Youth seat? Booster seat? Convertible seat?

[momofallgirls]

I have 3 daughters: the oldest will be 3 in two weeks and rides in a Britax Marathon. The middle one is 19 months and rides in a Britax Roundabout. The youngest is 8 weeks and rides in a Baby Trend infant carrier.

My girls are all big and very quickly outgrow the infant carrier, so I know I will be looking to purchase another car seat in the next couple of months.

My 3-year old is not yet 40 pounds; plus, I would rather keep her in a 5-point harness as long as possible.

SO, I'm not sure what kind of seat to get. I've been looking at the Britax Regent and the Alpha Omega Elite. I know they both must be just as safe since they have to pass standards, so what is the biggest difference that makes the cost of the Regent almost $100 more?

Additionally, I am under the impression that keeping a child in the car seat for the longest time possible (within height and weight restrictions) is the safest ride possible. Is this true? If so, why move a child into a booster seat with the use of a seat belt only?

Since I will be moving the baby into the Roundabout, the 19-month old into the Marathon, I need a seat for the 3-year old who is about 33 pounds and 38 inches tall. We drive a 2004 Toyota Sienna.

Any suggestions would greatly help

	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.

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Britax Roundabout - Click for more info With the introduction of the new LATCH laws, Britax has improved even further upon their famously popular Roundabout Convertible Car Seat. This car seat has been praised by just about every consumer safety organization and mom and dad out there - and for good reason. It is easy to install, compatible in just about every car, super comfortable for baby, stylish and most importantly safe! Ask around and you will see that everyone raves about this car seat.

	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 Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.

[Papooses]

The Alpha Omega does not harness past 40 pounds (afterwhich it is used a booster) & it has very short top usable* harness slots -- most kids outgrow the harness before they're ready for any booster + there are more dedicated boosters available than the AO. (It's a 3in1 seat: jack of all trades, master of none)

The Regent will keep your child harnessed the longest, which is safer. It's also made of a stronger grade plastic in a hollow double frame shell design totally lined with EPS/EPP foam (like in bike helmets) so although it doesn't have "TSIP" it provides more side impact protection than the AO (although any correctly used harness is safe in side impacts).

You could also keep your 3 year old in the Marathon, hand down the Roundabout to the baby & buy the AO for your oldest -- that way they could all ride RF for 2 more pounds, which is the safest possible way to ride You could then put your 3 year old back in the Marathon & give the AO to your middle child to keep her RF longer.... Or you could just give the baby the Roundabout, middle child the Marathon & buy a Regent for your oldest.

Make sure to stop using your seats when they reach 6 years from the Date of Manufacture.

* The top slots on the AO are for booster mode only: this is a design problem that increases misuse because it is so counterintuitive & the manual does not make this issue as clear as it should.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Britax Roundabout - Click for more info With the introduction of the new LATCH laws, Britax has improved even further upon their famously popular Roundabout Convertible Car Seat. This car seat has been praised by just about every consumer safety organization and mom and dad out there - and for good reason. It is easy to install, compatible in just about every car, super comfortable for baby, stylish and most importantly safe! Ask around and you will see that everyone raves about this car seat.

	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 Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.