Convertible Carseats- what do you have?!
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GinE73
Posts: 68
FTM here and needing some guidance from experienced moms! Our son is almost too big for the infant carrier (we have the Chicco Key Fit 30- LOVE it!) so I have been looking at convertible carseats...holy moley there are TONS! I live in Cali and the rule is to have him rear-facing until 2 years old so I am looking for a carseat that converts from rear to forward facing. What do you you ladies have? What do you love/hate about it? Talk to me about carseats!!! 
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My son is 2, so we turned him around to front-facing on his 2nd birthday, which was in late January. We have the Britax Boulevard 70 CS. My sister also has that for her 2-year-old son (her older son has an older Britax seat). They don't make the Boulevard 70 CS anymore, but now they make the Boulevard 70 G3: http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Marathon-70-G3-Convertible-Seat/dp/B00834D5SO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366306523&sr=8-2&keywords=britax+boulevard+70+g3
I will probably buy that for this baby; I love the Boulevard 70 CS that we have and honestly have no complaints. The above link has it at nearly 5 stars with 300-some-odd reviews. It's expensive, yes, but you can get it at Babies R Us with a 20% off coupon (if it's not on sale - sales always eliminate your ability to use those coupons), I believe you can even order them from Bed Bath and Beyond (online, not in-store) with a 20% off coupon, or you can order from albeebaby.com when they have a good sale going. (I live in SC, they are in NY, but I have ordered a TON of stuff from them over the past two and a half years and have had no problems at all. They have free shipping at $99 and up (sometimes $49 and up), they ship pretty quickly, and their customer service is good. Their prices in general are very good, too.
Edited for typo0 -
Rear facing till 2?? Thats a new one here we only have to go rear facing till 1 or unless your child reaches a certain height or weight. My son I had to face him forward before 1 because he was so tall he was pushing on the seat with his feet (not safe). With him we had a simple Graco seat we liked it but it was 9 years ago I am sure they have come up with something better. This time around I am going more for the one that is easy to install is a plus for me. I hate the seats where you need an engineering degree to install.0
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Rear facing till 2?? Thats a new one here we only have to go rear facing till 1 or unless your child reaches a certain height or weight. My son I had to face him forward before 1 because he was so tall he was pushing on the seat with his feet (not safe). With him we had a simple Graco seat we liked it but it was 9 years ago I am sure they have come up with something better. This time around I am going more for the one that is easy to install is a plus for me. I hate the seats where you need an engineering degree to install.
I'm not sure where you live, but CA is probably following the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, which were revised in late 2010:
http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendation-on-Car-Seats.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR:+No+local+token
They say rear-facing until age 2, even if your child's feet are hitting the back seat (my son's definitely were). The thought process is that when they are rear-facing, it puts less strain on their spines in an accident. I thought, "Oh, well, his legs are going to break like that/hit him in the face/etc," but when I read up on it, the logic was that it was better for your child to have a broken nose or broken legs/ankles than a broken neck.0 -
I'm so glad you posted this topic!!!! I was literally looking at them on Amazon all evening yesterday!! I'd like to know more. I found one, I think it may be evenflo so nothing fancy, it reclines and I really like that feature.
Rebecca, I came across some of the Britax ones last night as well...are they compact? I have a small car (Chevy Cruze) so there's not a whole lot of room in the backseat.0 -
We can have forward facing seats here in good ol' Indiana as well. Mine was given to us, but it's a Graco forward facing Convertible seat. 20 lbs minimum, and my 2 1/2 year old is still using it. Plan to move her to a booster soon. Our infant seat goes up to 25 lbs, so I made that last til my oldest daughter turned 1. Good luck!!0
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For my 32 month old son, we r using Safety 1st - All-in-One Convertible Car Seat. And for my 2 month old daughter we skip infant car seat n we are using convertible directly with Graco MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat. These two are great in my opinion, their reviews are good, sturdy, easy to install (car seat inspection helped us install both of our car seats) & the price is affordable.0
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I'm so glad you posted this topic!!!! I was literally looking at them on Amazon all evening yesterday!! I'd like to know more. I found one, I think it may be evenflo so nothing fancy, it reclines and I really like that feature.
Rebecca, I came across some of the Britax ones last night as well...are they compact? I have a small car (Chevy Cruze) so there's not a whole lot of room in the backseat.
I'm not sure, but the Britax Boulevard fit in my husband's Honda Civic. When it's rear-facing, it has to be reclined more, which meant that the front passenger seat couldn't be very far back, but once it got turned around, it was much roomier. The base portion of it (not a removable base like an infant carrier) isn't that huge, so I'd imagine it would fit a Chevy Cruze, though to be honest I've never seen the inside of one. I know Britax *infant* seats/carriers have HUGE bases that people with midsize SUVs had trouble with.
The good news is that Britax's customer service is really good, so if you call them and tell them how much overhang you have on the base, they'll tell you if it's too much or if it's within the limits of safety.
