Infant Outgrowing Baby Car Seat??

Updated on April 04, 2008
A.C. asks from Watertown, NY
46 answers

This may sound sort of silly, but I really am not sure what my options are. My almost 8-month old son is on the verge (literally) of outgrowing his infant car seat, both length-wise and weight-wise. What are my options for the "next size up"? I don't want to buy yet another one when he becomes a toddler, and so on. Can anyone recommend a good car seat that will work for a 20 lb. baby all the way up to when he is a toddler?

Also, if you are in the Watertown area, anyone know of any good places to shop for these things? We have a serious lack of baby equipment around here!

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So What Happened?

Thanks SO much to everyone for their advice and help...I knew I came to the right place!! I looked at the Britax and really liked it; unfortunately that amount of money is not at all in our budget right now. So, I took some others' advice and went with the Cosco Scenera...it's a convertible car seat that goes up to 30 (I think?) lbs. rear-facing and then turns forward up to 40 lbs.

So it will last us a little longer...once we finally figured out how to install it my son loved it! He seems much happier and more comfortable in this one.

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A.W.

answers from New York on

I went BJ brought convertable that grow with child
3 in 1 Infant,toddler to 80lbs....only $77.00 dollar at other stores nearly $300.00

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D.L.

answers from New York on

I took my daughter out of her infant car seat at 3 months and put her into a Britax it goes up to 65 lbs.

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M.R.

answers from New York on

The Britax Roundabout ($200) the evenflo Triumph (which I use , $120) and the cosco Alpha omega (I used for my now 6 yr old, $160) are the three highest rated in safety. I would not recommend using a used carseat like one that can be found on freecycle or ebay unless it is new in a sealed box. you won't know if that seat was previously in an accident or any defects in it. There are a ton of sites online that you can get these seats from.

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K.F.

answers from Rochester on

My son grew out of the infant carseat before he was 6 months old. He has been in the Britax Marathon ever since. He is now almost 2 1/2. The carseat has been very easy to use and install in the car. He can be in it til he is 65 lbs. It is also a carseat that is tested up to 100 mph which most in the US are not... it is a carseat that is sold in countries in Europe.

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D.S.

answers from Albany on

A.,

I had an infant carrier that had a base for the car and used that (rear facing)until Courtney was too long. It came with our graco stroller - I think they call them "travel systems" or something nowadays. Anyway our toddler car seat which we expect to work fine until she's 4 is the Cosco Regal Ride Touriva, about $50 at Wal-mart or Target. I looked online and can't find that exact one -it's been 3 years- but this is close: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4231507 This one goes up to 40 lbs. which is fine for most but your guy sounds like a healthy bruiser! Maybe there's one out there that would hold a larger tot.

Hope this helps!
D.

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D.

answers from New York on

I have a convertable seat. This is a seat that faces backwards up to 35 lbs. Then it turns forward as a regular car seat until 45 lbs. Then after that it becomes a booster up to 100 lbs. It's made by Graco. If you get them at Walmart their like $50. But I think mine was like $125, I got it as a gift. Make sure that it is backwards compatible. There are tons of them out there.

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S.D.

answers from Syracuse on

u just have to look around, im sure that almost all toddler seats are from 20ish pounds to 40ish.

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J.D.

answers from New York on

A.,

What you are looking for is a convertible car seat. It works facing both rear and front, and is good up to 40 lbs. You can order one online from babiesRus or BuyBuy Baby or Walmart, etc. Do yourself a favor, and check the ratings at consumer reports' website before you buy. Their car seat research is free, and you don't need a subscription to look at it.

You won't need anything else again until he's over 40 lbs, and then it is a booster seat, which is good to 100 lbs. You can get some models that will go up to 100 right away, but they are made by Britax, and are more expensive than the two seats combined normally are. On the other hand, Britax seats are super-safe, and of truly superior quality. It's all up to you if you've got $250 or so to spend on the thing.

J.

