Guide to Choosing a Convertible Car Seat

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moms guide to car seatThere is no shortage of opinions on the new car seat recommendations to keep kids backward facing until age 2, and I definitely don’t want to debate it, as we could do that all day.  Cowtown moms all have different views about when they faced them forward.  I faced both my kids forward a few months earlier than the two years old as advised.  I mainly did it due to the hot Texas August sun.  I don’t drive a suburban with back facing vents and after a 110 degree morning at the zoo and climbing into a 150 degree vehicle they just were baking in the backseat.  I wanted them to enjoy the cool air vents like I was.

After you finally make the decision to do it comes the next decision of which car seat to buy…and the debate continues.

Picking a Car Seat

In my observation, most people start their babies in carrier systems with bases.  We started our kids off in a Chicco Keyfit 30 (beyond pleased with this seat and highly recommend it) and due to their short statues they both stayed in it until we flipped them around.  And that is when we went convertible car seat searching.  With the constantly changing guidelines our children will now be in some sort of car seat or booster until at least elementary so we wanted to choose wisely for longevity. Let’s be honest….according to law, I still fall within the weight range of someone who should be riding around town in a booster!

So where do you start?

Definitions:

Convertible Car seat : Car seat that can be used back or forward facing.

Combination Car seat : Car seat can be used  with 5 point harness facing forward or as a booster using the seat belt in the vehicle.

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Sleeping soundly with properly adjusted straps.

1. Safety – Most all car seats and vehicles manufatured after 2002 come with the LATCH system.  The LATCH system is a series of anchors and tethers to secure the car seat in your car, rather than using the seat belt.  HOWEVER, there are new guidelines that once the weight of car seat and child total 65lbs you begin to use the seat belt again.  Makes sense to me, as the latch systems were to be used for smaller children and the seat belts tested for heavier weights.  When buying your new seat, make note of how much it weighs so that you know when you might have to adjust its installation.  ALWAYS read the instructions for installing your car seat.  Make sure that they are not only installed properly but adjusted correctly to your child.  When back facing the shoulder straps should come up and over the child’s shoulders, and when facing forward the shoulder harnesses should be at or above the child’s shoulders.  Children grow constantly – make sure their seat is adjusting with them.  If you haven’t adjusted your child’s car seat harness in the last 3 months I encourage you to check them today!  Chances are they need to be moved up a notch.

One “safety feature” I looked for was the side head supports/shields.  Having two kiddos, they are each on the outside so I like the thought of them having a little more protection should we get into an accident.  All car seats on the market have had to pass the same crash tests from the least to most expensive.  There is really no evidence that one brand or specific seat is superior in safety to other.  The safest seat is the one that you can install properly into your car, your child fits in well and that you can use correctly every single time.  

2. Size – There are two size factors I would look at – the size of the child it accommodates and the size of the seat.

Like myself, my children are short, so we never had to worry much on the height issue BUT I will say that my son (who is in the 10% for height) at 4 years old is already on the top notches in his convertible car seat.  He is a ways away from the weight benchmark and where I would feel comfortable with him just using the seat belt in a booster, so I don’t know if this seat is going to last us.  {It is a Diono by the way, and we have REALLY liked it but he just started using it last summer when he had to give his Britax Marathon to his little sister – another seat we also have been pleased with}.  Note the height of straps and the range of height and weight limitations.

Size of the seat matters A LOT.  Especially if you are looking at large convertibles that you intend to face backwards for a while.  Those babies can be MAJORLY huge and when facing backward can push the front seat they are behind ALL the way forward.  I have a larger SUV (Honda Pilot) and still a Britax Marathon and streamlined Diono, facing forward, take up a fair amount of the backseat.  Which leads me to another point – Future Sibling Consideration.  We plan to have more children.  We plan to keep the Honda Pilot for a while (as we just got it a year ago).  We will put them three across the backseat.  We have already bought another streamlined Diono, as in testing we can fit 2 Diono’s and the Chicco carrier across the backseat.

3. Cost – Prices can REALLY range from $39 to over $300.  My 2 cents….the higher the price doesn’t necessarily mean the better the seat but it does usually mean a lot better padding and a cover that can be removed and laundered and come out of the washing machine still looking great.  Make sure to do some price comparison shopping! I recommend Albee Baby, Diapers.com and Wayfair for online shopping.  buybuy Baby will price match if they have the same product and then you can also use your 20% off coupon (check the fine print as it does exclude many brands).  

Extra Gear You Might Want

One little bit of advice…a lot of this gear comes in twos.  If you only have one kiddo and are thinking “what I waste!” let me stop you there.  Buying packs of two are usually cheaper and don’t forget the hubby’s car if y’all are putting a new seat in both vehicles! Get the dual packs if you can on these items!

1. Mirror – My car has a built-in “conversation” mirror that flips down below my rearview and is for viewing the backseat.  My old vehicle didn’t have this and I used a clip-on mirror (similar to this one that is POORLY advertised as they don’t have zoom) that I really loved.  I could quickly look back to see if the kiddos were sleeping or playing or what they might be screaming about.

photo (7)2. Kick Mats – Once you flip your little ones around they start what will be the next 10 years of the annoying habit of kicking the back of your seat.  As I have a new car, I am a bit protective of it.  I bought these kick mats and am so happy I did! We had one of those little organizers on the back of the seat when my son was facing back and it as great for storage but once we flipped him around, he made it his sole purpose in life to use his feet to tear the sucker up so we switched to just plain kick mats.

3. Side Window Shades – When you forward face your kiddo they will get a LOT more sun.  I recommend them when you have back facers as well because I think they help keep out some of the Texas sun.  But these are a MUST HAVE for forward facers especially if you are taking any trips during summer.  Kids can get too much sun on their sensitive skin even through car windows.  I have had these shades for a long time and their suction cups have stood the test of time!

4. Cup Holders – Some car seats come with them, some are an additional purchase (like the Britax).  When you first flip your little one around their arms are not long enough to use these but they grow quicker than you think and I advise getting the cup holders now.  Snap them in place, enjoying using them as an extra space for little toys in and one day your child will proudly exclaim from the back “I DID IT!” when they put their cup in its holder!

I advise you talk to friends, look at their car seats, and sit your child in them.  buybuyBaby will let you take the seats out of the store and try them out in your vehicle, take them up on it!  It is tough in the hustle and bustle to find time to research gear but a little work on this end will pay off in the long run.

What other tips would you give to a mom buying her first convertible car seat?

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