 8 years, I believe. So it goes a long way. Our 6 month-old is now in the Marathon switched to rear-facing. Like one poster already mentioned, go to a local baby store and check out all they have to offer for fit and comfort, etc.

Hi A., i have 3 kids and have gone through this so many times. I was reading the other moms responses and most of them said the Birtex. They are 1 of the safest on the market. But they are very very expensive. There are alot of other very safe and affordable carseats out there, i dont think you need to dish out almost $300.00 bucks on a car seat, yes they are you children, and you need to keep them safe. Another thing about the Britex is it only holds up to 65 pounds, for my children i have the Eddie Bauer 5 in 1. It goes up to 100 pounds, and it costs right about $189.00. I used the sameone for all 3 children and it remains in excellent condition.
Good Luck, A.!

I cannot afford a Britax, but I really like the Cosco Alpha Omega. I bought one for my second son, and since he'll be using it for a while because it goes from 5-100 lbs, I just got another for my 3rd son.

C. : )

Hi A.!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the Bitax "Boulevard" it's a little pricy but very much worth it. It is one of the only convertible car seats with the side impact system. The weight limit is 65lbs!

Hope this helps. good luck!

Yes, Britax is GREAT! We have the "Parkway" model, which is a booster seat. It was about $100 in my area, and goes up to 100 pounds. It comes in MANY different print patterns and colors to choose from. It's a fantastic booster seat for this age, as your son is. A "booster seat" is what you need. It's safe, as it is an actual "seat" that they sit on, versus just sitting on a platform. It also has a neck/head rest backing which will protect their head & neck from flopping around. My daughter loves it, and we have 2 for both cars, and my sister has one too. And we will get one for my son when he grows up. I recommend it highly. You can research it online. We bought ours from a store locally here. It's well worth the price. This is what is looks like with information here:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?products_id=837
Or, at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105-###-###-####-###...

Good luck!
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

Hey A., I don't know anything about carseats. My four month old son outgrew his newborn seat and we are using the convertable Gracco kind. It is okay, but I feel like we could use a bigger one with more comfortable straps. We live in Venice. Are you local?

I have a 7 and 5 year old, so I'm not sure if this seat is still made. It's the Evenflo Comet Booster. I loved it since it had a knob in the front for tightening and loosening the straps.

It was easy for my toddler to fasten the buckles by herself and then I could tighten the straps a little bit with the knob.

For safety, make sure it's a 5-point harness! From what I'm reading, children should be in these seats longer than previously thought. I like the ones with the metal pieces that click in SEPARATELY to the plastic piece between their legs. -It's MUCH easier than the ones that two pieces have to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle first before it clicks into the piece between their legs. Happy car seat hunting! ~M. T. :o)

I have three kids and take car seat buying very seriously. I feel it is an important investment, so I look at quality before price. That said, seeing as it is an investment, I like to make sure my child will be able to use it for a long time. I have two favorites that are reasonably priced. First is the Britax.( http://www.britaxusa.net/ ) You can get the Marathon or Decathalon (Or other models like the Regent) and keep your child in that until they don't need a seat anymore. The issue with them is that when your kid is 5, while the 5 pt harness is the safest, sometimes the seat lifts the child too high and if their legs are long, it can bump into the seat back in front of them, so a booster, which is lower is more practicle. With that said, I love the Britax because its safe, its stylish (not that that is important), its reasonably priced, and they can remain in the 5-Pt harness until they are 65lbs, or more if in the Regent I believe. You do not *have* to use a booster, but at one point your kid may not like you digging for that bottom latch or their lack of leg room (or maybe the feeling of being in a "baby" seat).
If you want a terrific booster later on or a 5-pt harness seat that will become a booster, you can go with the Recaro. ( http://www.recaro.com/index.php?id=1531&region=3&L=2 ) or ( http://www.recarochildseats.com/ ) If you go with their 5-pt harness seat that becomes a booster, you won't need another seat and so it makes it well worth the investment. This is likely the way I would go if I were to buy again. My oldest has their booster and its wonderful. He did not like the Britax version of the booster as it came in around his neck too closely. But the Recaro is made by a race car seat company and boasts its side impact protection for the neck/head AND hips (a plus!). If you get their 5-pt harness seat that turns into a booster later, it will have the latch capability and then your booster will stay put too.
So, for $250 or less, I would choose the Recaro 5pt harness simply for the lack of needing to buy a booster later (Make sure its the one that turns into the booster). Or I'd go with the Britax and then switch to the Recaro (just) booster when they were old enough.
I put my kids into the booster in Kindergarten, even though by law and weight they could do a booster before, why risk injury to their little bodies. A 5yr old kindergartener was fully paralyzed last year in our community from a side impact collision of about 45mph...her booster was thrown across the car even though it was buckled in. It wouldn't have happened if she were in a 5pt harness still, or perhaps a better booster. So, if your kid will tolerate it, and leg room allows, keep them in the 5pt harness as long as possible. I hope the info I gave you on the Britax and the Recaro was useful. No other seat compares in my opinion, unless you want to shell out $500+ for the Safeguard childseat. I left it out because its just very pricey. But here it is: http://www.safeguardseat.com/childseating.htm

