Convertible car seats will protect your kids when they grow too big for an infant car seat and when they are not yet big enough for a booster car seat. Of course, there is always the possibility to use convertible car seats for both rear-facing for infants and forward-facing for toddlers. Weight ranges vary on these car seats, so you need to consider your kid’s height and weight before buying a car seat for them.
All convertible car seats in America meet the minimum safety standards and they are very easy to install in many vehicles. It means that these convertible car seats can hold up well over time and are easy to adjust for proper harness fit. All of these car seats have high rear-facing weight limits, so you can keep the baby safely rear-facing to about age 2 or beyond.
Also, convertible car seats have a 5-point harness built into the seat to secure the baby. Less commonly, these convertible car seats may have an overhead shield system that pulls over the baby’s head. Remember that some newer car seat models allow forward-facing up to 65 pounds.
The forward-facing weight limits on many convertible car seats has increased in recent years. Today’s convertible car seats make this an easier-than-ever option. If you look at some websites out there, you will be surprised on how many kinds of car seats available.
For instance, you can get the Britax Boulevard car seat rear-faces from 5-35 lbs. The Boulevard car seat has height-adjustable side impact protection, something lacking in other convertible car seats, and the infant pad provides a better fit for small babies over other car seats.
Then, there is a new convertible car seat from the First Years which has a lot of features at an affordable price (under $200). The removable headrest makes rear-facing installations easier in smaller vehicles. The forward-facing limit is 65 lbs, and when you add the headrest again, the shell is tall to give a longer useful life.
Another example is the Britax Marathon which is known as one of the most popular convertible car seats on the market. Your baby can use this car seat rear-facing 5-35 lbs. and forward-facing to 65 lbs. One of the best features of the Marathon is Britax’s thicker and wider straps that do not twist very easily.
My Ride 65 convertible car seat is also known as one of the greatest brand of convertible car seats. It was the first in the U.S to feature 40 lb. rear-facing weight limit. The forward-facing limit is 65 lbs. The infant padding is great for helping smaller babies fit into a seat that is also made to accommodate a larger toddler. Best of all, this is a sturdy car seat with plenty of EPS foam for impact protection, a reasonably tall shell, and high harness slots for about $150, which puts some of these excellent features in reach for many more families.
Consequently, the most important thing when it comes to choose the best convertible car seats for the kids is to understand well about your needs and budget. Also, you need to do some comparison shopping and read some reviews from the past customers in order to get the best results in the long run.