Which Car Seat Should I Buy?

Hi S.,
We have the Britax Marathon (it was a hand-me-down). It's the best. My son used it and now my daughter (almost 3) is using it. It's seems very comfortable, especially for sleeping.

We bought my son a booster seat (don't remember the name), but we agreed that next time we'll only buy Britax - it's much better quality and worth the money.
Y.

spend the money on the britax. We have the boulevard and my son loves it. We had the infant britax seat also. As you said, you can't put a price on safety.

I have the britax marathon, and my 4 year old just moved out of it so her brother can have it - size wise it lasts forever, super comfy - I am jealous!

Other than that, we have a neck pillow for her when we know she is going to nod off!

Hi,
We have this same carseat and have had a problem with our son's head fallin forward. The easiest way we solved it was by removing the headrest....that solved the problem immediately.
On another note, we have used our sister in law's Britax roundabout and I hated it. It has less structure on the sides and I found that our son's head was always falling forward or very far to the side when he fell asleep in the Britax. Plus, when it is fully reclined it doesn't go back that far. I also didn't like the lap part of the safety straps because they go over the legs and not the hips.
I would suggest going to a Babies r Us (or whatever store) and physically put your daughter in them and see what you like and don't like. Good luck!!!

Hi, S..

We have the MaxiCosi/MaxCosi... it is one of the more expensive ones, but we love it. I could not get over the difference in how comfortable my son was... just sitting, sleeping, etc... this car seat has 3 seating positions - one that reclines very nicely. Even if he falls asleep completely upright, his head is always supported. I would highly recommend the MaxCosi or another carseat that reclines and has good head support. We love it so much that we travel with it everywhere. In terms of cost: toys, clothes, room decor, etc... there is always too much and I think that is the key place to set strong limits, but I believe in spending the money on the right car seat (and possibly stroller, if you are a walker/get out a lot) is the place to be a bit more liberal within your means, of course:-)

Best of luck to you!

Hi,
My 14 mo daughter is in the Britax Boulevard and we are very happy with it. She's been in it since she was 6 mos. It is a bit pricey but well worth it. I too am a teacher......not looking forward to what's about to happen in 4 weeks. Yuk!!!!

Good Luck

It's definitely good to have an extra car seat around!
The Britax Roundabout is wonderfully simple to use and clean and is safe and stylish, but it is a lot of $$ and it also takes up a lot of space. If I were you, I'd call around to some local consignment shops to find one "gently used," (turn it upside down and look at the plastic "bones" of it to make sure there's no cracks or damage).
Don't worry about stains or tears on the fabric part, you can buy a new cover for it.

I just got The Triumph Advance Premier this past weekend for my 11 week old son. He had already out grown his carrier. I was limited on seats since he is so big for his age, I know that he will out grow any seat with a 40 lb limit. We have not had a problem with his head. When he falls asleep his head rests nicely on the padding that came with the seat. The Premier has more padding than the other Triumph models. Also it has a really nice latch system like the Britax seat does. It only took us like 5 min to put the seat in our cars. In talking with the sales person at Babies R Us he said that the Premier is just as good or even better than the Britax. Also the Premier is 100 bucks less! We had to get two seats and $100 difference is alot! I personally will not buy a used seat from anyone I do not know! I do not trust that it has not been an accident before.

I had the Alpha Car Seat with my daughter...she kept on getting pintched by the buckle. Also if you want that one then wait a few weeks. Apparently they are also bringing out a seat that has a harness to 50 lbs in August.

Oh I have a 2007 VW Passat and it works wonderful in my car.

Good Luck!

they do have infant car seats that go to 35 pounds. maybe you could get one of those to use until she turns one and you can turn her around. britax is nice but what you have is just as good safety wise. i use the alpha omega and like it but i didnt use it rear facing so i dont know. my babies heads kinda leaned and fell forward even in the infant seats its just the angle they are supposed to be at. you might be able to just get a neck pillow for her if she will keep it on.

hey S., i have the britax roundabout, and i had a hard time justifying the cost, but it really is a superior seat. my mother has the evenflow triumph you mentioned, and when we compare the two, the differences are just so obvious and even my daughter seems happier and much more comfortable in the britax. it's extremely easy to use, very comfortable in the recline issue, and the straps seem to be snugger and more secure. the seat fits well in both my honda accord and my 4runner- i picked the roundabout becuase it isn't as huge as some of the other ones, but has a great safety rating and fits our needs. i figure that i really only drop the big $$ on the important stuff, and carseats to me are up there on my list. :) good luck!!

Hi S.,

I have the Britax Roundabout and am about to sell it on Craigslist. My son is 14 months and the seat just looks to small for him. He is much more comfortable in the Evenflo Triumph (which we have in my husbands car) I am actually going to be buying a Triumph for my car soon. As far as the pool noodle, I know that is what the fire department used when they installed my sons carseat when it was rear facing. I would suggest going by your local fire station and see if they have any suggestions. The firefighters are great and more than happy to help!

