Vacation and Backup Carseat

[thegreatbaba]

Hi everyone!

First time dad posting for the first time! We will be traveling with a 14 month old this summer by plane. We currently have two Boulevards, but are looking for a car seat to travel with that will also become a spare carseat for Grandma. Our son is currently 12 months old, approximately 30 inches and 20 pounds.

From what I've been reading, it looks like a Evenflo - Triumph Advance or a Safety 1st - Uptown Convertible Car Seat are good buys for the money. Between the two, is the Triumph the better buy? If so, why?

Any other recommendations?

Thanks.

[lilycat88]

You'll probably get lots of suggestions for the Cosco Scenera here. It's less than $50 and light weight. We purchased one for the exclusive purpose to use on a plane when DD was 11 months old. We would have been fine if it never got used again. It ended up becoming the seat in grandma's car. DD will be 4 in a couple of weeks and she just outgrew it about a month ago. We definitely got our money's worth out of it.

[hillview]

Another vote for the Cosco Scenera. It is so light and great on planes. We used it for maybe 20 flights for DS #1 and are about to take it on a flight for DS #2!
/hillary

[tylersmama]

We have the Safety 1st Uptown and have been pretty happy with it. I compared it side by side to the Scenera and the Uptown just had so much more padding that it looked way more comfortable for DS. It's used exclusively as our travel seat, but when we travel (to Ohio to visit family) we're in the car a lot driving all over to see everybody (over 500 miles on the trip we're currently on so far, and we're only halfway!).

The install is not as easy as the Blvd, but that's a small price to pay for not having to lug the heavy seat around. And, I don't know if it's just my seat or all of them in general, but the LATCH belt is practically impossible to tighten on mine. I just use the seatbelt install, though, takes no longer and not really any harder to do!

[lorinick]

Another vote for the Cosco Scenera. It is so light and great on planes. We used it for maybe 20 flights for DS #1 and are about to take it on a flight for DS #2!
/hillary

I would say #3 for the Scenera. We have the Truimph for my ds car. It's not light and it's bulky. We also have blvd. for my car. I think the Blvd. is just as heavy and little bulker than the Blvd. It's a great seat. But not to travel with. If your thinking of traveling with Triumph you should just take the Blvd. both heavy.

[hillview]

Oh and if you for some reason do not like the Cosco Scenea, I moved DS #1 to the Radian (80 on sale) when he outgrew the Cosco. We really like it for travel, not light but folds nicely.
HTH
/hillary

[niccig]

The install is not as easy as the Blvd, but that's a small price to pay for not having to lug the heavy seat around. And, I don't know if it's just my seat or all of them in general, but the LATCH belt is practically impossible to tighten on mine. I just use the seatbelt install, though, takes no longer and not really any harder to do!

Gaye, try this when you install the Uptown with latch.

Connect the latch connectors, then tuck the end of the latch strap back through the belt path, and now pull the latch strap tight. So, your hand is in the center of the seat where your child sits and you are pulling horizontally along the belt path. If I do it this way, I've had rock solid installs in several different cars - the uptown is our travel seat too. This technique works for both RF and FF. If I don't tuck the end of the latch strap into the belt path and then pull, it doesn't matter how much I try I can not get a solid install.

HTH.

[tylersmama]

Thanks, nicci, I will try that!

After wrestling with the stupid thing trying to put it in my MIL's car at the airport last week (in the pick-up no parking zone, in sweltering humidity), I just gave up and have been using the belt to install since. I'll have to switch it out from the rental car to MIL's again later this week, so I'll give that a try when I have a more stress-free environment! :p

[Joolsplus2]

I also like the Uptown. I'll recommend the Scenera if you want me to, but after my last fight with mine, it's not on my love list anymore (Ok, so maybe I was off my game a little, but seriously, it should have been easy for me to install in my Odyssey, and it really put up a fight :P...Uptown has way taller top slots, anyway... if you have a Big Lots! near you, venture on in, some people are finding them for only 65$, but I think 99$ is still a great price for that seat).
And yeah, I do also think the Radian 65 or 80 (same basic seat, fancier covers on the 80 and a higher weight limit that might benefit some extremely stocky kiddos)... that's the only seat you can fly with that allows you to use the tray table.

:)

[niccig]

Jools, we could use the tray table with our Uptown on an international flight, as there was more leg room between DS and the seat in front. Of course, we always fly cheapest economy flights here and can't use the tray table, shame as DS really enjoyed having his own space on the international flight.

[egoldber]

I bought a Scenera as a spare seat for DH's car and for travel. DH HATED it and we returned it. He could not get it installed in his car (and he is a great carseat installer).

[Joolsplus2]

Jools, we could use the tray table with our Uptown on an international flight, as there was more leg room between DS and the seat in front. Of course, we always fly cheapest economy flights here and can't use the tray table, shame as DS really enjoyed having his own space on the international flight.
Good to know, thanks!

[new_mommy25]

I haven't seen it mentioned so I'll give a shout out for the Compass True Fit. I really like the seat. It has SIP, not as heavy and easier to handle than Britax, smooth non-twisty straps, built in lock offs, high harness straps (my almost 5 year old has over an inch left).

[christiedavid3]

We have both the Compass True Fit and the Safety 1st Uptown for backup seats. I just got the Uptown at Big Lots last weekend for $65, it really is a very nice seat for the price. The Tru-Fit is used in our sitter's car so I don't have much everyday experience with it, but it is a nice seat too. It is a lot more expensive though, so I'd probably go with an Uptown.

[thegreatbaba]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. We are now off to hunt down the Uptown at Big Lots ... that is definitely a deal.

For those of you that bought them at Big Lots, did you find that the manufacture date was pretty old? Is there a way to tell on the box or do I have to wait until I get home and open it?