I feel like it was just yesterday I was asking all you Moms about morning sickness and here I am asking about the 25lb and above carseat.
My Son has outgrown his KeyFit Carseat. We loved it, great suggestions Mamapedia Moms. What do you love about your 3 n 1 carseat. What do you wish you had with your 3 n 1 carseat.
Tell me, I will listen.
New Mom,
not so new Son
Another vote for the Britax Marathon! Then we moved on to the Britax Frontier. I think Britax products are made extremely well.
We love the Britax Marathon! From research and experience. My daughter was in one (extended rear faced till she was 2.5!) and we were in a fatality accident. She was uninjured. Enough proof for me! Good deals on them at albeebaby.com or new in box on ebay. You can try different car seats in your car at babies r us.
We went from the Keyfit to the Britax Marathon and plan to use it til the limit of the seat (65lbs, older model. Now they go to 70). It fits in my small Saturn SL1. I liked the RF tether. We had a tech check out our install when we first got it. We move the second one in and out of the van very easily. (I don't usually move the one in my car.) DD is still RF because it RF to 35lbs and she's tiny.
Another vote for Britax! Marathon for now & then the Frontier for later :)
Save yourself some money and don't get the Marathon. I have one Marathon and one Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat, and the Nautilus wins hands down. It's easier to install, easier to use, clean and I feel it's actually safer because it has side-impact protection.
go to a britax they rock! you can get a convertable one if you wish to keep him rear facing longer. then it also goes forward facing.
Not sure what Angela D. is referring to (no offense)...as the Marathon has excellent side impact protection.
I have a Graco Nautilus and I would never put a child in that seat until they are well past their 3rd birthday. My DD is 6yo. 4' tall and 50lbs. still fully harnessed in that seat (it's our spare seat and honestly I am not really pleased w/ it-it is an extremely hard seat to get securely in the vehicle w/ latch or a seat belt).
My son will be 2 in 1.5 months and sits very comfortably (rear facing) in his Marathon70 (RF's to 40lbs.). He's between 25-30lbs.
It's a great seat.
The only other suggestion I would look into would be the Diono Radian. It is more like a 3 in 1 but can be rear faced. (A Nautilus cannot.)
http://us.diono.com/en/car-seats/radian-rxt
HTH!
We love love love our Graco MyRide 65s. They are about half the cost of the Britax (and just easy to use), taller than the Marathon specifically, and can go rear-facing, which the Nautilus cannot. Rear-facing they are good up to 40-pounds for extended use, and then forward-facing they are good up to 65 pounds. We bought them for our son when he outgrew his pumpkin seat (Graco Snugride), and loved them so much that we went straight for them with our daughter, skipping the pumpkin seat. You can get them on Amazon.com, BRU, Walmart, Target, etc., but each store has a different pattern set, so if you are going to look at them, check them all out before you settle for one.
Downsides? It is so tall that it doesn't fit rear-facing in some smaller cars. Also, it is not a 3-in-one because it does not have a separate booster. But boosters cost about 20 bucks, and it will be years before your child is in one, so I personally chose not to bother, much like those who chose the Britax models. I'd rather have a seat that does extended rear-facing than one with a built-in booster.
Good luck with your search.
i'd go with a britax boulevard - had 2 kids in them during an interstate speed rollover collision a few years back, neither child had ANY injuries - every officer/paramedic on the scene that had children was taking down the model number... i promptly ordered 2 new boulevards after that wreck, they are GREAT seats.
