Hi, my 10-month-old son is about to outgrow his infant car seat (he's too tall for it). So we're starting to look into convertible seats. We'll need to buy two - my husband and I both tote him around pretty much equally so switching the seat between cars every day would be impractical. Therefore I'd like to avoid the really expensive ones if possible.
I've seen a ton of recommendations for Britax convertible seats, but those are usually around $300, while the Graco etc. are more like $150. Can anyone explain what exactly makes the Britax so much better that it's worth double the money? Does anyone have recommendations for a convertible seat in the under-$200 range?
Also, before our son was born we took a class that explained (among other things) what safety and convenience features to look for in an infant seat. But when it comes to convertible seats, we are clueless. What features should we be looking for (and what should we avoid)? Thanks!!
I have 2 kids in a Graco My Ride65. We tried Britax in the stores and the Graco both and decided to go with the Graco instead.
We also have the MyRide 65 and have been very happy with it. I did a lot of research and they are just as safe as the britax. Here is a very thorough review of the seat if you are interested http://carseatblog.com/2312/maybe-the-graco-my-ride-65-co....
And, just as a response to SaraJane, the MyRide 65 might not have been on the market when you got your seats, it's relatively new. It also holds children up to 65 lbs for half the cost.
Every car seat on the market meets the minimum safety test requirements set by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.) So it's just a matter of preference. To answer your question, this is why I spent the extra money on the Britax:
1) When we purchsed convertable car seats for our two children, the Britax Marathon had the #1 performance rating from Consumer Reports when in the forward-facing position. The Britax Roundabout had the #1 performance when you included rear-facing configuration. (Again, all seats on the market meet the minimum NHTSA requirements...but Consumer Reports did additional testing beyond those minimum requirements.)
2) I wanted to keep the kids in a 5-pt harness as long as possible. The Britax Marathon allows weight up to 65 pounds. My kids are still in their Marathons (oldest is 5 1/2). One of my children hit 40lbs at age 3 (which is the max. weight for many of the other less expensive brands.) and I would have needed to purchase a new seat for that child at that time. Thus far, I haven't had to spend any more money.
When I looked at the cost difference of Britax vs. the amount of years I would use the seat, the cost difference seemed insignificant. Then when I added in the "best on the market" rating from Consumer Reports, the decision to purchase Britax for my kids was easy.
Don't stress too much over this decision...your children will be safe no matter what you choose.
I don't know anything about other car seats, but I LOVE our Britax Boulevard seats, we have 2. When she outgrows them we will get a Britax booster as well. The boulevard is not too big, but plenty roomy for my large toddler, and she is always really comfortable. It has the extra head support on the sides for extra safety. Worth the cost in my opinion, and we are not rolling in the dough. lol.
I have never regretted the money we have spent on our Britax seats. (We have 4: Roundabout, Marathon 70, Parkway (booster) and Frontier.)
I have however felt I (or rather my mom) wasted money on the EvenFlo Triumph we have and the Graco Nautilus.
They are ok seats. Safe. But just not made as well, imho.
We bought our Triumph in 2006 so I'm sure they have improved it over the years...but I HATED that seat for the exact feature Everley is talking about. I found it very difficult to use.
Basically, I feel you get what you pay for.
I would absolutely avoid anything manufactured by Dorel.
Other seats I have looked at and think are worth the money are Sunshine Kids and Recaro.
I found this site to be super helpful when making my decisions: http://www.elitecarseats.com/home.jsp
HTH!
Get a graco my ride 65. All seats have to pass the same safety tests you are just paying for the name.
check this link under "convertible car seats" for recommendations by the certified Child-Passenger Safety Techs at the carseatblog: http://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-se...
Also if you can, go to a store to test the seats out in person to see how easy they are to buckle, adjust, etc. The most frequently rec'd convertibles in the under $200 range are the Graco MyRide 65, Evenflo Triumph Advance, and First Years TrueFit - all have high harnessed height/weight limits that will last most kids until they have the size and maturity to use a belt-positioning booster.
