Lookong for the definitive alternative to Britax

[ALLEYCAT]

I have a Wizard and love it but need another seat for sitters and in- laws. We also have a Cosco Touriva and it does not go in any car easily. It tips over when installed with pool noodles by FD and sits up straight without them. I want a seat that will have a long life RF for 8 month old around 20lb 29 inches, also to be able to use it FF with 5 point harness as long as possible. What is the closest in style and fit to Wizard? The Alpha Omega looks good on paper but I have read that it does not preform well. Any thoughts?

[Joolsplus2]

Why not just look for some sort of bargain on a roundabout or marathon? I just installed an alpha omega elite, and it wasn't any better than the touriva I'd been using, to be honest...plus it's huge and costs almost as much as a roundabout or marathon, anyway. the comfortsport and the evenflos have annoying/impossible RF harness adjusters and only 30 pound rf weight limits, then when you go ff, they have lower top slots than the touriva or roundabout. The evenflo triumph has a short back so it's not great for extended rf, plus the harness is tricky to learn to use right, plus it weighs more than the wizard.
If there were an awesome wizard-double, I'd be recommending it all the time! there just isnt, really :( ...the touriva's really the best I've come across (and I installed it RF...yup, pretty upright, but that's safer, and the baby was happy that way, so it's no big deal...)

Ah, so hard to appease you britax-spoiled mamas... ;)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kijip]

In case you decide to go for a RA I think babyage.com has a RA special for around $160 dollars. And no sales tax and only $3.95 shipping.

[spikeso]

Additionally, you can use an EBates (www.ebates.com) coupon for 10% off any purchase over $100 at BabyAge. This is in addition to the 4% rebate you would receive if you bought anything at babyage by going through ebates.

For the coupon, type "EBates" in the coupon field at BabyAge. For the 4% rebate, you need to register at EBates and visit BabyAge from EBates.

HTH,
neal

[ALLEYCAT]

Thanks for the input. I wish I could find a britax under $100 so dh doesn't stroke. It simply won't happen so I should just bite the bullet and do it but I am still hoping for something else. Those cheaper seats are just so difficult to install. I did not think I would ever pay so much for a car seat but fell in love with how well it installs in all our cars(without the tether). With tether is not as simple but it is for ds... Someone please just tell me to go get another Britax.

[Joolsplus2]

It took me almost a dozen (at least, I've had 32 seats, most just boosters, so I lose count, lol) installable seats before I finally choked up the money for a Marathon, and I was shocked at the quality and the ease of installation.... If only I had spent the extra $70 on the Roundabout when I first had the chance (It was 199, the Evenflo Medallion I went with was 129, and my kids were too tall for it by age 2, given the 13.5 inch top slots)...I could have saved SO much money! You're just going backwards from me...top down rather than bottom up! I'm not saying I didn't get rock solid installs with all those seats I got, or that the straps were painfully twisty or the seats were unpadded...there's just sort of a synergy of all those elements you get with a Britax that's hard to describe... ;).
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kijip]

I think babyage.com has a 15% discount right now that would take the $164 dollar RA down to just $140ish. $40 more is not much to pay for the added benefits and ease of use of the RA.

[tippy]

Not to mention on the Marathon, you will be able to use it longer than the roundabout so you don't have to run out and get a booster seat so fast! GET THE BRITAX! :-)