Good Morning Everyone!
My baby girl is 8 months now and I am looking into buying a convertible car seat (the ones that can be rear facing and then can turn around to forward facing). There are so many different ones out there and I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I honestly cannot afford to spend $300 on a car seat, but I do want to make sure my baby is safe.
Thanks for your help!!
It can be confusing. Good
It can be confusing. Good for you for checking deeper than what pattern is prettiest. Check out this website: car-safety.org They have a ton of info. If you post in the forums a certified car seat technician (yes, there are such people) will help you with choices. Post your baby's age and weight and the type of car you drive. They are good at helping you get the most out of your money. For example, there are some seats that get outgrown by height before the child is ready for a booster. Then you wind up having to purchase another seat for a few years use...they'll help you not make this kind of mistake. I really wish I'd found this site with my first child.
Here's the basic spiel: you don't have to spend $300 to get a safe seat. The important thing is that it's compatible with your car and that it is used properly every time. The Costco Scenera is frequently recommended, and it's about $40 at Wal-Mart or K-Mart.
I am actually in the process
I am actually in the process myself of getting a new seat for my kiddo and $300 is just WAY out of my price range. So I did a bit of research and found that the Graco comfort sport is rated as one of the best and the price is just right!! $80.00, i just looked online at target.com and its on sale for $64!!
I too worried about buying a "cheap" carseat but all the studies and research I did, i feel comfortable in my purchase.
Any mom's out there that have any comments on this car seat? Any word of mouth reviews are always welcome!
We bought the Evenflo
We bought the Evenflo Triumph for my son when he was 6 months (he's a HUGE baby...very tall and chunky.) Since he is my first, I had no idea where to begin searching. I honestly can't remember the website I found the info on, but I had my heart set on the Britax.....it was the one suggsted the most and the most exspensive....so it had to be the best. I was way wrong. The information I found did comparisons between all the seats...different brands and such. The Evenflo Triumph had the same safety ratings as the Britax. We bought it at Target for I think 120. My son LOVES the car seat. As a matter of fact, when we went to "test" them out in the store, I placed him in the seat....and he fell asleep, in the seat, on the shelf at Target. It was so cute and I knew right then and there that it was the perfect fit for him. I like it because it has self adjusting shoulder straps, and an easy knob to realease and tighten the straps at his waist. If you go to www.target.com, you can look up all the car seats and read reviews that other parents posted after buying the seats. One of the selling points for me was a review I read where a lady's car rolled. She was injured and her son was in the evenflo seat and didn't receive even a scratch on his body.
♥ "LIFE AIN'T ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE" ♥--Gary Alan
I forgot to mention
I forgot to mention above....the COSCO brand seats are highly suggested because they are a cheaper buy, but PLEASE....for the safety of your child, do not purchase one. My brother and sis-in-law bought an infant carseat by cosco for my neice. She was only about 2 months and I was carrying her out to the car and the handle broke. You know how you can push the lever to move the handle back and forth to get the baby out, well, the lever thing broke and the car seat flipped over. My neice at 2 months old was strapped in, but hanging upside down because the latch broke. In fairness, we have never tried the cosco brand convertible car seats (we couldn't bring ourselves to use it after that experience) but we don't trust that brand at all. I have also heard about a lot of their brands being recalled. Just some info for you. Hope it helps :0)
♥ "LIFE AIN'T ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE" ♥--Gary Alan
I just purchased the Graco
I just purchased the Graco Comfort Sport (Maggie) from Target.com - $64 and free shipping, not too bad! The Target I went to (Desert Ridge) was out of it, which is why I bought it online. I think some of the other stores have it. I also have an 8-month-old who outgrew her seat about a month and a half ago!
I haven't received it yet, but I should get in a day or so - I can repost my opinion of it when I get it. It seemed like a pretty good deal, and Graco is a great brand. I'm with you - I sure didn't want to spend $300! :)
http://www.phxgrocerydeals.com
I used the Safety 1st Alpha
I used the Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat. I believe I paid about $150 or so for it. Here's a link to it:
http://www.safety1st.com/product/detail.asp?ID=2671
Car seats can be expensive .... I love the Britax ones .... they are super expensive though ....
I too, have just started the
I too, have just started the search for a convertible car seat. My son is almost 9 months and it's time to start looking.
One thing I've noticed is the material a lot of these seat are made of... this hot, kind of fleece, some with a leather-like trim...not so conducive to the AZ heat, but made more for those kids that live in the ARCTIC or something!!
Of course, safety is most important, but I can't help but also be concerned with my son slow roasting while encapsulated in a fleece nightmare!!! LOL!
The Graco comfort sport on sale at Target sounds like a great deal! Thanks for the headsup.
We bought the Evenflo
We bought the Evenflo Triumph Advance LX for our both cars and we love the seat. I love the fact that you don't need to "re-sting" the shoulder straps when they get taller. The straps slide up and down.
jesshod is a mommy to 2 girls (ages 6 and 1) and is an arizonamoms.com discussion leader living in Surprise.
I have the Eddie Bauer
I have the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 (made by Cosco). It goes up to 100 lbs and becomes a booster after the car seat. I love it...We have been using it for 1 1/2 yrs now. I just ordered a second one for my husbands car this week.