We have 2 Britax Wizards(Boluvard) that we bought on craigslist for $125(value of $600) for both(use common sense when buying second hand:ask questions, check date,inspect the seat, check recall). We have owned MANY SEATS before and the ones that have side impact wings are the most comfortable out there. Our car is a small volvo , and we never had any problems with the way the seats fit(we had one rear facing ,now they are both forward , my husband is also 6"4 so the front seat is all the way to the back, and again enough leg room for both boys(VERY BIG 3 year old and BIG 18 months old) We love them!!!!!!!(I also bought a combi sun canopies that are made for toddler seats and it's a perfect combo).

We love our Britax Marathon! Easy to install! Comfy for our daughter and durable! Excellent choice for the price...we went to shopzilla.com and found one for the cheapest price and shipping! check online for deals!

I think that your problem has nothing to do with the car seat you have, and everything to do with your car seat being installed incorrectly. If you have a rear facing convertable seat, it should be at a 45 degree angle relative to the ground. Some cars don't allow for that, so you have to roll up towels, or the cut up pool noodle for it. If you reinstall your carseat with those guidelines in mind, or take it to a local fire department, it sounds like you won't have the problem anymore with the current seat you have. If you buy another seat and install it incorrectly, you will have the same problem.

On a side note, once you turn them around, to face forward, their little heads slump. You can buy little "wings" to prevent it, but you can't recline it more. :(

I know britax has a lot of fans, but I just can't make myself shell out that kind of cash when less expensive seats rate just as highly. Try reinstalling the seats, see if it works.

I was given a Cosco Alpha Omega when my first boy was born (he's 4) and I got another seat to put in my husband's car so we wouldn't have to keep switching seats back and forth. The second one I got was a much less expensive without the "bells and whistles." Now that we have two boys in convertable seats, I kick myself every time I see the older one's head bobbing. See, the second one doesn't recline, so if he falls asleep in the car (which is more often that I expected, obviously) his head folds over and he looks terribly uncomfortable. He doesn't complain at all, but I hate to see it. If I had it to do again, I'd get the better one... just spend the money. He'll be in it until he's out of a booster seat, so it's worth the investment.

I've heard good things about the Britax, but have no experience with it myself. So, my advice is to spend the money to get one that:
1. reclines
2. coverts to a booster seat (5 pt harness to lap/shoulder belt)
3. fits nicely in your car.

The Alpha Omega seems kind of big, but I have a Nissan XTerra and I can fit in the back seat with both car seats (I'm 5'9" and 200).

Good luck.

Don't get this one by Eddie Bauer - http://www.amazon.com/Eddie-Bauer-Alpha-Omega-Elite/dp/B0....

I have the same problem as you with the head falling forward. We've tried using towels to tilt the seat and towels behind her back to reposition her body but nothing helps. We've bought a Britax one and a Graco one as well. Graco is cheaper and it works well, but it doesn't seem as comfortable as the Britax.

Hi S.!

I understand your concern in buying a carseat for your child that will be comfortable, safe, and affordable. I have four children - just 5, 3 1/2, and just 1 year old twins. That being said, we are all about the carseats. We have four Britax in our car right now. We initially bought our first the Britax Marathon and absolutely fell in love with it. It is quite pricey but you can be sure that it is safe, comfortable and you will be able to use it a long time! We just moved our oldest out of the Britax and into a Britax booster when the twins were ready to go into the Britax. So our first used the Britax for 4 years without any problems! So if you split up that $250 over four years it's a pretty good deal! Well worth the money and we certainly got our money worth! She could have stayed in longer but we didn't want to buy another Britax carseat knowing she would eventually need a booster anyway. All carseats have to meet specific standards, so whether you buy a Britax or not your child will be safe. Even though, we would highly recommend the Britax Marathon and Britax Booster!

A.

The one you have has the highest rating from Consumer Reports, on par with the much more expensive Britax Roundabout. It also has a higher weight limit for forward facing by 15 lbs, and is over $100 less. I personally just bought it because of all these reasons. Did you angle it back all the way? I had more problems with his head falling forward in the Britax that I had before this, honestly.

I've had Britax marathons, and I love them. They tighten so easily with the LATCH system, the seat does not budge. Both of my boys were in them early and rear facing, and I didn't have a problem with their heads falling forward. My 2nd son was in it when he came home from the hospital, I never used an infant carrier seat with him.

I would try the seat in your car before you buy it. Babies R Us will let you take the demo models out to your car to try it. I'd do that, even if you don't plan to buy it from them just to make sure it will fit in your back seat. I have a minivan so it wasn't an issue from me, but it is a very large seat, especially when rear facing.

