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Today’s question is from Brittany:
I’m a first time mom and have a six-month-old. I’m starting to look around for the best convertible carseat for my money. I’m constantly being told that the most expensive brand is the best. Is this true? Do you have any tips or suggestions as I search?
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Yes and No. I know that they all have to pass the safety tests. But I want to buy my carseat from a company that is committed to doing more than the bare minimum. That doesn’t mean it has to be THE most expensive, but I am not comfortable buying something less than the top of the line.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death in people ages 2-30. I have never regretted the money we spent on our carseat- we have the Britax Marathon.
Also, I do very much believe that using the carseat properly and installing it properly is the number 1 thing you can do to protect your child. And the thing about the Britax is that it makes it SO easy. You are never going to “be lazy” and not tighten those straps, or not untangle them, etc.
And who wants to live their life with a “what if”? There are very few people out there who could not save up $200 if they put their mind to it. And if something were to happen wouldn’t you always wonder? It just isn’t worth keeping a few extra dollars.
Also, diapers.com has free shipping and free return shipping and you can usually find a coupon code online to make it even cheaper. Amazon is also another great place to buy a carseat. If you can go to a store that carries it first to try it in your car it’s even better. My favorite seat is the True Fit Premier with the rebound bar. I think it’s super versatile and is very highly rated.
Hands down Britax. Your child is the most precious cargo that you will ever drive around.Save your money and wait for a sale. I purchased ours for under $200. Or as many suggested have family go in on it with you. SAFETY FIRST. I also sold some baby items at a kids Consignment Sale to get money for our seats. Just save because you know that you have to upgrade your seat.
I so agree! I am usually on craigslist for everything but I also broke down and got the Britax. I have had the others and I have noticed that the straps slip and are just harder to adjust and readjust and with the britex the things stay where they should, and its secure unlike our others where we were always have to tighten and all that and I dont know about you but I make big babies so my baby’s were always out of the carrier by 6-8 months(they weighted 20lbs or more). So if you buy the first seat which is usually 100$-125$ then you get the over 20lbs car-seat which can be about 45$-150$ then the booster because they have to be in seat til 60lb you could have already bought a convertible seat. To me it was a great investment and very much worth the money. WE love out seats and they are very sturdy and comfy many of the other seats are hard or not very cushioned. I am sure the other seats pass inspections and if used properly they are safe but I think the Britex is the easiest to install and keep in safely.
If you decide to go the pricey convertible seat route, the best thing (IMO) is to skip the baby bucket all together! I’ve never used one with any of my kids. While I didn’t get a really expensive seat, the seat we’ll be using in a few weeks is a warehouse store version of a pricey high-end seat… and it can be used for babies 5-85 pounds. Add in a sling to wear your baby rather than a huge plastic contraption and chiropractor visits to carry around, and you save a TON of money the first 6-12 months!
Yes! I have Britax seats and never have regretted the money we spent on them. On the contrary I consider it a sound investment. They are solid, frequently updated, and what the installers at the fire station told us to get. Saving 50 or even 100 bucks on a car seat is not going to make an enormous difference on a budget when you factor out how long you will use the thing – 4 years minimum. If you spend more on it you will also have better peace of mind!
I got the baby bucket and am glad, but it is a way to save a little money not to. We had two kids in two years so it was worth every penny (SnugRide – not a pricy seat). However, if you are going to be driving a lot go ahead and get it because little babies in convertible seats are tough. Also – tiny babies and premies can not go in the big seats, some of them say 5lbs and up but really it is not practical and possibly unsafe to put a small baby in a seat which has a different angle.
Just try picking up a cheaper seat and then a Britax; the weight and sturdiness difference is unbelievable. Sunshine Kids seats are also phenomenal, and some say even safer (same price range, though). The annual car seat sale at Babies R Us should be in the next couple of months; we got a really good deal on our Britax Boulevard. And, please please please, keep your child rear facing as long as the seat allows! Just google the video of how different an accident is from each position. Just because it’s legal to flip your baby around at a year doesn’t mean it’s smart or safe.
As a certified carseat inspector in my state of Ca. you will want to buy the carseat that fits your vehicles seats best. And expensive is NOT better. Check on the CPSC.Gov website for any recent recalls on whichever carseat you would like to buy. Also after you purchase your carseat find a certified carseat specialist usually at the local Police Dept. or Highway patrol office, or look online in your area. There are carseats that are just as good as the ever so raved about Britax, which I found don’t fit many vehicle seats well. IMO if you can afford the high end car seat then it is worth it IF installed properly, but if you are on a tight budget and the price is not working the Graco brand carseats are just as good.
Totally agree.