PS and if you decide that you like the Britax seats, you can often find their seats with previous year's fabric patterns on sale online for around $200 - like this one marathon in Onyx for $199 http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-marathon-convertible-car-..., and their Roundabout55 (same top harness *height* settings as the marathon with a lower weight limit and a few less convenience features) is $159.99 http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-roundabout-55-car-seat-on...
We tested out both the Britax Marathon and the Evenflo Triumph Advance, and preferred the Evenflo. I highly recommend it. The straps are so easy to adjust compared to the Britax (just turn a knob on the side) so it's super easy to get a secure fit with just a tshirt and then the next day with a jacket on. That was the main deciding factor for me since they both meet federal safety requirements.
Although I am a huge fan of Britax (I have a boulavard -convertible) and a Britax Frontier 85 (not a convertible, but a 5 point harness and option to use as just booster). We did get another "cheaper" convertible as an "extra" and have never liked it much compared to the Britax (I don't remember what it was... it is a dust collector). I do know people who like their Graco's though, and may be a fine option for you. I really like how the Britax tightens and stays really tight. I also like the side impact bags and the heavier weight limits. The quality is just better and undeniable, especially when you have them side by side (IMO of course). One thing to keep in mind is that this next car seat can last a LONG time if you get the right one. I just switched my 5 1/2 year old to the Frontier from the Boulavard mainly because my son is getting ready to need a convertible seat, and my daughter is old enough to need a "big girl" seat (even though she is still harnessed, a change in seats made her feel special). So, the Boulavard worked for her for over 4 1/2 years... The Frontier will last her until she no longer needs a booster, with can easily be another 4 years. I do not regret the money we spent on the Britax. I think we got our money's worth, however, I also realize that it is just not possible to budget for that sort of money going out all at once! One thought is to get a "cheaper but still good" convertible to last until your son is old/big enough to turn around, then get the Frontier 85, which is cheaper (you can get them for about $200), which will last him until he no longer needs a car seat or booster seat.
My favorite seat is the First Years Learning Curve True Fit car seat. Rear facing up to 35 lbs and forward with the 5 point harness up to 60 lbs. You can get them on Walmart.com for less than 200 each and you have them site to store shipped for free.
Check out this website for safety rating to help with you search.
Two things - if you have an old seat (or a friend does) often Babies R Us has a trade in program and you get 25% off or something for a seat you can't use anyway and keep an eye on sales. I got my DD's Marathons at different times (we swapped her in the main car first and then got the second before she completely outgrew her Keyfit) by keeping an eye on online sales (I forget the site, but it was alibaby or something like that).
I looked at seats and asked friends (one of whom had been in an accident and her kid was fine) and the Marathon kept coming up over and over and in person the quality just seemed better. They seem very safe, can be used on airplanes if the airline allows. Even the seat covers can be resold once the seat expires. I also liked the tether system once we figured it out. Just another way to keep the seat secure in an accident. My DD is 35" tall now and still fits fine in her seat RF.
Things to avoid in general, IMO, are anything the kid can take off or might fly off in an accident. I would look for some sort of side impact protection/wings. I would look for a seat that will go from a fairly high weight both RF and FF (current recommendations is to keep the child RF til 2) in a 5 point harness. New Marathons are 40 lbs RF and 70 FF and that may last your child almost to the extent of the law (some places are 80 lbs w/o a booster). I figure it's one seat vs a lower-limit seat that I'll replace which will cost more down the road. I like the one-point adjuster. It's SO easy to get her in and out. I don't know if they are all like that, but I know some infant seats don't do it and it's never quite right. I also like simple things like the rubber bit for the clips, and the velcro to keep the straps to the side when they're not in use. That way I'm not digging under her to find them. I personally like the tether as well. It tethers to the skid of my passenger seat. I would also look for a cover that washes because inevitably someone will spill something or have a blow out or something. Britax washes well.
I think I've heard that the TrueFit is good for tall kids, so if your kid is tall, you might want to look into that one, too.
