3rd child and no idea what seat to buy

[cowgirl1]

We have a two children currently and I am pregnant due in October. Currently we have the alpha omega and alpha omega elite for my two girls. I read about the problem with the top harness slot and this has made me rethink getting another alpha omega seat. I really like the convertible model seats but will go with an infant car seat if needed. I have a small car a Pontiac Sunfire and I am hoping to avoid buying a new car soon but I will if I have to. My oldest daughter just turned 4 years old and is 32.5 pounds and 3 ft 4 in tall. My second daughter is 20.5 pounds and 2ft 8in tall. Obviously I have very skinny and tall children. I have no idea what seat would be best. If we get a new car, which I am pretty sure we will have to, I want to get a sedan and not a van. Keeping that in mind what would be the best seat to buy for my infant? We are on a budget and need to keep the new seat cost under $150 if possible. Thanks for any help you can provide.

	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.

[Papooses]

The Sunfire is such a small vehicle, it's going to be very difficult to get 3 carseats across the backseat -- remember that each seat must be independently secure with less than 1" movement at the belt path.... Both your girls would be safest still riding RF: are they?

The Alpha Omega (Elite is the same seat just with a higher price) is a pretty wide seat with low top slots so it's better suited to short/husky kids.

Are you using the base of the AO's? If you can successfully install the AO without the base (it is optional) then 3 across might work -- keep your kids RF for as long as possible in this seat, but remember that newborns/infants need a 45 degree recline angle to prevent the airway from getting cut off by a floppy head (toddlers & preschoolers can be up to 30 degrees upright). My website explains in detail why RF is still so much safer after the bare minimum of 12 months + 20#

Theoretically, you might be able to hand one of your AO's down to the new baby & try a Radian65 for your oldest. Eventually you could hand the Radian down to your middle child & try a dedicated booster for your oldest.

	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.

	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.

[cowgirl1]

I currently have both children RF installed with the base. I can't hand down my alpha omega because it was originally with a shield and the part that holds the shield in place to the seat cracked and is now unusable. Due to this very reason I have my oldest in this seat. The Elite could be passed down from my second to my third child. I am just trying to find the best seat to purchase. I would prefer to get a convertible seat or at least a seat for my second and then hand the AOE to my new baby. Is the Radian 65 able to be used for for second child? I have read about problems people have had with the Radian 65 regarding styrofoam chipping off of the seat and that it is hard to install. Is this a seat that is worth the money and yet one of the safest on the market or is there a better choice for my 20 month old? Or should I get a seat for my new born and not pass the AOE to the baby? I would love to have the ability to get a Britax since they are so highly recommended but can't spend that much on a seat. I have heard about the Fisher-Price Safe Voyage Convertible Car Seat. Is this a good seat and would this seat be a better option? Is it safer than other seats in this price range? How is it compared to the Radian 65?

	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.

	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.

[Papooses]

Awesome to hear that they're still RF

Please do call Dorel Juvenile about the cracked seat, though, if you haven't yet -- it may not be safe for any child to use....

We do not have (reliable*) safety "ratings" to know which seats perform better than others. All carseats must meet the same standard that the dummy's head does not extend past 32" at 30 MPH while untethered or 28" while tethered. All correctly used seats are safe, regardless of price. Certain features like energey absorbing EPS/EPP foam enhance safety + the ability to keep kids harnessed longer is safer than "graduating" to a booster.

The Fisher Price Safey Voyage Deluxe might be a good choice. It's based on the Britax Marathon, but without built in lock-offs & RF tetherability. Lock-offs aren't usually necessary anyway since all vehicles since 1996 have manual locking seatbelts & locking clips can secure the belt in earlier model years. RF tetherability does enhance ride down to reduce crash force upon kids, but extended RF (within the allowable limits) even without tetherability is still so much safer than FF! I do know that the Marathon installs in all backseat positions of the Sunfire so the FPSVD should, too

You might be able to squeez an AO/AOE in with the FPSVD, but I don't know for sure. Britax seats do tend to puzzle together RF|FF|RF or FF|RF|FF rather well because of their shape so the FPSVD might as well. I just haven't tried it. I'll ask some more seasoned techs & instructors for you!

Another option for your 4 year old since kiddo's spine is developed enough now to withstand crash forces better than an infant/toddler would be the Ride Safer Travel Vest between the other 2 carseats : it's a vest that positions a lap+shoulder or lap-only belt low on the hips (top tether keeps the upper body secure if there is no shoulder belt, but can also be used with a shoulder belt). Because this option allows the child to sit so much further down & back compared to other options, kiddo is at less risk of impacting the vehicle interior. However, it also lacks any side impact protection so it should ideally only be used in the center. Their size small currently only accomodates kids starting at 35 pounds, but feel free to contact them to find out when their new Extrasmall size is coming out (supposedly this summer) It will take just a bit longer to buckle kiddo in, but it's a great niche seat for tight squeezes or frequent travel! http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/

* Consumer Reports data is very unreliable. They have never released exactly how they test & no one has been able to repeat their findings. NHTSA's crash testing is well defined & repeatable. NHTSA creates the standards & enforces them. NHTSA's only rating system is for ease of use, which is still very subjective since some people find certain features easier while others find different features easier.

The best advice I can give so far is simply to start testing various carseats out at stores to find those with features you find easiest + test them in your vehicle to see which install best. For newborns, consider low low bottom harness slots a top priority. Babies-R-Us often allows this. Whichever seats you choose, please do visit a local tech to make sure they're installed/used correctly (about 90% of carseats are misused: 4 out of 5 with an average of 3 potentially fatal errors).

	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.

	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.

	Top-Tether A top tether (or top strap) is the supplemental attachment now standard on almost every new carseat in the USA. Top tethers can be used with either the seat belt or with the lower anchors (as part of the LATCH system). In other countries, their use may be required by law. A top-tether is simply a strap that connects the top of the carseat to an anchor mounted in the vehicle at a location behind the carseat, usually the parcel shelf or a point on the floor of the cargo area. It is designed to prevent the forward movement of the top of a forward-facing carseat in a frontal crash. This reduces the head excursion of the child, and can reduce the chances of injury. Almost all current carseats can only meet the tougher new federal safety standards when the tether is used, even though they must still meet the minimum safety standards without a tether.

[Papooses]

I hope you're still around -- sorry for the delay. Apparently my last attempt to post didn't work I appologize for not check to make sure

The only person who managed to achieve a correct 3 across install in this vehicle (actually the Chevy Cavalier: basically the same vehicle) lives in Canada where they have more limited choices.... She uses the Graco SafeSeat Step1 + Safety 1st Intera + Evenflo Generations.

I'm still seeking information on using the Radian in this vehicle since it will keep your kids harnessed the longest!

	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.

	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.