Have you considered going to have your seat checked at a car seat check by a certified technician? I know that the sheriff's office has certified techs. You can check www.seatcheck.org or www.safekids.org to find seat check locations close to you too. Also have you checked the recline position on your child seat? Since your daughter is only 6 months old she should be rear-facing still and i know her seat has several base recline positions. I noticed that you said you were using a towel to try and get a better recline so I thought I would mention the base adjustments too. I hope this is helpful.

Hi S.. When our son outgrew his infant car seat I researched like crazy. I found that the Britax Roundabout got the best safety ratings and even better, you can keep your child rear facing until the neck strengthens and turn the seat around to face forward. Also, the latch system is so strong on this seat it doesn't budge. I've been shocked to find some seats that do not secure tightly to the car.

http://www.britaxusa.com/products/product_detail.aspx?ID=10

*As you may know, it is now recommended to keep your child rear facing until at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 lbs. So if the wee is a light weight at 1, he/she should remain rear facing.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/newtips/pages/Tip2.htm

Hope this helps,
W.
http://motherrising.blogspot.com

Hi S.-
I had nearly the same request to Mamasource a little over a week ago!! I too have a 19 pound 28.5 inch 6 month old. We went ahead and got the Britax Marathon which fits into my Honda Civic without a problem. In fact, even rear facing I think we have more room for the front seat to go back than we did with his infant car seat. We just returned from a long trip from MD to NJ and he did great. His head didn't fall down once (and we don't even have the seat reclined). The fabric is super soft and let him "breathe". He was always super sweaty in his infant seat. In addition, the fabric is removable (and washable) which is fantastic. They even have a little velcro to keep the straps out of the way when you're putting your child in the seat.

Okay....on to the important stuff!!!!

I went to http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-marathon-convertible-car-... and got the "Brownstone" for $219.99! No tax or shipping either!!! It was at my house in just a few days and that's a savings of about $60!!

Another Mamasource mom emailed me this link after I had already purchased our seat. https://www.travelingtikes.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/onl...
This site has a larger selection of sale priced Marathons. Some are $219.99 and others are $229.99 She said that she ordered one (I think it was Ashley Floral) and they didn't have it in stock but they honored the sale price on another seat which was not on sale. Keep in mind that I believe this site charges tax 8.25% (not sure on the shipping)

Hope this helps! Good luck!
-C.

I had the exact same problem with my son and the evenflo triumph advance. My sister-in-law highly recommended that seat over the
"pricey" Britax ones. However, we had the same problem with his head falling forward. We had never had trouble with our so not wanting to be in his car seat, but he HATED this one. Unfortunately, we were on our way to SC, and then on to TX (from Virginia), so we realized this was going to be a huge problem. We actually stopped at a Babies R Us along the way and returned that seat (we'd only had it for 2 days) and purchased an Alpha Omega Elite. This one was substantially better and we used it for the better part of 10 months. However, when he was about 18 months, he seemed to be getting a little big for it (he's not a big kid, just tall), so we actually ended up getting the Britax Marathon. We found a great deal on it on-line and just decided to go for it. We LOVE it and wish we'd have purchased it from the very beginning! The Roundabout is also very good, but we chose the Marathon because it goes a little further in height and we felt he'd be more comfortable for longer in that seat. We now have a 3 1/2 month old little boy and will be purchasing a Britax for him, too! Hope this helps. Like I said, the Alpha Omega Elite worked very well, but as far as a comfort standpoint, I don't think anything beats the Britax's, at least not in my son's mind!

Go with the Britax! I've had 3 Britax seats for my 2 children (I've also tried other brands), and in my opinion, they are THE best. They do cost more, but if you go with the Marathon, you'll be using it until your daughter is ready for a booster seat. Britax is WELL worth the money.
Oh, and FYI, I've used my Britax seat rear and forward facing and my kids' heads have never slumped forward because the recline is adjustable in both directions.

I agree with a previous post about trying a pool noodle. In fact, we used one noodle, cut into thirds and taped together in a triangle shape. Then we put that tightly under the front of the seat while it was rear facing. This was what the fire dept did w/my first son's seat. I think some cars just have more "bucket" style seats and therefore carseats tend to recline forward a bit. This did the trick, and my sons both slept comfortably in carseats on long trips. We have the Evenflo Triumph too, and it's a great car seat!

Hi -- The Britax Marathon is great, but it might be too big for your car. We have SUVs, and there's barely room for our daughter's legs with the Britax (she is older, but for this price you want a seat that will last you for a while). You might look at the car seat advice in Baby Bargains. It's a Consumer Reports-type book that rates all kinds of baby products and tells you where to find deals on them. You can get it at bookstores or online (babybargains.com or amazon.com). The government also puts out "ease of use" car seat ratings (http://www.nhtsa.gov -- see menu on the left side of the page). If you don't have side air bags in the back, try to find a seat with side-impact protection or see if you can put it in the middle seat (depends on your car's LATCH configuration -- check your manual). Good luck!

