Reddit mentions: The best convertible child safety car seats

Full disclosure: I don't have a baby yet, so all of my "it will totally work" is positive thinking. That being said, it sounds like we have the same Pack-N-Play! (Or at least with the same functionality.)

It sounds like we're in the same boat registry-wise. We opted for the Fisher Price Rock-N-Play, my girlfriends' kids like it, so hopefully baby girl will too. I initially wanted the Puj, but a friend got me something else, and it seems like it'll work just fine. It collapses nicely and fits under our sink. We have the Baby Jogger City Lite Stroller, and the Britax Roundabout Convertible Carseat. Some of our friends surprised us with a BoB running stroller, so my husband is pumped to take the kiddo out on the lake shore path.

I want a carrier, but I'm holding off on buying one until I have a baby to put in it. I liked the Baby Bjorn and the Baby K'tan. I've heard great things about the Ergo, though, so that's another reason why I'm holding off.

Again, we don't have a baby yet, but I don't anticipate adding too much stuff. It'll be some time till baby comes home, so I'll know in about 4-5 weeks whether my plan worked. :) Best of luck to you and your family!

It depends on your lifestyle and budget, but the convenience of infant seats can be pretty significant. They frequently fall asleep on car rides, and being able to bring the seat in not unstrap the baby is really nice. Also, they're pretty darn fragile at first, so being able to carry a seat that is protecting them can be easier than pulling them out of the seat from the side.

Agree with everyone else: if you do infant seats, you only need two and get extra bases for the second car. Most daycares allow you to leave infant seats there during the day, so that a different parent can pick them up.

If you decide to go with convertible seats, we have and love the Graco Extend2Fit. It starts at 4 lbs, and it allows them to stay rear facing up to 50 lbs, which is the safest way to travel in a car for kids (or anyone).

I'll do most expensive products compared to their competitors that I considered "worth the upcharge" -

Firstly - this is my list of products that have gotten us through my son's first 2 years. Check the blurbs for raves on my favorites.

1. Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System $380. Love this system. No complaints. My son lasted in the bucket seat for at least a year. We still use the stroller at 2 years. Damn thing looks and operates like new.
   
   
2. Chicco NextFit Zip Convertible Car Seat $299. Again - no complaints. Easy to install. Great ratings. It'll last us for the duration, I think. I have 3 of these - 2 for my son and 1 waiting for my daughter (will be getting more in the future for daughter when she's ready to switch).
   
   
3. Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced Formula Dispenser Machine $200. My son was EFF. This thing saved our life.
   
   
4. Keenz 7s Stroller Wagon $390. Got this when my son was a year old. One of my FAVORITE products so far. With kid #2 coming I'm hoping to skip over a double stroller by using this as our everyday stroller. Highly recommend. It's awesome.
   
   
5. Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad and Scale $130. Compared to $15 or $20 pads, this thing is insanely expensive. But SO worth it. By the time you buy enough covers for the foam versions to get you through messes and wash cycles you're not far off from the cost to upgrade. And my son made HUGE messes during diaper changes. This thing is easy to clean - just wipe with a baby wipe each change and lysol wipes as needed. The scale is great if you're breastfeeding and want to do weighted feeds. And for my EFF son it helped us track his weight when his reflux made him spit up (alotalotalotalot) more than the average baby.
   
   Pretty much everything else... like... you (or we) could have gotten by with cheaper versions of. I like the products we purchased, but I don't think they added more utility than their alternatives would have at a fraction of the cost.

We had a Britax but for the plane ride, that was over 10 hours long we got this http://www.amazon.com/Cosco-Scenera-Convertible-Seat-Quigley/dp/B0084VBPHO it is cheap and more importantly super light. Then we attached it to the rolling carry-on with regular bungee type cords u use to secure things, something like this http://www.parenthacks.com/2011/09/car-seat-luggage-strap.html it all worked extremely well. We had an ubrella stroller as well so he didn't ride in it around the airport much but it was possible. Also we didn't have to carry it around on layover. And it cost nothing.

These are mostly for the toddler and preschooler crowd. As R gets older, we have been leaving more and more of the in-flight toy entertainment at home and relying on the iPad. Since she doesn't get much screen time at home, it's a huge treat for her.

