Child convertible car seats

Child convertible car seats

Child convertible car seats

Child convertible car seats

Graco ComfortSport at Target in Sept of 2010 as an emergency replacement for our previous carseat after an accident. (We actually got the Creighton model.) I have 3 major concerns about the safety of this seat:

1) The shoulder straps do not tighten evenly. After looking at the back of the seat I realized this is due to the design of the set yoke; most seats have two individual hooks for the shoulder belts, tightened by a single pull strap. The ComfortSport overlaps the two shoulder straps under a single hook and one strap will always be a little looser than the other. This also crates the potential for the overlapping strap to slip out of the hook, as it is barely held in place by the hook.
Child convertible car seats
2) The chest plate is easy to unbuckle, even for young children. I looked up advice on how to solve this issue on Graco's website- apparently many parents were having the same issues and Graco's response was that parents should just explain to their children why they need to keep the belt on. After pulling over 10+ times on a two-hour trip because my 2 year old didn't understand my explaining on why this belt was intended to keep him safe, I settled on buying self-adhesive Ace wrap to wrap around the buckle so he couldn't mess with it.
Child convertible car seats
3) The tightening plate on our model broke after only 11 months of use. I was tightening the strap, as usuall, and the single screw the holds the plate in place pulled out and flew somewhere in the car. If this had happened during an accident, the shoulder straps would have been loosened about 2 inches and greatly reduced the protection of the seat.
Child convertible car seats
I had contaceted Graco regauding my concerns about the seat, and asking for a refund. They sent me a letter stating that if I had problems with their product, I should ship it to them at MY expense and they would replace the seat with another one of the same model- no refund. Needless to say I just went out and bought a different, better rated seat for my son.
Child convertible car seats

Convertible Car Seat Ratings

Convertible Car Seat Ratings

Convertible Car Seat Ratings

I bought two of these seats for my twins. Everyone was talking about how great the Britax seats were- however at that price, they better be made of gold. I did some research and found that two of the Britax seats had been recalled and while one of the Graco ComfortSport seats was also recalled, this one was not.

Convertible Car Seat Ratings

It is so simple to install. It is sturdy and when it's installed correctly, it isn't going anywhere. The harness is easy to adjust, the shoudler pads are great for when the girls fall asleep in the car.
Convertible Car Seat Ratings
The LATCH hooks are a little annoying to remove- the anchor latches on the Britax were the winner in this comparison. But, for the price, the saftey and the adorable easy to clean factors, this is the best car seat. Buy one for each vehicle!
Convertible Car Seat Ratings
We've had this car seat for 3 years and it's been wonderful. It's a good basic car seat and does not cost an arm and a leg.

Pros:
- affordable
- easy to use & install
- seat belt clips are easy & smooth to unlatch
- easy to clean w/removable cover
Convertible Car Seat Ratings
Cons:
- plastic hooks/buttons on seat cover becomes lose after first few washings. Easily lost
- harness latch is a little too easy to remove since our 3 1/2 can figure out how to unlatch herself.

I would buy this product again.
Convertible Car Seat Ratings

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013

We purchased this car seat as a 2nd car seat for travel. Our primary car seat is a Recaro Como. We have a 14-month-old daughter who weighs about 20 lbs. We like the convertible car seats, because they allow us to keep her rear-facing for as long as possible.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013

Great things about the Graco Comfort Sport:
- Really light. Less than 1/2 the weight of our Recaro Como. MUCH better for lugging around an airport and into a plane.
- Has a level indicator that tells you if the seat is at the proper angle rear facing.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013

 

- Relatively small. Fits in the SafeFit 2-in-1 Car Seat Cover 'n Carry. Our Recaro Como does not, which is what originally motivated us to look for a 2nd car seat for travel.
Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013
Minor gripes:
- Seems cheaply made. The fabric feels cheap and fits loosely onto the car seat plastics. Our daughter didn't seem to mind though.
- The length of the shoulder straps are not easy to adjust. Like the Recaro, there is a single strap near the bottom center that you use to adjust the length of the straps, but it is very tough to shorten or lengthen.
Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013
- If the car seat is not at the proper angle, there is no built-in mechanism to adjust it. You have to resort to wedging rolled up towels underneath it until the angle is right.
Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013
Major gripes:
- The seat only fits forward facing on a plane (at least in economy class).
- To secure the car seat forward facing to a seat on a plane, you have to route the seat belt so that the buckle is directly underneath the small of the back of the child. There is literally NO padding above this area, so this makes the seat completely un-sit-in-able for your child. I had to resort to some MacGyver-like tricks on the plane to work around this.
- Not easy to take in and out of a car. You have to snake the seatbelt through a tunnel which makes it cumbersome.

