Need Recommendation for Convertable Car Seat

Hi A.,

We have the Britax Boulevard. We really like the car seat and it comes with a high safety rating. There are consumer web sites that will rate the car seats and make recommendations based on the type of car you drive. Good luck!

I wanted you to hear from an owner of the radian 80 we have 2, 1 for each car & I researched it forever(also 1st time mommy) it fits well in my husbands navigator and in my pacifica. The reason we chose this one is the fact they can sit rear facing until 40 pounds and thats the safest way for them to be as long as possible. Also it is very user friendly easy to install and can fold for travel so you could place it in a bag.
Good luck

We have the alpha omega elite. It was recommended to us by my sons Dr. It is the seat she has her kids in. I like it because it was reasonably priced. We got the one that was $140.

I think your best place to read up is here:

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/3137/Our_Recommended...

We just got the Sunshinde Radian 80...my husband really wanted the Radian XL because of the additional safety features, but they were not available yet. We really like our Radian 80. Our baby is pretty tiny- 18 months and only 21 lbs, so we fully expect that she will be in the Radian's 5 point harness until she can safely use the car's regular seat belt, so we're verry happy about that.

We also like the fact that it folds for travel, at only 17" wide, 3 can fit easily across any back seat, it can be used in an airplane, it can be used rear facing but don't remember exact weight limit for rear-facing- though it's pretty high so your baby can still be rear-facing if needed.

I'm currently pregnant again and my husband wants to get another Radian 80 for the new baby, which I'm for, but not until he/she outgrows the car seat/stroller system, because I want to be able to take sleeping baby in and out of the car in his/her seat.

The Radian XL has all the same features as the 8O with some new ones and it retails for $280- doubt it will go on sale any time soon. Since the 80 is no longer the newest model, you can find it cheaper than the $250-$270 normal price tag. We bought ours for $220. Whatever you decide on, I recommend you look to purchase it online. Most places will ship for free and they don't charge taxes (if business is not in California).

Good luck to you!

check out FIRST YEARS TRUE FIT!!!!!! I think that this car seat is beter than Britax it more for your money! My daughter loves it. It has higher rating than the Britax as well!

We have the alpha omega elite.. and like it alot.. :)

As a Child Passenger Safety Technician and Instructor, I would suggest the Radian 80 or Britax Boulevard because of their higher weighted harnesses. The Alpha Omega Elite does not have as high of a weight limit on the harness - at least the last I checked it didn't :) Just remember to keep your son rear-facing until he is AT LEAST one year old AND 20 pounds! Best of luck!

We really like our Alpha Omega Elite! My husband installed it and said it was super easy. DD seems quite comfy!

I love my Britax Marathon and it is rated very high in safety.

Good Luck

the the britax boulevard!! there are videos on the britax website to help you install it. my son loves it too. doesn't overheat in it. easy to use and adjust the straps, so he's always snug! :)

We have two Britax marathons and my kids love it and I love it. Easy to install, awesome lifetime warranty, etc.

My advice would be to take your son and go to a store like USA Baby and put him in them all. See which ones are most comfortable for him, easy to install for you, and seem sturdy/safe. Also which one has the largest weight capacity and height capacity.

My son is 4 and is still in his Marathon. Most of his preschool friends are in one of those belted booster seats. Noah will be in a 5 point harness seat until he can safely sit in the car without one. And although the weight limit on the Marathon is 65lbs., my son will outgrow it height wise in another year or so. So I am already researching the best 5 point harness booster seat for him.

My daughter on the other hand is a tiny girl. She is 2 and still fits into 12-18month size pants. I figure she will never outgrow her Marathon either in weight or height :).

I also forgot to mention, make sure that your carseat is FAA approved. If you plan to fly or take a train, you will need an FAA approved carseat. And FYI: Our Marathons have been on a few trips. Very easy to install in the plane, just make sure you ask your attendant for the seat belt extender before you install the seat. It's a pain to take out if you don't.

We bought an Alpha Omega for my first child and only just stopped using it as a booster seat for him as it was too big a booster now-he's 8. He's still in a booster but he needed a smaller one that didn't sit as high anymore. We bought one for our second child and he's still in it, he's 5. We are expecting our third in June and are planning on getting one for her as well.
We have loved them! We've had them in the Honda CRV and Toyota Sienna the most but we've also have to use them in a Toyota Tercell 2 door and a Honda Civic 4 door before and while tight in the first one we could put 2 of them in OK enough.
I have a friend who loves the Britax. They are expensive and extremely heavy according to her. They are also very large.