A great place to look regardless of which one you choose is www.albeebaby.com. They have all the different brands of car seats and baby gear you would find in the store and sell them at discounted prices...usually because they are an outdated pattern or overstock item. The one we bought is currently at Babies R Us for 179.99. We got it for just under $95 and that included shipping. They have no shipping over $100 and everything under $100 is a flat rate of 4.95 and there is no sales tax.
Best of luck.
I've also ordered from Albee
I've also ordered from Albee Baby and have been very pleased.
I have two- one for my car
I have two- one for my car and one for my Mom's. Both of them have been mentioned above. The main one is the Graco Comfort Sport, as mentioned above, a great deal price-wise, normally $80, I got in on sale for $65. It's well padded and has the infant head rest which is what I like over the other one I have - I think it is the Costco Scenara. Cheap, but not very thick padding, which is fine for short rides.
I want to add to google
I want to add to google "extended rear facing". I don't know if you are aware, but the old 20 lbs/1 year rule is outdated. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending kids rear face until the limits of their seat, I believe age 2 is the new minimum. Most seats are outgrown rear facing when the top of the head is 1" - 1 1'2" from the top of the shell or weight is somewhere around 33 lbs (depending on the car seat). It's 4x safer for kids to rear face than forward face. Just because the box says it can be used forward facing at 20 lbs doesn't mean it's safest.
I didn't realize this until DD was over one had been facing forward for months. I turned her back rear facing without any problems. She just got turned forward facing a few months ago at 33 lbs (the max of her seat) and almost 3 years old.
We have Britaxes Boulevards
We have Britaxes Boulevards for both of the kids, they're expensive but as far as I'm concerned you can't put a price on safety. The seats we have are convertible and are good for up to 65lbs, so they'll be using them until they need boosters.
I'm always amazed at parents who will put out hundreds of dollars on cribs, strollers, bouncy seats, swings, and clothes, but refuse to pay for something that could save their child's life if they were ever in a car accident.
A good place to look for car seats is www.babyuniverse.com, some of their products even come with free shipping.
Also, if the task of researching car seats seems a bit daunting, there is a message board on ivillage dedicated to car seats, here's the link: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcarseats
It is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not.
Yummymummy...Please don't
Yummymummy...Please don't take offense to this, but just because the Britax seats you have are exspensive, doesn't mean that I don't care as much about my child because I bought a less exspensive one. I did research and found that the Evenflo seat I bought for my son has the same safety ratings and crash test ratings as the Britax. I do agree with you that you can't put a price on safety, but most exspensive doesn't always mean the best. I saved money and still provided my son with a seat ranked just as safe as the Britax. In my opinion you didn't pay more for the safety, you paid money for the name.
♥ "LIFE AIN'T ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE" ♥--Gary Alan
Actually not only did I get
Actually not only did I get the safety, I also have the peace of mind knowing that long drives in the car won't be met with whining because they're uncomfortable. The Britaxes have more padding and as a result are more comfortable.
It is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not.
I wasn't trying to argue,
I wasn't trying to argue, just stating my opinion. I am happy to hear that you have that peace of mind. I also have the same peace of mind, for a lower price. I was just a little offended at your comment about putting money into all those things and not spending money on something like carseats. I am sure you weren't pointing fingers at anyone, I guess I was just being a little too sensitive. We obviously have different opinions, I am not opposed to the Britax seats, just found that the one we have for our sons suits him well. The main fact is that your kids are happy and safe as is my son, no matter what brand of seat! :0)
♥ "LIFE AIN'T ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE" ♥--Gary Alan
I to was a bit offended by
I to was a bit offended by that comment. I did tons of research on car seats before I made a final decison. And the car seat I have decied to get is just as safe in rankings as the one you bought.
Alot of parents out there,including myself can't afford a $300 car seat expecially because we have to by two. I dont love my daughter any less then you love your little because I bought a cheaper carseat!
I almost didn't post this
I almost didn't post this b/c I don't want it to seem that I'm stirring the pot...I'm really not, I just want to make sure the facts are out there so an informed decision can be made.
Here's the thing. All U.S. carseats must pass the same crash standards. Car seat manufactures don't publish their crash test results. If the standards are 30 mph (I can't remember the exact #, but it's around there), a seat is approved if it passes at 30mph, but fails at 31mph. The problem is, we have no way of knowing which seats pass the tests better than others. There are no side impact testing standards in the U.S. Britax and some others have car seats with wings that are "supposed" to be better for side impacts, but again, who knows if they really help or not.
I think car seats should be a priority. It disgusts me to see a $40k vehicle with unrestrained kids, or kids in old expired seats. No one should be made to feel like a bad parent because they can't shell out $300 for a car seat. A $40 seat properly installed and properly used is much safer than a $500 seat improperly installed.
btw: both of my car seat age kids are in Britax seats. My reasons are the customer service I've received by Britax when problems arose, I like that they do extra testing on their products (not that we get to know the results) and in my opinion, they are quicker to handle problems than some other manufacturers have. I like the plush feeling and convenience factors...but those won't keep my kids safer.
I don't feel that you are
I don't feel that you are stirring the pot at all. I think it's awesome you posted that comment because the more information the original poster has the better decision she can make. We are all here to help each other.
♥ "LIFE AIN'T ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL RIDE" ♥--Gary Alan
It helps looking at the
It helps looking at the rating systems for car seats from other countries who have stricter standards than the US and reveal testing results.