So CONFUSED about all this car seat business! HELP!!!

[MelissaTC]

Hi! My son Matthew is currently growing 1-1 1/2 inches a month. He is a long string bean. He is quickly outgrowing his Snugride LX car seat. My in-laws have generously offered to purchase him a new seat for Christmas. I am so confused as to what to pick. I thought I wanted a Britax Roundabout but then I read that if you buy a non-LATCH then you can't retrofit it later on. I currently drive a Ford Explorer (98) and it doesn't have the LATCH system. But we are looking into buying a minivan (probably a Honda) in 2003. So what do I do? I don't want to buy a seat that I won't be able to use in the Honda and vice versa. Can someone please give me some direction????!!! I am so confused over this LATCH/NON-LATCH thing!!

Thank you!

[KCR4]

Have you read the section on LATCH on www.car-safety.org? It is a good overview. If I were you, I'd get a LATCH-ready Britax, but the non-LATCH models are discounted at some stores now, and a good deal is hard to pass up. You can always use seatbelts to install the carseat regardless of whether the car (or the carseat) is LATCH-compatible. So neither choice is wrong, but if you are getting a new car, it will be nice to use the LATCH system for easy installation.

I do have lower LATCH anchors in my car, but I bought my Roundabout a year ago and so it is non-LATCH. And I bought a Britax seat for my husband's car too (also non-LATCH). When we have another baby, we'll get another Britax seat (probably a LATCH-compatible Britax Marathon).

Also, there is good info on convertible seats on www.CarSeatData.org and www.CPSafety.com ...Good luck!

Oh, and check your car for hooks for the upper tether for when you turn your son forward-facing (no sooner than 1 year of age, and waiting until he's even older is actually safer)...Ford should be able to retrofit a hook into your car if you don't have them.

[Rachels]

I agree. Get the RA with LATCH. You can still install it using regular seatbelts in your non-LATCH car, but then it will have everything you need when you get your new car. We did the same thing. We don't have LATCH, either, but it's nice having a LATCH seat, especially for travel.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02