We have the Britax Boulevard and love it. Our daughter is big and needed the extra room. The shoulder straps on this seat adjust very easily. We have ours rear-facing still, but need to flip it around soon because she needs the leg-room. We love that it has side-impact protection built in. We have one for each car and had them professionally installed. If you can afford to do this, it will save you lots of headache. If I could change one thing about it -- I wish that the fabric was cotton instead of synthetic upholstery -- but all car seats on the market at the moment seem to be made this way. All in all, an excellent seat. I have no experience with the other two you mentioned. Hope this helps.

I used the Alpha Omega Elite with both my kids and loved it. Just be sure, whatever you buy, that it fits good in your car.

We have the boulevard and have used for the past year. So far, we love it - no complaints.

I have a Britax Boulevard, and I love it. I have a special needs infant who does not sit up well, she outgrew the infant seats but did not have the trunk strength to fit properly in a conventional convertible. The Britax reclines a little more, and has lateral support (sides of the body)), so is perfect for her. She was able to fit in it rear facing, even though she has outgrown the infant seats. I have turned it around now, and still love it. Isn't 6 mo. a little young to make the transition, though? or maybe you are just starting to save up for it, the Britax is very expensive. What I love the most about it, though, is that it attaches more securely (if your car has the little bars to receive the hooks) than any other car seat I have ever used, it attaches without using the car's seat belts. Because she has special needs I was able to get it free from the Injury Prevention program. Need a referral from a PT and had to go on a waiting list, but it was well worth the wait.

We have an Alpha Omega for my 3 year old and we just bought one at Costco for $85 for my 1 year old(it had the five point harness until 50 lbs). I didn't really like the Alpha Omega rear facing in our Toyota corrolla but it is excellent forward facing in our Honda Odyssey. All the moms in my play group rave about their Alpha Omegas. I think it does a good job but I don't know if I would rave about it. The price deserves a rave though. All Carseats sold in the US meet strict regulations so they are all safe. The US transport department rates them based on ease of use (meaning how are the instructions and ease of install). They claim they all have the same level of safety. Good luck. Basically you can't really go wrong with a US carseat so get what fits your budget and makes sense in the long run for your kid.

My husband has the Radian 80 in his car (BMX convertible - it's really tight in the back seat and the Radian 80 fits pretty well). In my mini-van I had the Britax Marathon and now my almost 5 year old daughter is in the Graco Nautilus (almost equivalent to the Britax Frontier).

The Radian 80 is "OK". I don't like that the back seems straight up, no comfy curve, but my daughter has never complained.

We have taken it on plane trips and it's really cool that it folds!

Other than that... that seat would not be my first choice. I'd stick with a Britax.

I use the Alpha Omega Elite for my twins and really like it. I've heard wonderful things about the Britax car seats, but I couldn't afford two at once, that's why I went for the Alpha Omega Elite. My regret is that I wish the seats used the 5 point harness to at least 60 pounds. Since purchasing this, I have learned how much safer it is for children to stay in a 5 point harness as long as possible. My children are big enough that my newly turned 4 year old would only be able to use the Alpha Omega Elite as a belt positioning booster seat. That's too young for my personal comfort level, so I bought him one that goes to 60 pounds harnessed. I don't know whether there are seats that accomodate a rear-facing infant and go to 60 or 80 pounds with a 5 point harness, but if there are, Britax would be the most likely. Check it out - if you spend more now, you may not need another car seat. I'm probably going to have to buy another for my twins in 1-2 years since I want them to continue in the harness.

Britax has the highest safety ratings so that's what we have.

I have no recommendation on any of these, but there is a website,
http://www.babycenter.com/204_poor-ratings-given-to-13-ch...
Baby Center...great site, lots of info on EVERYTHING this one did not recommend the Alpha Omega, not sure about Elite...Okay, I agree take your child to the store and have him try it out, I prefer ones that have a "tilt" option, able to adjust straps with out having to remove the straps and "restring" them. If there are relatives or other small children in the store ask them to test it,(most kids and moms do not mind and have fun, especially if there are a couple set out and they play hot seat!) only takes a second but a good way to see if in another year or two if it is still going to suit your needs. I had some that did not work after they turned about 3...the legs would hurt and shoulders did not fit as well.(6 kids 13y-14months) If width is an issue in the car, if seats move up back clearance from front seat to back with the car seat in it, if baby is rear facing will there be enough room for you to sit in the front seat comfortably also DH, with the baby in the correct position and with their legs as they grow (base of child car seat included) How your buckles in your car work, if they are long or short where will it come on the car seat? most are fine, I had one that hit the middle of the lower back on the child...ended up in a yard sale;\ Some stores will let you "try it in your car" others do not, but be sure you can return it if it does not fit right. (some have unfriendly return policies). A car seat cover has made my life ALOT easier, so when there is an accident or the child throws up, makes it so much easier to clean then having to take the whole thing apart. Some seats are easy to find covers for others NOT! Britax has a whole line of covers and you can get them on e-bay or other discount places for a reasonable price. Good Luck! Have fun and enjoy your Bundle of Joy!

