scenera car seat (cosco)

[SuperGojiMama]

Hello moms (and dads)!!

I have a car seat question. We recently switched our boy from the infant car seat (Graco - which was awesome) to a Cosco Scenera Convertible seat because he seemed too big for the other one. We are doing rear-facing because he's only 8 months.

Does anyone have experience on this car seat or other convertible seats? It seems extremely loose - one reason is that our car is older so we don't have the latch strap option. It doesn't feel safe in my opinion....

Fyi - we are using this one because it was a gift, not sure I would have purchased it myself if I was shopping around and reading customer reviews. 

Anyone have any thoughts??

Much appreciated!!

[chel]

I love mine.  It's our travel seat and the seat in her father's car.

ive done it in lots of different cars and have gotten great fits, though I have used rolled towels to get a better angle.  No need to tether until ff.

[Maedze]

Did you get the 35 lb rear facing version or the 40 lb rear facing version?  The second option is better. 

It is a good, budget, seat.   You mentioned you need to rear face because your son is 8 months (which is absolutely correct).  Did you know that you shouldn't be turning forward facing for several years?   At bare minimum your son needs to rear face in the car until at LEAST his second birthday.  After that, you should keep him rear facing as long as he fits (head up to 'even' with the top of the shell, and under the rear facing weight limit (35-40 lbs depending on the version you have).  

The Scenera is a budget seat, so it doesn't have a lot of 'ease-of-use' features.   If you can afford a more expensive seat, there are seats in the 130-150 range that will last a lot longer and are easier to install.   If not, let's talk about the installation that you have. 

What make, model, year, is your car?  Is the seat installed in the middle, or outboard?  Is it installed with a lap belt only, or a lap-shoulder belt?     What locking mechanism are you using?  (Does the belt lock at the buckle, at the shoulder, or are you using a locking clip?)  

The seat is extremely safe and passes the same tests other seats do, but, as I said, it won't last as long and it isn't as easy to use as some other seats.  If you want recommendations for those, even as something to save up for down the road, let me know.  The important thing is that your baby remains rear facing for years to come and the seat is used correctly :-)

(ETA: re the above post, even if it's not legally required, any seat installed in the forward facing position should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have the top tether engaged.  It's a very important safety feature.  For pre-2000 cars, top tether anchors can generally be retrofitted.)

[AnnieA]

I have a Scenera, it's the seat in my DH's car for DD. We have to use a cut piece of a pool noodle to get a correct angle but other than that, it's an easy to install seat. Now I will tell you that when I installed the same seat in my sister's car after taking out her Graco infant seat, she said the same thing about being loose. The only place that you should be checking for tightness regarding the install is directly above the belt path where the seat belt is threaded through. Near where the baby's feet would be. So you grab that part of the seat with one hand and attempt to move the seat. If it shifts more than an inch in either direction, it's not tight enough and you need to reinstall. It's not going to be the same install as the Graco infant seat because it's designed to perform differently.

Oh and I just have to say: I Maedze!