Anyone with a smaller SUV and rear facing convertible carseat?

[Minnie824]

First let me say that installing a car seat is one of the worst baby related tasks I've had to do. We bought a Britax Roundabout car seat for my 8 1/2 month old DD...fits well in our 1st car, but not in our 2nd - a Rav 4. The front seat is almost to the dashboard, although I could sit in it, my husband couldn't. Once I got it into the 1st car, I decided we are not moving it and are going to get another one. Thats my question. Should we try to find a smaller cheaper one for the Rav4, or should we buy something like the Eddie Bauer one that works til 80 lbs, put it into our first car and deal with the Britax one in the Rav4 til shes a year old? Any suggestions on other carseats too?

 

[taylor1293]

I agree, installing a car seat is a terrible task :-(.

Toys r us and Babies r us will let you take the carseat you are considering buying out to the car to make sure it fits properly. You may want to try a couple of models and see what will fit best in your new Rav4.

Good luck !

 

[tjmw2727]

Most baby stores will let you take a model and try it in your car before you buy. I don't think you can use the E Bauer model that goes until 80lbs as its only forward facing, iirc. As you know baby should face rear until 12months and 20lbs. Although not britax fisher price and century make some more affordable and very safe seats for children up to 40lbs. Good luck
TJ

 

[jenny2]

I have the E.Bauer model that goes to 80 lbs. and it is rear facing to 35 lbs. After your baby is a year old AND over 20 lbs you can face it forward, and then when they are big enough to use a booster it converts to a booster. I really love this car seat. My DD is 2 and she appears very comfortable in it. We drove from Mass to WDW and she didn't complain once

If your Britax doesn't fit well in the Rav4 this one probably wouldn't either. It's big. We ended up getting the smaller E.Bauer car seat for DH's truck and while it's not as comfortable for her (the large E.Bauer is a cadillac!) it fit better rear facing when there was limited space.

Hope this helps!

 

[laureng]

Which car does the baby ride in most? I would have the more comfortable car seat in that car then a smaller, less expensive seat for the other car.

 

[tjmw2727]

Wow - that's cool about the E Bauer - wish they had that a few years ago. We ended up buying so many carseats ....

Tj

 

[Gillian]

We manage with just one car seat. For a while DS (now 20 mos) was going to day care tuesdays & thursdays & DH dropped him off in the car seat car. I had that car the other 3 days & it was used most of the time on weekends. We just got used to switching cars, depending on who had the baby. And when we left the baby with a sitter (family member) we gave them that car too!

We also have a britax & it takes up less room now that it's forward facing. I've gotten very good at moving it when I have to. The guy in the store showed me how to kneel on it to get a secure fit. We ended up at a small local place because our babies r us was useless when we needed info! He showed us how to use the special tether for the rear facing position, which most of my friends didn't even know existed! It really helps! A piece of a pool noodle is also good.