Deciding which car seat to strap your bundle of joy in is a difficult task. I have three children, and I know their safety is a top priority for me. I wanted to make sure I picked the best child convertible car seat for our family. Safety, comfort, price, and durability are just some of the top priorities I had when deciding on which to go with. I have spent hours reading reviews, checking out products in stores, and reading manuals to help figure out the best convertible car seat.
Convertible Car Seat reviews
Britax marathon 70 Review
When trying to decide on which seat to go with, there is no way I could pass up checking out the Britax marathon 70 convertible car seat. For years, Britax has been making top rated convertible car seats that are favored by moms and dads. Although the Britax seats are on the expensive side, they are packed full of features and conveniences. Are they worth the cost though?
read the complete review
Buy the Britax Marathon 70 from Amazon.com
Graco My Ride 65 Review
Graco is probably the most known manufacturer of baby products. They produce car seats, playards, baby monitors, high chairs, and a whole lot more. In fact, we have even used Graco products for our kids, including a very popular infant carrier. When I found out Graco made the My Ride 65 child convertible car seat. I had to take a look at it. Safety is my number one priority when it comes to my kids. I wonder though, if Graco had spread itself to thin with the many different baby products they produce. It is possible the focus for the convertible car seat is not what it should be.
Read the Complete Review
Buy the Graco My Ride 65 at amazon
latest Child Convertible Car Seat Information
Proper Angle for Rear Facing Convertible Car Seats
Did you know there was a proper angle for installing your child convertible car seat rear facing? Well if not, you are not alone. Many people think you just put the seat in and install with either the LATCH or the cars seat belt. The angle at which the seat is installed is important for the comfort and safety of your baby. if the convertible car seat is up too straight, your child’s head will flop forward more, especially if the child is an infant. If the seat is laying back to far, this causes fitment issues, and the legs can flop up towards the infants torso.
the recommended range for the installation of your child convertible car seat is between 30 and 45 degrees. This range provides the best comfort and safety for your child. Most car seats have a indicator of some kind to let you know if the seat is within the right range or not. Some car seats have adjustable feet that fold down or move to place the car seat at the right angle in your car. In the manual for the Britax Marathon 70, it is recommended to use a swim noodle or a rolled up towel to help get the right angle. the towel or swim noodle gets placed at the back of the seat, where the seat back and the seat bottom meet. This will help tilt the seat to the proper angle.
If in doubt though, it is always good to check with the manufacturer of your child convertible car seat for the recommended installation angle, and what, if anything, can be used to support the car seat to adjust the installation angle. When installing the car seat, you may need to use a knee to put extra pressure down on the seat to compress the rolled up towel or swim noodle. It is very important to get the seat belt, or LATCH strap very tight. You want less than one inch of movement at the belt path.
Five-Point Harness Chest Buckle
You know, in my post about using the five-point harness in your child convertible car seat, I forgot to talk about the chest buckle. Proper placement of the buckle is important to keep your child in the seat in case of an accident.
The chest buckle needs to be at armpit level when connected. The Buckle helps to position the shoulder straps over the child’s shoulders, and keep the straps from spread apart in an accident, allowing the child to be thrown forward and possibly out of the seat.
The chest buckle on the five-point harness is usually the first one your child learns to disconnect on its own. For safety reasons, your child should be taught to leave this buckle alone immediately. One way we did this was if our child disconnected the buckle in their convertible car seat, we stopped the vehicle and turned off the engine. The car was not to start or go with anyone unbuckled. We were lucky and had to only do this a few times. Now the kids will actually start to throw a fit if the car is started and they think it might move before they are completely buckled in.
Correct Use of the Five-Point harness in a Child Convertible Car Seat
Okay, I would like to first start out by saying that my knowledge on the subject comes from research, and having used various car seats over the years with my children. If you are ever in doubt about something, it is best to contact the manufacturer of your child convertible car seat.
One of the stages in a convertible car seat usually involves using a five-point harness to strap your child in. the five-point harness is able to spread crash forces over a wider area, and over the stronger parts of the body. The safety of a five-point harness has been known for years. That is why racecar drivers and fighter pilots use them exclusively. In fact we would all be safer strapped in with a five-point harness.
Unfortunately many children are not strapped in correctly, which can lead to serious injuries during a crash that would have been prevented from a properly used harness. One thing to look at is where the shoulder straps are. If the child is rear facing, the straps should be at or below the shoulders. If the child is front facing, the straps should be at or above the shoulders. This does not mean put the straps at the highest slot because you are to lazy to adjust it in the future. As soon as your child’s shoulders are above the slot, move the harness straps up to the next slot. The same for rear facing, as soon as your child’s shoulders reach the slot, or are a little above it, move the harness straps up.
Do not use anything except what has been provided by the child convertible car seat manufacturer to cushion or hold the child in place. Extra padding around and under your child will give in a crash. The five-point harness will not be able to work properly in this case and your child may fly out of the seat like a little rocket. For me, that is not a pretty picture at all. This goes for heavy winter coats as well. With a coat on, there is too much padding between your child and the harness and the harness cannot be tightened correctly.