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L.W.

answers from New York on

I would say look online for a car seat. Watch the lbs. limit on them...you will most likely be able to find a seat that will fit him until he's bigger. Some of them have limits from 20 lbs up to 40 lbs.

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D.M.

answers from New York on

Hi A.,
I live down the Jersey shore and we too have a lack of baby stores , i actually bought my twins boy and girl new carseats they are 10 months old. i got them the graco comfort sport they love it and look very comfy in it too i purchased them online just go to either walmart.com or babiesrus website the standard shipping is cheap all together i think i paid maybe 80 and change .

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J.H.

answers from Binghamton on

hi I had 2 infant carseats for my first son. One went to 20 lbs. And the other goes to 45lbs I do believe. and then I had to go and get an toddler seat anyways. there was no way that i saw to let him go from the infant seat straight into a toddler seat. I hope i helped

C.S.

answers from New York on

I am the carseat diva! When my son was 7 months old he weighed 21 lbs. His graco carrier was only up until 20 lbs so it was time to get him a new seat. I did my research and went to Babies R Us to buy the Evenflo Triumph car seat. Well, I saw the Britax Decathlon and fell in love instantly.
You need to find a convertible car seat that will fit in your car backwards and then will turn and face forwards once your son is a year old. The decathlon came with extra padding to accommodate babies of all sizes. The pads are all layered, so you just remove them one by one until you are down to just the regular seat.
I will recommend any of the Britax seats to you. They have built in lock-offs so there is no need for locking clips. I hate those stupid things. It takes me about 60 seconds to move Joey's seat from one car to another.
The bad things? The price is a little hard to swallow. You are looking at between $250-$300. Use your tax refund! :) I will say that most Britax seats go from 8 lbs to 60 lbs. So its something you will have for a LONG time. You wont need to buy another one, until he graduates to a booster, but thats not until kindergarten, or so. We have had our 2 years this March and its been washed in the washing machine a dozen times, and it still looks brand new. And its seen the business end of many leaks and spills.
Also, the seats are HUGE! I drive a Crown Victoria, which is a big car, and the decathlon barely fit in the rear facing position. Front facing its fine. My friend has a VW Jetta, and it fit her in car perfectly forwards, but I dont think it would have fit rearfacing.
Can you tell, I REALLY love this seat? :) Here is the link: http://www.britaxusa.net/ Every different Britax retailer has the seats in different patterns, so you may have to shop around until you find the pattern you like. Some are a bit to funky for my taste.
I'm buying my daughters Britax seat at Target, but I bought my sons at Babies R Us.
Good Luck to you!

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T.O.

answers from New York on

You can buy him the eddie baeur car seat. It can be used for infant to toddler. weight limit is from 5 to 100lbs. If you live near a BJ's wholesale store it is only $100. You can also get it from babyrus or any store like that. If you don't see that brand. You mainly want to look for a car seat that says infant to toddler or up to a 100 pounds.

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S.P.

answers from Binghamton on

As a proud mother of a 59lb 4 year old, I know where you're coming from. I know that Eddie Bauer and Graco have some model that go from 10-80 lbs, I have the Eddie Bauer and it is incredible! Babies/Kids-R-Us in Syracuse should have a nice selection. I'm in Ithaca and I believe the drive is similar, maybe a little further for you? also, Target has some really great stuff if there's one near you...good luck!

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K.T.

answers from Binghamton on

my sister swears by the evenflow titian its back facing through 20 or 30 lbs and front facing through 40 lbs.

my mother in law gave us the graco zephyr cargo booster/ car seat. this seat will grow with Max untill he reaches 100 lbs. the seat is $100 at target. It is a front facing seat which is great because our little man can watch where we go and see us so he doesn't freak out.

hope this helps

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T.S.

answers from New York on

there are car seats that are I believe a 4 in 1. holds infant to toddler and then a big kid up to 70lbs. By law they must be 7 years old or more than 70 lbs before they can be without a car seat. You would buy this seat expensive but they last thruoghout the 7 year period and turn it facing the back of the seat until he turns 1 year old and then it just turns around facing the front of the car.. I know you can get them at babies r us. Also you can look on consumer report for the best rated car seat. I know Graco and Chicco or the top 2 for infant seats. When you look at different seats they will all have strong and maybe very few weak points. This will be a great deal if your little basketball player is outgrowing his seat too fast. Hope I helped. Good luck,
T.