I rate this product 3 stars in general, but would give it only 2 stars if your primary use is for travel.
Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2013

Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings

Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings

Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings

We had a bad car accident last night. At 60+ miles an hour we hit a guy who pulled out in front of us thinking we had a stop sign. We t-boned the bed of his truck and spun him out and spun us out. My daughter was in the backseat and walked away without a scratch.

Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings

She was shooken up after the accident for a while, but she is perfectly fine. The seat did exactly as it was supposed to and she isn't sore or anything today (my husband and I both are!). I'm buying a replacement one right now, I am so happy with how it protected her. My only regret is that I can't buy her one in red - her favorite color. =)
Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings
I love this car seat. I am very satisfied with my purchase. For the price, the quality is definitely there. My daughter is tall for 14 months, and now she sits comfortably facing forward, and has access to her water cup and her snack in the side tray next to her. We both love it. The material is a little rough, but that just means that it's durable, and won't fall apart during washing.I just put a blanket over it also.
Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings
I would recommend that anyone who buys this car seat, place a piece of velcro on the back of the head rest to keep it up. It constantly falling down bothered my baby, which bothered me. It was very easy to install into the vehicle.
Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings
We own two of these, one was made May of 2010 and purchased around October. It has the standard, high quality buckles as pictured and what one expects from Graco. We bought a second one a few weeks ago that was manufactured November of 2010. It has a much smaller center buckle and the metal tabs are short and not tapered. It does not operate smoothly and is eager to pinch your hands and fingers. It may seem petty to bash a carseat that is so good in so many other ways, but I HATE using it. If you buying it as backup or for occasional use, it might be OK, but who wants to deal with a crummy buckle several times a day.
Convertible Car Seat Safety Ratings

Britax Convertible Car Seat

Britax Convertible Car Seat

This was our first Britax purchase and so far I am thrilled with the Marathon 70-G3. While it is VERY large in size, it is extremely soft, plush, and the mechanics of it are very easy to operate. I drive a 2007 Mazda CX-9 and while the fit is snug (rear-facing) it fits with no discomfort to the front passenger.

Britax Convertible Car Seat

Britax Convertible Car Seat

I've read that others commented on the fact that the strap release requires an upward/pulling motion instead of pushing a button, and I have to say that is actually one of my favorite features. Our baby carrier carseat had a button to push and it was always difficult to release the straps; The Marathon's straps release effortlessly once you've figured out where to pull up on the release mechanism. I'd also note that the tether used to tighten the strap works easily too
Britax Convertible Car Seat
- this was something that was very hard to use on our prior baby carrier (not a Britax, obviously) and I usually had to have my husband tighten the straps to get her secured tightly enough. With the Marathon I can easily adjust the straps for my 10 month old without having to use brute force, and without feeling like it is grating against her shoulders.
Britax Convertible Car Seat
Some of my favorite features:

* Extremely easy to loosen and tighten straps.
* Chest clip positioner on the shoulder straps - helps to make sure you have the chest clip in the correct position.
* Strap guards (that are super soft). I had to buy after market guards for my prior seat.
* Very soft fabric - my daughter rubbed her face against it the first night she rode in the seat.
* Included infant pillow helps to cradle her hips and make her feel more secure.
* She is visibly comfortable - she is happier in the car and sleeps very comfortable in it.
* Easy to adjust the height of the shoulder straps without disassembling the seat or the cover.
Britax Convertible Car Seat
Least favorite features:
* It's size is BIG, but I appreciate that it will likely last her for 7+ years.
* The seat cover leaves a gap where the straps come through. We lost 3 cheerios down that gap today and there is no quick way to clean them out.

All in all, I'd buy this seat again in a heartbeat. It's comfortable, pretty, and very soft. Baby loves it and so do I.
Britax Convertible Car Seat

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

Graco infant carrier when he hit 23 lbs at 8 months. We tried several seats but had to return them because the rear-facing position caused the passenger seat to be so far forward that it wasn't safe for an actual passenger.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

We are a family of 4 and often travel together so we need that front seat. I spent so much time reading reviews I thought my eyes were going to bleed.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

I saw this seat at Target and turned it sideways so I could compare the recline and height to all of the other seats they had on display.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

I was surprised to see that the seat was much more upright than other seats (not too much though), which is great because my son likes to see what's going on. I used the little level indicator on the side to be sure. The height is good and it is a really soft seat, with lots of cushioning.

