convertible vs. forward-facing/booster combo

[kristinmarie3]

My son will be a year old in 1 week but he was 3 1/2 months premature, so he is about 8 1/2 months corrected. He is already 28 1/2 inches tall and weighs 16 lbs. We currently use the Chicco keyfit infant seat which has a 22 lb. and 30 inch limit, I think. We are having another child in May and will use the infant seat for her at that time, and our son will probably outgrow the infant seat height limit in the next couple of months anyway. So we are trying to decide whether to get a convertible car seat or a forward-facing/booster combo. I would like to not have to buy too many different seats for both children, so I am trying to figure out which would make the most sense. I obviously also want to go the safest route. Our children will be 16 months apart. Does my son need to stay rear-facing past age 1 until he reaches a certain weight? How long does a child need to stay in a forward-facing car seat before going to a booster seat? I am really not sure how to figure out what we need to get and whether we should take into consideration whether our older child will outgrow his next seat before the younger child? Any suggestions or information would be very helpful. Thank you!

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	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.

	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.

	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.

	Chicco - Click for more info Chicco makes car seats that are tested for safety and comfort. Italian-made Chicco is sold the world over to discerning parents everywhere, mainly because they are thorough with their design but each children’s product they sell is simple to use and stylish. All of Chicco’s car seats have certain universal elements: they’re lightweight, they are easy to install or use, each have the extra perks like canopies or liquid levelers for added convenience. Take a look and you’ll find an up-and-coming competitor for some of the best car seats on the market.

	Chicco Key Fit - Click for more info The new and improved Chicco KeyFit infant car seat (dubbed the Chicco KeyFit 30 thanks to its enhanced-to-30 lbs harness) has the same great features of the original KeyFit, but with a higher harness weight capacity. It is recommended that a child stay in a rear facing car seat for at least the first year of his or her life, and this infant seat from Chicco assures that your child will.

[talalyn]

Please remember that the 1 year/20lb guideline to forward face is a minimum! Rear facing for as long as possible is best. There are some relatively new options out there to keep your little one rear facing longer, and to keep them in a harness longer. In our family, nobody rides with a seatbelt until they have hit 80lbs or the height requirement on a Britax Regent (ff only) or a Sunshine Kids Radian 80 (convertible).
Please try to keep your little one rear facing as long as possible up until the 33 or 35lb limit of the convertible seats. In some cases this won't happen, like with our 16 month old daughter. Unless it is naptime she will scream her lungs out rear-facing.

There are some forward facing seats that go up to 65lbs with a harness then go higher using a belt positioner, but I tried my 16 month old daughter in my stepson's Eddie Bauer higher weight seat and she was very poorly sized in it. To give you an idea of her size, she is 28lbs and in 2t-3t clothing, so she isnt small. I wouldnt suggest these for your little one!

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	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.

	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.

	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 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.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

[MnMadhouse]

If it were me, I would keep your child rear facing for as long as possible. Here is why:

http://forum.carseatdata.org/general....html#post1153

Also, here are some convertible seats that harness past 40lbs.

--Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathlon. All these seats will RF to 33lbs (as of 12/31/07, they are going to RF to 35lbs) and then FF, IN A HARNESS to 65lbs. These seats run $200-$300. There are small differences between them. The Marathon is the basic model of the 65lb convertibles with a lift lever harness release--with quite a few different covers to choose from! The Boulevard has "wings" called True Side Impact Protection. It also has a harness adjustor that will move the harness without having to uninstall the seat. It is about 1/2" shorter than the Marathon and the Decathlon. The Decathlon has extra padding--the infant insert--and a push button harness release. Britax : Safe for a reason

2--Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE--harness to 35lbs RFing and 50lbs FFing. It has the infinite harness adjustor (no slots), so you can easily lift two red tabs and move them. This seat runs $129-$149, depending on which model. The higher end model, the DLX, has more padding. Toys"R"Us/Babies"R"Us

3--Compass TrueFit---BRAND NEW and will be released Jan 15. It will RF to 33lbs (with the headrest on and 22lbs without the headrest on) and FF to 65lbs. Not a lot of information out on this seat, but I anticipate it to be a really nice one! Runs about $179-$189. They have several covers available. Amazon.com: Compass True Fit Convertible Car Seat...
4--Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe--Made by Britax, but has been discontinued due to low sales, so you will likely get an older date of manufacture. Harness to 33lbs RF and 55lbs FF. The only place I have seen it is at this website runs $129. It just doesn't have all the 'bells and whistles' that the Britax seats have. Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible Car Seat in Black

5--Sunshine Kids Radian 65 or 80--These seats will RF to 33lbs and FF to either 65lbs or 80lbs, depending on the seat. These are the narrowest seats on the market, but have the highest incompatability with vehicles due to the low FF belt path. Runs $180-$300. Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products

6--Recaro Signo or Como--RF to 35lbs and FF to 70lbs. These seats come in a variety of microfiber covers. They have true side impact protection, but the Como is VERY oddly shaped. The shoulder area is 9" of space and the butt area is 11" of space, so unless you have a tall beanpole, this seat may be awkward for some children. I haven't played with the Signo, so I don't know the measurements off the top of my head. They are supposed to go to 59 or 60" tall---I dont' see it. Runs $250. .: RECARO :.

Most of these seats have a higher sticker price on them, BUT the seats that have the 40lbs harness limits, that are less expensive, usually only harness the child to maybe age 3-4. AT that age, MOST children are not ready to go into a booster. Bare minimum safety standards say that you can put a 4 year old AND 40lbs child in one, BUT being in a harness is MUCH safer....not just for children, but adults as well.

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	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.

	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.

	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.

	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 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.

	Britax Decathlon - Click for more info Like its predecessors the Britax Roundabout and the Britax Marathon, the Britax Decathlon is built around two core ideals: safety and comfort. Its easy to see that the Decathlon is comfortable: it's loaded with a 3-position crotch strap, patented HUGS harness system, plush (and washable!) seat cover, belly pad, removable toddler head pillow, and an infant positioning system for newborn babies. These features provide a comfortable, adjustable fit as your child grows - all the way from 5 to 65 pounds.

	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.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	RECARO Como - Click for more info The RECARO Como convertible car seat is an excellent choice for parents who want a high quality, long lasting car seat for their growing child. Thanks to its 5-70 lbs weight capacity, forward or rear-facing convertibility, and adjustable harness and headrest, the RECARO Como may be the only carseat you will ever need. The Como convertible child seat is a safe and comfortable seat that features RECARO Side Impact Protection (SIP), plush microfiber fabrics, and a thick adjustable headrest.

	RECARO Signo - Click for more info The RECARO Signo car seat is the premier convertible child seat RECARO produces. With its 5-70 lbs weight capacity, adjustable harness, and forward or rear-facing convertibility, the deluxe RECARO Signo may be the only car seat you will ever need. The Signo offers the same basic features and specifications as the RECARO Como convertible, but adds a few features - such as double wall head support and infinite harness adjustment settings.

[Papooses]

Since your child will barely be 1 year old, any ForwardFacing-only seat should absolutely be ruled out of the equation: kids are at about 4 times the risk of suffering death due to internal decapitation when FF before 2 years old

4 steps of Child Passenger Safety = infant seat or convertible ... then a convertible ... then a combination or FF-only harness ... then a booster (seatbelt alone only after passing the 5 Step Test)

More details are explained in my website CONGRATS on baby #2!

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.