Choosy Over Car Seats

If I thought messing with 2 car seats was bad enough I will soon be dealing with 3! When Brylie and Katy were infants they were required to ride rear facing until they were a year old and 20 pounds.  The laws have since changed and babies are now required to ride rear facing until they are 2 years old and 35 pounds.  That's a huge difference!  Katy is nearly 4 and is no where near 35 pounds....or 30 pounds for that matter.  Even the small age gap between Brylie and Katy has brought changes to the requirements.  When Brylie was 3 the law said that they could ride in a belt positioning booster so long as they were 30 pounds (Brylie was).  Once Katy turned 3 I was so excited to say so long to the hard to install toddler seat.  However, not only was Katy barely 23 pounds they had also again changed the law.  She would have to be 40 pounds before allowed to ride in a belt positioning booster.  Are you kidding me!?!?!  My little shrimp is almost 4 and hasn't even made the original 30 pound mark.  At this rate she might be going to Kindergarten in a toddler seat.  Since her and Brylie both used the same toddler seat it is fixing to expire (yes car seats have an expiration date on them) so it's time for a new one.

As for Brylie, she is still in her belt positioning booster.  There are 2 kinds of these particular boosters, one with a back and one without.  When we purchased one for Brylie I thought it would be convenient to get one that has a removable back for when she is older.  No that she is a bit older and the belt positioner  is not necessary I'm not 100% sold on her being in a backless booster.  They just don't seem as safe to me or maybe I just don't like the added reminder that she is getting so big.  Either way she has definitely shown her car seat great love and with it a little "wear" and is ready for a new one.  But am I really ready for her to be in a backless booster or do I still enjoy the comfort of her being in something that allows the seat belt to rest exactly where it should?   

Now on to car seat # 3.  With both of the girls I started out in the traditional car seat that inserts into a pre-installed base.  While the convenience was great for trips to Wal-Mart and other "buggy" stores they have of course decided it is no longer safe to place the infant seats in the shopping baskets.  Not only that but realistically I ended up moving on to the rear facing toddler seat by the time they were 4 months old simply because the weight of the infant car seat with an infant just becomes so heavy.  Another plus was that the infant car seats fit perfectly into the stroller without having to wake up a sleeping baby.  Then again, I can probably count on one hand how many times I actually went somewhere when I was needing a stroller with the infant seat.  I'm thinking this time I will just skip the whole infant seat and go straight to a convertible seat that will accommodate a baby from 5-40 pounds rear facing.  Decisions, decisions....

After hours and days of research this is what I think I have decided on:

For the baby I am going to go with the Graco MyRide 65 Convertible Car Seat.  The specs on it:

Graco MyRide 65 Car Seat:

Rear-facing use for a child from 5-40 lbs

Forward-facing use in a harness for a child from 20-65 lbs

Removable infant insert and toddler headrest help keep baby comfy

LATCH equipped with an easy-to-read level indicator for hassle-free installation

5-point, front-adjust harness helps you get baby in and out

Dual cup holders keep drinks within your child's reach

Approved for airplane use

Rigorously crash tested to meet or exceed U. S. safety standards and help reassure safety-conscious parents

SafeSeat Engineering means it was engineered & rigorously crash tested to meet or exceed U. S. safety standard FMVS213: Side Impact tested

EPS, energy absorbing foam for effective impact energy management

Dimensions: 27"L x 20.75"W x 26"H

Weight of seat: 15.66 lbs

So if it's a girl I will go with this one:

and if it's a boy, this one:

For Katy, I have decided on the Cosco High Back Booster.  I love that it has removable harnesses so that if she ever reaches the 40 pound mark I can easily remove them and it will become a belt positioning booster all while continuing to use the latch system.  The specs for it are:

Cosco - High-Back Booster Car Seat, Polka Dot Daisies:

• Forward-facing car seat for children 22-40 lbs
• Belt-positioning booster for children 40-80 lbs
• 5-point harness with up-front adjustment
• Removable cup holder
• 2-position shoulder belt guides 
• LATCH equipped
• Meets or exceeds Federal Safety Standards
• Assembled product weight is 12.5 lbs

 

It looks like this:

Now for Brylie.  I've decided to give up the dream of her forever being small enough to ride in a car seat.  I think the backless booster is the best choice for her.  Since she is constantly going with her friends to the movies and such she definitely needs something that is easy to move from one car to the next.  Her friends are all in a backless as well and it makes her feel grown up and not embarrassed to be in a "baby" seat.  I decided to go with the Graco Backless TurboBooster.  The specs:

Graco - Backless TurboBooster Seat, Groovy:

For children from 40-100 lbs and up to 57" tall

Top rated by leading consumer magazines and publications

Rigorously crash tested to meet or exceed US safety standards

Designed to be the kind of stylish, comfortable seat your child will actually want to ride in

Padded, height-adjustable armrests

Hide-away cup holders

Deluxe seat cushion removes for machine washing

She picked the one with the peace signs: