Another car seat issue.

[moonphishers]

okay I know there have been a lot of car seat issues in recent weeks and I need help. My DS is 20 lbs & 8mo old and tall (I forget his length) and I really think I have to get a new car seat.

WHere is the best place to look - as far as online resources.

Thanks for not flaming me for starting a new thread

[moonphishers]

[MSweeten]

No an online source.... but our walmart had the scenera on sale for $30 I really like it..... easy to use and seems well padded. Though I don't have much to compare it to.

[lilmama2dsndd]

what is your price range? there are lots of carseats available that keep LOs RF for well over 20 lbs. The first one I got for DD was a safety first, cost $60 from BRU and went RF until 30 lbs. Now granted it wasn't the prettiest thing or the most cushy but it worked until I could afford the Britax and is now being used in my mom's car for DD.

I would check consumer reports, they are totaly unrelated from and carseat manufacturer so you can trust their results.

When it comes to a safety issue like carseats, no one will flame for asking questions

[Desiree_Leigh]

If your DC is tall, I would suggest a Britax Marathon/Decathalon/Boulevard or a Sunshine Kids Radian 65. Both have quite tall top slots, and that allows it to fit a taller child longer. The Britax seats are very user friendly and install well in a variety of vehicles. The Sunshine Kids Radian is a great seat as well, but I know there has been talk of it being a bit difficult to install in many vehicles. I would suggest finding out if any of the baby stores near you sell these seats and allow you to try them out in your own vehicle. I believe at car-seat.org there is also a compatibility database - technicians basically put in notes about what seats installed well in what vehicles. I HTH!

- Desiree

[MamaZ]

Originally Posted by MSweeten No an online source.... but our walmart had the scenera on sale for $30 I really like it..... easy to use and seems well padded. Though I don't have much to compare it to.

I love my Scenara! Love it! Can't say enough good about it It's inexpensive and just wonderful to use It fit in my DH's little 2 door sports car (which was a one time thing only) and fits in my van perfectly.

It's also pretty high height wise. I believe it's 40" altogether and you can keep them rf up to 35 lbs which is more than most other seats

www.target.com has some good deals on carseats and I don't know if it's still this way, but there was free shipping. You can even return to your local store too sometimes, just check with your local store.

[moonphishers]

thanks all - Ill look into the suggestions made here.

Price range is pretty open, but I dont want to spend a reaking fortune on something that isnt safe.
I tought about going to consumer reports, but in light of the recent testing snafu they had - I was going to wait a while. I'll check in with carseats.com and I think theres a babys-r-us near by. Ill go check that out too.

I was mostly concerned with not knowing the recommendations now - as my other kids have been out of carseats for years!!!!!!!!!!

[ravenonyx]

Recommendations now are:

RF as long as possible, but must be past 1 year AND 20 pounds
5 pt harness, not overhead shield
Make sure the harness clip is even with the armpits not down at the waist
No aftermarket products used with the seat (custom covers, strap covers, no wearing thick coats)

I'm sure there is more but that's all I remember off the top of my head right now

[raceNzanesmom]

http://www.carseatdata.org can give you info on compatability and measurements. You want the tallest harness slots possible and higher weight if the budget allows. If you have the $$ I'd say a Britax Boulevard. Easy to use, total side impact protection (TSIP), infinite harness height, EPS foam (like bike helmets), rear facing tether, etc. If that's too spendy then I'd probably go with the SK Radian 65. It does have some issues (I or another tech can help with), so make sure it can be returned- just in case.

The Scenara is a good basic. Just know you will need another seat after it, probably a harnessed seat, then a booster. The higher weight Britaxes and SK Radian will take most (vast majority) of kids until all they need is a booster. A $20 backless booster will be fine at that point as long as you have head restraints.

Feel free to email me if I can help.

ETA: Keep babies and toddlers RF, http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx Other good info there too.

Good info, including installation videos here, http://www.carseatsite.com/

[stella072]

http://www.elitecarseats.com/home.jsp
I got my Britax here, registered for it. Free shipping & a good amount of customer reviews.