rec's for convertible carseat for infant - update post #8

[♥ms.pacman♥]

my 3.5 month old is about to outgrow his infant seat (Snugride 22). i estimate he weighs about 15 lbs now, but he is very tall and his torso is quite large (he wears mostly 9 mo clothing). The top of his head is still about 3 inches from the top of the seat, but since his shoulders are so wide his arms are starting to get kinda squished on the sides.

so I think in a couple weeks, he will need to be in a new seat (convertibles seat that is still rear facing). We only have one car (2006 Camry). Any suggestions and/or recommendations? Cost is not an issue, i just want to get one that is safe & comfortable for him. Also, we plan on travelling by air a few times a year, so ideally we would like one that is not a pain to install/uninstall...

[rebwal98]

I'm no expert, but when I came around looking for a convertible for my tall daughter the Board recommended the First Years True Fit and the Radian. They have the tallest shells on the market. The TF comes in 2 models both offer RF until 35lbs and FF to 65lbs or 50" tall. The Radian offers a number of models that run from 40-45lbs RF and 65-80lbs FF depending on the model you purchase.

I ended up buying one of each and love them both, but prefer the Radian over the TF. Although the Radian is heavy because of it's steel shell, it does fold for easy travel.

Rebekah

[twowhat?]

The radian IS a nice seat and that's what we use. But I don't think I would travel with it (sure it folds up but it's not a one-step fold - you have to loosen the harness completely and then fold it, and THEN - it's heavy).

It's also a PITB to install and we had a car that supposedly has an "easy" install for the radian - it took two people to tighten it up properly.

It takes up a lot of front-to-back space - but if you are installing in the center it shouldn't be a problem. The Camry has lots of space in back anyway.

If you plan to use it for travel, the other thing to consider is ease of installation. The radian is NOT easy to install and in some vehicles it is very difficult. I could see this being a PITB when you are dealing with rental cars.

The nice thing about the radian - great seat, FEELS so solid, lots of good RF leg room, comfy, low profile (so much easier to load babies in and out - you won't have to worry so much about bonking the top of your baby's head as you load him in and out.

Anyway, I love and recommend the radian, but I would never travel with it. Your other option (if you really like the radian) is to buy a cheaper seat for travel - Scenera or Safety 1st Avenue. That would also come in handy should you ever need a seat for a second car.

[arivecchi]

Love our Radian XTSL. Excellent seat for tall kids. Narrow base. Low profile so easier to get kids in and out of the seat. 45 pound rear-facing weight limit. I did not think it was difficult to install in the center of my SUV with seatbelt. Then again, I am a car seat geek.

I use a Scenera for airplane travel though as the Radian (and my old Blvd) is heavy.

If your kiddo is squished, I would definitely move him to a convertible. He will be so much happier!

[codex57]

Yeah, I love the Radian for all the reasons PPs have mentioned. Wouldn't travel with it either.

We have a Scenera for travel. Comes with a carrying bag too.

[AnnieW625]

I would look at the seats mentioned here, but would also add the Britax BLVD, Britax Roundabout 50, Evenflo Symphony, and the Evenflo Triumph Advance (Premier, if you can find it; most stores only carry the DLX or LX, but the Premier is suppose to have the best latch connectors and fabric) to the mix. I would take your baby to the store and try him in a variety of seats (or order them from diapers.com, which has free return shipping) and see which one fits him the best. It's the one thing I wish we would've done with DD because she much preferred her cheaper Evenflo seat to the more expensive Marathon (from about 12 mos. until she was 2/1/2 she would fight me every time I put her in the seat).

Also as far as the Evenflo seat goes there is suppose to be a 65lb model coming out soon (I read about it here in the last week or so).

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks everyone for the responses. i will definitely check all these out. good point about having a 2nd carseat for travel. it's not the weight i'm so concerned about, it's the installation into a rental car that i'm sure will be an issue.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx again everyone for the advice. ordered a Radian XTSL from diapers.com (got a great deal..with all the rebates/cashback, it was $172, yay).

i had told DH that will still have to get another cheap carseat for traveling bc so many on the BBB said it was heavy. DH was like "but how heavy can it be??" Well, Fedex just delivered the Radian. We opened it. DH tried to lift it. "Oh man this thing IS heavy!!" LOL!!

[bubbaray]

Yeah, I love how they say it can be used with a strap for travel. Um, yeah. NOT. Someone either here or on car-seat.org recommended that a parent travelling alone with twins carry TWO Radians with straps. I can't even imagine that -- I'd end up on a stretcher or something!

I'd highly recommend a Scenara or similar for travel. Nice and light weight. OH, and the Scenara only comes with a travel bag (per Codex's post above) if you buy it at a B&M store -- if you buy online, it comes in a box, sans travel bag.

HTH