Need a New Car Seat

this web site has a good summary/comparison of different car seats and which features are useful http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&n...

please keep a few things in mind:
1. the American Academy of Pediatrics and numerous child passenger safety organizations strongly recommend that children remain in rear-facing car seats beyond the 1 year and 20 lbs minimum http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html . So the seat you get for your son should be a convertible (one that can be used rearfacing or forward facing)
2. Many seats are outgrown by height before weight, so even if your child isn't on a pace to hit 40 lbs by age 4, a convertible with a higher weight and height limit can be a worthwhile investment.

Since you like the size of your daugter's Alpha Omega, assuming it isn't close to expiring, you could pass that down to your son and move your daughter to a forward facing combo seat like a Graco Nautilus (which can be used with the 5 pt harness until 65 lbs or 18" torso height, then makes a very good belt positioning booster. The Alpha Omega isn't as good of a booster because the way it positions the belt doesn't fit the child as well as boosters like the Turbo Booster or Nautilus that have adjustable height headrests and open loop belt guides)

we have the graco nautilus that will turn into a booster. we like it. it is cloth though.

Get a Britex, they are the best...and worth the money. I have a marathon for my 10 month old and the next size up for my 2 year old. Good luck, I think that the bigger one will hold him until 80 pounds.

They usually have the old version of the Alpha Omega Elite at Big Lots for $80. It is cloth though.