New Car Seat shopping! Help please.

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Hmmm, all this talk makes me wonder about DS's seat.

Right now I don't have a car, so DS has 2 seats, one in my mother's car and a booster that I keep for when we go somewhere with someone else. The mom we carpool with also keeps a backless booster for him in her minivan (but that's newer so I won't worry about it).

Anyway, DS is 7 1/2 and I think we bought the one in my mom's car when he was about 2 -- so it could well be 6 years old. It's a Century Next Step and he really likes it, much better than the other one (which is a Britax Starriser Comfy, which we generally use backless). He's kind of a "wide" kid (it's all muscle I swear -- he's built like a little line backer), and he says that the arms on the Starriser and the other backless press into the sides of his leg. He feels the same way about the backless in the carpool car.

So my questions are 1) Do I need to replace the Next Step, and eventually the Starriser or is it OK since there are no straps to wear out (I won't use either for a 2nd child. and 2) If I do replace it, what do I replace it with? He's 69 lbs so I'd want something that goes past 80 (otherwise I'd just get a newer Next Step -- we really like this seat). I've heard they're supposed to be in boosters until 4'9" (he's 4'1" now) and there's no way he'll be under 80 lbs by then -- I'm not sure he'll be under 100 either. I'd rather not pay a fortune for something that's in a car he rides in a couple of times a week at most and that he's only going to use for a few years. But I do want him to be safe.

Thanks!

 

[becca011906]

Great place that i've gotten lots of my questions answered is www.car-seats.org there is forum there also!!!

 

[chocolate chip]

you might want to consider the Cosco Eddie Bauer seat. I have had it since my son was 9 months old, it is rear facing, forward facing, booster, etc. and it holds children until they are 80 pounds. The new laws insist that kids be in seats until they weigh as much as 100 pounds...this seat is awesome.

 

[all4fun]

Hmmm, all this talk makes me wonder about DS's seat.
...

So my questions are 1) Do I need to replace the Next Step, and eventually the Starriser or is it OK since there are no straps to wear out (I won't use either for a 2nd child. and 2) If I do replace it, what do I replace it with? He's 69 lbs so I'd want something that goes past 80 (otherwise I'd just get a newer Next Step -- we really like this seat). I've heard they're supposed to be in boosters until 4'9" (he's 4'1" now) and there's no way he'll be under 80 lbs by then -- I'm not sure he'll be under 100 either. I'd rather not pay a fortune for something that's in a car he rides in a couple of times a week at most and that he's only going to use for a few years. But I do want him to be safe.

Thanks!

From what I have read, BPB's also have expiry dates just like harnessed car seats do.

As far as your other questions go, this thread from the Toddler Bargains book forum might just answer your questions.


I also recommend the car-seat.org forums for good info.

 

[kathi29]

Hmmm, all this talk makes me wonder about DS's seat.

Right now I don't have a car, so DS has 2 seats, one in my mother's car and a booster that I keep for when we go somewhere with someone else. The mom we carpool with also keeps a backless booster for him in her minivan (but that's newer so I won't worry about it).

Anyway, DS is 7 1/2 and I think we bought the one in my mom's car when he was about 2 -- so it could well be 6 years old. It's a Century Next Step and he really likes it, much better than the other one (which is a Britax Starriser Comfy, which we generally use backless). He's kind of a "wide" kid (it's all muscle I swear -- he's built like a little line backer), and he says that the arms on the Starriser and the other backless press into the sides of his leg. He feels the same way about the backless in the carpool car.

So my questions are 1) Do I need to replace the Next Step, and eventually the Starriser or is it OK since there are no straps to wear out (I won't use either for a 2nd child. and 2) If I do replace it, what do I replace it with? He's 69 lbs so I'd want something that goes past 80 (otherwise I'd just get a newer Next Step -- we really like this seat). I've heard they're supposed to be in boosters until 4'9" (he's 4'1" now) and there's no way he'll be under 80 lbs by then -- I'm not sure he'll be under 100 either. I'd rather not pay a fortune for something that's in a car he rides in a couple of times a week at most and that he's only going to use for a few years. But I do want him to be safe.

Thanks!

Have you tried the Graco Turbobooster? It's a bit of a wide seat, and may be more comfortable for him. At his age, you could go with the backless version. My 7.5 year old is about 60 pounds and 48"; she recently started complaining about the back on her seat so we have gone backless for her. The other option to try would be the Britax Parkway. It is high back, but has a higher back adjustment than the Turbo, so it would still fit heightwise.
We are going to see upper weight limits phased out on boosters, and replaced with height guidelines. The real concern is that the seatbelt fit properly, and in the case of a backless booster, that there is adequate protection against whiplash (headrest should be at or higher than the tips of the ears)
Fisher Price now has a version of the Starriser. If you like that seat, you could pick up one of those.