***As a note to everyone, keep in mind that your infant seats/convertible car seats do have height restrictions as well as weight restrictions. I was joking that I could have kept my son in an infant seat until he was 1 because it goes up to 35 lbs (which he isn't even at age 2), but when I looked at the manual, I realized that he had more or less outgrown it the height restrictions by 6 or 7 months when we coincidentally switched to the convertible seat. (He's unusually tall.)
Here in SC, by law we are allowed to go front-facing after age 1 (and 20 lbs), but I followed the AAP guidelines. The NHTSA also recommends keeping your kids rear-facing as long as possible (so long as it's within the safety guidelines of your particular seat): http://www.nhtsa.gov/ChildSafety/step20 -
In British Columbia (Canada) we only have to have them rear-facing until 1 yo AND 20 lbs...it's an age and weight thing. My little dude already meets the weight requirement, but I still have to have him rear-facing until November due to his age. The same thing happened with my first child too....long/big kids.
We got them Britax seats - the Advocate (Canadian version of the model) which cost $400 each! Our laws dont allow us to use American seats, which stinks bc I don't think are really any different except for the little Transport Canada sticker.
Britax fits our kids and will last now for years, so we are happy. I will say tho, the Advocate is HUGE with it's side impact technology. It is a shockingly big seat and not even a skinny mini could sit between the two seats in the back of my Escape. Something to keep in mind if you're having more kids close in age.0 -
Rear facing till 2?? Thats a new one here we only have to go rear facing till 1 or unless your child reaches a certain height or weight. My son I had to face him forward before 1 because he was so tall he was pushing on the seat with his feet (not safe). With him we had a simple Graco seat we liked it but it was 9 years ago I am sure they have come up with something better. This time around I am going more for the one that is easy to install is a plus for me. I hate the seats where you need an engineering degree to install.
Haha- I KNOW!! Until 2 is a long time!0 -
My son is 2, so we turned him around to front-facing on his 2nd birthday, which was in late January. We have the Britax Boulevard 70 CS. My sister also has that for her 2-year-old son (her older son has an older Britax seat). They don't make the Boulevard 70 CS anymore, but now they make the Boulevard 70 G3: http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Marathon-70-G3-Convertible-Seat/dp/B00834D5SO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366306523&sr=8-2&keywords=britax+boulevard+70+g3
I will probably buy that for this baby; I love the Boulevard 70 CS that we have and honestly have no complaints. The above link has it at nearly 5 stars with 300-some-odd reviews. It's expensive, yes, but you can get it at Babies R Us with a 20% off coupon (if it's not on sale - sales always eliminate your ability to use those coupons), I believe you can even order them from Bed Bath and Beyond (online, not in-store) with a 20% off coupon, or you can order from albeebaby.com when they have a good sale going. (I live in SC, they are in NY, but I have ordered a TON of stuff from them over the past two and a half years and have had no problems at all. They have free shipping at $99 and up (sometimes $49 and up), they ship pretty quickly, and their customer service is good. Their prices in general are very good, too.
Edited for typo
THANK YOU!! I heard a lot of good things about the Britax seats but not sure about which model. I have one saved to my Amazon wish list but IDK if its the Boulevard. I will def be on the lookout for my BBRU coupon in the mail.
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I'm so glad you posted this topic!!!! I was literally looking at them on Amazon all evening yesterday!! I'd like to know more. I found one, I think it may be evenflo so nothing fancy, it reclines and I really like that feature.
Rebecca, I came across some of the Britax ones last night as well...are they compact? I have a small car (Chevy Cruze) so there's not a whole lot of room in the backseat.
I'm not sure, but the Britax Boulevard fit in my husband's Honda Civic. When it's rear-facing, it has to be reclined more, which meant that the front passenger seat couldn't be very far back, but once it got turned around, it was much roomier. The base portion of it (not a removable base like an infant carrier) isn't that huge, so I'd imagine it would fit a Chevy Cruze, though to be honest I've never seen the inside of one. I know Britax *infant* seats/carriers have HUGE bases that people with midsize SUVs had trouble with.
The good news is that Britax's customer service is really good, so if you call them and tell them how much overhang you have on the base, they'll tell you if it's too much or if it's within the limits of safety.
***As a note to everyone, keep in mind that your infant seats/convertible car seats do have height restrictions as well as weight restrictions. I was joking that I could have kept my son in an infant seat until he was 1 because it goes up to 35 lbs (which he isn't even at age 2), but when I looked at the manual, I realized that he had more or less outgrown it the height restrictions by 6 or 7 months when we coincidentally switched to the convertible seat. (He's unusually tall.)
Here in SC, by law we are allowed to go front-facing after age 1 (and 20 lbs), but I followed the AAP guidelines. The NHTSA also recommends keeping your kids rear-facing as long as possible (so long as it's within the safety guidelines of your particular seat): http://www.nhtsa.gov/ChildSafety/step2
@MrsCarter- I was thinking the same thing! I commute in a Honda Accord so I wasn't sure it would be big enough for the seat.
