Convertible car seat questions/recommendations

[AndyJoy]

So I have a big baby boy on my hands--20 lbs at 4 months big! He fills out 12 mo. clothing very well. Since I suspected this would be the case, we bought a Graco Snugride32 so he could be rear-facing up to 32 lbs. and 32 inches. This is supposed to allow for 95% of 1-year-olds to still fit. However, he's off the charts big at this point, and judging from his dad's size as a chlid, I wouldn't be surprised if he outgrows it before age 1 and since I would like to keep him rear-facing PAST age 1 if possible, I'm going to need another rear-facing seat. All that to ask:

 

1. Does anyone know of a convertible seat that can be used rear-facing past 35 pounds? I know that a handful of you keep your 1-4 year olds rear-facing, but is this only possible if they are less than 35 pounds?

 

2. Even if it only goes to 35 lbs, what convertible seats have you been happy with? Are there any readily available at Toys'R'Us that you like? (I have a 25% off coupon for there.)

[Stacia]

This may help you. It lists some carseats that are good for kids if you're planning to keep them rear-facing as long as possible:

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

[eternalknot]

I haven't used it firsthand, but THIS ONE claims rear-facing up to 45lbs. My kids were both very big (25lb by 3months and maintained that growth rate up through about 45lbs at 3.5years).

 

I like that it also addresses another problem I'm having (and you may have down the line) -- it allows for the five-point harness up through 80lbs. My kids were ready physically for the booster seat and adult seatbelt long before they were mature enough to use them correctly (they wiggled out or held seatbelt under their armpits).

 

And in this case, the price is right :D

 

 

(I'm not affiliated with the site; I'm just a reader passing along a great find.)

[ChristusG]

We always buy Britax.....always happy with them.

[PeterPan]

Check out the Radian XT SL. Goes rear-facing to 45. Like you I had the Graco (only mine was 30 pounds, not 32) that he outgrew. Even though he had strap room and weight to go, he just hated it and balked every time we put him in. I think he wanted to be a bit more upright, and he just plain needed more space. He's GREAT in the Radian, absolutely great. I got mine with that first batch that came out, so I was kind of nervous about something new, something from China. They're FINE. I was very impressed with the amount of detail they put into everything. They have slots in the unit to put the instruction book in. The cover fits right. The LATCH buckles are awesome. These are just the bees knees. Don't screw around with the other seats that are in that 30-35 pound range. Even though they're great seats, they DON'T have the kind of space this does. The only ones that seemed reasonable to me were the (and now my memory is failing me) Air Ride and the My Ride (Graco). Now my ds didn't like the Graco MyRide at all, not at all. He's a pretty opinionated fellow, so there you go. The Safety First Air Ride (is that the right name? the one with the side wings) is fine but I didn't like the price or the overall quality. He liked the way it sat though, sat down in it happy as a lark!

 

The Radian is really different. It has steel in the frame, memory foam in the seat, plenty of foam, top quality LATCH buckles (which you'll LVOE after the Graco), and a low side to make it easy to get him in and out.

 

Your real issue is determining what seats fit well in your car frankly. I have a pretty big vehicle, but it's all I can do to keep this car installed and let dh put his seat back as far as he wants. It fits, but we had to raise his headrest a fuzz. It's no problem when I drive, lol, as my legs are shorter. The Radian in particular allows you to have contact with the seat in front, which I gather most manufacturers do NOT allow. It also comes in snazzy colors. If it fits in your vehicle, to me it would be the go-to, obvious first choice. If your price point is lower or vehicle smaller, Graco's My Ride is a mighty fine car seat. I don't know why ds didn't like it. He never said. :)

 

Oh, I didn't buy my carseat at TRU. They do have their trade-in's going right now, which would be fabulous for people. Do they have radians now? They were so new when I got mine, the model I wanted wasn't in stores. I searched and ended up buying from some place online. I forget if it was called Baby Catalog maybe? Hang out on the carseat board, all you'll find the best places to buy. I think I got mine on a super deal, before it was shipping, for like $165. The air wing one was going for so much more, well over $200 at that time.

 

The ONLY thing I'd change about the Radian is I wish it had dots of velcro to hold back the straps the way some other carseats do. I've thought about putting it on myself and just haven't gotten it done. I had sweated those fancy brands so long, researched online, talked with people here, sweated and wondered, and then when I got in the store with MY ds, I realized there was no way in the world those carseats were going to last him very long. That's why I was saying I wouldn't even bother. You're looking for how much room is above his head basically. If there's not a lot of room above his head, it doesn't matter what the weight limit is. Each carseat variest as to where that head can be (even, 1" below, etc.) and it depends on if it's rear-facing or forward facing. After hanging out on those boards a while, I was pretty convinced I wanted to keep him rear-facing quite a bit longer. He's long-waisted, and in the Radian, I have plenty of room to do that. I'd suggest trying them all out at the store using the installation bench they have there. You don't realize the differences till you try to install them. See which one he likes. Take pics with your digital camera, so you can remember the differences with him in them. Then go home, think, and find your deal. :)

Edited January 30, 2010 by OhElizabeth

[PeterPan]

Britax, that was the name of the beautiful carseats. Oh were they lovely. Oh were they top-notch with features, quality, and design. But they had too little room above the head for my boy and just wouldn't last that long. That's why I was saying you have to measure that distance above the dc's head. I think my boy is a bit long-waisted too, which makes a difference. And to top it all off, despite my lusting to own a Britax and have that fabulous cow print (or any print, lol), ds just didn't like the feel of them. The Radian and the side air one from Safety First were the two he liked.

