Evenflo Triumph 65

Reviews say the new Evenflo Triumph 65 (*Est. $140) offers good value for the money. It includes some of the same features you'll find in much pricier seats, such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam (the stuff used in motorcycle helmets) and an adjuster on the front to change the harness height quickly and easily -- no more rethreading. It also has a knob to tighten the harness, rather than the usual pull strap; the child passenger safety technicians at CarSeatBlog.com find the knob "cumbersome," but technicians at CarSeatData.org disagree, and parent reviewers at Target.com like the knob. The Triumph 65's specifications are similar to the Evenflo Triumph Advance LX (*Est. $140) -- a top scorer in one major crash test -- but the Triumph 65 has higher weight limits (5 to 40 pounds rear-facing or 65 pounds forward-facing). Evenflo side crash-tests its seats, as does Britax, maker of the top-rated Britax Marathon Classic (*Est. $270) and Britax Roundabout 50 Classic (*Est. $180). But unlike Britax, which uses a top tether that works either front- or rear-facing to stabilize the top of the seat and reduce the child's risk of head and neck injuries, the Triumph 65's top tether only works front-facing.

Reviews were scarce for the new Evenflo Triumph 65 when we checked, but CarSeatBlog.com has already made it one of its top recommended car seats. CarSeatData.org is another expert site that praises the Triumph (the Triumph 65's predecessor). We found owner reviews for this new seat at Target.com.