Im looking for a new car seat for my almost 6 month old. What do you think is the best one to get??
She is in her infant carrier right now, but she is about 18 lbs(almost too big for it). I need a convertible one since she still needs to be rear facing until she is 1 year.
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7 Responses to “Im looking for a new car seat for my almost 6 month old. What do you think is the best one to get??”-
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I have the Safety First convertable. My som is 6 months, and is 22 lbs and 29.5 inches long. He still fits in it safely and comfortably in the rear facing position. It is the last seat will you need to buy. I have found it to be the most padded and comfortable, as well as one of the least costly. I got mine at walmart. I did a lot of looking befor my son was born, and after all my research, this brand was the most reliable, performed the best in crash tests, and was the most comfortable. I hope this Helps!
Hello, we have the graco comfortsport and we absolutely love it! My son is on the chubby side and we originally bought the Alpha Omega Elite…when we went to put him in it at 6 months it didn’t fit him right. Where the harness pieces all meet in the crotch it actually dug into his thighs. Most of the ones on the market are made like that, too. Graco is one of the only ones that isn’t. I’ve heard great things abouty Britax but they’re also very expensive, around $350, whereas the comfortsport is about $75 and Alpha Omega Elite was about $120. If I were you, I would go with your husband or someone else and take the baby to Babies R Us and try them. I think they have the best selection and they have a mock car seat there and you can actually put the car seat on it and put the baby into it to see how she likes it. Then you can check and see if Walmart and Target carry the seat you decide on it might be cheaper there. Good luck!
We actually have 2 different seats… one in my car and one in hubby’s car… my car has an Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 convertible car seat. My hubby and my mother have the Graco Comfortsport. Our son is very comfy in both of them, however, the Graco seat has some styrofoam supports in the sides near the head area that can easily break and these pieces have broken in both of the seats that we have. I called graco and they have sent replacements, but the replacement broke in my mom’s car again. Also, the cover on the Graco seems to slip off easily once these supports break down or after you remove the cover for cleaning.
The Eddie Bauer seat has held up much better than either of the Graco seats. The Eddie Bauer seat is used daily since I am the main means of transportation for our son.
I would recommend the Eddie Bauer seat over the Graco seat anyday. My son started using the Eddie Bauer (rear facing) once he outgrew the infant carrier. He is now 38 inches tall and weighs 37 pounds… For rear and fwd facing modes. 5-35 lbs rear/ 22-40lbs fwd facing w/ harness 40-100lbs belt position
Hope this helps!
Cosco Scenera 5-Point Convertible Car Seat (available at Wal-Mart)
I felt a little guilty making this purchase because of the price ($40). I went to our local fire department to make sure it was installed correctly they told me it is an excellent seat and is the same one they sell and recommend. I always like to look at the reviews baby items get from consumers before I purchase. Target’s website has a lot of reviews on these items. It gives you the perspective from other parents who have used the products rather than that of the manufacturer. This seat was highly recommended over a lot of the more costly products.
Oh yeah, and I love it. Very easy to install and adjust the straps! It’s rear facing to 30 lbs. Front facing to 40 lbs.
My son outgrew his carrier at 6 months as well, so we bought the Eddie Bauer 3in1 car seat. It goes from a rear-facing infant car seat, to a forward facing toddler car seat to a booster seat. (5lbs to 80 lbs). That type of seat would be the best value for your money since you won’t have to buy a booster seat later on.
Remember that they can outgrow the infant seat by height, too. If her head is touching the edge of the seat (or within 1" of it), or her shoulders are over the top harness slots, she’s too big for it. Also, please PLEASE keep her rear facing for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!! 20lbs/1 year is the bare minimum for when you can turn her around, she is safest rear facing. She needs to stay rear facing to the limits of her convertible car seat, usually 30lbs. Their bones have not gone through the ossification process that hardens and bonds them together like adult bones, and they need the bracing and support provided by their seat being rear facing.
Britax is the way to go. The Britax Marathon can often be found on sale, and you will get more use out of it than any seat at Walmart. As for the Alpha Omega, they’re actually made by the same company as the EddieBauer seats. Cosco/Safety1st/EddieBauer/Dor… are all the same company. So they’re describing the same seat and in reality, its not a very good one for one reason: short harness slots. The highest harness slot on the Marathon is 17.5 inches, compare that to the Cosco Alpha Omega which goes to 15, and the Eddie Bauer 3 in 1 which only goes to 14.5!! Kids do generally outgrow any seat’s height limit before they outgrow the weight limit, but the Alpha and Eddie seats make that even more so, meaning you will most definitely not get the full use you’re supposed out of the seat. Also, they’re a bit of a rip-off anyways, even if a child actually didn’t outgrow it before they’re ready for a booster. Car seats expire after 6 years and shouldn’t be used after that, so it’s most likely NOT the ‘only car seat you’ll ever buy’ b/c most 6 year olds still need a booster seat (or preferably, they should still be harnessed).
It is a bigger investment right now, but it is less money in the long run to buy a Britax Marathon. I’d skip the Britax Roundabout, it only goes to 55lbs front facing, top slots are 15.5 inches. The Marathon goes to 65lbs front facing, top slots 17.5inches. Many kids make it to 6 years old in the Marathon! Britax seats rear face to 33lbs. So it is important to look for high rear facing limits. The Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon also have great features that make the seat easier to use: wide belt paths. Ever try and put a car seat and not been able to fit your hand through the hole to thread the belt!? OUCH! Not a problem with Britax, wide open belt paths. Built-in lockoffs mean no more locking clips for pre-1996 cars that don’t have ALR/ELR switchable belts (that don’t lock when you pull them all the way out and slowly feed back in). Britax seats are some of the very few on the market that can be tethered rear facing (As well as front facing) giving an even better installation. The easier the seat is to use, the more likely it will be used correctly and therefore safer. All seats in the US have to meet the same safety standards, so from that point of view, they’re all safe. But some seats exceed those standards, and some seats (like Britax) have features that make them easier to use, which makes them safer, or enable a child to use them longer, which makes them safer in the long run.
Actually, the best seat for extended rear facing is a Cosco Scenera, which rear faces to 35lbs and is usually $40 at Walmart. It won’t last a long time, b/c the harness slots only go to 14.5 inches, but it can help you get more rear facing time in, and since its not that expensive, its not always a big deal that you only get to use it for a year or so.
Another seat to look at is the Sunshine Kids Radian65 or Radian80. They’re both basically the same seat, but one has been tested to 80lbs forward facing, the other only to 65lbs forward facing. As long as they are compatible with your vehicle, they are awesome seats. They go from birth to 65/80lbs. (actually most kids won’t make it to 80lbs in the Radian80, the slots are only 18inches, barely taller than the Marathon). As a bonus they’re really narrow in case you need to get 3 seats across. The only situation they do not work well in is when your seat belt buckle comes out of the actual seat instead of the crack between the seat back and seat bottom. (called forward of the bite buckles) Other than that they work great.
If money is an issue, I’d definitely check out a Fisher Price Safe Voyage convertible seat. They are made by Britax, but without some of the bells and whistles like built-in lockoffs and pretty covers. They can be bought for $130 with free shipping, rear face to 33lbs and forward face to 55lbs. Britax quality at a Walmart price…great!
Another important point: kids should stay in a 5-point harness AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! No 4 year olds in booster seats please! I’ve yet to meet a 4 year old actually ready to be in a booster. They are safest harnessed.
go on line and see the comparison and go from there