New Mom looking for conv. carseat to fit in my Toyota Corolla 2000

[Tristanluff]

Hi.. I'm a new mom to baby Zach of 7 months.. He is currently outgrowing his infant carseat and I need to buy a new one for my 2000 Corolla. I'm pretty worried whether it will fit in our small Corolla. Any recommendations for a good carseat preferrably under $100? And also, will I be able to use the LATCH system in our Corolla?

	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.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[MnMadhouse]

First, I believe you only have the tether anchors in your vehicle. I don't *think* there is the full LATCH system in your vehicle (at least according to my LATCH manual). While I do not doubt you may have it, according to the information I have, they didn't have the FULL LATCH system in Corolla's until 2001. IF you DO have the LATCH system, by all means, if you can get a good install with it, use it. LATCH and the seatbelt do the same thing, but must be either..not both.

Okay, to your first question, if you can fit an infant carrier in your car (handle down), you will likely be able to put a convertible seat in your vehicle. The reason is since your child is older, you will not have to have that full 45 degree recline that is required for newborns (unless your child has a medical condition that requires the 45 degree angle). As long as it is between 30-45 degrees and your child's head isn't flopping forward while sleeping, then you have a good angle. Always have a certified tech check your seat to confirm the angle is good for your child. You can find on here https://ssl13.cyzap.net/dzapps/dbzap...AFEKIDSCERTSQL

For your budget, here are a few seats.

Cosco Scenera--RF to 35lbs, FF to 40lbs, will run you about $40. There is no padding to the seat, but is great b/c you can RF your child for much longer at a lesser price.

Safety 1st Uptown--RF to 35lbs, FF to 40lbs, will run you about $99. There is more padding and is slightly taller than the Scenera.

If you can increase your budget a bit, here are some seats that will harness your child longer.

Evenflo Triumph Advance--RF to 35lbs, FF to 50lbs, runs between $129-$149.

Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe--RF to 33lbs, FF to 55lbs, runs $129 (I *believe* that albee baby . com is the only online distributor with these seats in stock). This seat was made by Britax and is basically the same shell as the Marathon, just without the bells and whistles.

The other seats I recommend are the Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathlon. They are not under that $100 price range, BUT these seats will likely take you up to age 5-6. By then, your child may be ready for a booster. If you purchase a seat that only goes to 40lbs, depends on the child, but it may only harness your child to age 3-4...at that time, a child is usually not ready for a booster, so you will have to purchase another harnessing seat...there goes another $100+ and you could have spent the $250 on the Marathon/Boulevard/Decathlon and not had to worry about it. (that was a run-on!!) My ds turned 2 in October and we are on our 4th carseat. IF I would have been smart, as soon as he outgrew his infant carrier (at 4.5 months), I would have spent the money on a Marathon and he would still be in it. I bought one that would only harness to 40lbs and he outgrew it in height at 15 months, so I had to get him another seat to keep him RFIng to at least 2 when he outgrew it RFing in height and weight. He is now in a Regent.

My advice is to go to a store that sells seats, such as Babies R Us, WalMart, Target, etc, and try the seat out in your vehicle before you purchase it. I would avoid the 3 in 1 seats as they will NOT be the last seat you will ever own and they are quite large.

	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.

	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 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.

	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.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

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