car seat issues

[marykatrina]

Hi! I'm a first time mom expecting in late Feb. I've been reading a lot about car seats and the more I read the more confused I get. My sister has been in a car accident with my toddler niece and nephew and now swears by the Britax brand because she says they are the safest. However, I'm hesitant to spend so much on a seat that may not last long. Would it be more practical to buy a convertible seat? Is Britax really the safest or are they sort of a wash because they've all passed safety checks? I'm willing to spend the money as long as its worth it and I'm not just buying a brand. Please help I feel so lost as to what decision to make. Thank you for any input you have!

[Smidge]

The have all passed the same safety checks, however some brands have better options.  I researched for a LONG time before buying each of my kids a Britax Blvd.  They are one of the best convertibles out there.

However, if you're wanting an infant carrier I would suggest one with ample padding as many babies don't like sitting on plastic, e.g, Graco, Evenflo, etc etc have almost no padding.  If you want to just use a convertible (from newborn on) than it can be tricky because some of the convertibles (incl the old style Britax) don't have low enough slots to properly fit a newborn.  My suggestions would be a Radian or a new Britax.  I'm not sure how low other convertibles straps can go, like the TrueFit, Graco Myride, Evenflo Triumph Advance and the like.

The reason we bought our Blvds (they are both the old style and each of my kids moved into them around 5months):

RF to 35lbs (new ones go to 40lbs)

LOTS of padding (we take frequent long car rides to visit family)

Versa-tether (when rear facing, you tether it so that it can't move forward)  *watch the video in post #3 http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?p=1490625

Turn a knob raises and lowers the harness straps (many other seats require re-threading which usually means you have to uninstall the seat)

HTHs :)

[an_aurora]

Car seats all pass the same minimum standards, so there is no one "safest" seat.  They are all considered equal in terms of safety.  Some seats have more options than others, or will last longer.

If you want an infant seat, there are tons of options.  The most popular seats (due to ease of install and use) are the Keyfits, and the Graco Snugride35. 

If you want to get the most bang for your buck and start out in a convertible seat, there are several that work well with newborns: the First Years True Fit, Sunshine Kids Radian, and the Graco My Ride.  The Combi Coccoro is fabulous for newborns but will be outgrown before the others.

[chickabiddy]

All seats pass the same tests.

With all the other seats out there, I would not recommend Britax.  Other seats have taller shells and more leg room RFing and taller harnesses for FFing so kids will last longer both RFing and FFing.  There's nothing wrong with Britax seats if you want them, but other seats will last longer for less money.

[surrogate]

I like britax seats...i used to Love them...anymore, they are just OK.  Much better options now though.

Radian

Myride 65

Complete Air

For an infant seat look into the onboard 35 and the snugride 35 both are long lasting big infant seats.  

 

[leighi123]

For newborns you have to install the seat at 45*, which you can do with a convertible, but it takes up a lot of room.  If you can install it in the center that can help to fit between the front seats (radian is a good one for this).   Or if you get something like a TrueFit, the headrest comes off until the baby is 22lbs or reaches a certian height.  So without the headrest it fits well at 40*, and you can install it more upright when the baby is a little older.  (TF also has really nice infant padding and is comfy and the cover is easy to wash)

Britax seats are nice but they dont last very long in height.   

Any seat you get, if its installed correctly and used correctly will be safe.  Its just a matter of your budget, the car you have, how long you want to rearface (rearfacing to the max limits of your seat, not just 1 and 20!) , weather or not you want to buy another FF harnessed seat, and the features you find important.