Infant Car Seat or Convertible Car Seat?

Megan - posted on 12/15/2012

This is the rear facing that can be turned as well Britax Marathon 70-G3 Convertible Car Seat, Onyx that works well.

Megan - posted on 12/15/2012

This one works well and so well made http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XQ1...

Jasmin - posted on 10/21/2012

I am wondering the same thing. And I have the infant seat: Britax Chaperone with it's base. Do all of the Britax seats fit the same bases? Such as, could I buy the Britax Marathon Convertible seat (as listed above) and still be able to pop it into / and out of my current Chaperone (listed above) base? Thanks moms! Please help me decide if I keep sticking with Britax and which seat to buy, and what age. Very difficulty as a new mommy :)

Heidi - posted on 09/14/2011

Most children out grow the infant car seats at about 7months. Laws require infants to be rear facing until they are 12 months, and recommend that they are rear facing as long as they can in their convertable car seat. My son is 21mo, and still rear facing, it is a lot safer. (His 10, and 11 year old brothers ride in boosters too) Look at ERF (extended rear facing) they have videos that show the force of an accident on the neck of a child in a foward facing car seat.

Jessica - posted on 10/24/2010

My son hit the height max for his carrier at about 4.5 months so we moved to a convertible carseat vesus getting another carrier. He is still rear-facing (almost 10 months old and 21 pounds) and I plan on keeping him that way till hes at least a year old if not longer. We use a britax marathon and it does take up a lot of space but I drive a GMC Acadia so I have plenty of extra room to manuever around if I need it ( I have put him, my nephew, niece, step daughter , sister and bor in law in teh car all at the same time!)

Roxanne - posted on 10/24/2010

Logan's still in his infant seat and I have no plans on moving him to a convertible seat (rear facing) anytime soon. It's safer for them to be rear facing as long as possible. He's probably going to be near the weight limit at a year, so when get the convertible seat (we're asking Santa for it!), we'll put him in that, but rear facing since he's on the shorter side, I'd feel safer.

Brittany - posted on 10/23/2010

If it helps....my oldest just turned 2 & is still rear facing. :) Yes the seat itself takes up more room rear faced, & that kind of sucks. As for his feet, he usually just sits criss crossed or lounges them up against the back of the seat. He's never complained (which he does about most everything else these days lol) so I figure he's fine. I talked with his ped about it & she recommended leaving him rear facing until he fights it or reaches the weight limit (40 lbs for our seat) which obviously he hasn't done either. :) As for my 10 month old, she's still in her infant seat. She's quite little though....16 lbs & only 28 inches. My son was definitely in a convertible at this age though....it all depends on your child's size.

Briona Morris- - posted on 10/22/2010

My daughter is 9 months 3 weeks old and she is in a Convertible seat and has been since a couple of months ago. I have a Mazda MPV (Van) and I have to sit practically in the windshield for her to sit backwards in it. I don't plan to put her front facing till she's 1, but that's because she isn't as tall as her brother was at her age. He has been front facing since 9 months, but he was taller and already was almost 30 pounds. Even thought the law says they should be rear facing for a certain length of time, I think that if their feet touch the back and are crunched it is more dangerous than being turned around. Only you can decide what's best for your children. Best of Luck!!

Sara - posted on 10/22/2010

If your child isn't complaining about their legs being kinda crunched up I'd let it go. I'm going to rear face to the max weight limit on my car seat. Not everyone will agree with this video but I sure am going to extend how long my daughter rear faces.

Jessica - posted on 10/21/2010

I'm actually doing research now for a new carseat. My daughter who is now 10 mths is touching the back of the seat now too. I'm stuck between 3 so far: Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Symphony 65 or The First Years True Fit.

Meghan - posted on 10/20/2010

We just spoke to our Pedtrician about this. Oue 10month old daughter is long, but only weighing 17# and her feet hang over her rear facing seat. We asked if (and when) we can do front facing-she said not til a year, and some states are even waiting untill the child is weighing 30lbs. I wish there was a easier answer :)

Tiffany - posted on 10/19/2010

I am having a similar problem. I have a 10 month old who is 27 lbs and 30 inches long. I have him in a rear facing convertible car seat, but his legs are not able to straighten out and he looks so crunched and uncomfortable. I heard to keep them rear facing until they are 1, and don't want to make it unsafe for my son, but feel that he is big enough that he may have to be forward facing soon.

