Help! Britax vs. Other Convertible Car Seat: WWYD

[longtallsally]

It is time to move DD out of her infant seat and I desperately need help deciding what kind of convertible car seat to buy. The problem isn't so much $$$ as it is size and fit!

DD is 6 months, 15.5 lbs and 27 inches, and will likely stay in the upper percentiles for height because both DH and I are over 6 feet tall. We need a convertible car seat that will see DD through to age 2. We need a car seat that will fit in our car (more on that later), as well as one that won't be a tight squeeze in airline seats. I recently took a Delta Express flight and DD's Graco Snug Ride infant seat (width 17 inches without base) BARELY fit in her seat.

We live in Japan and drive small, non-LATCH cars that are NOT in the car seat comptatibility database. DD's Graco SnugRide infant seat (seat back height 17.5 inches, top harness slot 10.5 inches) fits in the backseat of my 1997 Toyota Spacio so that the front seats are JUST far enough away from the dash to accomodate the front seat passenger and the driver. The car most similar to a Spacio is a Matrix (also not in the compatibility database), as they are both loosely based on the Corolla.

During a recent trip to the US, I tried DD in the Britax RA and MA just to check out the size/fit.

The Britax RA (seat back height 22.5 inches, top harness slot 15.5 inches, width 18 inches) LOOKS like I could squeeze it in the back seat of my Spacio RFing as long as it's okay for it to touch the back of the front seats. However, I think DD would outgrow the RA by height quickly. Her head isn't very far from the top of an RA and I would hate to spend the $$$ on a RA that I might have to replace before DD is 2 years old. To buy a RA and MA would be pretty costly. There is another problem with the MA...

The Britax MA (seat back height 25.5 inches, top harness slot 17.5 inches, width 19.5 inches) was a good fit for DD, but I don't think the MA would fit into my Spacio RFing. I would buy the MA (or similar Britax) if I lived in the States, but it is not an option here until DD can face forward!

I could buy a Graco Comfort Sport (seat back height 23 inches, to harness slot 14.5 inches, width 17 inches) which would probably fit into the back seat RFing, and upgrade to a Britax MA later, thus saving an extra $100 by not purchasing a Britax RA. I am concerned about getting a solid fit with the seatbelt, because I think our Graco Snug Ride doesn't fit tightly enough. Maybe it's a Graco thing and maybe it's a locking clip thing?

The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite (seat back height listed as 23/25 inches, top harness slot 15 inches, width18 inches) is also available here for $150, but nobody has anything good to say about it. I must say, the shoulder harness is easy to adjust and there are side wings for DDs head that look pretty good.

We are also interested in the Strolex Sit-N-Stroll (seat back height 22.5 inches, top harness slot 14 inches, width 17.5 inches). It would be nice to not lug a heavy car seat with us and it would be great to have a stroller in the airports and at our destinations (Yes, I have seen the article on the new harness approved by the FAA, but that won't help us now). Maybe the Sit-N-Stroll would work for us in the short term until DD is ready to face forward and we could get a Britax MA (or similar Britax).

What would you do? Any input, especially from car seat techs would be greatly appreciated. I want to order a new car seat ASAP, as it takes a while for things to get here from the States (assuming I can find a retailer that will ship a bulky car seat to my APO address).

Thanks in advance!

[KAK22]

I have fit a RF MA in a Toyota Matrix with absolutely no problems. It was in the center of the back seat installed with the seatbelt.

[o_mom]

Generally if you can fit a SnugRide in the car, you can fit a Marathon. Since she will be over 6 mos, you can install it a bit more upright than for a newborn. Also, it can touch the front seat.

Of the other seats you mention all only go to 40 lbs in the harness, so you risk the seat being outgrown before your DD is ready for a booster.

The Roundabout is a great seat, but you are right that it probably won't last to booster age. It usually lasts until about age 2 rear-faing and then age 3-3.5 forward-facing.

The Comfort Sport is very short - my DS outgrew it at 24 mos and he is very, very small. This seat is routinely outgrown before age 3, and is not very user-friendly.

The Alpha Omega is an OK seat, but really not worth the money. Most kids will outgrow the harness by height before age 4, sometimes much sooner. It is very easy to misuse as the top headrest position is for booster used only.

The Sit-N-Stroll, I believe, has to be installed in the car every time you use it. You can't just leave it in the car and put the child in an out. It is OK for travel, but not for everyday. You can always get a GoGO Kidz for a Marathon which will make it into a stroller. Many people have flown with a Marathon on all kinds of planes without any problems fitting it in the seat.

If you wanted to go really budget, the Cosco Scenera is a good seat with tall top slots and a tall back. It is only $40-50, so not a huge investment. It will last a long time rear-facing and you could then look at forward-facing seats once she outgrows it. It is a bit skimpy on the padding, but kids rarely complain about it.

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, I'd get the Scenera now, Marathon later. The Sit N stroll is a beast (there's a comment about it in the 'I love the scenera' thread down below).
it's light, small installs well, adjusts easily, and is a cinch to take on the plane.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[patti_b]

That was me. Now that I have have experience traveling with both the Sit n Stroll (SNS) and the Scenera tethered to a stroller, I can tell you hands down the Scenera is the better way to go. The SNS is a royal pain as a car seat and not worth the trouble for the airport convenience. The Scenera tethered to a stroller is just as easy and vastly better as a carseat and will save a lot of headaches.

The SNS would work well as a stroller only indoors or other very smooth surfaces. If you roll it over big bumps the wheels can collapse. To go over big bumps you have to turn it around and pull it; even on the jetway I had to do this to get over the metal floor connecter thingies.

I have found the SNS impossible to install securely RF with a lap-shoulder belt. With either latch or lap belt only, it is still not the most secure. Some lap only belts are too short to go over the top of it. The PP is correct that you have to reinstall it every time you put the child in. This can lead to installation errors. One time, to my horror, I just buckled the harness and forgot to put the seatbelt over the carseat, so in a crash, DS would have gone flying along with the carseat. Made me sick to my stomach and shudder at the thought of what could have happened.

I hate the thing.

Hope that helps.

Patti

[KrisM]

Plus with the Scenera, if your DD ends up being very tall, you might skip the MA and go to something taller for FF only. My friend is 6' and her husband is the short one of his family at 6'6" or so and their son outgrew the WZ (same height as MA) before age 2! He's in a Regent now. (He's 2.5 years now and is 44inches tall, and like most 2.5 year olds, has a long torso).