Convertible car seat questions

[meslgh]

Wow, time flies. Our LO (who is little) is getting close to being too tall for her Chico Keyfit, so it's time for me to start thinking about convertible car seats. Britax models seem to be the most highly recommended convertible seats, but how do I figure out which model is most appropriate? DD is about 17.5 pounds, 27.5 inches, one year old. DH and I both drive Honda Accords ('98 and '02). The Roundabout seems very popular, but if one of the larger seats fits in our cars, is there any reason to go with the smaller seat? Among the larger seats (Marathon, Decathlon, Boulevard), what are the factors that help one decide which to get? Aside from Britax, which convertible seats are worth looking at?

(I'm sure that all these questions have been asked and answered a gazoolion times already, but with the new forum software I haven't found any current threads on the topic.)

[jeno]

xxxxxxx

[ellies mom]

If one of the larger seats fit, then I would definitely recommend getting one over the Roundabout. For whatever reason we bought two RAs for DD and now we've got to replace them. If we had bought Marathons instead we would be fine for at least another 1-2 years.

[bubbaray]

Aside from Britax, which convertible seats are worth looking at?

You could look at the Radian 65. If it fits in your vehicles RFg, its a nice seat with higher top slots than the Britax MA/Blvd/DC.

HTH

[meslgh]

Thanks for the info. Ok, so I won't waste my time with the Roundabout. I'd love some more feedback about Marathon, Decathlon, and Boulevard. Anybody else willing to share how they decided amongst those three, and longterm satisfaction (or not)?

Thanks for the suggestion to look at the Radian 65. I've also seen that Cosco has some good carseats; can anyone make any recommendations there? ETA: Oops, I think I meant Recaro, not Cosco?

[MommyAllison]

I think in the carseat 101 thread (pinned at the top of the forum? I haven't checked to make sure it is still there with the board transition) there is a link to a comparison chart of the Marathon, Decathlon, and Boulevard. We have the MA (the others weren't out yet when we bought DD's seat) and so far are very, very happy with it. One thing I know some people don't like as their kids get older is that the MA only has a one position for the crotch strap, and some kids complain that it is too tight. I don't remember which of the other seats it is, but at least one of them has three positions for the crotch strap. The Marathon does have the best options for seat covers, but that is purely cosmetic. :) Now that we have a little boy on the way, we may choose a different seat for him because of the crotch strap thing (seems to be a bigger issue for boys than girls). Some people like the wings, which the MA doesn't have, and the side impact protection is great, which the Marathon doesn't have. I think one of the others (DC? Don't remember) has a super easy strap adjuster to go from one set of harness slots to the next without having to crawl underneath the seat (when RFing) or take it out of the car (FFing) to change the strap height.

Really though, all three of the seats are great, easy to use, and very safe, so it's just a matter of choosing what features you want. Whenever I have to buckle in someone else's kids into their cheaper convertibles, I get so frustrated with their hopelessly twisted straps, loose installs, and complicated puzzle buckles. It takes so much longer to buckle them in since I have to fix the install and straps every time. The MA is always easy to buckle up, and usually very easy to get a great, solid install too. Hope that made sense!

[sivan]

is the roundabout crotch tight like the marathon? I never remember this being an issue with our sons, but my twins are much bigger than he is, and i'm worried about which one to buy!

btw- the thread on top isn't working :(

[Joolsplus2]

is the roundabout crotch tight like the marathon? I never remember this being an issue with our sons, but my twins are much bigger than he is, and i'm worried about which one to buy!

btw- the thread on top isn't working :(

The Roundaobut has an extra inch of crotch depth over the Marathon, the Decathlon has the adjustable strap and has about an extra half inch over the Marathon. Only really pretty big boys tend to complain about the marathon crotch strap.... average or below average sized kids don't seem to have a problem with it.... Sunshine Kids Radian also has a little more crotch room :)