What is the best buy for a Convertible Car Seat? Is the Alpha Omega 3 in 1 any good?

[heather_corpus]

My son is now 20 lbs. It is time to get a new seat. I wanted to get the Evenflo Triumph, but the people at Babies R Us told me that they are not any good and have had a bunch of recalls. They want me to get an Alpha Omega 3 in 1. I now don't know what to do. I am a new mom so this is all new to me.

Thanks
Heather

[Joolsplus2]

Only one recall on some Triumphs a few years ago, actually...it's a fine seat. Most of us do not like the 3-in-1's...they aren't terribly easy to install all the time, they don't have great padding, the top slots are very low and don't safely get kids to 4 or 5 and 40 pounds before the seat becomes a pretty lame booster....and they cost a heap for what you get... I think BRU people push them because they don't actually have children to use them on ;). They aren't *bad*, but really, for the money, you might as well buy a Britax Roundabout or Marathon that has MUCH nicer features, like EPS head protective foam, high quality LATCH straps, built in seatbelt lockoffs if you have an older car, rearfacing top tethering, and easier to remove and wash/more durable covers and thicker, less twisty straps.
The Alpha Sport is not bad, considering it's so much cheaper than the Omega or Omega Elite, it's just missing the base, which you usually have to take off the Elite anyway to get a good install, and the headrest (which breaks on the Elite all the time, anyway, you can live without it), and it's a much more reasonable $99...it stil has short top slots and makes a fairly crummy booster, but that's a good price for a convertible that you can use so long rearfacing (up to about 38 inches and 35 pounds, most three year olds can rearface in that seat...you don't want to turn a baby at age one, it's truly not as safe as rearfacing). The Safety First Intera is a good seat, as it has tall top slots and usually lasts harnessed a full 40 pounds, then becomes a pretty good booster (if they'd just call it Eddie Bauer, I bet a lot more people would buy it..it's all the same company...)

Anyway, long story short, read around here a little more and see what people who actually have children and research these things like, and be glad you didn't take the BRU peoples' advice :D.

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