I have the Alpha Omega Elite for both of my little guys, they have been in them since they were each about 3 mos. (they are now 4 yrs. and almost 3 yrs.). We have been very happy with them. I didn't know much about car seats at the time, but my niece was a bit of an expert and she said they were very highly rated. They have not been personally crash-tested, thank goodness, but we have really liked them for our everyday use and I am confident that my boys are well-protected.

Ok , Now trust me! I just bought few car seats until I got the good advice and bought the good one. Buy Maxy Cosi Priory 2008-2009. It is about 200$.But spend this money and you will not regret! Your baby will be comfortable and his head will not hang as he falls asleep!

You can not go wrong with the any of the Britax car seats. I have had the Alpha Omega elite and it's horrible compared
to a Britax. What makes a Britax so great and worth the money? The tether and latch system are way better, you can get a much tighter fit. Don't have latch? If you need to use the seatbeat, the Britax has a great, built in locking clip. The straps do not twist and the Britax car seats have the velcro making it easier to buckle your child in. All of the straps and cover come off easily to machine wash. Just make sure that the seat you get can rear face well in your vehicle.

We used the Alpha Omega Elite for both our kids. It's great, we never had any problems with it, it's sturdy and strong, and withstands all sorts of things.

Your baby is very young... you have to make sure to heed to the safety guidelines about.

The Alpha Omega has the infant accessories in order to fit a younger baby in it:

* 3-in-1 convertible car seat for use in infant, toddler, and belt-positioning modes
* LATCH equipped
* Rear-facing 5-35 lbs
* Forward-facing 22-40 lbs
* Belt-positioning booster seat 30-100 lbs

Now, you really need to make sure your baby is rear facing.
You can go to www.amazon.com to look up this car seat. AND you can read the reviews on it and the guidelines there. AND there are different price points/models.
ie: some Alpha Omega models are made "cheaper" for some chain stores... and others are more high-end quality and priced differently.

You should also go to the NHTSA site, to see of any recalls.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childs...

Good luck,
Susan

hi A.,
i have the alpha omega elite. i bought it about 2 months ago for my 1 year old boy. it is a little difficult to install at first and you need a spacious backseat (i have a mini suv) but it's a great seat! it is super comfortable and has side arm cushions which are nice. it's adjustable to any baby's height, too. also, when i was shopping for convertible car seats, i did a lot of research and this seat is always on the top of everyone's safely list. i would definitely recommend this seat! hope this helps!

S.

I have a britax boulevard and a britax marathon(in hubby's car) and i absolutely love them both. I highly recommend them both although i like the boulevard slightly better because it has the little wings on both sides of my son's head so when he falls asleep, it holds his head up better. I went on the babies r us website and read the reviews and britax received really good reviews. Good luck!!

I have the britax boulevard in my car and my husband has the Radian 65 in his car. The britax is more padded, but it's easier for us to get the baby in and out of the Radian 65 and our baby doesn't seem to prefer one over the other. We've also recently used the Radian on the plane and if you get this seat, definitely get the shoulder straps to wear it like a backpack. We got the Radian 65 instead of the 80 as the law in CA is age 6 or 60 lbs.

BRITAX, BRITAX, BRITAX!!!
Comfy, safe, wears extremely well.................if I had it to do all over again, I would buy the Britax again.

Hi A.,
I used the Britax and loved it. Check consumerreports.com for the latest safety ratings but Britax always rates very high. I'm not familiar with the other 2 brands you mentioned. Go with the brand that is the safest!

Good luck!

Keep in mind that they aren't to be forward facing until AT LEAST 1 year. I have never used the three that you have, but I would like to make a plug for the Evenflo basic version. it's tan and it's only about $80. They use these things for such a short period of time that it seems silly to spend so much money on things. Good luck! :)

britax is the best out there but they are expensive :). i have the alpha omega elite and i loooooovvee it!. it is a little on the bulky side but it has a 5 point harness that goes up to 50 lbs. my daughter is 2 and has been in hers since 10 months (when we faced her forward a little early i know). i personally liked the alpha omega seat because of the 5 pt harness up to 50lbs and the fact that it goes from 5lbs-100lbs. we take advantage of using the latch system in our car and it works great!

We have a Britax and are very happy with it. It is easy to install and the straps work very well. Our son, who was never happy in his infant car seat, loves it. Driving in our car with him was a lesson in patience until the Britax. I imagine it is very comfortable and that is why he loves it. I don't know anything about the other brands. They may be equally great. What I do know is we have peace of mind with our Britax regarding safety and our son loves it.