[Nan'sMom]

I need a new car seat for my 18 m.o. dd. Consumer Reports rates the Evenflo higher than the Britax ones for "infant" --meaning rear facing I guess? Other sites seem to say Britax is better. She is still rear-facing, as is my 3 y.o., who is in a Britax Marathon. So...I'm torn between the Britax Wizard (seems like the Marathon plus), the Marathon, the Roundabout (better for rear-facing???) and the Evenflo Triumph 5 (which I can only find one of online and it will take several weeks to get there).

Both the Marathon and the Evenflo fit in our car (Honda Pilot) just fine. Cost isn't an issue in this decision (i.e., of course I don't want to throw money away, but I'm happy to spend more to be safer, even if it means getting an extra car seat along the way as she grows).

Any insights? TIA!

 

[littlemizflava]

i have to say i was in the same place but i hate the pull straps to adjust the straps seems i can never get them tight enough no matter how much i pull on them with my dd's carsear i didnt want that with my ds i love the Evenflo Triumph i live in canada and there is only 2 avaliable same thing just different fabircs i must say i do love this seat i can loosen the straps to put him in and in one second tighten it can do this everyday if i wish dont matter what he is wearing it is always a perfect fit and to adjust the hight very easy same as the seat very easy to install i love this seat all around i have not found anything i dislike about it best feature is the straps dont twist up they are always flat i am toying with the idea of getting the ff one for my dd who is now 5 not sure if it will work for her will have to try it out in the store

 

[Nan'sMom]

Thanks. We are ok with the strap adjustments on our Marathon--just so confused about safety!!! Thanks for the response!

 

[mbhf]

i would go with the britax, either marathon or wizard. I love the RF tether, plus don't evenflos only RF to 30 pounds? plus they have shorter shells so they're outgrown by height RF more quickly too. plus the triumph is a beast. it is atleast as wide as a britax.

 

[Nan'sMom]

My issue is that for rf the Britax only rates "very good" in safety for latch, whereas Evenflo rates "excellent"...so maybe it would be best to get the Evenflo and then switch at 30 lbs? Or maybe Consumer Reports got it wrong, since many CPS sites seem to like the Britaxes better? So puzzling! I wish the sites would at least mention the Consumer Reports ratings!

 

[Rico'sAlice]

Consumer Reports is NOT a good resource for car seat ratings.
They had to retract their infant seat ratings a few months ago b/c they had done all sorts of stuff wrong.
I'd look at CPS sites and the like.

 

[Rico'sAlice]

Also, Britax no longer makes the Wizard. There is the Roundabout, (40lb limit). Then the larger Marathon (65lb). The Decathalon and Boulevard are souped up variations of the Marathon. Blvd is the most expensive but often prefered, especially b/c of the side-impact wings and the ease of adjusting shoulder straps- no need to rethread..

 

[Nan'sMom]

Ohhh...I see...thanks!!!! The Boulevard is looking pretty good to me, will keep researching!

 

[an_aurora]

If you want to keep your 18 month old rear-facing longer, I definitley would suggest not getting the Triumph. My DD outgrew the Triumph RF at 18 months. She's 2 now and still has 3 inches before outgrowing her Marathon RF. The reason you can't find the Triumph 5 is that they have discontinued this model--the new 2007 model is called the Triumph Advance and has a taller shell and infinite harness adjust. I would definitley go with the new one over the 5, and I think it should be in stores within a month or so. The price is still under $160 I believe, so if you don't want to spend the money for a Blvd I would go for the Triumph Advance. It RF's to 35 but does not have a RF tether like the Britax seats.

 

[alegna]

Boulevard- no question. It's the new wizard.

It has side impact protection and is much better than any evenflo on the market. It's the top of the line britax.

-Angela

 

[Nan'sMom]

Cool. Thanks for all the help!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mom just picked up the Boulevard for me and we install tomorrow. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!