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C.S.

answers from New York on

I had the same problem with my daughter. We bought a convertible car seat and she loves it!

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K.B.

answers from New York on

Go on-line to Babies r us and purchase a car seat through them. I have a 3yr old and a 1yr old and use the BRITAX seats for both. A little costly but very very safe and super -easy to use and the kids seem very comfortable!

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S.B.

answers from Utica on

I know the dilema. I ended up buying a car seat at Walmart that starts at 1 year and goes all the way to the last needed booster seat. High back is VERY important...This saves only one more purchase until he can sit on the seat himself

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E.T.

answers from Rochester on

When I needed to find a second car seat I went on E-Bay. You can get almost any carseat you want for less than half price. I recommend that you do your reseach first so that you know which seat you want. If you can't find it there Babies-r-us has a good selection of convertable seats. They work all the way up to a booster seat. I personally purchased the Alpha Omega by cosco and it is working great. I have a 6 month old that is just about 20 lbs. This seat does work both rear and front facing. I hope this has helped.

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M.B.

answers from Buffalo on

A.,
Check out Target. Our youngest daughter grew out of the baby seat really quick and our oldest's car seat was given to our nephew. We found a few great seats that are able to face backward and then turn around and hold a toddler until they are ready for a booster seat. Look for one that is in your budget because we recently found out that the new booster seats that have the detachable back hold toddlers from 30lbs up. Also check out walmart. You should be able to look online at their choices and call your local store to confirm that they carry the item you like.

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S.G.

answers from New York on

Hi, Its normal for the babies to grow out of there infant seats, actually by a certain time they should really be in a car seat, so if he is sitting up on his own he can go into a car seat, I would go to babies or us or buy buy baby, they should be able to help you there and answer your questions. One thing I have leared about car seats is that I have never gotten a seat with the bar in front, I have 2 boys 5 and 2, and my sister who is also a mother told me to never get a seat with the bar that comes down she has heard that if you are in a accicedent god forbid the bar can get stuck and if you need to get your child out u can't, so thats why i wouldn't get on ewith a bar, I have the seat with the staps thst go over the child, and once u move hin into the big boy car seat its so much easier then carring the infant seat all over, know u just take him in and out with nothing attached. let me now if I helped, oh and also you want to look for a car seat with a 5. harness strap, they are much safer.

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K.D.

answers from New York on

Without having read all your other responses, I can say save yourself the time and just go with the best, get your baby a BRITAX carseat. I have the Britax Wizard, but I hear the Marathon is also as good, and they probably have other models. Britax carseats go up to 60 pounds so it's the only one you'll ever have to buy once you get it. They're expensive, sure, and well worth it. They're the ONLY carseat on the market safetey-tested for SIDE impact safety and with built in side impact collision safeguards. Get the best, carseats aren't something to go cheap on, ya know? If there's one area you should never skimp or try to save money on, let it be a carseat.

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K.S.

answers from New York on

first off i would go to babies r us. I have a great car seat that is made by Eddie Bauer...it goes to 120 pounds!

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S.F.

answers from Buffalo on

You can get convertible seats that are good from 5 - 40 pounds - they can go rear-facing and then be turned around forward facing.

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C.A.

answers from Rochester on

I have an almost 2 year old and a 5 month old. When my daughter was about 6 months we had to trade up to the next seat. I found a Britax Marathon car seat that goes from 5 to 65 pounds and has a 5 point restraint. It's a little more expensive than the rest but it's rated well and should last until at least age 5. I figured it would be cheaper in the long run and safety is always the priority if you save up the money ($270+). My son is already outgrowing his infant seat and I went and purchased the same seat for him. I bought it at a babiesRus in Rochester, but you can probably go online and find one if you don't have one of the R'us stores near you. I used to live in Syracuse and I know there is one not far from carousel mall if you are ever in that direction.