After your child is in, make sure the harness is properly snug. One way, and what seems to be accepted as the best way to check for the proper tightness of a five-point harness is the pinch test. Where the harness crosses over the shoulder, pinch it in the top to bottom direction. Did you pinch some? If you did, the harness is to loose. You should not be able to pinch the harness. A properly tightened harness will hold your child snug in to their child convertible car seat, letting the car and car seat do their job of protecting them in a crash.
Taking a few extra moments to make sure your child is properly buckled in with the five-point harness is cheap insurance against injuries that could have been prevented.
Selecting a Child Convertible Car Seat
Instead of purchasing a few different child safety seats, many people are electing to use a child convertible car seat instead. The Graco My ride 65 is a good example of one such seat. These types of safety car seats can be used as an infant seat, and a five-point harnessed front facing seat. There are also some seats that can be used for the front facing five point harness, and as a belt positioning booster. Either way you go, you want to make sure you are picking the best convertible car seat for you. What works for one family might not be what works for you.
The main purpose for a child car seat is to keep the child safe during an accident. Many people wonder what the safest car seat is. Well, to put it simply, the safest car seat is the one that is properly installed. As many as 90% of car seats are not installed correctly. If you need assistance getting the seat properly installed, contact the fire or police departments in your area. Car seats are not issued a safety rating; it is a pass-fail kind of deal. Some manufacturers choose to exceed the minimum guidelines.
If your child will be in the seat a lot, you might be concerned about their comfort. Some seats have little padding over the hard plastic car seat shell, while others provide nice plush covers and extra padding. The design of the seat also helps with comfort. Children, infants especially fall asleep on car rides, if their head flops too much to the side, they will be very uncomfortable.
Convenience and easy of use features have lately been incorporated in to some models of convertible car seats. Things like no rethreading five-point harnesses make it very simple to adjust the harness as your child grows. Cup holders for their favorite drink cup are sure to please the kiddo as well. The cover does need cleaned for whatever reason, so one thing to keep in mind is how hard it is going to be to remove the cover of the car seat to wash it.
One thing many people forget about is to check the fit in the car. Convertible car seats are not a standard size, and you might be limited on what seat to buy by the size of your car. If you have multiple car seats, things can get even a little more tricky as trying to figure out which car seats will puzzle together nicely in the back seat.
I hope these few tips can help when you are searching for the best convertible car seat to transport your new baby or child in. There are many different styles and colors of seats to choose from, and it can be overwhelming. Stick to the basic tips, and find the car seat that will work the best for you.
What is a Convertible Car Seat?
To put it simply, a convertible car seat is a safety seat for your child that can be used for many stages of your child’s life. There are four main types of car seats for children’s safety. The infant seat is for infants of course. They are installed rear facing in the vehicle, so the child’s head is pointing towards the front of the car. These seats start out at 4 to 5 pounds and go up as high as 35 to 40 pounds.
The next stage of seat is the five-point harness front facing seat. The car seat is installed front facing in the vehicle, and the child is strapped in to the seat with a five-point harness. The car seat itself is connected to the car with the car’s seat belt, or the LATCH system. The weight range is usually 20 to 40 pounds, although higher weight limit seats are being developed for additional safety.
The child will next move in to a belt positioning booster seat. The purpose of this car seat is to guide the seat belt over the child at the right points. The seat usually has different loops for the car’s seat belt to travel through to get the belt positioned right.
A backless booster is the last stage of car seat your child may need. The main purpose is to raise the child up from the car’s seat to help the seat belt be better positioned on them. The booster seat does not change the natural path of the seat belt though, just positions the child higher so the seat belt aligns with the child in the proper spots.
A child convertible car seat combines two or tree of the single use car seats in to one. One very popular kind of convertible car seat combines the infant seat with the five-point harness seat. The car seat is installed rear facing when the child is an infant, until the rear facing weight limit of the seat. The seat is then installed front facing. A good example of this kind of seat is the Britax marathon 70. These kinds of car seats usually expire in 6 to 8 years. It is possible it is the only seat you will need to buy until your child outgrows it and is ready for a booster seat.
the recommended range for the installation of your child convertible car seat is between 30 and 45 degrees. This range provides the best comfort and safety for your child. Most car seats have a indicator of some kind to let you know if the seat is within the right range or not. Some car seats have adjustable feet that fold down or move to place the car seat at the right angle in your car. In the manual for the Britax Marathon 70, it is recommended to use a swim noodle or a rolled up towel to help get the right angle. the towel or swim noodle gets placed at the back of the seat, where the seat back and the seat bottom meet. This will help tilt the seat to the proper angle.
If in doubt though, it is always good to check with the manufacturer of your child convertible car seat for the recommended installation angle, and what, if anything, can be used to support the car seat to adjust the installation angle. When installing the car seat, you may need to use a knee to put extra pressure down on the seat to compress the rolled up towel or swim noodle. It is very important to get the seat belt, or LATCH strap very tight. You want less than one inch of movement at the belt path.