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

The box is big but all I had to do was take it out and attach the cup holder and move the harness straps up a notch. It's very easy. Some people complained about the cup holder being difficult but there are actually 2 slots in the fabric cover that the cup holder attachments are supposed to go through so you don't have to worry about leaving that part of the cushion up. I am so happy to have found a seat that fits, looks good, and is easy to clean and use. 

Convertible Car Seat Reviews 2012

Graco Convertible Car Seat

Graco Convertible Car Seat

Graco Convertible Car Seat

Son is 3 1/2 and not quite 40 pounds and was still in this car seat only a different design. We were in a bad car accident and landed on our top. He was snug and safe throughout the whole ordeal and walked away with no injury at all. That car seat saved his life. Nothing came loose or unbuckled in any way. I am purchasing another one and my other two children were in Graco booster seats...no one was injured! I'll only buy Graco...it's affordable and has proved it's safety to us! 

Graco Convertible Car Seat

We have this carseat but in a different print. We have used this carseat since our baby was born. We decided to skip the carseats you can carry, and just go with this... and we're glad we did. Very easy to install, and very easy to adjust the straps as well. Getting baby in and out is easy as well. Very high quality. 


Graco Convertible Car Seat


Our second car is a small Mazda3, but the Scenera didn't fit well and it was so cheap! After three days, I was sick of the straps twisting and it was so low quality. We decided to purchase another Britax Marathon for our second car and I couldn't be happier. Despite it being a bigger car seat.

Graco Convertible Car Seat

It sits higher than other car seats so he can see out of the window better and there is a lot of padding to make it comfortable. It also has sides that he can lean his head on easily to go to sleep. I don't have the latch system in my car, but it was very easy to install and very stable. I also really love the color. It is very neutral and looks even better than the picture. The cover comes off very easily to wash. Overall I think this carseat is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

Graco Convertible Car Seat

I just bought this car seat a few weeks ago from Amazon and I love it. Originally I bought the Graco Nautilus car seat because of all the great reviews. It had a lot of nice features, but my little boy just didn't like it. He cried every time he got in it. With this car seat it is so comfy and roomy for him and he really likes riding in it.
Graco Convertible Car Seat

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat

We are so happy that we bought a Britax Marathon. It is easy to install, super safe, and our long-legged kids are comfortable in it. My son (now 4) used it happily until my daughter turned

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat

1. However, as soon as we had to move it from the center of the rear row, to one of the sides...
Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat
the silver fabric of the Onyx heats up so fast, it burns my fingers to touch it. So, we keep a towel over it when not parked in the garage. In retrospect, we should have ordered a velour/cotton fabric that doesn't heat up so much.
Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat
I couldn't be happier with this car seat after being in an accident. We were hit on the passenger side due to another driver failing to stop at a red light and then that impact spun us into another car where we were hit on the driver's side. My son was not injured. He had some bruising where the chest restraints were and that was it and I credit that to this wonderful car seat.
Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat
The EMS workers told me several times what a safe seat this was and that it kept my 2 year old from being seriously hurt. There was no question when replacing his car seat that I bought another Britax Marathon!!!!
Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat

Convertible Car Seat Reviews

Convertible Car Seat Reviews

I have one each of the Britax Marathon and the Recaro ProRide for our two vehicles. I studied and agonized over the decision on which car seat(s) to get when I purchased them several months ago. There are a plethora of reviews that pit the Britax against the Recaro, so to save you reading time, I'll keep my review brief:

Convertible Car Seat Reviews

Convertible Car Seat Reviews

Pros of Both:
-Sturdy, High Quality
-Great padding
-Plenty of adjustment for a good secure fit (and our little girl is definitely behind the growth curve in weight: 1 year old and 17 pounds!)
Convertible Car Seat Reviews
Cons of Both:
-This is probably vehicle dependent, but if installing as rear facing then sometimes difficult to get it level because of how many vehicle seats slope down. Ultimately, in our Camry I followed manufacturer recommendations and used a tightly rolled towel underneath to achieve the right placement.
Convertible Car Seat Reviews
Reasons I like Recaro (I'll qualify this by saying both are good, this is just a preference and am probably splitting hairs):
-installation slightly easier due to nature of the latch belts.
-harness release is much easier to find and just seems to make more sense (ergonomically) based on how your hands work
Convertible Car Seat Reviews