What is the your opinon of the best convertable car seat on the market? At what lb. do you switch from infant

Question

my baby only weighs 17.5 lbs, but it seems so heavy with the infant car seat, what lb. do you switch to a convertable seat, and what one is your favorite? thanks

Answer 1

Personally I have the Chicco keyfit, and love it, althought i havent tried anything else out on the market.

Answer 2

Like Mystic Eye, I've got an Evenflo Triumph and I LOVE it.  The weight capacity is 5-37lbs so technically, you can put them in right from birth.  I started putting my son in his when he got around the same weight as your baby.  The thing I really like about the Triumph is that it is beyond easy to adjust not like the carrier which was a huge process. Sometimes I would have to readjust the carrier harness multiple times in a day, depending on the thickness of my son's clothes, to get a snug fit and I would usually end up frustrated and cursing.  With this car seat, there is one k**b that loosens and tightens the straps and the height is done on a track.  That's it.  And it was relatively inexpensive...I paid around $200cdn for it.  I have never had any issues with it and would recommend it to anyone.

Answer 3

I have the Radian 65 by Sunshine Kids.  At Wal-mart you can find it for $199.  It is smaller than many and fits nicely in the back of our Prius.  It was easy install and according to the box is the only foldable carseat on the market-important if you plan to fly with it.

All carseats have weight/height limits.  My Graco Snugride goes up to 22 lbs and 29 inches I believe.  We moved my son into the Radian at 20 lbs. as he was too heavy with the infant seat.

You can use a convertible carseat from birth for many models.  The Radian is from 5 lbs to 35 rear facing, then up to 65 pounds forward facing.  Leave your child rear-facing as long as they are below weight limit even if they are above age resriction as this affords the safest arrangment for your baby.

Answer 4

There is technically no need to ever use an infant seat the convertible ones are safe from birth.  In fact they are often safer because the infant ones have a tendency to separate from the base during a crash.  Also the fact that they can be removed from the car causes some parents to misuse them.

I heard a lot of good things about the Evenflo Triumph Advance so I got one.  I haven't used it much yet but its better than the Alpha Omega (aka Eddie Bauer aka Costco).  Its also one of the cheapest.

Answer 5

I think the best convertible seats are ones that have higher weight and height limits. In other words, a taller seat that will accomodate a child over 40 pounds. Taking a child from a harness to a booster seat that uses a regular seat belt is a step down in safety, so the longer a child can safely sit in a harness, the better. And although many convertible seats advertise that they will accomodate a child up to 40 pounds, the child will usually outgrow the seat in height by the age of two or three (which is too young for a booster seat using a regular seat belt). This is also usually the case with the "three-in-one" seats such as the Alpha Omega...the child will be too tall to sit in the harness around the age of two or three, which is too young to be sitting in the booster position.

So, with that said, I would look at any of the following seats....

Evenflo Triumph Advance

Sunshine Kids Radian 65

Britax Marathon, Decathlon, or Boulevard

Recaro Como or Signo

First Years True Fit

Any of those seats will likely last your child until kindergarten or beyond, at which point, he or she is safe in a regular booster seat.

Answer 6

its around 20lbs. i feel your pain i know what you mean.

Answer 7

there should be a weight and height limit on your infant carseat.  

i have a britax decathlon and i love it.  it rearfaces to 33 lbs and then forward faces to 65 lbs.  plus the middle strap between the legs is adjustable.  also i have a small car so it fits well in it.

Answer 8

We've got a Britax Boulevard and it's wonderful!  It switches from rear-facing to forward-facing, (it is equipped to hold infants - 60lb children).  It's really easy to use and very safe.  SO you could put your little on it it at anytime, and just switch it around when they're a year.  

We got it for our son when he was 5 months old, we just kept it rear-facing until he turned 1.

Answer 9

You can switch from an infant carseat to a convertible carseat anytime you feel like you should.  My babies were all out of the infant carseats at three months, because they didn't like to lay down so far.  They would cry and try to pick their heads up and sit up when I would put them in the infant carseat, so we went to the convertible.  

The absolute best carseats are made by Britax.  They are sturdy and strong, with great, soft, thick fabrics.  The plastic on the Britax is also nice and smooth, rather than jaggety, like I've seen on other carseats.  The Britax has excellent safety ratings, and there are a few different models to choose from.  I really like the Roundabout.  It goes up to 40 lbs.  If you tend to have big babies, though, the Marathon might be a better option.  It is made very similar to the Roundabout, but bigger.  It has a taller back to accomodate taller children, and it goes up to 65 lbs.  

Target carries the Roundabout and the Marathon in most of their stores, so if you live near a Target store, you should go check them out.  I'm sure that you'll love them!  Good luck!