Car Seats

A while back some one posted a link to a website where you could put in you child age, weight, and height to find out what car seat was best for them. Does any one know where this link is?

 

It might be this one www.carseat.org

HTH

 

I don't know the link, but if you tell me the age, height, weight, and current seats (and budget), I can give you some suggestions.

General guidlines are the weight limit on the seat and the height rule: 1 inch under the top for rearfacing, tip of ears at top for forward facing. Many seats rearface to 30-35 lbs, which is safer then ff'ing. Then there are harness seats that go up to 65-80 lbs, which is also safer then a booster.

Just let me know if I can help! I do car seat education displays a lot.

 

My problem is that my youngest is on the chunky side and is already starting to out grow the infant car seat that we have for her. She weighed 18 lbs when she was sick at 7 months old. She will be going in for her 9 month check up on the 21st. My big concern with her car seat is that she grown so big that the tallest slot for the shoulder straps is now below her shoulders and I know that it is supposed to be above the shoulders, also the car seat's weight limit is 22 lbs. Our budget is very tight and we can't afford to be buying car seat after car seat. So when she gets another one it will have to last a while and be able to convert to a seat belt positioner like my other girl's do. Thanks in advance.

 

First, the straps need to be AT or BELOW the baby's shoulders for rearfacing, not above. They are above for forward facing. So you need to fix that immediately.

Second, no matter which convertable seat you buy, she needs to stay rearfacing until a very minimum of 1 year AND 20 lbs by law. Most seats on the market today let you rearface until 30-35 lbs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rearfacing to the weight limit on the seat.

So, there are a few options. My top recommendation would be the Fisher Price Safe Voyage. Its on sale for $130 right now. It is made by Britax so it is a top of the line seat for a good price. It can be used rearfacing to 30-something pounds, and then forwarding facing to 55 lbs. http://www.specialtybaby.com/fiprsavodeco1.html

If that is too much, there's the Cosco Scenera, which is a decent seat at $40-50 from Walmart and Target. It rearfaces to 35 lbs and forward faces to 40 lbs. The down side is that it can't be used past 40 lbs.

Another good seat, perhaps for your twins, is the Safety 1st Apex. Currently about $100. Forward facing only, so you can't use it for your baby yet. It forward faces with the harness to 65 lbs, and then converts to a booster to 100 lbs. http://www.specialtybaby.com/sa1stap65boc1.html The downside is that the Apex needs to be installed on seats with headrests.

Does that help?

 

The shoulder straps are already below her shoulders so there is nothing to fix there. Yes $130 is way too much money and we can't afford to buy a car seat that will not last until the booster seat (just the bottom part) days. My twins already have a good car seat that has shoulder strap slts on it so it can be used for a good long while. Thanks for your input though.

 

QUOTE(latb611 @ May 11 2007, 02:41 PM) [snapback]251602[/snapback]
The shoulder straps are already below her shoulders so there is nothing to fix there.


Sorry, I must have misread the post.

QUOTE
Yes $130 is way too much money and we can't afford to buy a car seat that will not last until the booster seat (just the bottom part) days. My twins already have a good car seat that has shoulder strap slts on it so it can be used for a good long while. Thanks for your input though.


Well, car seats expire after 6 years, so even if you bought a seat that converts to a backless booster, the seat may expire before your baby is old enough to use that option. Do the seats your twins are in rearface? Perhaps you could put the baby in one of those seats, rearfacing, and buy the Apex for one twin to use now since that can be used to 100 lbs (but can't be used for the baby right now). And then once the baby is bigger and older, she can use the Apex. It is $100 and will last into the booster stage.

 

Tristen,
Check out this post on Baby Bargains. It gives a list of car seats more affordable than britax:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?...46404&page=

It has some of the same recommendations of Christine.

Good Luck,
Stacy