Cosco Eddie Bauer Opus 35

[JP4]

I know most of the people on this site are not big fans of the Cosco seats, but I bought this since I tend to have big babies. I plan to buy a Britax Marathon when he outgrows it. So far I'm pretty happy with the Opus 35 infant seat except it's pretty heavy when used as a carrier. My son is 5 months old now and is 16 pounds and 27" long. He would have already outgrown other infant seats, but he still has lots of room and seems very comfortable in this infant seat. The seat can be used (rear-facing) until 35 pounds or 35" which I assume will come first. How long, realistically, can I expect him to be able to comfortably fit in this seat? Should I expect him to need a new one at about 18 months? Should I buy the Britax at about 12 months and use this as a seat in our second car? There are 4 settings for harness slots and he is only on the second set, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[CPSDarren]

Like all models, Cosco products have different advantages and disadvantages that appeal to different parents.

The Touriva, for example, is a great basic convertible that tends to fit a range of children and vehicles well.

The Summit is one of the nicer combination seats when used as a booster.

The Alpha Omega is a nice seat for extended rear-facing, and it can do the job of 3 seats for those kids who tend not to be in higher percentiles for height than weight.

I've been happy with our Summit and Triad, and we use Tourivas frequently in our programs. That isn't to say Cosco seats are ideal for everyone, of course, but they do meet the needs for many kids.

As for your situation, it is certainly fine to use your Opus 35 until he outgrows it by weight or height. Many parents do buy a convertible around 12 months anyway, so if he still fits in the Opus that would be fine as a second seat for a little while longer. By 18 months, it's quite likely he will be too tall for the Opus.

Darren
www.Car-Safety.Org
DuPage County SAFE KIDS

[Joolsplus2]

I tried my dd in that seat at age 2.5, and she still fit fine. I've read on another board about other kids fitting past age 2, as well. If you need 2 have 2 seats anyway, you can put that one in the other car and use it for a good long time (can't use it as a carrier, with the handle past 22 pounds of course, but it's great as a second seat!) He won't outgrow the Opus until there is 1 inch of seat above the top of his head, and please don't worry if you think his legs are too squished...kids are very flexible and don't mind crossing their legs when they get older and longer (my dd's now 3.5, and rearfacing in her marathon and never complains a bit :) ) http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/ExtendedRFAlbum.aspx Julie