Ashley - posted on 10/19/2010

my 9 month old son has been in a rear faceing convetiable since the 1 of sept and he likes it alot better because hes 30 inches tall and 25 pounds so the carrier carseat was out of the picture and i drive a mercury sable and also have a 3 and 4 year old in booster seats and we have no problems fitting them all in there but his feet does hit the back of the seat and my husband drives an older extended cab truck without airbags and when he rides in that he has to go up front because the carseat doesnt fit in the backseat rear faceing but onces he forward faceing he can

Michelle - posted on 10/18/2010

I have 3 daughters and with my first two I was told 10 months as long as they weighed a certain amount. And with my last daughter she is really tall also and I had to switch her carseat to a convertible because her legs were squished in the seat, but even when I bought the convertible one her legs were still bunched up. I went ahead and turned her seat around. Her seat is fastened correctly and she is fastened in the carseat correctly, so there is nothing wrong with it. They are still perfectly safe and more comfortable because their legs aren't bunched up. And she loves to look out the window! She loves it!

Korissa - posted on 10/15/2010

My daughter is 31" as well. Through all the researching we landed on the Sunshine kids Radian (I can never remember the letters but I think its the SLXL or something??) and its Fantastic for rear facing. Its not bulky (heavy though) so we can fit plenty in beside her including my twin nephews in their infant carriers (I have an 05 Camry). She seems to have alot more legroom with this convertible than with the others while rear facing. I tried them all before I bought. And I will be keeping her rear facing as long as possible. Hoping for two but Now with another baby on the way.. That might not happen. She might win at 18mo's. :)

Carol - posted on 10/14/2010

My son has been in a convertible seat for a while now. He is much more comfortable. I own a Ford Edge and his Graco seat fits wonderfully in the back. As long as the baby meets the weight and height requirements of the forward facing convertible seat our doc was all for it!

Talitha - posted on 10/13/2010

We have our son in a convertible seat and have for about two months now. We had the Graco snugride infant seat and our seat had a weight and a length restriction. He was to long for the seat before he hit the weight limit. We figured they put the limits there for a reason so switched him over. We have had some trouble with the seat fitting nicely (we drive a Kia sportage) but its only for another two months.

Rachel - posted on 10/12/2010

Kendra is 10 months, and sh faces both forward and rear, depending on how long the drive and her mood. She really dislikes facing backwards and makes a fuss kicking her feet hard against the seat. So on shorter rides, I sometime put her forward facing.

Francesca - posted on 10/12/2010

With current recommendations that kids stay rear-facing until they're 2 years old, I had the same concern. Looking at these photos helped me understand how this might work:
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseat...

Tiziana - posted on 10/12/2010

I also have a Britax for my lo and his feet touch the back too, but I watched a video on u-tube that was showing how to mount it rear facing and they also said that it's ok if the feet touch the seat and they have to bent the legs they r still comfortable and safer then being ff. And actually one video there was a 2 year old little girl still rear facing.

Katie - posted on 10/12/2010

My son is 10 months old and we are still using the infant car seat. He's a big boy and his feet are touching the back seat, but he still fits the weight requirements. Since he only has another 2 months before he can turn around, we are just going to make due with what we have. In December, his sister is going to move into a booster seat and he's going to move into the toddler seat.

Belinda - posted on 10/12/2010

I dont know where you are from but here in NZ it is only reccomended that they are rear facing until they are 1. My daughter is not very tall she is about 3 inches shorter than your ones so for us its not a problem and she is in a convertable rear facing. I think if we had that problem i would just turn her around.

Jo - posted on 10/11/2010

we still have our 10mth old son rear-facing and will probably continue to do so for awhile, but i know of many baby's his age who are already forward-facing and have been for awhile.... (?)

Heidi - posted on 10/11/2010

My son is also in a convertible car seat as he outweighs his infant one. I find the convertibles are OK for rear facing ... but are cramped because of their size. I also have an SUV, and the seat seems too big. IN a few months though, I can turn it around to be front facing, and then all problems of it's size will be solved.

Jessica - posted on 10/11/2010

I am in the same boat as you so I know where you are coming from. We also have a jeep and my son is 31 inches......he seems like his feet are jammed also. I don't know what to do because his Dr told me I can't forward face him until he is 1.