@RBXChas- You have such great input! Good footnote too- I had to look at the manual for the height restriction because my son was looking large in the infant carrier even though he is nowhere near the 30 lb weight limit. The height limit was 30" and he's already at 28.5" at 7 months. Def need to get a new carseat soon. 0 -
For my 32 month old son, we r using Safety 1st - All-in-One Convertible Car Seat. And for my 2 month old daughter we skip infant car seat n we are using convertible directly with Graco MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat. These two are great in my opinion, their reviews are good, sturdy, easy to install (car seat inspection helped us install both of our car seats) & the price is affordable.
I was looking at Graco's too- great reviews and affordable.0 -
In British Columbia (Canada) we only have to have them rear-facing until 1 yo AND 20 lbs...it's an age and weight thing. My little dude already meets the weight requirement, but I still have to have him rear-facing until November due to his age. The same thing happened with my first child too....long/big kids.
We got them Britax seats - the Advocate (Canadian version of the model) which cost $400 each! Our laws dont allow us to use American seats, which stinks bc I don't think are really any different except for the little Transport Canada sticker.
Britax fits our kids and will last now for years, so we are happy. I will say tho, the Advocate is HUGE with it's side impact technology. It is a shockingly big seat and not even a skinny mini could sit between the two seats in the back of my Escape. Something to keep in mind if you're having more kids close in age.
I've been in an Escape and the back is bigger than my Accord. Def need to check out the huge factor. 0 -
We had a 2005 Accord prior to the Civic, and the Britax Boulevard 70 CS fit just fine 0
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Rear facing is the safest for your child, a lot of parents rear face till 3-5.Rear facing till 2?? Thats a new one here we only have to go rear facing till 1 or unless your child reaches a certain height or weight. My son I had to face him forward before 1 because he was so tall he was pushing on the seat with his feet (not safe). With him we had a simple Graco seat we liked it but it was 9 years ago I am sure they have come up with something better. This time around I am going more for the one that is easy to install is a plus for me. I hate the seats where you need an engineering degree to install.0 -
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I'm also looking, my infant one only goes up to 22lbs and he's over 18! But I did a lot of reading about safety and it seems the consensus is it's safest to keep them rear racing as long as possible. I am going to find one that goes rear for up to 40lbs since I have a big guy. I am also concerned about room. Even though I have a mid-size car (Acura TL), it is crammed on the passenger's seat with the infant seat. It would be nice to have a little more room...although my husband always drives now becuase it's too uncomfortable for him over there 0
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I'm also looking, my infant one only goes up to 22lbs and he's over 18! But I did a lot of reading about safety and it seems the consensus is it's safest to keep them rear racing as long as possible. I am going to find one that goes rear for up to 40lbs since I have a big guy. I am also concerned about room. Even though I have a mid-size car (Acura TL), it is crammed on the passenger's seat with the infant seat. It would be nice to have a little more room...although my husband always drives now becuase it's too uncomfortable for him over there
I read this and thought at first that you were putting the infant seat *in* the front passenger seat - then I realized you must mean *behind* it
We put our infant seat in the middle (easier to do when you only have one child), which helped, even when we had our Accord. In my husband's Civic, we couldn't do that because it would affect both front seats too much, making it too uncomfortable for the driver. We moved it to the passenger side of the back, and it meant the passenger seat had to be moved up. Same when we switched to a convertible seat and had it rear-facing. It was not a problem at all front-facing.0 -
I'm also looking, my infant one only goes up to 22lbs and he's over 18! But I did a lot of reading about safety and it seems the consensus is it's safest to keep them rear racing as long as possible. I am going to find one that goes rear for up to 40lbs since I have a big guy. I am also concerned about room. Even though I have a mid-size car (Acura TL), it is crammed on the passenger's seat with the infant seat. It would be nice to have a little more room...although my husband always drives now becuase it's too uncomfortable for him over there
I read this and thought at first that you were putting the infant seat *in* the front passenger seat - then I realized you must mean *behind* it
We put our infant seat in the middle (easier to do when you only have one child), which helped, even when we had our Accord. In my husband's Civic, we couldn't do that because it would affect both front seats too much, making it too uncomfortable for the driver. We moved it to the passenger side of the back, and it meant the passenger seat had to be moved up. Same when we switched to a convertible seat and had it rear-facing. It was not a problem at all front-facing.
Yes that's what I meant. I have thought about trying the middle, but just haven't yet. I'm sure my car is about the same size as the accord.0 -
See if your store will let you take the display seat out to your car to test it out. I have a Honda CRV and I have a lot of space, but I wanted to put the seat in my car and strap Max into it to see how it was (especially if I'm going to be spending a boatload of money!).
We ended up with the Peg Perego convertible. Max can rear face until 45lbs and forward face until 65lbs in it. I have their infant seat and love it.
The safest car seat you can have is the one that fits properly in your car.0