I went through this a year ago with my 2 kids. I ended up buying and trying all different brands of car seats. My husband and I hated them all. So we went to Lullaby Lane and talked with the staff there. We decided to go with the Britax Regent. It seems really big and bulky but it fits perfectly in our Prius. It also lasts up to 80lbs so you won't have to buy another car seat. Also Lucile Packard Car Seat Safety experts recommend the Regent. Yes it's expensive but I couldn't put a price on my childs safety. Great thing about it is it will last forever!

Hi-

I agree w/the other mom about not needing to spend as much as a Britax. I have 2 boys, 2.5 yrs & 7 yrs. After the infant seat, we did switch to the Britax cuz as stated, they're the best. But we bought the Round-A-bout which is their basic rear/forward-facing seat. The rest of their carseats get really pricey to the point of over-priced, I think. The Britax is also a very heavy seat & the other models just get heavier which makes it hard to travel with & switch to different cars. So, when our older son was getting too big for the Britax, we moved onto a seat by Eveflo that I HATED & wouldn't reccomend. When my girlfriend's son hit this age, she moved him to a Graco seat that I wished I had bought instead of our Evenflo! She bought it in maybe 2002 & it lasted thru her second son & now her daughter will be moving into it soon. So, it's a good-quality, sturdy seat. It's now called Ultra Cargo seat & comes in a variety of colors & I think was about $100. It starts off w/a 5-point harness that can be removed once your chil is the right weight & height for using your car's seatbelt. It's light-weight & easy to install. I also suggest you ask some of your friends & also go to the Babie's R Us web site & read the parent product reviews. If you decide to go w/a Britax & money is an issue, try EBay or Craig's List or even a reputable re-sale store. Britax's last a long time, have had few, if any recalls & unless they've been in an accident, will still be in good shape if you buy it used or get a hand-me-down. Yep, I sound like I'm making a pitch for Britax but they are pricey & my thought is, if you can get a carseat that's just as good for a cheaper price, then do it! Hope this helps & goood luck!

We have the Britax Marathon seats and they're great.They hold up to 65 pounds where as some are only up to 45.
They cost a little more but are worth it since you won't have to buy another seat!!

good Luck!

G.

I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old also...fun and exhausting huh? I second the advice given by the first poster - she did a really good job of laying it all out. We have the Britax Regent for our 2 year old and we love it. I liked the idea of a 5 point restraint that he could use up to 80 pounds. We have a Britax Marathon in my car and we'll be switching that back to rear facing for the baby and will be using another Regent in my car (if it will fit - it is huge). Your son is too small for a booster now anyway so you are sort of in the in-between stage. You could get a Britax Marathon or Decathalon but then you'd have to buy a booster later. None of them are cheap but you use them for a long time (and you can use them for your infant later) so its worth it. Good luck!

I may not understand what you are looking for but wanted to make sure you knew about car seat laws. Your two year old should still be in the convertable car seat until he's 4 or 40lbs. He can't go into a booster until then. If I misunderstood I apologize. I just always worry about the safety of kids!

We have a Britax Wizard, which we really like.

Hi A.!
It is a jungel out there when it comes to baby stuff. When we had our first child my husband did extensive research on car seats and we found that Britax is the safest. It is British and they have higher standards for car seats in Europe. For toddlers it is called Britax Marathon. We've had them for both our daughters and they are very good. There are three different ways to put them in to your car and many adjustments to make tor the harness and how much to tilt it etc. I hope you find one that will work for you.
C.

I have a 2 year old and a 6 month old, and I just went through this problem. But my daughter wasn't big enough to get the booster seats yet. So we went with the monster Britax Regent. I love it, but it is very big and heavy. On the positive side, it goes up to 80 lbs. So I don't have to buy one for a while.
I love the Britax, go to a store that will explain all the styles to you. Good luck.