need help, car seat

[disneygeek]

I suppose that this question does not belong here but:

I need to buy a carseat for my 20 lb DS and I have no idea what to look for. Please help with your suggestions and comments. ( he has out grown his first one)

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Just a bit of information I did not know untill yesterday. The law now says an infant must be 20lbs AND 1 year old to face forward. We are in NC but bet that is law in most places now.That would be something to consider when making your choice.Good luck!It has been a long time since the car seat days in our home so I can't help a good choice.

Jordan's mom

 

[LKS]

All I can suggest is to go to babiesRus and see which one you like. They are usually all sitting out. That's how we picked ours in 1992. We bought two Fisherprice seats and I liked them so much better than the new ones that we have used it for three kids now and even ordered new covers when we had the third in 1997. Many can convert from rear-facing to front-facing, so you should be able to get him one that will last until he moves to a booster at age 4 or whatever. My 4yo is small, so he is still in a regular car seat.

 

[Spinning]

We seem to go through car seats! First make sure to get a 5 point car seat! not the over the top shield. Also I would buy one that converts into a booster seat.
We have two seat for our kids. My DS is the Eddie Bauer Highback Booster Seat
COSCO
03340077
It converts into a booster. It has the 5 point system for under 40 pounds. Has nice pockets on the side to put stuff in. our other seat is the Century
NextStep® DX
I like it actually better but it cost a little more. It has a flap so you can thread the seat belt through easier. No reaching behind or inbetween the frame, this can be tough if you have large hands. Also it has a real clip and a "shield type" think between the legs. This was very nice. Prevented the strapes from getting twisted. It also has a place to make it recline just a little which is nice. It fits nicely on planes too! Only thing I don't like about it my DD is now using it as a booster seat and the clip you thread the seat belt strap doesn't seem to hold it always inplace. I have to re thread it alot. Hard to explain. But it is very comfortable. Fits in most cars and has room to grow.
If I were you I would first look at some online sites. Such as www.rightstart.com or the Century site. Just to get an idea
Then go out and look. You want to make sure it has a 5 point system, converts to a booster and has a good chest clip. Not the thread through kind they stretch out and kids can undo them!
Good luck! Then head out to the stores and look at them sit you kid in them....

 

[joyful1nh]

I used a Britax Roundabout -- I was very happy.

Check out the following sites for more info:
www.childseat.com
www.familyonboard.com

 

[DISMOMof3]

We have the Britax roundabout. It works great & can be installed rear facing if you need it.
Is easy to install & has installed great for us in different cars.

 

[dkfogt]

Babies R Us will let you take them outside (one at a time) and strap them into your car to see how well they fit. This helped us eliminate several.

 

[kntheboys]

I had the Fisher Price infant car seat for my 1st 4 sons, and just bought the fisher price one for my 5th son. The thing that makes this seat great is the carrying strap-- you carry it on your shoulder kind of around your neck, so it rests on your hip, and leaves BOTH HANDS free!

I am not kidding when I say that EVERY time I have taken him out in it and carried him around, whether it be into the store when shopping or to the doctor's office or whatever I get AT LEAST 3 comments on how nice that carry strap is, "I wish I had that on mine!" The seat itself is actually lighter than many of the other infant car seats, too.

On thing to keep in mind: If you get a convertible seat (rear facing for infant and forward facing for toddlers), you don't have anything for your infant to sit in when you bring him/her in places, whereas with an infant seat, you always have a seat for them (without having to wake them up too).

The other thing we discovered in MN when we brought our 1st son home from the hospital in the convertible seat was that it was hard to get him in and out of that kind of seat quickly in the cold. We went out the very next day to buy an infant seat so we could carry him out to the car already buckled in and covered up and just buckle the seat into the car seat belt (now with the new model, we just click it into the base -- even quicker and easier, no fussing with belts in freezing weather!).

HTH!

Kristen