It's Carseat time!

Well, Declan's about ready to grow out of his infant seat--his feet already stick out past the end--and Ronan's not far behind. So I need to [admit that my boys are growing up ] and go out and get some convertible seats, possibly as soon as this weekend. I've done some research, and reading reviews, and all of that, and now I'm just overwhelmed by all the information. So I'm doing what I should have done from teh beginning--ask you guys! A few questions:

- Is the upper lbs limit a good way to compare seats? Will I really need a seat past 40lb (or would I move to a booster seat)? If I will, that'll help me narrow down my choices.
- Ease of use is the biggest deciding factor for me, I think. Which brand(s) have people found are really easy--especially when you're using them in the rear-facing position?
- Are there any other factors I should be taking into consideration?

Thanks as always for all your wisdom, ladies!

 

If you want a seat that lasts, take the Britax Marathon (definitely not your cheapest option, on the contrary, but one of the best seats around). Weight isn't the most important, although > 40lbs is preferred (my oldest will be 3 soon and is 40 inches and about 38lbs = 95%). The height of the top slots is important, because it's important to keep your child in a 5-point harnass until 4 years of age AND 40lbs. So you don't want to end up buying 2 seats before that.

An alternative to the Marathon is a cheaper seat, e.g. Cosco Scenera (only $40) and it's considered a good basic seat, but the top slots are low, and then move them into an Cosco Apex convertible / booster (which harnasses up to 65lbs; top slots 17.5" = same as the Marathon and the highest of any seat, besides the new Radian (18") and the Regent, but the last one is ff only) and then coverts into a booster.

If you have above average height children, look at the top slots of the seats. It's important. My oldest is outgrowing her Marathon because her torso is that long. It's unusual, but not impossible.

Check out this site: http://www.carseatdata.org/measurements.php?tun=home

Also very good is the Babycenter Car Safety board ... many experienced people on there: http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.a...webtag=bcus9421

 

I have the britax marathons and they are a sinch to install, and safe.

 

Ditto everything Franca said. I made the mistake of buying two Britax Roundabouts for my daughter, one for each car -- well, she outgrew it in height at only 2.5 years old (she's off-the-charts tall, though), even though she was way under the 40 pound weight limit.

But, 2.5 is too early to move a child to a belt-positioning booster, so I chose to get a combo seat that harnesses at first, then converts to a booster -- the Recaro Young Sport. I love the seat, but it only harnesses until 40 pounds, so I am just praying she turns 4 before she hits that weight.....I'd like to keep her harnessed until she's mature enough to sit properly in a seat belt. (The Recaro is forward-facing only, so not an option for you right now.)

Anyway, long story short -- I wish I had just bought Marathons to begin with!