Most comfortable car seat?

[disynut]

I know this isn't Disney related, but this is where I got the info for my last stroller and it was great advice!

We just moved our 10 month old out of her infant seat into a "regular" car seat(she was too big for it according to the poster in our dr.'s office). We put her in the seat that we used for our son. I think it's an Evenflo. My problem is that when she falls asleep her head tilts to the front, causing strain on her neck. The seat is reclined as far back as it will go. We didn't have this problem with the infant seat, as she was already reclined. Are there any good car seats out there that are comfortable for kiddos to sleep in?

TIA,
Jennifer

 

[all4fun]

Do you still have her rear-facing? Right now she should be in a rear facing seat still so if your Evenflo is a convertible car seat you should be able to do that with the seat you currently have. Also, most states have laws that say infants must be one year and at least 20lbs before putting them forward facing but most convertible car seats have rear-facing weight limits of 30-35lbs depending on the seat and children can be rear-facing as long as they're under that weight limit. Since your dd is so close to being one year old and R/fing is actually the safest by far I just thought I would mention it. Once I saw the video's on this site my mind was made up my ds would stay rear-facing in the car as long as possible: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx OK I'll get off my little soap box now, lol. I hope I didn't offend but since you didn't say which way you had the seat I just wanted to make sure you knew about that.

If you already have the seat installed rear-facing then you could put up to 3 pieces of pool noodle or a rolled towell under the front of the seat right in the bight of the seat, which is the spot where the seat cushion meets the back cushion. You don't want anything under the majority of the car seat but it's ok to put a little padding in the bight to help tilt the seat back a little bit to get a 45 degree angle. This site will give you some ideas on how best to do that: http://www.carseatsite.com/ click on "Rear Facing Seats" and then "Correct Recline Angle".
If you want to make sure it's installed correctly you can check this site http://www.seatcheck.org/ to find a CPS tech in your area.

hth!
Cheryl

ETA: I also thought I would mention that car seats have expiration dates. Your carseat should have a sticker with the date it was made on it. If you don't have the owners manual any more you can contact the manufacturer to find out. Here's a link to Evenflo's website

 

[DisFam95]

NOt really for that age. We had the Britax..which is supposedly one of the top of the line. DS always had his head flopping forward or sideways..drove me nuts!

They make those neck bolsters that I've seen. They look like I mini-Boppy but it goes around the front of the neck. Personally it loks like the child is being starngled and DS wanted nothing to do with it..don't blame him! I've seen things in catalogs like One Step Ahead for other side bolsters but they won't stop the forward flop.

Basically until your child is older and can repsond better to movement w/ better muscle control as they sleep they flop forward in their sleep.

The older kids booster seats (like what my 3yr old will go to) has side wings that come aorund the side of the head. But they start at a much higher weight.

I just had to reach back at red lights and pop his head up w/ a finger tip!

 

[nemomama]

I used to just roll up a receiving blanket for her to prop her head on. What DisFam95 said is true, they'll stop the head flop thing when they get a little older. We have a Britax and she's much more comfortable in it now.

 

[long4disney]

We have the britax marathon and it is the most comfortable car seat we have ever purchased. My dd is always happy in this seat!!!

 

[KristiMc]

We have two Evenflo Triumph's and love them. We bought the first one in 2001 for our first ds. He is 4 and still fits very well in it. We liked it so much that we bought another one for our second ds. I can't really say how comfy it is personally - but they always look pretty comfy.

Kristi

 

[ash&abby'smom]

We have the britax marathon and it is the most comfortable car seat we have ever purchased. My dd is always happy in this seat!!!

We also have this car seat. My dd is very happy in it. It is very padded. Her head usually tilts to the side of the seat where she rests it to sleep. I highly recommend this seat.

 

[becca011906]

I'm a certified carseat inspecter and can totally agree with all that chelya said

 

[kimatigger]

We have an Evenflo Triumph that we love. My oldest now 28 months just handed it down to his little brother who is 11 months. It reclines nicely and they both always slept in it. It got great reviews and like the Britax has the head foam. I think it was around 119.00 at babiesrus.