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M.F.

answers from New York on

Hello Amandaa,

Here is a link to the place I bought my baby car seat its a convertible car seat

http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWCatProductPage.pro...

Maybe you can find a store that will ship it to you.Good Luck. M.

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A.Q.

answers from Hartford on

Graco makes a good car seat. My oldest had one from 8 months til last month. She will be four next week. But you will have to buy a booster seat around that time. But def. talk to your pediatrician.

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C.D.

answers from New York on

Just buy a 'regular' car seat and turn it backwards until he's a year old. Once he's a year, you can just turn it forward facing and you're good to go!

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J.M.

answers from New York on

Get him a new one. Get him the Eddie Bauer Convertible carseat. It converts into a booster seat once he reaches 40 pounds or 4 years old.

Babies R Us sells all of this stuff and so does Target, K-Mart, Sears, WalMart etc.....get him one that he fits into.

JM Watertown, CT

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S.S.

answers from Syracuse on

A.,

A convertible carseat is the best choice. I have 4 children, all of whom outgrew the infant seats well before a year old. My youngest, son who is almost 9mos, outgrew the infant seat at 6 mos! I see that you live in Watertown...I'm about 20 miles from Watertown, and if you don't want to purchase a brand new one, I know of a few great consignment shops in the area that carry gently used baby equipment for great prices. Feel free to contact me for more information.

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Y.Z.

answers from New York on

Hi, I am too late with suggestions but for someone how might be interested... We had a same problem and just few days ago I purchased convertible car seat. I wanted Britax first but I realized that it is kind of expensive and then I found reviews on web saying that the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Car Seat is a convertible car seat, manufactured by Britax and similar to their Marathon model. This seat is rear facing for children 5-33 lbs and forward facing for children 20-55 lbs and at least 1 year of age. The seat has a two position recline, 5-point harness with 4 height adjustments, LATCH connectors and a removable cover that can be hand washed. It is FAA certified for use on planes. So, I got it for $129.99 plus shipping (from web).

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J.K.

answers from New York on

I had the same problem so I got a Britax Roundabout, which says it is good until they are around 4 years old. My daughter still hates carseats, but less than before. She was so big that at one and 21 pounds her knees were up by her elbows. I asked if I could turn her around and they are hesitant about it but since she is uncomfortable they said yes. She is much happier turned around and it is safe but not confining. I bought it online at babys R Us, but have seen it in Target since. You have to make sure you tilt it back far enough because her head would flop forward when she slept.

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L.M.

answers from New York on

First of, I lived in Utica when I bought all of my baby stuff, we now live 40 mins from manhattan, but, when I was in Utica we got a lot of stuff at target. Also, my in-laws lived in Lowville and also said target was a good place. My daughter did the same growing thing but a 6 months. Our doctor recommended a Cosco seat that will go to 100 lbs. Good luck! E-mail me if you need anything or have questions.

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M.

answers from New York on

What you need to find is a chair that can be used both rear- and front facing, and can be used up to about 60lb.
My mom bought one like that at Target. I think it was by Graco, but I might be wrong. It works great for her when she needs to drive any of the grandchildren, in any size. It is safe enough for the young ones because it has a 5-point harness, and it is also suitable for the older ones, aince it is big and comfortable.

btw, i felt compelled to resond because we have a 5yo white boxer :)

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T.M.

answers from Albany on

All I can say is BRITAX, BRITAX, BRITAX!!! Watch this link and you'll see why. We have had our daughter in her Britax seat ever since she was 8 months old...she is now 5 1/2!!! NO LIE! It goes to 65 lbs, she is only 38 lbs, she is still really comfortable in it, it's well worth the $250.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

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J.G.

answers from New York on

HI,
Dont feel silly. Our just shy of 8 months old is about to outgrow HER carseat too and like you , we have no idea what the next step is..One thing i was told though, was until they are ONE year old, continue to have the seat face backwards!!
Good luck !

