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Juliayn
07-17-2001, 11:51 AM
Does anyone out there have this car seat? Do you like it? The idea of a seat that goes from toddler to booster appeals to me (20-80 pounds). I know the Alpha Omega does that as well as the new Eddie Bauer booster seat in the funky colors. Opinions or reactions to any of these three seats would be much appreciated, thanks!

tobymc
07-17-2001, 04:02 PM
How old is your child?

Your child must be over 1 year old to use this seat, and if you have a good convertible, it is usually better to let your child outgrow that before getting a "combo" seat.

The Cosco booster has pretty low high harness slots and many models don't have a front adjuster.

The Alpha Omega is a convertible that does turn into a booster. Some folks love it, others hate it. It is rather large, and has harness slots like most convertible, so some tall children will outgrow it by height before 40 pounds, and may need another seat in the middle.

If you post more about the age/weight of your child, and the car you drive, and what you want in a seat, we can help you better find the right seat for you.

Toby

Juliayn
07-18-2001, 08:51 AM
My child is only 4 months old and currently using the Graco SnugRide DX5 which we love. However, there is no question he will outgrow this seat before he is a year old, he is alread 14 plus pounds. I was just researching what would be a good next seat and thought one that went from 20 pounds to booster (80 pounds) would be a good choice instead of having to get a convertible and then a booster after that. By the way, I drive a Bravada SUV. Thanks!

tobymc
07-18-2001, 09:14 AM
You are right, you'll need another seat that rear faces to more than 20 pounds for your child. There is a small chance that he really won't reach 20 pounds, since weight gain really slows as children get older, but he'll probably outgrow his infant seat by height before a year also.

So you need a convertible with a rear facing weight limit of at least 30 pounds. That will accomodate him, pretty much regardless of his growth over the next months, to at least 12 months rear facing. And since rear facing is so very much safer than forward facing, this seat will probably allow him to stay rear facing to 18 or 21 months. It is always excellent when you can keep your child rear facing longer.

So the "combo" seats, which forward facing with a harness and later become a booster, are out. They don't rear face.

The Cosco Alpha Omega certainly is a choice. It is the only convertible that becomes a booster later on. At $129 for the cheapest model (just a cheaper pad than the other AOs or the 3 in 1), the AO may be a good deal. Mostly, I consider this a low-to-middle end seat with its one big feature the fact that it becomes a booster later on.

Just as comparison, if you spend up to $100 on a convertible, and $30 on a high back booster, you've spent the same.

Some convertible choices are the Cosco Touriva $45 (or Cosco Eddie Bauer convertible for $80 or Cosco Triad for $80 which has latch - all are the same shell), the Century Accel $60, the Evenflo Horizon/Conquest V $80/$50, the Evenflo Odyssey $80, the Century Bravo $100, the Fisher Price Safe Embrace I $100.

All of these come in 5 point harness and rear face to at least 30 pounds and tend to fit well in cars (NO seat fits all cars, though).

Cosco has a high back with no harness for $30 called the Complete Voyager.

Here's another idea. If your child is still only 4 months old, and still 14 pounds, perhaps you can wait until fall for the new Evenflo seats. Their new convertible should go for about $130, but it has a lot of the features of the Britax Roundabout and the Fisher Price Safe Embrace. It has the eps foam, easy to adjust harness, very cushy pad, and some more stuff. I've only seen a prototype model. It has a lot more features than the AO, which will hopefully help you use the seat correctly every time more easily, and may be more comfortable for your baby, and has some extra safety features too (like the eps foam).

They are also coming out with a high back booster without harness that looks pretty nice. It is basically the Evenflo Express without the harness. But by the time you need a bpb seat, there will definitely be more options.

I did check the database, and the AO did tend to fit rear facing for a couple folks. So if you decide to go that route, make sure you get the 5 pt. model and try it in your car before you buy it, but it should fit.

Toby, CPS tech