Ready to upgrade to regular car seat, but which one?

out-of-towner

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:36 am

My 1 year old is still in an infant seat, and we desperately need a new car seat...but are totally clueless what to get. We are in America. We need one that would be relatively easy to transfer from car to car if need be. Our car is pretty small so we want one without too much bulk. Preferably under $200, and preferably one that Target sells, as I have a gift card I want to use for it.

TIA!

smss

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:42 am

I like my britax boulevard. the downside is that it's bulky & heavy to carry, so in that way it's hard to switch between cars, but it's so easy to install I think it's worth the tradeoff. it also has a really high weight/height limit so you'll be able to use it longer.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:49 am

What kind of car is it? How tall is he and how much does he weigh?

The evenflo sureride is a great seat that should last you a long time, not expensive, not too bulky and easy to install so moving it between cars isn't a big deal. You can get it at target for $99 http://m.target.com/p/evenflo-.....image

If your car is really tiny it may not work though, and then I can recommend something a little more expensive.

out-of-towner

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:54 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

Our car is a Nissan Versa...its pretty small, and IY"H I'm expecting so we will soon have 2 car seats in there. Also, Nissan has a list of car seats it recommends for the Versa and the SureRide isn't on it.

Any other suggestions? Please keep them coming!
TIA!

MaBelleVie

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 12:09 pm

Their list definitely does not include all the seats that would work. Are you or your husband very tall and need the front seat pushed back? Do you need to fit someone in the back seat between the two car seats? Some seats are more compact side to side and others are more compact front to back, so that makes a difference in choosing the best one for you.

loveit

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 3:43 pm

Make sure you are purchasing a convertible car seat because your child should still be rear facing until at least two. It's the new aap rec and is 5x safer than forward facing. A convertible seat is going to be more bulky but plenty of them fit fine in compact cars, I used to have a car same size as the versa and we kept DC rear facing until almost three, my send is also still rear facing at almost three and I have friends whose children rear face even longer.

mandr

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:11 pm

I just ordered the Maxi Cosi Pria 85 (a new model) because I saw some pretty good features on there that I like. It's a bit more expensive than I'd have liked to pay but since my relative owns a baby store, she was able to sell it to me for cost price so it was under $200.

MaBelleVie

Mon, Aug 18 2014, 11:20 pm

losingweight wrote:

I only buy safety first because it allows you to recline the seat with one hand. I Feel sorry for a sleeping baby that has to keep his head from rolling for the whole nap. I'm very happy with any one I had. Check amazon for a deal.

There are a bunch of other seats with that same feature Smile

Safety first seats are not compact so I wouldn't recommend them for tight spaces.

miami85

Tue, Aug 19 2014, 1:52 am

I like my Graco Nautilus sold at Target.com. It also reclines. It can be a pain to put together and take apart (my kid would throw up in the car so we have a lot of experience, but it does wash nicely) and it is HEAVY but can be used from 20lbs to 100lbs and can convert to a backless booster seat and costs less than $180. It also had good ratings.

It can't be used rear-facing, that's the only drawback, we got it after my son turned 2.

As for the Britax, they are good car seats (though not compatible with the strollers so that doesn't really need to be a factor here), but they are expensive and very bulky if you have a small car, might not be a good option.

A short term solution might be the Cosco (also available through Target) which is very affordable and convertible (The main "complaint" about the Cosco is the comfort, but we've done long car trips with our Cosco and the kid never complained-though my younger son wants to sit in his brother's nautilus, which may be more comfortable, the Cosco isn't terrible). It is a breeze to install and lightweight. Especially if you will need 2 carseats eventually and then 2 toddler carseats it may not be a bad idea to have 2, though the Cosco only goes up to 40 lbs--then you get a backless booster for around $20 so still saves money in the long run.

I saw that both of the seats I mentioned are on the 2014 Nissan Versa list. If you don't see the indicator by the 3rd column it's because the seat doesn't do that anyway.

MaBelleVie

Tue, Aug 19 2014, 9:06 am

The Nautilus is a very bulky seat side to side and not appropriate for anyone under age two anyway. The Costco scenera is not that easy to install at the correct angle, so I wouldn't recommend it for someone who moves seats a lot between vehicles. It is a very bare bones seat so if you have longer drives many kids don't find it too comfortable. The slots are not very high on the scenera either, so unless your child is very short, he will need a new seat before he's old enough for a booster.

miami85

Tue, Aug 19 2014, 9:25 am

MaBelleVie wrote:

The Nautilus is that much bulkier than a Britax? We only have one car, but we move our scenera from time to time and haven't really had a problem--hey, at that price get 2! Also her car is likely LATCH equipped which should help getting it installed at the correct angle.