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J.M.

answers from New York on

hi A. britax is the best carseat i think. it lasts for ever they are kinda expensive but worth it cause you wont have to buy any more. good luck
jackie, 29, 2 girls age 3 and 1 fishkill ny

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L.D.

answers from Burlington on

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/117/183757/117.html

I have this car seat, it is from Cosco, it is the Alpha Omega Elite, it works all the way from infant to 100lbs, it turns into a backless booster seat. It is great! My daughter likes it, it seems really comfy..we love it too as parents. It is a bit tricky to 1st get in your car right and adjust it, but once you do it a few times you get used to it (we have taken ours out a few times).

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D.R.

answers from New York on

the britax, i forget if the roundabout or the marathon lasts longer, one has a considerably higher weight limit... dont buy it yet, there is a website where we got ours and saved a lot of money, i will post it as soon as dh gets home and lets me know what it is.

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L.W.

answers from New York on

I cnat remember the name.. but i think its cosco.. (i just gave mine away) it goes from infant to toddlar to high back booster.. they do have thme when i remember the name ill let you know.

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K.B.

answers from New York on

It looks like everyone has recommended Britax so far. If a Britax is not within your budget, I recommend the Century 1500 STE. It was recommended by the NTSB and it only costs $60!

http://www.shopping.com/xPR-Century-Products-1500-STE

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J.H.

answers from Albany on

Hi A.,

I understand your dilema and can offer one suggestion for finding a carseat and that is www.freecycle.com if you register you can literally obtain many children's items for free. Good luck and happy Parenting!!

J.

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D.S.

answers from Syracuse on

Hi if money isn't an option I've heard very good things about the Britex brand of car seats. They can hold a baby rearfacing for longer (pound wise.) Rear facing is the safest, even after they hit a year. I don't think anywhere in Watertown sells them, I know that Babies-r-us in Syracuse sells them, and you could always buy one off the internet. If you go to babiesrus.com they have a bunch of seat and they will tell you more info on them. However if you don't want to pay a lot then wal-mart has a cosco seat (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4083774) its only $40 and can sit a baby rear facing up to 35lbs. Whatever you get dont got one that has the bar that comes down in the front, the 5 point seats are much safer. Go to some websites (babiesrus, walmart, kmart, target, amazon) and look at diffrent convertable seats to see what would work well with your budget and would fit in your car. Then you can google the seat and see how they are rated safty wise. But I think the Britex brand is the best, but they are pricey. We'll probably get the cosco one when we need a bigger seat, a girl I talk to online is registered in carseat safty and said its the best you can get for that cheap. Hope that helps.

Are you from Watertown originaly?

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C.S.

answers from New York on

I don't live in your area but can recommend a great seat. By the time my little guy was 6 months he had outgrown the infant seat both weight wise and length wise. I bought the Britax Roundabout, top rated seat by consumer reports. It is in the rear facing position and can be till the child weighs 33 pounds. Then turn around at 1 year and you have your toddler seat. I have the same seat for my 18 month old. Very comfy and safe. Around here they sell for a little over 200.00. Great investment in my opinion!

Good luck.

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T.Y.

answers from New York on

Hello!

A few months ago I went through the same exact problem. My son was literally busting out of his infact car seat. I ended up going to a store called Buy Buy Baby and bought a new carseat from Britax (I believe its called the boulvard) its one of those seats that grows with your child. The weight goes up to 65 pounds. Which then once he outgrows that, then he will just go into a car booster seat.

As expensive as they are, we have to spend the money on them. I was dreading it months ago when I had to spend the 300 on it. But if you read most child safety books, its normal and very common for parents to go through at least two car seats with their children.

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