Question on preparing for baby's arrival (first time Mom here and started my registry)

we have britax and love them. We got all over them on sale or discounted because of discontinued print. They are quite pricey but the have some of the highest harnessed weights around.

My 50lb+ 45" 3yo dd still has room in her marathon. There is no way she would still fit comfortably in a triumph.

As for infant seats you usually don't need one (small babies and preemies sometimes do need them). I like them and I don't carry them around way too heavy and awkward I just feel like they'd be more comfortable and safe for a wee one. We used graco infant seats and were happy with them overall

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Actually my nephew will be 4 in April and he's a very big boy (think 90th percentile on everything) and sits comfortably in the new Triumph, fwiw. The old one only went up to 40 lbs, but the new one is taller and roomier and goes to 50 lbs...I didn't know there were convertibles that went over 50 lbs...what's the weight/height limit on the marathon?

So many choices!

We have to fit three across in the backseat of our Subaru, so we are getting a couple of these
I do recommend convertibles, my son would have grown out of an infant carrier in three months!
I also didn't get one because I didn't want to be tempted to keep the baby in there. I've seen too many moms carry babies around in these things, sit them on the floor and then prop a bottle when the baby is hungry....
I've had a Graco Comfortsport, which we got because it's reviews and ratings were just as good as the much more expensive Britax. When my son grew out of the Graco at age two (he actually grew out of all but the Britax at the time because he was so big for his age but much to young to be in a a regular seatbelt booster). So then we bought the Britax Marathon. I thought it was much easier to adjust than the Graco and given the max weight limit on it I wished we would have just bought it in the first place.

It is massive though, it takes a lot of space in the backseat. It's impossible to fit another seat back there with the Britax and a no-back booster even!

So we really only have one option this time, to buy a couple of the Radians with narrower profiles.

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I don't think they're inferior...just that they don't last long. I'd do the research and find whatever's best for you. I'm sure there's someone on mdc that uses an infant seat!

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It might make more sense to get a bucket if you're planning on having more than one kid close together....that way it gets multiple uses...but they do have expirations....

All the the britax seats except for the infant bucket seat, are not good for newborns, it is very rare that a newborn will safely fit into it. Britax recently revised their policy and requires that the bottom harness straps be equal or above the child's shoulders. For most babies, that is not going to happen until 2-3 months of age.

For those that are wanting to forgo the infant seat, the Radian, True Fit, and Cosco Scenera all fit many newborns. i am unsure of how the Evenflo Triumph Advance (you want the advance one) fits newborns. I do know that seat does last longer then many of the cheaper seats on the market, but for just a little more you can buy the True Fit that will last even longer.

I will buy an infant seat, I rarely take them out of the car but want that option if baby is asleep and we just pulled up to the house. None of my children have EVER transferred out of their car seats while sleeping, you take them out, and that's it they are awake. Really not cool,when you are 3 minutes from the house and they fall asleep in the car. I am buying a Chicco Keyfit 30. I much prefer it to the Graco Safeseat/SnugRide 32.

Kate my dd is huge her height is well above the chart. Her height is average (50%) for a six year old. Not sure about the weight. She'll be 4 in February. I have no idea where she got all this from I'm 5'0" and dh isn't much more than average.

The weight limit for the marathon is 65lbs not sure on the height I know you can go up to dc's ears are level with the top but I don't know the measurement.

Skybluepink I think infant seats are especially great for twins. We got tired of them long before the twins would have outgrown them. Actually dominic could still fit in one in July when they turned two

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Please see the edited version of my post-- I had confused which seat was getting phased out-- they are phasing out the SafeSeat and upping the weight limit on the new SnugRides.

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Wow! That's incredible! Congrats on such a lovely, big girl. Maybe she'll hit 6 foot. I always wanted to be that tall.

More thoughts on car seats, it's a passion of mine BTW. There are no good ratings on car seats, places like Consumer Reports are not a good place to turn to for carseat help, they only rate for very limited things. All carseats are tested to the same standards and have passed, but there are huge differences in what a $45.00 Cosco Scenera and 200.00 Britax Marathon can do, there are reasons for those price differences.

Ease of install, some carseats install so easily that my grandmother can do it perfectly on the first try, others almost require a degree. And not all carseats brands fit in all cars. I've yet to hear of a Britax (except the really large Britax like Regent/Frontier) not fitting anywhere, but ones like the Radian can be finicky, especially if you drive a Subaru.

Rfing tethering ability and FFing, not all car sears tether. Very, very few allow you to do it RFing. you can not tether a seat RFing unless the maker of seat says you can. We don't know if that seat has never been crash tested Rfing with a tether or if it was and it failed. you can't take that chance. So if RFing with a tether or FFing is important to you, then get a seat that allows you do do that.

Slot heights, some seats like the Graco ComfortSport will not get your child to a age where he/she move into a booster seat, you will have to buy another 5 point harness seat. And all in one seats, the ones that market themselves as the last seat you will ever need to buy. They RF, FF and turn into a booster, are abd seats, run away! They do not harness long enough and make crappy boosters.

I'm not saying that everyone needs to go out and buy $$ carseats, there are lots of cheaper options. You could forgo the bucket, buy a $45.00 Scenera that will probably get you to age 3 and then buy a $150.00 Graco Nautilus that is a high weight harnessing seat that turns into a booster. Those could easily be the only two seats you will ever need and cost $200.00.

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You can't look at what height they state on the carseat to see when it outgrown. The Britaxs are outgrow when the shoulders are above the top slot OR the ears are level with the shell of the carseat as are the rules for most carseats along with the weight limit. My DD1 outgrew her Britax Marathon when she was 5 by torso height, she was only 34 lbs then, but average size. The Britax seats, except the roundabout, really do last a long time!