I borrowed a Consumer report baby book from a friend and found a carseat cheaper than the Britax and with a better rating. I have a smaller car, it fits perfect and VERY safe!
So no an expensive carseat isnt always better. I think people have a thing with Britax in their head. They think its the best because its expensive. Look at reports people, there are other safe carseats out there!
I purchased this one: The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YBILWY
Amazon is a great website because it has reviews.
I took a car seat safety class from the Florida state troopers (for free) and at the end of the class you could buy a convertible car seat from them for $20. I don’t know the brand, but in stores it costs about $120-140.
A convertible car seat is a great investment. It lasts from the time they are newborn until they only need a booster seat.
Even if I wanted a Britax I can’t use them. They do not fit properly in my car and they are too wide for three kids in the back seat so Evenflo it is.
We had the same problem. But the real decidng factor was the Consumer Reports on Britax vs. Evenflo. Evenflo Triumph had outstanding ratings on side impact as well as all the other tests. It was well over $100 less and so a much better investment overall, in my opinion.
We decided to forgo the infant carrier seat all together, in favor of the convertible and have not regretted it for a minute.
I have also been dealing with this issue as well as my 10 mo. old is 23 lbs. and quite tall. I have heard a lot about Britax, but what I would like to see is safety / crash data showing that this brand is better and thereby justifying the extra expense. I did find an evaluation of ease of use: (http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Ease-of-Use) but this data says all tested seats are safe.
Also it is important to note that different brands & models are appropriate up to different sizes. For example, Britax seats are designed for a maximum weight ranging from 40 to 65 lbs., depending on the model. I kept my 1st child in the infant carrier through 20lbs+ / 1 yr, then bought an Eddie Bauer seat that is designed for forward facing, 22-100lbs. That is what I am leaning toward for my 2nd as well.
I think that a convertable car seat would be the best because it is the most practical.
I don’t think the price of the car seat is as important as making sure that it is installed and used properly. Our car insurance company offered car seats at a greatly reduced price. Might be worth checking on if you’re on a budget. Also, my husband was in an accident and insurance replaced the car seat even though our daughter wasn’t in it at the time. They said that even though there wasn’t visible damage, the integrity of the seat could have been compromised.
I bought a convertible Alpha Omega with both my children now 4 and 7 and I have never been disappointed. They used the same seat from the beginning and still use them both today. I do not know that it is necessary to purchase the most expensive, but I absolutely recommend the convertible aspect. Eddie Bower is also a reasonable brand with the same features.
love this seat, we were just in an accident about 3 months ago, that was on our childs side and she was soooo! protected! we know that its not right to reuse the seat after its been in an accident, so we went on the search to find another one, *we had a back up that wasnt as nice but still worked while we were looking* we bought the first one at sams for about 100 and now we have a 2nd that we got for bout 85,
we love this seat!
We have one that my mother-in-law got us from Costco. I’m pretty sure it cost under $100. I have had no problems with the sturdiness of it. It looks and feels safe to me (this is our first car seat, so maybe if I’d seen another one I’d feel differently) as long as it is installed correctly.
Our main (and BIG) issue with it is that it is huge. I am not sure whether this is a problem with this car seat or all convertible car seats, but in our tiny Corolla, the person who has to sit in front of it is majorly squished. In my in-laws minivan, the people who have to sit next to it are majorly squished.
I mentioned above the installation. My husband took it to the police station inspection site and they worked really hard at it for a long time he said and got it in very well. When my husband had to reinstall it in my in-laws car for a trip, though, I really did not feel good about its safety. We kept having to readjust it to make sure it wasn’t moving around too much. I am also not sure whether that is a problem with all car seats, though.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Britax seats – so much that I bought two! You can get great deals online – just watch diligently for sales.
We too went to the car seat check ups and also to our county office and was able to purchase a seat for $25 that retailed for $100. Sadly, it didn’t come close to the quality of our Britax. I can’t remember the specific brand (Evenflo or Graco, I believe), but the straps have shredded and it’s not nearly as cushy and comfortable as our Britax seats.
We have both the Marathon and the Boulevard and for a smaller car, I love the Marathon. Yes, their pricey, but you WON’T regret the purchase. And I too agree that installation and use is the number one thing to learn to do correctly and do on a consistent basis.
Your precious cargo is worth every penny!
We put both of our kids in Britax car seats. The deciding factor was the safety ratings. I don’t know about now, but when we bought the first seat 10 years ago Britax was the only one that tested with side, front, and rear impact because it wasn’t required in the US and they are a European company.
One thing to note, however, is that car seats have an expiration date on them, usually 5-7 years. Please be aware of this and make sure you are replacing your car seats appropriately!