 

[kathi29]

you might want to consider the Cosco Eddie Bauer seat. I have had it since my son was 9 months old, it is rear facing, forward facing, booster, etc. and it holds children until they are 80 pounds. The new laws insist that kids be in seats until they weigh as much as 100 pounds...this seat is awesome.

It will likely expire before your child gets to 80 pounds. (6 years from DOM) As a harnessed seat, it has very low top slots and many children outgrow it by height before they hit the 40 pound harness limit. The newer versions have nice open belt guides which is nice. But a 5-6 year old isn't likely to be very comfortable. A seat that fits a 10 pound infant snugly is not going to be the same seat that fits that child at 50 pounds.

They have done a great job advertising; people seem to love the seat. It's unfortunate that the limitations of it are not realized until the money is spent.

 

[becca011906]

I think i'm going to be buying my younger dd a marathon or redain seat both of which will hold her to 65lbs ff and still can hold her r/f now till she's 30lbs. then move her into a harness booster...

I'm going to get my older dd a regent seat that is f/f to 80lbs in a harness so that's going to last her till she can move into a booster (no back) seat till she's 100lbs.

I like these boosters and the bigger kids seem to like them as well for comfort! http://www.specialtybaby.com/codabocarsei.html

 

[kathi29]

Awesome choices!!

The Combi looks very similar to the Cosco booster we use at seat check events. If so, it is pretty wide as far as boosters go and will be a good choice for a larger child.

 

[becca011906]

actully from reading reviews i think the combi is about 1-2 inches wider then the cosco, so it's good for even bigger kids, my ds is 6.5 and a big (muscles) boy and the cosco we have is getting a little uncomfy for him but it'll last a little longer then the girls unsafe seats... off to order the regent now... the marathon will have to wait till next months pay role! LOL

 

[Lisa_Belle]

Go to the website for National SAFE Kids and find contact for your local chapter. There are certified car seat technicians who will help you choose the BEST seat for you.

And BTW - I've had five EXPERTS tell me that while Britax makes a wonderful car seat, it's not "all that" and there are plenty of less expensive models out there that will do just as good a job. It's kinds of like a Volvo. While a Volvo is a wonderfully safe car, it's not the only safe car on the road.

 

[kathi29]

Britax is the only manufacturer that goes above and beyond in their testing. They test for side impact, rear and rollover as well as frontal impact (frontal is all that is required here). Their seats provide protection from side impacts; they are the only seats available here that can be tethered rear facing, and they have ease of use features that make PROPER installation a breeze. Britax seats EXCEED our safety standards rather than just meet them. That's a pretty big "all that".

Yes, there are plenty of seats that are safe. And you have seen some of them recommended. The biggest problems are lack of reading the manual, improper installation, and incompatibility with the vehicle. A seat that is easier to install and work with is more likely to be used correctly each and every time.

BTW, I am a Safekids Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

 

[smschex]

I don't think anyone is disputing that Britax makes exceptional carseats. They are good quality. My concern is the tone that if you don't have your child riding in one, you aren't a good parent and don't care about his/her safety! Obviously not everyone, even with scrimping and saving, is going to be able to afford a $300 carseat that will need to be replaced in 5 or 6 years. I hate to make parents trying hard to do the right thing feel inferior.

 

[LaraK]

A woman I work with, who is a nurse and considered one of the top authorities on car seats in my state, gave me an alternative to the Britax brand (which I did use and love for dd). Both of my kids are off the charts for height and weight, so I needed a durable seat designed to accomodate kids that are taller and heavier than most kids their age. My DD outgrew most standard seats by age 2 and a half and she was way too young to go to a booster. The recommended seat was the Nania Airway. It's half the price (or less) of the Marathon or Husky, but equally safe and quality tested. The biggest difference is that it's a pain to adjust. The other hitch is that you can not buy it in a store (not sold retail in this country) you have to get it on line. We now have four, two for each car.

 

[all4fun]

I've heard of the Nania Airway but never seen one IRL. I did a search on Car-Safety.org with some interesting info about it:

http://forums.car-safety.org/showthread.php?t=6548&highlight=Nania+Airway

ETA: this carseatsite.com "recommended car seats" under niche seats has info about the Airway...says it was discontinued but they are coming out with a replacement in 2006 called the "Legend".

hth.

