Tuesday, September 29, 2009

I need a consult

OK, it's convertible car seat time in Chez RTS. I haven't been so overwhelmed by a baby-related purchase since... Yeah, I haven't been so overwhelmed by a baby-related purchase ever. Why is this harder than all those big decisions we made during registry time? Perhaps it's because now we have a real live and intact baby and we'd like to keep him that way. Oh, and they are freaking expensive.

My obsessive research thus far keeps pointing me toward Brit.ax Rou.ndab.out 50, but we took Elliot to BRU the other night to "test-drive" one and he seemed pretty cramped in it. Already. At 6 months. He also fussed the whole time he was in it, but that might not have had anything to do with the seat. So now we're thinking Mar.athon but OMG they're $300 (or $230 at bab.ycatal.og.com, btw) and that's just a lot of money to spend on something we're so unsure about. Should we just scrap the whole Br.itax idea and buy the same Even.flo (under $100) my mom got when we were out there a couple of weeks ago? He seemed to like it well enough. It certainly didn't have the cramped issue (good) but that makes me worry that he'll bounce around it like a pinball (bad) if, god forbid, we ever get in an accident (really bad). I know they say the most important thing is that the seat is installed correctly and a pass is a pass is a pass in those safety tests, but surely there are nuances that matter.

So, lay it on me Moms. What do you have? What do you like? What do you not like? Does anyone else have a broad-shouldered linebacker of a baby? If so, what has worked for you?

I anxiously await your guidance!

7 comments:

Alison said...

We own 3 different brands (Britax Marathons, Cosco Sceneras, and Graco Nautilus.) The Graco is out for you since that model is only front facing, and while we LOVE the cheap ($35) Cosco for travel(so light and got great safety ratings though) the straps are always twisted, there is little padding, and it is a PITA to install. The Marathon is worth its weight in gold. So easy to install and get a good fit, lots of padding for comfort, and it'll last a long time (we've been in it for 3+ years and have a LONG way to go in it.) Sure, it is expensive, but he'll use it everyday for years, so if you break the cost down it is pennies. And totally worth the hassles of other seats. Good luck! Check out Albeebaby.com for sales. We've bought from them and been really happy. Good luck!

N said...

We don't even have our baby yet, but we have our convertible car seat already, because one of the best ones out there went on super sale on kids woot a bit ago. We went with the True Fit, which has great ratings, has a removable top which allows you to rear face longer, and has not just a high weight limit, but high straps (kids usually outgrow their seats by height before by weight) so that your kid can stay in a 5-point harness longer than in many other seats. It came really highly recommended, and we're super happy with it, without having used it. XD We use our friends' with their 1 year old, though...

If we hadn't gotten the True Fit, we would've gone with one of the Britaxs.

mommie2be said...

I had all the same thoughts when we were convertible car seat shopping and although we haven't yet been graced with a child to test it out, I really think the Marathon is your best bet. And ditto on the albeebaby recommendation - they have fantastic prices on discontinued prints. They've got a Marathon up right now for $179...granted its in "Ashley floral", but you get my point.

nutella said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nutella said...

We are at the same point as you, looking around at a convertable seat for the time when our son outgrows his Graco Snug Ride. Top contenders at this point are the Evenflo Triumph Advance and the First Years True Fit. So far, we've tried the Triumph and were pleased with it. RF it even fit in the back seat of our Corolla and took up LESS space than the Sung Ride. Haven't been able to try out the True Fit in person yet, but we are keeping our eyes open for sales.

Meegs said...

My best friend has the Marathon for her baby and LOVES it. She would recommend it a 100x over.

Plus, as Alison said... you are going to be using it for a long time. Those puppies last, so it evens out.

For the Long Haul said...

I had the Britax Marathon for my son and he LOVED it. I loved it too. I loved the little velcro things on the sides that keep the straps out from under the bum. Small thing, but very nice in practice. When I had my daughter (she is 5 months) I moved him to the Graco Nautilus (he is almost 4) and she is now in the Britax and loves it like he did. I would recommend at your stage going for the Britax. It is expensive but worth every penny.