The chest buckle needs to be at armpit level when connected. The Buckle helps to position the shoulder straps over the child’s shoulders, and keep the straps from spread apart in an accident, allowing the child to be thrown forward and possibly out of the seat.
The chest buckle on the five-point harness is usually the first one your child learns to disconnect on its own. For safety reasons, your child should be taught to leave this buckle alone immediately. One way we did this was if our child disconnected the buckle in their convertible car seat, we stopped the vehicle and turned off the engine. The car was not to start or go with anyone unbuckled. We were lucky and had to only do this a few times. Now the kids will actually start to throw a fit if the car is started and they think it might move before they are completely buckled in.
One of the stages in a convertible car seat usually involves using a five-point harness to strap your child in. the five-point harness is able to spread crash forces over a wider area, and over the stronger parts of the body. The safety of a five-point harness has been known for years. That is why racecar drivers and fighter pilots use them exclusively. In fact we would all be safer strapped in with a five-point harness.
Unfortunately many children are not strapped in correctly, which can lead to serious injuries during a crash that would have been prevented from a properly used harness. One thing to look at is where the shoulder straps are. If the child is rear facing, the straps should be at or below the shoulders. If the child is front facing, the straps should be at or above the shoulders. This does not mean put the straps at the highest slot because you are to lazy to adjust it in the future. As soon as your child’s shoulders are above the slot, move the harness straps up to the next slot. The same for rear facing, as soon as your child’s shoulders reach the slot, or are a little above it, move the harness straps up.
Do not use anything except what has been provided by the child convertible car seat manufacturer to cushion or hold the child in place. Extra padding around and under your child will give in a crash. The five-point harness will not be able to work properly in this case and your child may fly out of the seat like a little rocket. For me, that is not a pretty picture at all. This goes for heavy winter coats as well. With a coat on, there is too much padding between your child and the harness and the harness cannot be tightened correctly.
After your child is in, make sure the harness is properly snug. One way, and what seems to be accepted as the best way to check for the proper tightness of a five-point harness is the pinch test. Where the harness crosses over the shoulder, pinch it in the top to bottom direction. Did you pinch some? If you did, the harness is to loose. You should not be able to pinch the harness. A properly tightened harness will hold your child snug in to their child convertible car seat, letting the car and car seat do their job of protecting them in a crash.
Taking a few extra moments to make sure your child is properly buckled in with the five-point harness is cheap insurance against injuries that could have been prevented.
The main purpose for a child car seat is to keep the child safe during an accident. Many people wonder what the safest car seat is. Well, to put it simply, the safest car seat is the one that is properly installed. As many as 90% of car seats are not installed correctly. If you need assistance getting the seat properly installed, contact the fire or police departments in your area. Car seats are not issued a safety rating; it is a pass-fail kind of deal. Some manufacturers choose to exceed the minimum guidelines.
If your child will be in the seat a lot, you might be concerned about their comfort. Some seats have little padding over the hard plastic car seat shell, while others provide nice plush covers and extra padding. The design of the seat also helps with comfort. Children, infants especially fall asleep on car rides, if their head flops too much to the side, they will be very uncomfortable.
Convenience and easy of use features have lately been incorporated in to some models of convertible car seats. Things like no rethreading five-point harnesses make it very simple to adjust the harness as your child grows. Cup holders for their favorite drink cup are sure to please the kiddo as well. The cover does need cleaned for whatever reason, so one thing to keep in mind is how hard it is going to be to remove the cover of the car seat to wash it.
One thing many people forget about is to check the fit in the car. Convertible car seats are not a standard size, and you might be limited on what seat to buy by the size of your car. If you have multiple car seats, things can get even a little more tricky as trying to figure out which car seats will puzzle together nicely in the back seat.
I hope these few tips can help when you are searching for the best convertible car seat to transport your new baby or child in. There are many different styles and colors of seats to choose from, and it can be overwhelming. Stick to the basic tips, and find the car seat that will work the best for you.
The next stage of seat is the five-point harness front facing seat. The car seat is installed front facing in the vehicle, and the child is strapped in to the seat with a five-point harness. The car seat itself is connected to the car with the car’s seat belt, or the LATCH system. The weight range is usually 20 to 40 pounds, although higher weight limit seats are being developed for additional safety.
The child will next move in to a belt positioning booster seat. The purpose of this car seat is to guide the seat belt over the child at the right points. The seat usually has different loops for the car’s seat belt to travel through to get the belt positioned right.
A backless booster is the last stage of car seat your child may need. The main purpose is to raise the child up from the car’s seat to help the seat belt be better positioned on them. The booster seat does not change the natural path of the seat belt though, just positions the child higher so the seat belt aligns with the child in the proper spots.
A child convertible car seat combines two or tree of the single use car seats in to one. One very popular kind of convertible car seat combines the infant seat with the five-point harness seat. The car seat is installed rear facing when the child is an infant, until the rear facing weight limit of the seat. The seat is then installed front facing. A good example of this kind of seat is the Britax marathon 70. These kinds of car seats usually expire in 6 to 8 years. It is possible it is the only seat you will need to buy until your child outgrows it and is ready for a booster seat.