 

[kathi29]

I haven't worked with the Airway to have formed an opinion on it. From what I have heard it is a great seat if you can get it installed (there are compatibility issues). I expect we will see more alternatives to Britax in the higher weight limit seats. The new Fisher Price seat (made by Britax) harnesses to 55 pounds. As the demand increases so will the offerings.

smschex - I never said or implied that anyone was inadequate as a parent for not choosing a Britax. There are a lot of seats I can recommend once I know the specifics. However, choosing a seat based merely on price, without consideration for ease of use, harness height slots, compatibility with vehicles, etc. is not the best solution either.

 

[all4fun]

choosing a seat based merely on price, without consideration for ease of use, harness height slots, compatibility with vehicles, etc. is not the best solution either.

ITA. I personally think that the best car seat is the one that fits your child, your car, and your budget the best. I like to recommend the Britax and other larger convertibles (ie SK Radian, FP Safe Voyage Deluxe) because a lot of kids will outgrow the 40lb weight limit seats before they are 4yrs old either by height, weight, or sometimes both.

Also I had a Cosco AO and I was annoyed it wasn't "the last car seat I would ever need" as advertised. My ds was just shy of 3 yrs old and only 27lbs and had already outgrown it by height. He was and is no where near ready to be in a BPB (and that seat has a minimum 30lb requirement to make it into a bpb anyway). So in my situation, spending more in the beginning would have saved me money in the long run. And after owning a Britax, I can see why so many people love them. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that other seats aren't safe or are inferior, just because they cost less.... that's just plain silly. As pp's have pointed out, plenty of kids have been saved in accidents riding in non-Britax seats.

 

[PoohHappens]

No one has really answered WHY it suddenly expires....I just don't get why suddenly on the day of the 6th year it is not supposed to be used? At this point mine is only 3-4 years old, but I do not see how it will be any different in 2 or 3 more years. I am just trying to figure this out, cause it feels like it is just so I buy another seat. Again I am not one who wants to jeporadize the safety of my child (and I do drive a Volvo). By the way about the britax thing, we loved ours not only for safety, but felt it was so easy to install and use. The straps did not twist or tangle like other seats we had used, and it seems much comfier. At the time it was the only seat that fit the car we had. A rear facing seat is not to touch the front seats and we had a jetta. It did not hit the seat and everything else did. Also we thought there was something that its structure was such that if it did touch on impact it would be OK. We love the seat. It just seems like a waste to throw it away.

 

[kathi29]

I have a crash test video of a 10 year old seat. The harness pulled right through on impact, leaving a gaping hole in the seat. The theory is that with exposure to heat and time, the materials in the plastic break down. The only way to prove whether a seat is still safe after the 6-8 year guideline (depending on mfr) would be to destroy the seat and test the plastic. So it's not that it suddenly expires, it's that with time the plastic degrades and nobody wants a child to be used as a crash test dummy.

A friend of mine has a seat that was in a crash (and her DD came out without a scratch). She was heartbroken over the thought of destroying it, but was able to donate it to her local coalition to be used for training.

 

[justwinnie]

If anyone is looking to buy a Britax carseat, check the clearance section of your local Target Stores. I found these on Friday.

I was in the market to buy a new carseat b/c I was using a 7 year old one (the horror!) for my DD. We already had a Britax Wizard (bought new) as our main car seat and used the old one as a spare.

I happened upon a car seat clearance at Target. I bought the Britax Marathon for $68! and it normally retails for $270.

They had the Roundabout for $72 and it retails for $250.

We choose the Marathon over the Roundabout b/c of the weight limits (65 lbs vs 40 or so). Plus, the Marathon is basically the same as the Wizard w/out the side impact head rests.

There were several Graco car seats on sale. The base for a Snug Ride infant carrier was $19.98 and they had Graco boosters (with backs) for $29.98. Seemed like they were half off. I picked up the booster for my SIL.

I also got a Compass booster for $44.98, which was half price. This will be used in my MIL's car for the grandkids.

I looked ridiculous buying 3 carseats! But the price for those 3 on sale still cost less than the retail price of the Marathon!

Hopefully your local Targets will have some in stock. I think they were last year's fabric models. Definitely not returns, since there were several of each item available in sealed boxes.

Good luck.

 

[becca011906]

WOW a marathon for less then $100!!! That's just nuts, i guess i'll go to my local targets before buying online! LOL i'm getting dd4y/o in a 5point first anyways but i'll look there before buying!! Thanks so much for the tips!!!