• Pockit travel stroller, which stuffs nicely into a large backpack.
  
  
  
• Lightweight travel carseat
  
  
• Kid's volume limiting headphones and all the kid apps, Daniel Tiger episodes and Frozen we can fit on an iPad.
  
  
  
• Princess Awesome airplane clothes, which endears your kid to the flight crew and surrounding passengers and sometimes scores perks like extra snacks or blankets.

It sounds like she's got lots of room to grow in the Frontier, which gives you some good options.

The lightest weight, longest lasting and least bulky for travel are going to be the Evenflo Secure Kid 300(also branded Secure Kid LX) or the Evenflo Secure Kid 400(also branded Secure Kid DLX). There are marginal differences in features. The 400 has Evenflo's SureLatch, the 300 still has push-on connectors, but a more standard design. The 400 has an extra 10lbs of approved booster weight (which isn't likely to get used by the vast majority of kids anyway).

If you don't like the Evenflo seats, the Graco Nautilus is another option. It's heavier and bulkier, but installs well in most vehicles. A benefit to this one for travel is that when she is out of the harness, the back can be removed and it can either be used as just a backless booster, or you can pack the back of the booster in your luggage (padded by clothing) and have her bring the backless portion on the plane as a carry on so that if your luggage is lost, you at least have a usable booster at your destination.

All of these seats are approved for use on aircraft when used in harness mode.

Clips work fine. We had...one with a base for the first car seat but I can't remember the brand. We graduated to a Britax Marathon Convertible which is a breeze to get in and out if you're swapping seats between cars.

I will say this, it does take some upper body twisting and a little bit of flexibility. I didn't have any part of the baby pushing process which meant I was fine, but I would imagine the first couple weeks would be a little painful for you after everything that goes on with forcing a tiny human into the world. Ymmv.

I've got a 2008. Bought it in 2016 with 50k miles on it. It's been a great little car. :)

Edit: And congratulations on offspring!

I love the Clek Fllo. It's comfy for the babe, narrow enough to seat 3 across, easy to tighten or loosen, has a rear rebound bar for extra safety, is easy to clean, and is just...a really nice carseat.

I'm still on infant seats. I've used a Britax seat and a Graco one. I always install them in the center as recommended for safety in side collisions, which requires using the seatbelt instead of the anchors.

The Britax one is much better in several ways. It's easier to adjust, easier to install with the seatbelt, and also more secure as it clamps down on the belt. They actually recommend the seatbelt method even if you have anchors available. I do think that it's probably wise to get the optional anti rebound bar though.

What's your time line for purchasing? If you're able to wait, Black Friday deals are an excellent time to purchase car seats. We bought our Graco 4ever (normally $299) for $117 USD on Black Friday with same day pick-up.

If you're looking to purchase sooner rather than later, some excellent and slightly more wallet friendly convertible car seats are:

• Graco Milestone (I love this seat because it's a 3-in-one)
  
• Graco Headwise 70
  
• Graco Extend2fit which is excellent for extended rear facing!
  
• Evenflo SureRide DLX
  
• Britax Roundabout
  

>If it's tidy, in good looking condition, and a reputable brand, surely it's ok?

NO. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Absolutely not true. Many structural defects in a car seat from a crash or any other damage are not visible. You just can't know.

Definitely get a cheaper new car seat. Amazon has this one for $46.79 and this one for 49.99 and this one for 79.99.

They are all subject to the same testing and requirements as the car seats that sell for $100, $200, $300. Sure, the ones that cost more might look prettier, the cushion might be made of nicer material, they might be easier to install, it might be lighter, etc. However, safety wise the cheap ones are still completely safe to use.

If you want to save money, you can also just skip the infant car seat and go straight to a convertible car seat. Yes, these are more inconvenient in that you have to take the baby out of the car and leave the carseat in the car as opposed to carrying around the baby seat, but again, these are perfectly fine and safe. You also don't have to buy another car seat that rear faces. Instead of a seat only going to 22-26 lbs, the convertible ones generally rear face until 40 lbs and might forward face for even longer. This convertible seat could last until your child was 3-4 years old. For $67.37. This one could keep your child in a 5 point harness until 65 lbs (that's the average weight of a 7 year old). Hypothetically you could use this car seat until your child does not need another car seat. For $90. That's $13 per year.