Edited January 30, 2010 by OhElizabeth

[mom2jjka]

You've got some good recommendations already - but another thing to remember is that the majority of kids reach a plateau and stop gaining so quickly once they get mobile. Most kids who are at the top of the charts at that age tend to level off and be 'average' by 12-18 months.

 

Britax and Sunshine kids are really nice seats for extended rearfacing. The Radian can have some installation issues - but I would recommend having the seat inspected by a certified tech anyways. They should be able to help teach you how to install it properly.

 

Other seats to consider are the Graco MyRide 65. It is a really deep seat with nice SIP (side-impact protection) and it offers a lot of support for sleepers and special-needs children who need that extra bit of support.

 

Another great seat is the First Years True-fit. It has a removable head rest that you can add as your child grows.

 

Both of the above seats forward face to 65 lbs - which is an added bonus because keeping children harnessed as long as possible is safest.

 

Car-seat.org has a great deal of info about carseats - including forums with CPST/carseat techs to ask questions.

 

Michelle ( CPST;))

[PeterPan]

Just checked, and it was the Safety First Complete Air that my ds liked. It was relatively new when I bought my Radian. That First Years TrueFit looked like a FABULOUS seat online. Comes in yummy colors too! Do they have it in TRU now? They just didn't when I bought my seat how many months ago. (It was brand new.) You still want to compare that amount above their heads. I think I had narrowed it down to those two. There was something about feedback with the strap at the crotch being less adjustable and a bit close for comfort on some boys in the True Fit. (Or maybe I have them confused?) That and I just plain liked the colors of the Radian, which just happen to match our popular football team...

 

Have fun researching. It's such a happy stage. I'm glad I kept my ds in his Graco as long as possible, because it made shopping so convenient while he napped. Once I switched him over the Radian, I got him a McLaren stroller (Volo). The pricey is a little ouchy, but with that nice slingback he would fall right back to sleep. When he was that young, I thought it was strange to be looking at strollers meant for bigger/older kids. It really worked out well though. I think I got that from Albee Baby, which runs deals and has last year's colors for a better price.

[Spy Car]

Check out the Radian (Sunshine Kids) seats. They are internally framed (with steel) a not with a blipped out plastic shell like the Britax. So they are stronger and narrower (you can get 3 across if need be in most vehicles).

 

They are heavy! Ours is a Radian 80* and our son is in this instead of a "booster seat" and I couldn't be happier. It's got a 5 point harness, and at 5.5 years old we are hearing no complains from the little man that the seat is "babyish."

 

These are great car seats!

 

Bill

 

*there is a newer model with additional head (side) protection

[AndyJoy]

Thanks so much for all the replies! We're off to "big town" to check out our options at Toys'R'Us and determine if we should buy there now or hold off and get one of the other seats online. I sure hope he levels off in growth, but since DH looked about 4 when he was 2 and was 6 ft. by age 13, I expect he'll continue to be a big boy. Good point about the need for a 5 point harness, eternalknot.

[PeterPan]

6' at age 13? That's some SERIOUS growing, lol! Well good luck with your carseat shopping. Be sure to report back and tell us what you liked! :)

[AndyJoy]

Check out the Radian (Sunshine Kids) seats. They are internally framed (with steel) a not with a blipped out plastic shell like the Britax. So they are stronger and narrower (you can get 3 across if need be in most vehicles).

 

They are heavy! Ours is a Radian 80* and our son is in this instead of a "booster seat" and I couldn't be happier. It's got a 5 point harness, and at 5.5 years old we are hearing no complains from the little man that the seat is "babyish."

 

These are great car seats!

 

Bill

 

*there is a newer model with additional head (side) protection

 

We ended up getting the Radian 80 and are very happy with it so far.

[PeterPan]

Good for you! Wow is he a big boy. Bet he's glad to be out of that infant carrier... :)

[Mommyof4ks]

Glad you found a seat that works for your son! He reminds me of my middle son, and at 6 he is too tall for all of the car seats we have tried. *sigh* My dh was also 6'1" at 13, so I guess it was inevitable that at least one of our kids would be so tall lol.

[Ritsumei]

We always buy Britax.....always happy with them.

:iagree:

My boy is big too, and Britax has models that will do both rear-facing and front-facing. Monkey went into his Britax, I believe it's a Boulevard but it's too cold and late to go outside & check for sure, around 8-9 months, and he's still in it at 3 1/2 and 50 pounds, though we're nearly to the top of the height adjustment. They're expensive, but they're second to none in the crash tests, and include side-impact gizmos that in addition to being extra crash safety help keep the snoozing kid's head from lolling quite so badly. Plus, the owner's manual is tethered right to the seat on an elastic cord. It's a little thing, but one that I've wished for a couple times on my infant "basket" seats when I couldn't find it!

 

 

Oh... oops. I see you already chose one.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Ritsumei

[Spy Car]

We ended up getting the Radian 80 and are very happy with it so far.

 

He's adorable!

 

Bill

[LittleIzumi]

We ended up getting the Radian 80 and are very happy with it so far.

Yay! I have a Radian as well (2 actually, for my skinny car). :D Dd will be RFing until 3 or 4 hopefully, as she is on the opposite end and is TEENY tiny.