A.V.
I was very happy with the Keyfit 30. I gave it to my sister and she has used it through 2 more children (started on #2 this month). I used the bucket seat til DD outgrew it. If you don't use buckets very long, why not a convertible RF from the start? The Marathon can hold a 5lb baby. The Keyfit 30 can also be used without a base, if you need to.