Thursday, August 12, 2010

NEED ADVICE

Convertible Car Seat Conundrum.

Does anyone have great knowledge to share on this subject? We'd like to put Cam in a front-facing car seat the DAY he turns one (or before, but you law-abiding citizens needn't know that detail), but I am torn over whether the expensive ones are really worth it ($170 - $200) or just get a cheapo one ($60).

What is important in a convertible car seat?

Where did y'all get yours?

Sam's Club? Target? Babies 'R Us? Online?

Freak. Any and ALL help will be greatly appreciated.

Or shall we just keep him in the cooler? He seems happy enough.



8 comments:

TyandMar said...

I took the plunge and spent $$$ to get Harrison a Britax roundabout car seat. I love it. The straps never twist, the carseat is reclined enough that he is comfortable when he falls asleep, and it's REALLY easy to use. I have family that have a Cosco brand one and an Eddie Bauer one and they are terrible. The straps are ALWAYS twisted and you can never tighten it very well and it sits pretty upright so that if your little one falls asleep they are awkwardly sleeping with a kinked neck.
I know it's a lot of money compared to what you could pay, but I haven't regretted it one bit. If you do some research, Britax brand is top notch as far as car seats go. I bought mine at Babies R Us online. I searched for a few weeks and found a pretty good discount, but it still cost me $175 + tax/shipping. Again, I don't regret it. Britax really is the best!

Anonymous said...

Since I have little knowledge on this subject I vote the cooler.

Kelli K said...

I don't know either... but I am in love with your boy. He makes me think about having babies. He was soo cute on Saturday. So handsome and smart. Ask him, he might sign to you the right decision... give him two pictures and let him choose! :) haha

John and Stef said...

I really like our Britax. It's durable and has lasted us 2 kids so far. The kids are definitely comfortable when they fall asleep - meaning their head isn't at their chest. The only things I don't love are how big and heavy they are and that the straps are difficult to adjust as they get bigger. If you ask John, he'd say that something smaller would be just fine. If you ask me, I'm glad we got it. :) We bought ours online - Amazon maybe?? it was a while ago!

Blake and Laura said...

We bought a fairly cheap one. This was supposed to be used as both a booster and front sitting car seat. However, the backing (cheap foam) has broken apart, which makes it uncomfortable for Makayla. If we had to do it again we would go for a nice one that would last longer than one child.

Scott, Kelly, Liz, Logan said...

We use the Graco Comfort Sport car seat. It has worked great for us so far. I'm sure the Britax is nicer/cozier. We spent around $80 for ours (on sale). It is slim so we can fit two car seats easily next to one another. So maybe consider what vehicle you will be driving when you have 2-3 kids and what kind of car seats will fit in that vehicle. Love the mug pictures!

Chrystal Wilcox said...

people kill me on how much they will spend on a car seat! The cheaper ones work great as a matter of fact I still use the ones I had 6 years ago and they are fine. But I did start to feel the itch for something nicer and better for road trips and so I bought one of the cozyer big ones it is an Evenflo brand, brand new it would be around 200 bucks. But I checked KSL for months and waited for a great deal and found mine for $40 bucks. It doesnt expire for a few years. So let me give you the pros and cons so you can make an educated decision based on your needs. If you have to share the big expensive ones between 2 cars it is not a good idea!They are heavy, not fun to install over and over, and if you have passengers often in your car they will be squished. But it is wonderful that have a lever in the front so when baby is asleep he can recline, they also are made for birth to however old. So you could start him in it now and still face him backwards and they are so tall that he could probably see out the window! I love my more expensive brand more but only because I have a cheap one in Trevors car and I have a big car to fit the expensive brand in. Keep your eye on KSL classifieds, they have great deals and I don't think you will find on for $40 but maybe $50-$100, still less then at store. Good luck on your search!

The Beckstroms said...

We have a mid-level one. It is a Cosco brand and we love it. I have never not once had the straps twist or had any problem adjusting it. When it gets dirty I throw the cover in the washing machine and then hang it to dry and it looks good as new. Annie sleeps fine in it and never gets upset to get in the car and we also used it with Taryn so it has been through two kids and if you'll remember from FB, it has been thrown up on twice and has no remnants of smell after being thrown in the washing machine. It is also VERY easy to adjust the straps height and not too big of a pain to take apart and put back together for cleanings. We got ours at Target. I personally would not buy one on KSL unless it is still new in the box just because you don't know its history. If a car seat is in an accident, it is no longer safe and has to be replaced.

But, that said, Britax brand is top notch and if you are willing to spend that kind of money on it then go for it.