Convertible seat for a minivan - shower gift for adoption

[Hemlock]

We are having a baby shower for a friend who is adopting a 7 month old baby:love5:. She has asked us to purchase a convertible car seat (group gift) and she told us to pick something for her because she doesn't know anything about baby gear. They currently do not own a vehicle, but will be purchasing a used minivan once the baby has been placed in their care.

So what seat would you buy without knowing the specific make of the vehicle/size of the baby? Our budget is max $400.

[zag95]

I would get a Britax (I'm partial to Marathons!) or possibly a Diono Radian....

Britaxes are awesome- and I'm sure there are many folks on these boards who will chime in!

[jjordan]

I personally would probably get a Britax because they are very user-friendly. I would not get a Radian because they can be difficult to install in some vehicles, and they have some weird rules.

There are actually a LOT of really nice convertibles on the market today, though, so it's not like a Britax is the only good choice. Off the top of my head:
Graco Size4Me/MySize 70
Peg Perego convertible
Maxi Cosi Pria
Evenflo Triumph 65
I'm sure I'm missing some good ones...

The Chicco NextFit looks amazing but is not yet being sold. Last I heard, it's due out second quarter of 2013, so probably too late for your friend.

[twowhat?]

I personally would probably get a Britax because they are very user-friendly. I would not get a Radian because they can be difficult to install in some vehicles, and they have some weird rules.



:yeahthat: I'd personally also get a Britax - they seem to be the most robust to different car makes and models, etc. Even in our Odyssey (and minivans are typically the easiest cars to install car seats in), installing a Radian RF was a b!tch!