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new convertible for 6 month old OR 2.5 yr old

758 views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  mommy22boys 
#1 ·
So we are thinking about getting a convertible carseat for my 6 month old. I have a 2.5 year old who weighs barely 30lbs and he is currently in a Britax Marathon. My plan was to just buy another Britax Marathon, but I've heard there are better options out there.
Can anyone recommend a good new convertible carseat for out family? For either child, whatever will be the safest and the best value!
Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
There are a number of newer convertibles on the market you might consider.
The Graco MyRide 65 offers a high rear facing weight of 40lbs and a FF weight limit of 65.
The Sunshine Kids Radians offer between a 40-45lb RF limit and a 60-80 FF limit depending on the model. These also fold for travel and have rear facing tethers. These are also the narrowest convertibles on the market and are great for trying to fit multiple seats side by side.
The CompleteAir is fairly new with a 40lb RF limit, and a 50lb FF limit. These are known for high shoulder strap heights, great if you have long torsos on your kids.

Overall the safest seat for your child is the one that your child fits best in, that fits your car the best and that you can install and use correctly every time. I would suggest that you visit a retailer like BabiesRUs and try out some of their seats. They should even allow you to take one out to your car for fitting purposes.

Additionally, I would urge you to become familiar with the latest suggestions and guidelines about Extended Rear Facing your children. We know now that rear facing is safer for children till about 4 years old, or at least to the limits of your child seat. There is a ton of great information about rear facing and it's benefits on the internet. I would recommend safekids.org or carseat.org or car-seat.org for more information!

Hope that helps!
 
#3 ·
I bought this one

http://www.target.com/Cosco-Scenera-...#scripted_tabs

A lot of people say their baby is not "comfortable" but I don't buy that. I think it depends on the baby. We didn't have $100+ to spend on a seat, so we got this one, and love it. It's easy to strap in and strap baby in, and the cup holder is great for cheerios or drinks. My son has slept more in this car seat than his infant one that had much more padding, and sat more reclined. I love it. I think we started using it around....oh....8 months or so. We could have sooner, but didn't think we needed another till one, surprisingly , babies grow faster than we thought! lol!
 
#4 ·
I like our evenflo triumph advance which is DS1's carseat (34 months, ~28+ pounds ~35-36", rear facing). I can get it installed nice & upright in my car (honda accord 99), so that the driver can drive comfortably. I love the infinit adjust harness & knob to tighten (lever to release/loosen harness), though depending on how you have it installed they can get sorta buried in the seat when RF.

That said, I just orderd DS2 a truefit premier from albeebaby (on sale for $161.49 w/ 15off coupon), and am totally excited to try it out. It sounds very nice and I'm interested to see how the anti-rebound bar works/looks. And I really like that, once again I won't be having to screw with re-threading a harness
 
#5 ·
OP: Depending on your older child's height I'd look at a Radian, True Fit, MR65, or Complete Air. All of them but the TF rearface to 40lbs, the TF reafaces to 35lbs but has a taller shell than the My Ride 65 (which is comparable to the Marathon I think). I'd put your 2.5 rf in the new seat, and keep your 6 month old in the Marathon until either the baby outgrows the Marathon rearfacing or your older children outgrows the bigger seat rearfacing by height or weight and then switch the baby into the bigger seat and the older child into the Marathon forward facing or else get a dedicated forward facing seat at that point.


Quote:

Originally Posted by AustinMom View Post
We could have sooner, but didn't think we needed another till one, surprisingly , babies grow faster than we thought! lol!
There is nothing wrong safety wise with the seat you purchased and certainly the price is right. However the part I bolded is why it's not often recommended as a first choice around here. It will not get all children to a safe age to be forward facing or to a safe age forward facing to be in a booster. Meaning you'll likely have to buy another seat anyway before a booster is needed. If you know this and are budgeting for it it's fine, but in the long run it's usually cheaper to buy the longer lasting seat to begin with unless your child is on the smaller end of proportions.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the recommendations!

I have looked at all the ones recommended and I am thinking about getting either the Radian Premier (that's what it's called in Canada, it goes to 45lbs RF and 65lbs FF) or the Graco My Ride. I like those ones because of the high RF limit and the price is fine for how long they'll last. I haven't seen a Trufit at any of the stores here, and I'd like to try it in my car before I buy.

Triscuitsmom, what a great idea, that is exactly what I will do, thank you!
 
#7 ·
Sounds great! Just wanted to add about the Truefit that Zellers and Toys R Us both carry them (though they are getting a new colour for 2010 at TRU so some stores are out of stock because they were clearin out the old ones). They are also on sale this week at Zellers.

That being said the Radians are a stellar choice and will last longer rearfacing than the TF. Make sure you get the 2010 model as the older ones don't go to 45lbs rearfacing. Both the Premier SL and XTSL do and they are the same dimensions but the XTSL has side impact wings that the Premier doesn't.
 
#8 ·
Thanks! I checked Toys R Us here, they didn't have any TruFit, I didn't check Zellers but I'm really happy with the Radian. I checked it out at a store here, but I'm going to order the color I want from an online store I found.
Ohh I couldn't figure out what the difference was between the Premier and the XTSL!
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mommy22boys View Post
Thanks! I checked Toys R Us here, they didn't have any TruFit, I didn't check Zellers but I'm really happy with the Radian. I checked it out at a store here, but I'm going to order the color I want from an online store I found.
Ohh I couldn't figure out what the difference was between the Premier and the XTSL!
The XT has wings on the side that are supposed to be for side impact protection. They can be used on the top three slots and adjust up and down depending on the height of your child. Other than that the dimensions and weight limits are the same.
 
#11 ·
Well actually one of the stores in town has the Radian XT that I want. So I don't know if I should still order the Premier online for $299 (with free shipping), or just get the XT in town for $329. What would you do? I'm not sure about buying online and having to have it shipped.

EDIT: So I decided to buy the XT! just thought i'd update!
 
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