which convertible should we buy this mama (as a gift)?

[chrstene]

Hello Ladies ! 

A coworker of ours is having a baby girl.  She has a bucket/infant seat already from a shower...we would like to chip in and get her a GOOD/SAFE convertible seat.  

My DC are already in Nautilus', so I am a little out of the loop as to what is the safest and has the most longevity, etc.  

Please bring me up to date so that we can get this mother a good safe seat as her little one grows. 

Thanks. 

[leighi123]

Does she plan on extended rearfacing?  What kind of car does she have? Do you have a budget in mind?  Are there any specific features she is looking for?  Will she use the seat for travel at all? (flying)

My favorites are the TrueFit, Radians, MyRide and complete air. 

All carseats are going to be safe, provided they are used correctly.  Some are outgrown faster than others, and some have different features that may or may not be things you like, and the more expensive seats also have luxury features like nicer quality fabrics and more comfort padding that kind of thing.  So it really depends on what you think she would like.  

[chickabiddy]

What's your budget, does she need the seat to work in a three-across, are there any other considerations?

Without more information I'd suggest looking at the Safety 1st Complete Air, Evenflo Triumph65, and Graco MyRide.

[chrstene]

Well there isn't really a budget set, since it is a few women chipping in we are hoping to get a nice seat.  

It's her first child, so we dont have to worry about 3 across, etc.  

As far as whether or not she will ERF, I hope so..unfortunately, most people IRL that I know DONT rearface past the first birthday...

[leighi123]

Well it sounds like there are a lot of choices for you then, pretty much anything would work.   

Some seats I would NOT get are the 3 -in-1 alpha omega, and I really dont like the evenflo triumph advance for a few reasons.  Also if you go with a britax, get one of the 'bigger' ones (ie not the roundabout).  

I'd go with a Truefit:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-True-Convertible-Seat/dp/B00166V47K

Radian:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian-Convertible-Malibu/dp/B001O5CM7E/ref=sr_1_10?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1294775477&sr=1-10

Complete air:

http://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Complete-Convertible-Grande/dp/B004FNVSOU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1294775553&sr=1-6

[Farmer'sWife]

I vote True Fit.  The Radians can be tricky, especially for a first timer, and I don't care for anything made by Dorel (Complete Air).  If you have more to spend, go for the True Fit Premier as the harness adjuster is easier to get at because of the anti-rebound bar.  Personally, I also like the Evenflo Triumph Advance or 65.

[TheGirls]

For someone who doesn't know much about carseats and probably won't research it, I'd get the Evenflo Triumph Advanced or the Complete Air.  The Radian is a tricky install, the TrueFit can be as well if you don't read the manual.  The TrueFit's harness adjustment is an issue for some folks as well, and if she does do her research and decide to ERF, the TrueFit only goes to 35lbs.  I have and love my TrueFit, but I know far too many people who get completely freaked out by the harness or the lockoffs.  If I knew she were having tall light kids (like mine) and that she'd be comfortable with not tightening & loosening the harness every time, and that she'd take the time to learn to use the lockoffs, then I'd vote TrueFit.   If I knew she drove a car that the Radian does well in, I'd vote Radian. :-D  But with so many variables, EFTA or Complete Air are simpler and more common so any carseat checks she visits are more likely to know how to handle them. 

[colsxjack]

We got a complete air recently due to recommendations from this board. We love it. It is very easy to install and use properly. We do not have a car and took it on vacation with us. It was in and out of 3 different vehicles in the two weeks and was easy to install in each of them. It was also very light and easy to take with us on vacation and lug through the airport. It also has a long enough shell that it could ERF for a long time, that would leave the mother up for options as her child grows. 

[sk8boarder15]

I have a true fit and love it!

[an_aurora]

I'd go with the My Ride.  User friendly, easy install, cute patterns, and will last ages :)