I just ordered a Recaro Young Sport for my 11 month old. I think they are worth checking out.

Go with GRACO! We have the Graco safeseat stage 2. (forward facing only) We have the G galore pattern, which was $129.99. It can be reclined while going down the road, in a few positions. It is very easy to install, very safe, and looks very comfortable. My 16 month old girl has lots of cushion around her head, and it is almost impossible to have her head bop or droop while sleeping. The reclined position helps, too. In fact, a friend of mine just went out and got the same carseat for her 2 year old, after returning an evenflo one. So glad we went with Graco over Britax. Also, This carseat fits great in our 2006 Honda Civic. The infant carrier in this pattern goes up to 30 lbs, and is roomy, if you still need rear facing. With a 6 month old, even though she is 19 pounds, should probably stay rear facing for a few more months.

I think Britax is definitely worth the money. If you look around online, you can find one in a discontinued pattern and they're usually less expensive.

Britax! Britax! Britax!

I am a big fan of the Britax car seats. They are easy to use and comfortable for the kids and do a great job of protecting children. Even though they are a bit pricey... Like you said you can't put a price tag on safety. I was in two car accidents with my son - one in which my new minivan was totalled. I'll tell you my son was so secure in his car seat that he didn't budge. No injuries, not even a scratch. I went out later that day to purchase another Britax for him, as you shouldn't reuse a carseat that has been in an accident. I now have one for my daughter as well and will continue to use Britax in the future. Great car seat! Good Luck!

At this point for our son, we bit the bullet & bought 1 Britax for the car that he rode in most often. The other one we just got a normal one. It was pricey, but was SO worth it. He preferred that seat for comfort, especially on trips, and knowing he was safe made it worth the cost.
As an FYI, when we sold it 2 years later we still got lots of money back (used Craig's List).

If your child is on the large side, as mine was, I would recommend the Britax. I went for the Graco when mine grew too tall for her infant seat at 4 months. Before she was two, I was buying the Britax because she had grown too tall for the Graco. If you buy the Britax now, you will not likely need another seat until booster time. Huge pro of the Britax over the Graco---the straps never tangled!!! One possible con---I started using the Britax when she was forward facing. I don't think the adjustment strap is easy to access in the rear facing position. But check different models and the current styles. They may have fixed that. I had the Marathan. Another thought...I just sold my used one for $100 so in the long run they are probably a much better buy (especially if you avoid having to buy two!).

I bought the same seat for my 7 month old son and had the same problem with his head falling forward, until I tried puting a pool noodle under the base. The foam dosen't compress as much as I'm assuming the towel does. Try that and see if it helps.

Hi S.,

I see that you have a LOT of responses, a clear indication that this is a very important question! My Mothers & More chapter (www.delmoms.org) arranged for our local DMV to speak about car seat safety and I'm so glad I attended!

There were 3 items I feel are most important: NOTE: #3 is pretty scary, & I cried when I heard both points expressed because I had done both with my son, believing I was protecting him . . .

1) Get a 5-point harness (1 point over each shoulder, 1 point at each side of the waist and one point between the legs)

2) Call your DMV for a car seat safety inspection. Many children are injured in car seats their parents faithfully installed as best they could but either weren't tight enough, angled properly or any other number of reasons.

3) Do NOT get a car seat with a padded arm that goes across the car seat at tummy level as this can cause a head injury in a crash (car seat straps are made of nylon and designed to give with the momentum of the car, allowing your child to move forward and possibly strike her head against the arm. Same goes with installing a mommy-mirror on the headrest of your rear-facing child's car chair. Accident momentum will, by design, allow the car seat to slam into the mirror, breaking it and possibly cutting your otherwise-safe child.

D.

We also have the Britax Marathon. We replaced our daughters Graco infant seat when she was 9months old because she was to tall (she is now 21 months). Anyway I researched seats and talked to everyone I know that has children and they all pointed me to Britax. We spent 2 hrs in Babies r Us one day trying every convertible car seat in there and we always went back to the Britax. She loves it , she has never complained about being uncomfortable like she did with the Graco. I think Britax is well worth the money. This is a large seat so you will want to check the measurements to see how it will fit in your car.

I have a britax marathon for each of my kids... they are expensive but they love them. They are comfortable, easy to pop in and out of my car and also have a recline feature for when your child is rear facing. Your daughter seems like she is a "healthy" size so I would suggest the Marathon over the Roundabout (even though it is less money)... she might outgrow it before she goes to a booster.
Also, you might find a fire station or police station that installs carseats... they often use a pool noodle to raise the seat to the right angle.