 

[Colinsmom]

The Britax seats are my favorite, too. All of the convertibles have a tether for use when the seat is rear-facing, which allows you to get the proper recline (no more than 45 degree angle) very easily. It's not safe to use too many pool noodles or towels!

Even now, DS has outgrown the rear-facing limits of his Marathons, but still sleeps comfortably in them, with his head leaning against the side wing. Some of the newer Britaxes have even more head support, but we bought ours before they came out.

 

[becca011906]

It's not safe to use too many pool noodles or towels!

Actually this is safer then to have the wrong recline b/c of the back dip in most seats of cars... as a certified car seat tech, we use cut up noodles to properly instal carseats at check points...

 

[shaylahc]

My kids all ride in Britax seats (they range in ages 10 mos to 8 yrs) and they are all super comfy. The best part is they are extremely durable and the fabric holds up well to abuse. Our seats all look brand new and some of them are 4+ years old. Before I found Britax my other seats would look like trash after 2 years and I would have to replace them....with Britax even though I pay more upfront I save money in the long run because I can hand the seats down from one kid to the next until the seats' expiration date is up (which is usually around 6 years).

 

[Colinsmom]

Actually this is safer then to have the wrong recline b/c of the back dip in most seats of cars... as a certified car seat tech, we use cut up noodles to properly instal carseats at check points...

That's not what I've been told by a very reputable, knowledgeable car seat tech on another board. If you have to use too many noodles or towels, then you don't have a very good fit between your car seat and car, and really should try a different brand car seat. (Note that I'm not saying that noodles or towels are bad, but that TOO MANY can be an issue.)

Plus, the 45 degree angle is the MAXIMUM recline, not the required recline. More upright is actually safer in a rear-facing position, though newborns are most comfy at 45 degrees, and some convertibles are easier to adjust when they are reclined to 45 degrees.

This site has more info on angles when rear-facing - you have to click on the link at the top of the page. It recommends no more than 3 pool noodles.

http://www.carseatsite.com/

 

[shewelch]

Evenflo Triumph! Comfy, safe, and half the price of Britax... we have one for each car- (town & country van and sebring convertible)

 

[kimatigger]

I forgot to mention that I have never used a noddle or a towel for my Evenflo Triumph.

 

[DsnyGrl]

I have to agree with all of the great things that have been sadi of the Britax seats. We have used them both rear-facing and forward-facing. We have three Britax Roundabouts (triplets ) and one Britax marathon ( age 4) Everyone seems comfortable on long trips and content. Hope that helps!

 

[FSUGrad97]

Another vote for the Evenflo Triumph! We have two- one for my SUV and one for my DH's truck. We had to use a pool noodle for my SUV, but not for the truck. My husband installed them, and he said it was very easy to install in both cars. When we turned her seat around (forward facing), we did not need the noodle.

My DD loves hers, and she went into it after she grew out of her infant seat.

The last time I was at Babies R Us, the had the Triumph deluxe which looked like it would be pretty comfy.

 

[all4fun]

This site has more info on angles when rear-facing - you have to click on the link at the top of the page. It recommends no more than 3 pool noodles.

http://www.carseatsite.com/

This is what I posted "up to three pieces of pool noodle" and I also linked this same site....

I'm also aware that the 45 degree angle is the max - but most infants (under age 1) still need to be reclined more in order for their little necks not to flop forward, which is the trouble to OP was having.

Just wanted to clarify my ealier post....

 

[txgirl]

We love our Evenflo Triumph. My youngest is 2 1/2 but when my girls were younger they didn't make such awesome seats! I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have heard good things about the Britax but with this child being the last we thought the Triumph made more sense for the budget and had such awesome ratings. It has been perfect.

 

[cmrules]

Britax Marathon, hands down, no question, it's expensive but worth every penny!