Your child's safety is not worth risking over saving a few bucks - you know this already, so don't let the idea of saving a little bit of money get to your head and cloud your judgement.

We use the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Carseat
I love how light weight and compact it is compared to the one we initially bought Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 which was so freaking heavy and HUGE.

Our son is a big boy (35lbs at 12mo) and is reaches the tops of my husband's thighs (he's 6'8) and the seat is very comfortable and spacious with room to grow. We bought 2.

My SIL has a Cosco convertible seat and it seems perfectly safe but it's very minimal. It only has one cupholder and no cushions around the head and body. On Amazon all the reviews are 3 1/2 + stars (most are 4), what are you reading that says they're bad? This is the one I plan to get when our girl gets too big for her bucket seat, I just don't think bells and whistles are necessary. Honestly, the biggest thing to me about car seats is 1. how heavy is it and 2. is it easy to install? They all have to pass the same safety test so they're all equally as safe as the other.

Just a tip I've heard. Is you can go to Babys r us and possibly buy buy baby and use their demos so see how they fit in the car. That way you can try a few out first before you buy it. I mean you can't drive off but it will give you and idea how putting it in and how putting baby in/out will be. Part of me feels that's getting a car seat meant for a small car( https://blogs.babycenter.com/products_and_prizes/got-a-small-car-8-compact-car-seats-sure-to-fit/ I almost bought this one with my old car https://www.amazon.com/Cosco-Mighty-Convertible-Seat-Heather/dp/B01ETUBQZ4 ) will be your best bet but it's hard to say. It's one of those things it might be best to try a few out and see what works.

You might consider buying the Britax Clicktight seats to move back and forth. I don't have them myself, but I have several friends who say they work incredibly well. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Britax-USA-Marathon-ClickTight-Convertible/dp/B013YCX22I/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1474085125&sr=8-2&keywords=britax%2Bclicktight&th=1 and watch this installation video to see how easily they install: https://youtu.be/bbx2NC5w7QQ

Our strategy is to have enough seats for every child in every car; we tried having one kid-car, and it was challenging to have to switch cars and rearrange things, so we sprung for the extra set of seats.

We have this one and we love it! We went straight to a convertible car seat when LO was born and 7 months later we have no regrets!

That said, some people prefer the infant ones because you can keep a base in each car, and use the carrier part for baby so you don’t have to take them in and out of the car seat as much. We didn’t mind not having these perks and wound up getting a second (cheaper) convertible car seat for our other vehicle that we don’t usually use and for traveling (I was afraid the airport luggage system would beat up the car seat). I’ve had to remove and reinstall the car seat several times, and you eventually get the hang of it. (Not gunna lie, the first couple times were a shot show though lol)

I read a lot of reviews on amazon to make sure I got a quality seat that was easy to clean. Another thing to look for if you go the convertible route is wether or not a certain seat it will fit in your car rear-facing if you have a small vehicle.

I think it's normal to worry about money when a baby comes along. I have budgeted obsessively to accommodate our new addition, and even still I have random panic attacks about money. All you can really do is to save like crazy right now and try to minimize costs later.

A few pieces of concrete advice:

First of all, don't worry about buying a bigger car unless all you have is a two-seater. Plenty of car seats are designed to fit in small sedans. I got this one for my husband's small, shitty Lancer and it fits just fine. Installed in the center set, it's just as safe as if we had a big SUV.

Second, working out a budget can really help to assuage your anxiety. I like mint.com because it integrates all of your accounts and helps track your spending against your budget each month. When I start to freak out over money I can look at the numbers and calm myself down. Making the budget will help you to see where your money goes and trim the excess now. For instance, I cut my cell phone bill in half by switching to the Sprint Framily plan and recruiting redditers to join up. Depending on the kind of debt you have, it might be a good idea to reduce monthly payments to take a little pressure off. You end up paying more in the long run, but at least it will keep you from draining your emergency fund.

