convertible seat for 2006 Mini Cooper S

[Sam's mom]

Does anyone have any experience with the Britax Boulevard in a Mini Cooper? I have seen positive data on other Britax convertibles, but I really want a seat with SIP. Recommendations for other seats welcomed. I want to get a seat that will last a long time and that meets the highest safety ratings, but is comfortable. Currently I have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio for my 5 month old but he will soon outgrow it.
Thanks!
Cynthia

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Britax Boulevard - Click for more info It is all about the wings with the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat - head and torso safety wings help keep your child from harm in a side-impact crash. And this matters - side-impact crashes are the leading cause of death for 6 - 14 year-old children. Of course, the safety wings are only one of the many safety features that the Britax Boulevard offers: built-in lock-offs, 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, a push button release LATCH system with Versa-Tether®, and a sculpted base, ensuring an easy installation with a secure fit.

	Peg Perego - Click for more info Founded by Italian designer Guiseppe Pérego all the way back in 1949, Peg Pérego quickly branched out from traditional prams to strollers, high chairs, car seats, toys and accessories. Internationally renowned for innovative products and a supreme sense of style, Peg Pérego creates some of the most enjoyable and eye-catching transportation and safety options for children all over the world. With factories and offices in Italy, Germany, Canada, and the U.S., Peg Pérego is a truly international entity, blending technology and history to create lines that are reputable and safe. Peg Pérego professes a "dedication to original and innovative products designed for discriminating consumers who demand fashion, individuality, quality and safety in the products they purchase for their babies and young."

[Papooses]

The safety standards are set -- there is no highest or lowest, there are no safety "ratings". Ease of use is rated by NHTSA & Consumer Reports (who also does their own poorly executed version of safety ratings), but ease of use is rather subjective as some people find certain features easier than others do -- Consumer Reports is also *not* a reliable resource for child safety seats. They do a great job at working to improve features & clarity of manuals, but they have not proven themselves as far as reliably testing their seats (their findings have been found to be outright faulty + their findings are not repeatable and/or there are simple remedies that any qualified technician should be able to help a parent with).

There are no side impact standards for carseats in the U.S. but Britax, Recaro & Compass test their seats to U.S. standards as well as European standards. European standards alone are not "better" then U.S. -- they're just different. They have a different market of vehicles + different laws: seats that do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are illegal in the U.S. I myself do prefer seats that meet both U.S. + European (preferably Scandinavian) testing

Britax claims the Boulevard has True Side Impact Protection because of a relatively marginal difference according to their side impact crash testing. This marginal difference could be a matter of life or death, but this is not likely if the carseat can be installed in the center and/or if the vehicle has side curtain airbags (not to mention correct use of course). What matters above & beyond any fancy features is whether or not the seat will be used correctly 100%

I have heard that the Marathon installs in the Mini Cooper, but this could depend on the height of the adults in the front seats. Only infants require the full 45 degree recline (never more than 45!) to prevent the airway from being closed off -- toddlers & preschoolers can be more upright: between 30-45 degrees is a safe.

Just remember that infant seats are outgrown not only by weight, but there must also be at least 1" of space between the top of the baby's head & the edge of the plastic shell/frame.... Also remember that the carseat cannot move more than 1" at the belt path.

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Britax Marathon - Click for more info Increasing the time a child can safely stay in their convertible car seat is a big issue and Britax engineers have come through in a big way with the introduction of the Britax Marathon with LATCH. A LATCH Compatible Convertible Child Seat, the Britax Marathon can be used rear facing 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing from 20 to 65 pounds. Compare the numbers and you will see it is hard to find a seat with these weight limits that is safe and functional.

	Britax Boulevard - Click for more info It is all about the wings with the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat - head and torso safety wings help keep your child from harm in a side-impact crash. And this matters - side-impact crashes are the leading cause of death for 6 - 14 year-old children. Of course, the safety wings are only one of the many safety features that the Britax Boulevard offers: built-in lock-offs, 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, a push button release LATCH system with Versa-Tether®, and a sculpted base, ensuring an easy installation with a secure fit.

	RECARO - Click for more info With over 100 years of company history and long standing experience in vehicle seat construction RECARO knows how to make long journeys a pleasure for the whole family. Materials, design and technical highlights ensure a pleasant journey for adults and children alike. RECARO uses its strength as the premier mobile seat manufacturer to engineer an innovative line of products for your children. No other manufacturer can apply experience from production vehicles, commercial vehicles, and race cars to design toward the comfort and safety of children.

	the First Years formerly Compass - Click for more info Compass was founded by a group of fathers who had spent years in the corporate world developing child care products. Disillusioned with the slew of problems that come with working for a giant conglomerate, this group set out the make their own mark on the child care industry in 2003. Compass' first innovative booster seat, the B500, started shipping in January of 2004. This was the first foldable belt-positioning booster on the market, and its design was so praised by the industry that Compass received a Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) Innovation Award 5 months after its release. The great minds at Compass have now taken the next step with their success by releasing some fantastic infant car seats and compatible strollers, all of which are designed with the same innovative simplicity that make Compass Boosters such a sought after product. No longer just "The Booster People", Compass is making a serious run at the competition by offering the I-410 and I-420 Infant Car Seats , as well as the Magnesium S330 Stroller and Magnesium T730 Travel System.