Don’t have time to read the other comments, but we picked the Britax Marathon for both of our boys, and my 5 1/2 year old is still comfy in his! We’ve more than gotten our use out of it. My Mom wanted to have one carseat in her car in case she needed to help out with our boys; to save money I got her the Evenflo Triumph. So glad I didn’t get it for our main carseat. It’s cheap and clunky and a total pain in the rear to use. LOVE our Britax Marathons!! So easy and comfy for the boys. A little big, but we’re not a big family so it’s fine for us. Good luck!
All carseats pass the same test and have the same standards. That being said somee are fancier, pretty, etc.
You can have the most expensive, prettiest, hottest carseat but if your kid is not put in properly, buckled properly, and has all the ‘extras’ on them, then doesn’t matter $ bc carset isn’t going to do its job.
That being said we have radians Xtsl and love them. We are extended RF (which is very important). Also you can get one for $193 with 10% amazon code (everyone can use) and $10 off (baby mag). We just purchased another one Monday and got it Tuesday from amazon.
We were in the same boat when our daughter outgrew her infant seat. I did a bunch of research online, read reviews and read safety reports. We ended up getting the Britax Marathon and never regretted it. It was so easy to install! My husband and I just decided that the carseat was not something that was worth going cheap on – and Britax has the best safety ratings. We’ve actually even upgraded her to the Britax Frontier. She is large for her age (she’s 4-1/2 now), and I didn’t want her going without the 5 point harness. She LOVES the extra room it provides and it will eventually be her booster seat. I thank the Lord that we have not needed to test the safety of the Britax, but we have peace of mind that we’ve given her as much protection as we can.
Britax is more expensive, but shop around. Babies R Us often has sales if you are willing to trade in your old carseat – and they have a lot of coupons. Target also has sales (a friend orders hers online and it qualified for the free shipping). Another friend got an excellent sale on Amazon (also with free shipping).
We also bought Britax….2 in fact, one for each car. The Boulevard model we bought is good until my son is 65 lbs….and it has a height adjustment on it too. It was an expensive purchase but we will be using them for years, considering my son is 4yrs old and weighs around 35 lbs. I think it will come out cheaper in the long run, rather than buying several different ones over the years.
The most dangerous thing my son does almost every day is ride in a car, therefore we went for the Britax. My husband and I have the same model in each of our cars.
To do do, we had used multiple gift cards from my baby shower and I also applied a 20% coupon that was mailed to us from Babies R Us. I waited for a sale and purchased in store to avoid shipping charges.
Grandma and Grandpa also have two car seats in one of their cars (they are blessed with multiple grandchildren from my siblings) all car seats are Britax.
Check out Sunshine kids-they were a little cheaper than Britax, but just as safe or better.
One thing I would mention in addition to the great advice here: DO NOT buy a Cosco-brand car seat (this includes Eddie Bauer and Dorel Juvenile Group). We tried one. The are big, poorly made, and do not restrain a child anywhere near as well as Britax, Graco infant seats, or Evenflo convertible seats. We were broadsided at 65mph when my son was 3 weeks old – praise the Lord he was not hurt, in large part due to our properly installing his seat and then correctly strapping him in. Buy the seat that fits both the car and your child the best, even if this means strapping in the baby in the store and buckling the seat into your vehicle prior to purchase. It will be time well-spent.
I have not had time to read every comment, so hopefully I don’t repeat too many others. Price does not mean better. Fit for the vehicle and proper installation are #1 (80% are not installed correctly, even though people think they have followed the instructions correctly). Also, you can often get a brand new seat for free from your local law enforcement center, or they can connect you with one if you are in need. Do not buy them used. My husband is a state trooper and certified car seat technician, and we have NEVER paid more than $50 for a carseat. Britax are ridiculously priced for no reason in my opinion.
We LOVE our Evenflo Triumph!!! We have had two boys use it already with another one ready for it in a couple months. The adjustments are so easy to adjust for bulkier clothes, growth, etc. as you simply slide it up or down and tighten or loosen with the knob on the side. Ratings are excellent for it for safety as well. It’s a little bigger than some, but we were able to fit an infant seat (with a wide base), a booster seat (with a back and 5-point harness) and the Evenflo across the back of our Mercury Sable. It was tight, but worked! Give it a try… I would highly recommend it!!!
My husband and I bought the Britax and my 65lb 4year old is still comfortably in this seat. It is removed from the car very easily with the tether strap which give me the comfort that the seat is very secure to the car. I LOVE LOVE this seat and I am no amateur to the car seat market. My 24 yr old was in a Graco and the difference is astounding. The Britax is a sturdy, solid car seat which retains its value and can be sold when you are finished suing it.
Great deal when you think your child may be in it for over four years.
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