Third, set priorities. For me, the biggest expense I wouldn't budge on was daycare. It had to be sufficient quality for me to feel comfortable and sufficient quantity for me to be able to keep working full time. I'm happy to cut corners everywhere else so that we have room in the budget for daycare. Daycare is stupid expensive, but worth every penny. Fancy furniture, gadgets, and cute new clothes, on the other hand, are not necessary for me.

Britax seats are very well made. Their Clicktight line is super easy to install. We use the Marathon. Also this site has a good explanation of what to look for and a chart to sort by rear facing weight.

Safety 1st brand is what I’ve used for 2 kids. Stylish, affordable, great safety ratings, easy to install. They started out with the baby carrier seat with 2 bases (one for each car, highly recommend this). Then switched to a rear facing convertible seat . That seat will last you until 4-5yrs old, then we used the high back booster. They clip into my 09 Outback no problem.

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

No upgrades necessary, this thing should last birth to childhood. I'm not a fan of infant carseats though. I'm pretty impressed with it, but we went super cheap with our first (Evenflo, $45) and I didn't want to do that again. Not because of safety, but comfort.

I've got a Convertible R57. One of my daughters (4) uses the Graco Nautilus. My other daughter (2) uses the Alpha Omega (though I cut off the stupid "pillow" thing). The kiddos both have room, and cup holders Whee!!, and the wife has no problems. Admittedly, the wife is pretty short (she's Asian), and the 4 year old is behind her, but the kiddos have never complained, and the wife feels fine, too.

Hope that helps!

I love this one, it's perfect: http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-Car-Seat-Matrix/dp/B0011URFRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375123899&sr=8-1&keywords=convertible+car+seat

I have done lots of international flights with kids, but never with Aegean, so here's my input:

The booking office often has no fucking clue what is going on. Trust your cabin crew and gate staff.

There are US-made car seats that are cheap and often used for travel - the Cosco Scenera comes to mind - that you could look at purchasing if you wanted a travel car seat. I have seen those frequently in use for the children old enough to fit in them (not usually newborns) as a family's travel car seat, keeping the gigantic setup at home.

We brought an approved car seat on a KLM flight once and were shown by the cabin crew how to put it in for Leg A - and then told we couldn't use it for Leg B, because that "wasn't an acceptable installation method" (...) and it affected the arm rests, and the arm rests had to be able to be down during the entire flight. The cabin crew will have final say, and if they are saying to your family you only need a booster - that's all you need.

I personally would suggest just getting a convertible seat. Technically she is still a ways away from the weight limit for most infant seats (how tall is she though?), so you could definitely get another infant seat, but then you are going to end up getting another seat in the future- so it might save you some money to just buy one car seat instead of two.

We just got a convertible seat since our 9 month old is a freaking beast (he hit the height limit on his infant seat, weighs 22 lbs). It takes up a little more room than the infant seat did, but my guy seems to like it better. It's roomier for him. I linked to the one we got, so far no complaints. It's actually gone down a little in price since we got it.


http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Tribute-Convertible-Seat-Saturn/dp/B006PB2B6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404746146&sr=8-1&keywords=tribute+in+saturn

You overpaid I think. Amazon has that model for $130. http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Triumph-Convertible-Seat-Everett/dp/B00O8RRR7U/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1451956228&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Evenflo+triumoh+lx

If you see the 1 and 2 star reviews from amazon, everyone is complaining about the straps and not being able to install properly.
Anyway, Britax is around $250-300+ I want to say. You can find it on sale and it depends on the model. But it is so worth it! Think of how many times each day you get the kid in and out. I have no complaints about my Britax click-tight. http://www.amazon.com/Britax-USA-Boulevard-ClickTight-Convertible/dp/B013YCWASA/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1451956481&sr=1-1&keywords=britax+clicktight

YouTube the britax clicktight. Amazing.

Just realized you say your biggest problem is getting the straps tight enough on the kid. Mine routinely tells me "mommy its too tight", haha! I just strap kid in and pull at the bottom and wham, its done. Loosening it is a simple button. Do you have a toys r us? Go try them out and see the difference. Even if you can't try before, I promise you won't regret the britax :)

Cheaper than that - $65 shipped...for an age appropriate one

https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Tribute-Convertible-Car-Seat/dp/B00O8RRYDW

But let's be honest here, they probably wouldn't bother even if they were cheaper than that. It's not about the money so much as the personal effort to get one, fit it and use it and this lady does not strike me as the sort of person to make much of an effort at anything.

