Need convertible seat

[cancron]

I have a 15 month old girl, 32" and 22 pounds. We have reached the limits of her Graco SafeSeat. There are so many choices for a convertible seat, that it is a little overwhelming. I have a 2007 Yukon, so it seems just about any seat would fit sizewise. I've been looking at the Britax Boulevard, the EvenFlo Triumph Advance LX and the Alpha Omega Elite. I would love to hear from anyone with their experiences - good or bad .
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
Resa

	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.

	Combi Connection LX - Click for more info Combi is a household name in Japan--and across the globe--with years of experience in the car seat industry. The Combi Connection LX is the elite car seat model in Combi's strong line of infant safety seats -- with a complete list of comfort and safety features, plus a great look and light carrier.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Graco Safe Seat Step 1 - Click for more info The Graco Safe Seat (Step 1)—if you couldn't gather from the name— is intended to be the first of a three-seat process. The Step 1 is for infants in a rear-facing position; the Step 2 is for bigger, older kids in the forward-position; the Step 3 is a belt-positioning booster seat without the safety harness of the previous two.

[SusanMae]

If she's in a SafeSeat---she's not too big until she's 30 pounds OR has less than 1 inch of hard shell above her head.

If she's in the Graco SnugRide...then the weight limit is 22 pounds or less than 1 inch of hard shell above her head.

Now onto convertible seats....The Alpha Omega Elite...is not the last seat you'll be buying, and you'd likely need another harnessed seat when it's outgrown. Many children outgrow the harness before they are old enough and mature enough to use the seat as a booster...and well it doesn't make a great booster. We like to think of this seat as a "jack of all trades, master of none."

As for the BLVD or Evenflo Trimuph Advance....can't go wrong with either of those seats.

Susan

	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 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.

	Graco SnugRide - Click for more info The Graco SnugRide with EPS infant car seat is a highly popular and top-rated infant car seat that provides first-rate transportation safety for your baby, plus convenient mobility options for you. Even with its relatively low price, the Graco SnugRide with EPS receives unmatched praise for its safety by leading consumer magazines and websites.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Graco Safe Seat Step 1 - Click for more info The Graco Safe Seat (Step 1)—if you couldn't gather from the name— is intended to be the first of a three-seat process. The Step 1 is for infants in a rear-facing position; the Step 2 is for bigger, older kids in the forward-position; the Step 3 is a belt-positioning booster seat without the safety harness of the previous two.

[cancron]

Hi Susan, thanks for the quick reply and the good information. The documentation for the SafeSeat said 32" was the height limit. I checked today and her head is very close to the top. Do you know anything about the Combi Zeus Turn by Combi International? I saw it for the first time today in a catalog that same in the mail... the fact the seat turns to the side to put them in and out is a really neat feature. I'm still leaning toward the BLVD or Trimuph - just because I've heard of them.
Thanks again for your help.
Resa

	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.

	Combi - Click for more info Established in 1954, Combi quickly became Japan's premier supplier of Juvenile products. Their design philosophy is actually behind their name - COMBI is a contraction of the word "combination," which denotes "combination of parent and child." Combi has been supplying the US with innovative light weight strollers for 15 years. In 2003 they entered the US market with car seats built with the same design philosophy that has guided their company for years.

	Combi Zeus Turn - Click for more info The Combi Zeus is the only convertible car seat that rotates from rear to forward facing without ever having to re-install. The Combi Zeus' "Z-Turn" feature makes buckling a child in much, much easier, as you can turn the seat to face you and then rotate and lock it into either the forward or rear facing position. There are many convertible car seats available, but the Zeus from Combi is the only car seat for infants and toddlers that does not require re-installation when switching from the rear to forward facing positions.

	Graco Safe Seat Step 1 - Click for more info The Graco Safe Seat (Step 1)—if you couldn't gather from the name— is intended to be the first of a three-seat process. The Step 1 is for infants in a rear-facing position; the Step 2 is for bigger, older kids in the forward-position; the Step 3 is a belt-positioning booster seat without the safety harness of the previous two.

[MnMadhouse]

IMO, $300 for the Combi Zeus is worthless. It will only rear face to 22lbs, then Forward face to 40lbs. You could spend $300 on a Britax Marathon, RF your child to 33lbs (35lbs as of 2008 models) and FF to 65lbs. The boulevard is great b/c of the true side impact protection (TSIP, the "wings"), but it seems to be 1/2 shorter than the Marathon or the Decathlon and some children HATE the wings.

The evenflo triumph advance is a nice seat that will RF to 35lbs, but it wil only FF to 50lbs. Great seat for that $130-$150 price range. Here are some seats that I recommend to people when they are seeking out higher weight harnessing seats.

1--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 :.

	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 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.

	Combi - Click for more info Established in 1954, Combi quickly became Japan's premier supplier of Juvenile products. Their design philosophy is actually behind their name - COMBI is a contraction of the word "combination," which denotes "combination of parent and child." Combi has been supplying the US with innovative light weight strollers for 15 years. In 2003 they entered the US market with car seats built with the same design philosophy that has guided their company for years.

	Combi Zeus Turn - Click for more info The Combi Zeus is the only convertible car seat that rotates from rear to forward facing without ever having to re-install. The Combi Zeus' "Z-Turn" feature makes buckling a child in much, much easier, as you can turn the seat to face you and then rotate and lock it into either the forward or rear facing position. There are many convertible car seats available, but the Zeus from Combi is the only car seat for infants and toddlers that does not require re-installation when switching from the rear to forward facing positions.

	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