Car Seat for beyond 6 month stage

[ChrissyJames]

We have been using a Graco snugride and my little girl is threatening to outgrow it at 6 months. What should we buy next? I am not as worried about price as I am about ease of use and of course, safety.

[momtoB]

Is she outgrowing it by height or weight? If she's still under the weight limit and has more than an inch from the top of her head to the top of the seat shell then she has a little more growing room before you have to move her. Feet dangling off the bottom or touching the vehicle seat back is not a safety factor. Weight limits are set in stone, but height limits have a little "wiggle room" because some kids have long legs vs. longer torso's. Hope that makes sense!

If cost isn't a factor then I recommend a Britax Marathon or Boulevard. My ds rides in the BV and we really like it. This is his second convertible because he outgrew his Cosco 3-in-1 seat by height by the time he was 34 months. I wish I had bought the Britax in the first place. Both the BV, MA, and Decathlon as well all have the same size shell and basic features (HUGS, tether r/fing, seatbelt lockoffs in case your car(s) don't have LATCH anchors). They all r/f to 33lbs and f/f to 65lbs. The top slots are about 17-1/2 to 18" high (in contrast, most convertibles only have top harness slots 15" high). The Marathon is the least expensive, most "basic" version, but you have more cover choices with it (;-) for the vain, lol). The Boulevard has True Side Impact Protection wings and infinite harness adjuster so you don't have to ever rethread the harness to adjust it. The BV also has an infant body pillow which at this point your dc may or may not need (it's optional, my ds has never needed it).

I don't really recommend the DC seat because I just think the BV is so much better! Plus the extra features the DC comes with aren't really needed for a 6+ month old IMO (adjustable crotch strap, extra body pillow). It's a good seat if you're bringing home a newborn in it, I guess. :) JMO

I think that about covers it! :-) You can check these seats out at www.britaxusa.net

hth!

[alaskadiver]

I 2nd the Britax recommendation. They cost twice as much as the alternatives but they are made completely different and appear far superior in construction and design. I'm an engineer by trade. I'm not a carseat designer or expert in that area, but I do know quality engineering when I see it and Britax is quality all the way.

Comparing the Britax Marathon in my car to the Cosco convertable in my wife's car (she rarely ever carries the kids in her car) the Britax is superior in every way. The Cosco, Graco, and other cheaper seats are mostly just a molded plastic shell covered by some padded fabric. the car seat is really nothing more than a fancy platform on which a 5-point seatbelt harness is mounted.

The Britax by contrast is constructed of high impact foam of the type that is used in bike and motorcycle helmets so when your kid is in a Britax it is as if they are wearing a body helmet. I suspect that in a severe crash, the Britax shell will be much more supportive and impact resistant.

The harness webbings on the Britax seats are also made of thicker webbing that holds its shape better so that they aren't always getting twisted in the harness like with cheaper seats.

Will they all protect your kid? Probably. But the Britax seats are clearly made of superior materials and of a more sophisticated design.