Alpha Sport?

[jhrabosk]

Thank you all for your quick responses. I so dreaded telling her she had to take it back...they really meant well. She hates putting DD in the Snugride!

Anyway, I told my mom that they could go ahead and install, but to be very careful with installation and make sure to do the top tether. I also warned her that it very well may not last as long as they think it might.

Thank you, thank you, as always! :)

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OK...so, despite the fact that DD has not outgrown her Snugride and despite the fact that I TOLD them there was a particular seat I thought they should buy (Scenara), my parents went out this weekend and bought an Alpha Sport. My step-father has already removed the Graco base and my mother wants this resolved b/c she's going to be watching DD for a few days this week.

I've found all the bad reviews here of the Alpha Omega, but can't figure out whether this is the same as the Alpha Sport.

Can anyone help? And, is it such a terribly bad seat that I should force my parents to return it and get a Scenara? I don't think they'll care if they have to replace it when she gets too tall...there will likely be another grandchild before then who could use it. However, they'll listen if I tell them it's truly less safe.

TIA!

[Splash]

It's fine. Don't worry about it.
It is a stripped down AO. The harness must be rethreaded, and there is no base. Actually, that's better. It's easier to install without the base, and not having the sliding headrest eliminates the possibility of putting the harness in an unsafe spot.
It's another 40 bucks or so than the scenera, but it's not an unsafe seat if used correctly. If they want to spend the money, let them. I have an AO that I use occasionally, always without the base. I quite like the seat actually, but I know it's quirks and I would never use it as a booster.
As a convertible seat, the AO and all of it's spin offs are just fine. And you can use it RF to 35 pounds which is great (the reason I have kept the AO that we have, and in fact why I bought it in the first place, since I hated the Touriva and Regal Ride, which came before the scenera. It was the only other seat that would RF to 35 lbs).
So really... just keep it. Make sure it's installed right and always use the top tether FF, and you'll be fine. They obviously liked the seat for some reason, and it's their money.

[AtomicLush]

I've actually heard that Alpha Omegas are quite decent in terms of safety ratings done by Consumer Reports back last year. So if safety is your #1 concern, the Alpha Sport should be just fine.

[Splash]

Unfortunately, that is not true.
Don't trust safety reports from consumer reports. Just don't.
The AO has repeatedly failed head excursion without the top tether, yet cosco will not admit that. And it is a bear to install.
I would definitely not rate it as one of the safer seats. But used correctly, it's fine.

E

[Joolsplus2]

Alpha Omegas failed NHTSA compliance testing without the top tether, though, and even though Cosco supposedly retested them, NHTSA couldn't be bothered to update their website... I'm not sure what scares me more: Cosco's failure or the government's laziness :D.

The Alpha Sport is lacking the tall base and the so-easy-to-misuse headrest that fails when in the top position, so it's better, kind of a cushier Scenera :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kellyotn]

Just to clarify, the top tether is to be used ONLY in forward facing position and I assume your DD is rear-facing since she's just coming out of a Snugride. That seat brand can't be tethered when rear facing. :)

When she eventually does forward face, yes, they'll definitely want to use the tether.

[Joolsplus2]

Right, no top tethering when rearfacing.. just recommend they read the manual thoroughly :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx