Talk to me about convertible car seats

So DD is almost 11 months old. She's on the smaller side, so I still have some time left with the infant carrier and assume I'll be able to get her probably through at least 15 months with it (and that's only because it's getting too heavy to carry).

Currently, I have an infant base in my car, my mother's car, and MIL's car. MIL watches DD 3 days a week, and my mom helps with transport home. Soon, my sister will also be watching DD one day a week and intends to possibly bring her to work some days.

I'm thinking to get a Graco 4Ever for my car (2009 Toyota Rav4), but then need to decide what to do with the others. Does anyone have a Graco SmartSeat? Would it just make sense to get one of those and get multiple bases, or should I go with a few inexpensive ones for the other cars?

If it helps, my mother drives a Chevy Impala, MIL drives an Audi A4, and sister drives a BMW 335.

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

It's really up to you. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Will your mom and sister leave the seat installed all the time?

We have the same car seat in my car, DH's car and my mom's car. Figured it's the seat DS is already used to and we are pros at installing it at this point. We bought the Britax Marathon, which is a pretty expensive seat, too, but I don't worry about money when it comes to things like this.

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

We have six seats, because we needed them for my car, DH's, and my mom. Since car size varies, we have a bunch of different seats.

The Graco MyRide65 is great because it's comparitively inexpensive and looks really cozy. The cupholder is sweet too - my younger daughter hides all kinds of things in there ;)

The Britax Marathon has an excellent reputation for safety, though all the covertible seats go through the same testing.

The Diono Radian is my favorite though. It's narrower than the other seats, so we can actually fit a small passenger (or 3rd seat) in the middle if we had to. and can eventually convert to a booster. They are very safe.

Talk to me about convertible car seats

We are going to get a 4ever, probably one for each of our cars and then probably one of the Graco clones (my size/fit4me/et al) to use in parents cars. The Graco smartseat is not recommended by cfstl for a reason that escapes me. I think it might have to do with how big and bulky it is- may not fit well in most cars. The Graco milestone (sold at target) is like the 4ever but it's a 3 in 1 instead of a 4 in 1.

ETA: they're $$$ but britax now makes clicktight seats which are supposedly easier to install. That might not be a bad idea for a seat that will be installed in different cars frequently.

Message edited 11/17/2014 4:52:30 PM.

Talk to me about convertible car seats

The graco smart seat is a BIG bulky seat and can be a pain to install if any of the seats are contoured at all. Honestly I would go with a titan 65 or other budget friendly seat depending on the car before going with that.


The my ride is also a big seat although easier to install typically. The graco seats named my Size / size4me / fit4me / headwise / contender are more compact and much easier to install though. They are all the same frame of a seat just sold at different retailers with slightly different price points and patterns.

The Diono radian is a great narrow seat and is pretty compact front to back when installed correctly with an angle adjuster. Unfortunately like many seats on the market although they say the have certain specs they typically on average can not provide what is promised. The Radian is one of these seats since the harness mode is often outgrown around the same time as the booster mode is (typically around 7) so you would definitely need a dedicated booster after that.

If you want specific suggestions for your situation feel free to FM me!! I'd be happy to help!

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

I have bought different seats based upon the car they are going in...I spoke with an installer who recommended seats at different price points for each of the cars we needed them for...the recommended seat for my minivan and my husband's truck were different, so the "best" seat may not be the best one for your situation.

Talk to me about convertible car seats

I have the graco4ever in my car and I love it. So easy to install and easy to adjust everything.

I have the Cosco scenera in my moms car. $39 at Walmart. Pain to install but it stays in my moms car and is a good seat. My son is also on the smaller side.

Talk to me about convertible car seats

I have three different seats- my car, my husbands, and MIL. The graco clones aren't too expensive and are easy to install. My fave is the Diono Radian though.

FYI- check the manual for your infant seat. Most babies grow out of it by height way before weight. My daughter grew out of her chicco keyfit 30 around 12/13 months and she was only 18lbs.

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

My girls came out of the infant at 15 mo bc they reached the height limit. They still haven't reached the weight at 2. We went with the britax roundabout bc it's more compact but stiff comfy. Is she in sil and mil car less? Bc then maybe get a better one for your car and a cosco or cheaper $60 one for their cars. They still met safety requirements.

Re: Talk to me about convertible car seats

Thanks all. I'm aware that they typically outgrow the infant seat by height first, however, DD is on the small side for weight (10th percentile) AND height (25th percentile), so I'm still pretty confident that we have some time to spare. She's in my car and my mother's car most. MIL rarely takes her out in the car, but I want her to have something just in case. My sister will have her once a week and I'm pretty sure she'll be taking her out every week when she has her. I'm thinking maybe to get "better" seats for my car and my mother's car and two affordable seats for MIL and my sister would be best.