Oh, good point! We did make sure that our car seat would fit in the particular planes we were flying in. We were able to use our infant car seat (FWIW, Graco SnugRide 30) without the base, but when we flew after he outgrew that we did have to buy a narrow car seat (again, FWIW, the Evenflo Tribute worked really well on the plane). As it happened, we needed a second car seat at that time anyway, but I'm not sure what we would have done if we hadn't.

We got the Evenflo tribute, because it had a little more padding than the Cosco. Very cheap, fairly easy to install. We have some difficulty with getting it level in the car. It's super light.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O8RRYDW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Work out childcare backups -- people you can call if you have an emergency, need a date night, need a daycare.

Work out a pediatrician -- ask friends, your girlfriend's OB-GYN.

What I'm glad I had:

• car seat that doesn't turn into a baby carrier
  
• boppy pillow
  
• wearable baby carrier
  
• swaddle blanket
  
• a rock-n-play
  
  What I could have waited on:
  
  
• stroller until 6 months
  
• finishing his nursery until 6 months
  
• toys until 3-4 months
  

Nailed it.

Hilarious how they basically change the colors and add 'SIMPSON' to the strap pads to market towards our industry.

I just moved my little man up to the Britax Boulevard Clicktight and this thing seems more than adequate to keep him in place while bouncing around off-road!

We got the Safety First Grow and Go: https://www.amazon.com/Safety-1st-Grow-Convertible-Coral/dp/B015KFDJAM/ We used our completion discount so it came out to be about $109. Not half bad!

I use this one. It's currently $85 and I have been totally satisfied with it, and it goes up to 40 lbs rearfacing.

https://www.amazon.com/Cosco-Mighty-Convertible-Seat-Heather/dp/B01ETUBQZ4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2IQO0YBMQMYLE&keywords=cosco%2Bconvertible%2Bcar%2Bseat&qid=1554595210&s=gateway&sprefix=cosco%2Bconvertibl%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-4&th=1

Or check these out. Might fit three side by side.

Diono Radian RXT All-in-One Convertible Car Seat, For Children from Birth to 120 Pounds, Shadow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PS61XS/

We have had these and like them. Diono Radian RXT All-in-One Convertible Car Seat, For Children from Birth to 120 Pounds, Shadow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076PS61XS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AzyBCbY10RKQ9

FWIW - we really like our Graco Nautilus, and it fits in my Dodge Neon.

EDIT - NVM, saw you're looking for RF, and mbnd96 already covered the Nautilus.

https://www.amazon.com/Cosco-Mighty-Convertible-Seat-Heather/dp/B01ETUBQZ4/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1517589165&sr=8-1&keywords=cosco+mighty+fit


I actually posted on that a couple weeks ago and didn’t get any help :(

The cpst I talked to told me this seat was known for not fitting infants til 9 plus months.

Thank you!
Car seats are very hard and confusing lol

Just switched my 4yr old to this seat, he will remain in a 5 point harness as long as possible and this seat converts to high back booster when they are ready and then to a regular booster, so this should be the last seat we ever need to buy him.
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-Car-Seat-Matrix/dp/B0011URFRE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377792607&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=graco+nauti

Are you perhaps talking about something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-Car-Seat-Matrix/dp/B0011URFRE

We just got our convertible for $142 on Amazon. It goes up to 100lbs forward facing. You can find coupons too. Here's the link - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015KFDKB0

I provided a link to where Walmart sells it for 38 dollars. It's available on Amazon for about 50.

Cosco Scenera NEXT Car Seat OTTO https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TZMED20/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p51YBbQEQNGN4

I didn't see it online for anywhere close to a hundred dollars. Maybe you're thinking of a different seat?

Amazon has it for sale for just $140 right now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011URFRE/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We've used the Evenflo Tribute for 2 years now on every single flight for our toddler. It's under 10lbs and the tether strap has something to hook onto on the back of the chair, so if you hook the tether strap loosely, it then becomes a shoulder strap to conveniently carry around.

Click here. It's on sale! Hurry before it's gone!

We've got both of our sons in the Graco Nautilus seat.