#gallery-1 .gallery-caption { we have the keyfit 30 as our infant car seat and would like to register for the next step car seat for when baby outgrows it. This is far and away the longest lasting rear-facing-only seat currently available in the US. Room Into the Front SeatRoom into the Front Seat It is allowed for babies 4-11 pounds (and will give a better fit for these babies), but MUST be removed at 12 pounds. #gallery-1 { Stage 1 vs Stage 2Fit2 offers a more upright position (called Stage 2) for babies 9+ months who are able to walk or crawl which is great as a lot of kids at this age dont want to sit as reclined as they needed to as a newborn and want to get a better view out the windows which the Stage 2 allows for. The Fit2 takes up the exact same amount of room in the car as the Key Fit but lasts a lot longer. Room Into the Front SeatRoom into the Front Seat Installation: I installed each seat at least once with guidance from Baer, who is a nationally certified child passenger safety instructor, to ensure that my experience was based on a correct installation. The lever to release the carrier from the base is at the top of the carrier, which can be awkward to access when the front seat is really close to the carrier. If needing 3-across or 2 side by side, the Chicco is a good option to try (if it doesnt work, try a Cybex Aton2). Hillary K. Grigonis is a tech writer and photographer with more than a decade of experience. Harness & FitHarness & Fit I found the Chicco KeyFit 35 handle to be more comfortable and the buttons for the Clek Rigid LATCH were sometimes a bit finicky. The taller the adults sitting in front, and/or the smaller the back seat is, themore attention youll want to pay to this image below. The seat back recline trick(shown below) works with a seat belt or LATCH installation of the base. Because of the anti-rebound bar on the Fit2 base, the seat back recline trick(shown below) worksexceptionally well to help you get the base really tight without having to work very hard and it works with a seat belt or LATCH installation of the base. Note that the child's legs touching the back of the vehicle seat is not an indication that the child is too tall for rear-facing.Forward-facing car seats: Kids are too tall for their forward-facing car seat when they meet the manufacturer's maximum height limit, or their child's shoulders reach the top shoulder strap slot. Fabric care: The machine-washable fabric cover is a little tricky to remove and place back on after washing. Get honest reviews on top products & services delivered weekly to your inbox. Make sure to take out the infant insert under the babys bottom by the time the baby reaches 11 pounds. The seats went through the general torture test that's regular childhood life, including eating in the seats and a road trip. Harness & FitHarness & Fit New LO will be in a Safety 1st OnBoard 35 (or 35 Air, haven't purchased it yet). Removable Inserts & PadsRemovable Inserts & Pads She spends her weekdays writing about camera tech and her weekends photographing weddings and portraits. We recommend removing this from day one. My son was in his infant seat till 13 months. It looks promising if you have time to wait for that. Or another route since you like the Frontier, is to buy a cheaper, smaller convertible like the Scenera, Apt 40 or Guide 65 then when your LO is ready to forward face, buy a Frontier. The Fit2 will take up the same amount of room into the front seat in the Stage 1 or Stage 2 position. The headrest adjusts easily with the push of a button. We recommend the LATCH installation if doing it on your own as it is easier and more likely to yield the tight installation you want. At 52 I was able to lift a 32 pound kid in the Fit2 into and out of a taxi and onto and off of a stroller. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. It easily slips on and off the seat too. float: left; Don't let its narrow exterior fool you it is roomier on the inside and has a taller torso capacity than almost any other seat. Due to the high rate of installation errors, Baer recommended that families with two vehicles purchase two car seats, even if that means choosing a lower-priced model. Most babies fit infant seats for 6+ m. I agree with PP about waiting. The straps are easier to adjust without them on. Unless you go on to have more children and need to pass down the convertible - then you would need to buy another seat for the oldest child. However, it's heavy to carry and it's expensive. Currently, the only seats in the US that offer this type of rear-facing tether are the Clek Foonf and Fllo, with the use of the Clek Q-tether (sold separately). European belt path: The European belt path for rear-facing only seats has a purpose similar to the load leg in reducing the car seat's movement to reduce head and neck forces. Installation notes: The MyFit, in harness mode, is easier to install than other forward-facing seats we tested. What else you should know: While I loved the MyFit in harness mode, its design sometimes allows for the shoulder belt to fit too loosely in booster mode. Who knows what he/she will be in after that because I anticipate well over a year of use, so it'll be well into 2014 before needing a new seat. Features that reduce a car seat's motion during a crash like rigid LATCH attachments or a load leg enhance its protection. The #1 app for tracking pregnancy and baby growth. margin: auto; The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children rear-facing until they outgrow their convertible car seat's rear-facing height or weight limit because of the reduced risk of injury especially to the brain and spinal cord in a crash. Chicco NextFit Zip: A convertible seat with excellent user reviews, the NextFit has a lower maximum height and weight than our top pick. None of the seats in our guide have straps that get uneven. Switching between Stage 1 and Stage 2 is as easy as flipping a part in the base (no change in the installation is required thankfully!). It will truly accommodate a child to the 35 inch maximum (kids will likely not reach the 35 pound weight limit). Handle Position text-align: center; In some cases, the bar also makes it easier to get a tight installation. Currently, Clek straps are the only ones that almost never twist. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; The Car Seat Ladyis not responsible for errors or omissions. The seat is also compatible with a number of different stroller brands. Pros: Easy for kids to buckle themselves, narrow exterior and roomy interior, fits well in challenging vehicles, shoulder belt doesn't slip out of the guide, rigid LATCH. Seat Belt InstallationSeat Belt Installation Here's what I look for when testing car seats: Safety: As mentioned, all car seats sold in the United States meet or exceed federal safety standards. In the base they would have more leg room as the lap belt wouldnt be over their legs. When the headrest is in any of the lower positions and the child leans forward, the shoulder belt gets loose but then won't tighten up when the child leans back. Email us at reviews@insider.com. How it fits in the vehicle: The MyFit is narrower than similar seats and takes up less room in the car, making it a great option for three-across scenarios. Load leg: Available on a few seats in the US mostly infant seat bases a load leg is a metal pole that extends from the bottom of the child's car seat to the floor of the vehicle to prevent the seat from moving forwards or reclining during a crash. Over the course of six months, I tried out 13 different car seats from Chicco, Graco, Clek, Maxi-Cosi, Evenflo, and Doona. } the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information. } Newborn Insert:This is the insertthat is under the childs bottom. There is no rethreading of the shoulder straps simply pull the head rest adjustment strap and pull the head rest up or down such that the shoulder straps come from at or slightly below the babys shoulders and make sure there is at least 1 inch of room between the top of the babys head and the top of the head rest. Make sure to take out the infant insert under the babys bottom by the time the baby reaches 11 pounds. or will he need an interim seat and then also the combo booster seat, for a total of 3 seats in his lifetime?? The Fit2 will take up the same amount of room into the front seat in the Stage 1 or Stage 2 position. It is allowed for babies 4-11 pounds (and will give a better fit for these babies), but MUST be removed at 12 pounds. Buying a car seat is one of the most important purchases a parent can make to support the safety of their child. A child should transition to a car seat belt only when the belt fits correctly. Best budget convertible: Graco Extend2Fit, $209.99 from Buy Buy BabyThe Graco Extend2Fit helps parents keep kids rear-facing longer, all without taking up a lot of space in the vehicle. The straps get uneven, twist a lot, and are difficult to tighten. Anti-rebound bar: An anti-rebound bar prevents a rear-facing car seat from moving toward the back of the car during impact, reducing the chance of the child's head hitting the back of their own vehicle seat. Below are the four best I tested, each of which spent at least a month inside my Chevy Silverado's full-size cab. } This is far and away the longest lasting rear-facing-only seat currently available in the US. Shoulder Pads:These are never required, and we suggest removing them from day one. This style of rear-facing tethering performs the same function as the load leg and European belt path: to eliminate the motion of the car seat towards the front of the vehicle and prevent it from reclining any further. The Fit2 carrier is 12.4 pounds making it heavier than many. And according to a study in the Journal of Pediatrics, 95% of newborns going home from the hospital are endangered by incorrect car safety seat use. However, all seats will feel heavy once you put the baby in them! What else you should know: Unlike car seats made to be left in the vehicle, weight and carrying comfort is a big consideration for infant carriers. Other useful features include a seat belt lock-off and no-twist straps. Chicco is supposed to be bringing out their convertible soon. width: 33%; We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. We found these covers mildly annoying and since they are never required we took them off. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. I tested the infant carriers and convertible seat with my youngest, who was between 11 and 22 months during the evaluation period, while my 6-year-old tested the forward-facing harness seats and my 8-year-old tried out the boosters. It is ONLY allowed when the shoulder straps are in the lowest of the 3 slots. The taller the adults sitting in front, and/or the smaller the back seat is, themore attention youll want to pay to this image below. Handle Position 35 inches is the 50th% boy at 26 months, 75th% boy at 24 months, and 95th% boy at 20 months. The seat belt installation goes well in most vehicles. #gallery-3 .gallery-caption { width: 33%; The extra padding placed behind the childs head with the insert only serves to increase the chance of the babys head going into a chin-to-chest positionwhich is dangerous for breathing. Because of the anti-rebound bar on the Fit2 base, the seat back recline trick(shown below) worksexceptionally well to help you get the base really tight without having to work very hard and it works with a seat belt or LATCH installation of the base. I was going to say the same as PPs about waiting. The anti-rebound bar also helps get a tight fit. Fit2 offers a more upright position (called Stage 2) for babies 9+ months who are able to walk or crawl which is great as a lot of kids at this age dont want to sit as reclined as they needed to as a newborn and want to get a better view out the windows which the Stage 2 allows for. Adjusting the height of the shoulder straps is as easy as pulling a tab at the top of the headrest. Because of that, I did not consider a heavy seat to be a major drawback. It's also pricey considering its 22-pound limit. Rear-facing tether: A tether is a strap that secures the head of the car seat to a designated anchor in the vehicle. Cleaning: I considered features that made seats easier to use and clean, like easily removable and machine-washable fabrics. Pros: Easy to install with or without base, European belt path, anti-rebound bar, compatible with many strollers, Cons: Carrier release is difficult to access in small back seats, harness straps twist, tricky to remove the cover to wash. For families on a budget, the KeyFit 35 offers excellent safety features, including a European belt path and an anti-rebound bar. Fabric care:The fabric cover is not terribly difficult to get on and off, and it's machine washable. } Shoulder Strap Covers: Called neck pads in the manual, these are never required, and we suggest removing them from day one. No-twist straps: Twisted straps are dangerous as they prevent the proper tightening of a seat's straps. My DS fit in the KF30 until he was 18mos, and my DD until she was around 15 mos. It's also washer and dryer safe, unlike most car seat fabrics. Copyright 2019 The Car Seat LadyLLC. National Child Passenger Safety Certification, Graco Extend2Fit, $209.99 from Buy Buy Baby, Chicco KeyFit 35, $249.99 from Buy Buy Baby, Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster, $199.99 from Buy Buy Baby, Maxi-Cosi Rodifix, $199.99 from Buy Buy Baby, American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, features that further limit the car seat's motion in a crash, when it is safe to ride in just a seat belt, certified child passenger safety technician, National Child Passenger Safety Certification program, "Unsafe from the Start: Serious Misuse of Car Safety Seats at Newborn Discharge,", Rear Facing Seats for Infants and Toddlers. Installation TricksInstallation Tricks the other car seat i really like the reviews for is the Britax Frontier 85 Combination Booster seat, but baby won't be able to go directly to it since it's only forward facing, right? Rear-facing convertible seats: Per the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids should remain rear-facing as long as possible, ideally until reaching the rear-facing height or weight limit for their convertible seat. The head insert has padding behind it which pushes babys chin to their chest. Just go to a high backed booster once the harness is outgrown by height on the radian. It rear faces to 45lbs. HeadRest Insert:This is an additional pillow that goes over the structural head rest (the structural one is NOT removable). At 52 I was able to lift a 32 pound kid in the Fit2 into and out of a taxi and onto and off of a stroller. And for families with smaller budgets or those who may need to purchase separate seats for different vehicles, the Extend2Fit is an excellent option. How it fits in the vehicle: Rodifix's flexible wings and lack of armrests make it roomy on the inside but narrow on the outside and perfect for three-across setups. The seat back recline trick(shown below) works with a seat belt or LATCH installation of the base. It feels as sturdy and comfortable as a vehicle's actual seats and includes a long list of safety features. Where in my vehicle are the tether anchors? Best booster seat: Maxi-Cosi Rodifix, $199.99 from Buy Buy BabyThe Maxi-Cosi Rodifix's unique armrest-free design eliminates a common installation error and gives big kids more room to reach in and buckle themselves. #gallery-1 img { Even Chicco agrees, and states as much in their manual. As noted above, the seat can accommodate a 35 inch toddler when the head rest is in its highest position. Even Chicco agrees, and states as much in their manual. Load legs typically reduce the forces on a child's head and neck and fold out from the bottom of the seat to sit on the floor of the vehicle for support. The Rodifix earned a "Best Bet" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its ability to position the seat belt properly. Booster seats: Most high back boosters go to at least 100 pounds, and kids are too tall for their high back booster when their shoulders reach the shoulder belt guide. /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */. By kneeling on the base, I could ease the tension and simply tug. Were willing to lift a few extra pounds for the convenience the longevity affords us.

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what car seat to buy after chicco keyfit 30