Convertible Car Seat Review

Sizing up convertible car seats and their reviews

Convertible car seats are a money-saving alternative for parents who do not wish to buy new car seats as their child grows, since convertible seats can generally hold an infant from birth until the child has reached 40 or 50 pounds (or as high as 80 pounds for some convertible car seats). These car seats can be secured to face rearward until a child is at least a year old and weighs more than 20 pounds, at which time the seats can be turned around (converted) to face forward. See our companion report on infant car seats if you want a car seat that doubles as an infant carrier. Also see our report on booster seats for older kids.

Even if you prefer to use a dedicated infant seat at first -- their carry handles and stay-in-car bases are convenient for sleeping babies -- you may want to buy a convertible seat as your child's next step, to keep him or her rear-facing as long as possible or even as a second car seat to be used in a caretaker's vehicle. Pediatricians and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials now recommend that babies and toddlers be kept in rear-facing car seats for as long as the seat will allow (usually 35 pounds) even if they're well beyond a year old. ConsumerReports.org cites a 2007 study that found children up to 23 months old were 75 percent less likely to die or get seriously injured in a rear-facing seat than in a front-facing one. "In Sweden, which has very low child-passenger injury and death rates, children often ride rear-facing up to 4 years of age," ConsumerReports.org points out.

When it comes to buying a convertible car seat, nothing is more important than how safe and secure it will keep your child. We found that ConsumerReports.org provides the most extensive safety testing, as they conduct crash tests with methodology similar to those used by the federal government. The book "Baby Bargains" by Denise and Alan Fields also offers a wealth of information on baby gear. Although the Fields don't conduct crash tests, they do examine every other aspect of car seats and compare their own reviews to those of ConsumerReports.org, explaining any discrepancies between the two. The "Baby Bargains" companion website contains updates to the information provided in the book. "Baby Bargains" also covers more models than ConsumerReports.org, which includes 17 convertible seats in its most recent test.

The NHTSA is another top source for car seat reviews. Experts there test seats to find out which are the easiest to use -- which have the clearest labels and instructions and the best installation features, and which make it easiest to secure the child. While this is helpful, it's not nearly as comprehensive as the convertible car seat reviews found at ConsumerReports.org and in "Baby Bargains."

Bloggers improved their coverage of car seats this year, and CarSeatBlog.com is a true standout. Author Heather Watson takes ConsumerReports.org to task for its bare-bones ratings and lack of transparency, but this site is still a long way off from presenting a true challenge to the leaders.

Owner-written reviews have also continued to evolve. Buzzillions.com, which draws content from various online sources, now consistently has the largest review base and ratings volume. With an exceptional user interface and additional features like user-type sorting and aggregate lists of pros and cons, Buzzillions.com is becoming a contender for top user-review site. Amazon.com and Viewpoints.com also boast huge numbers of user reviews -- several hundred for some popular seats.

The one thing that most of these sources have in common is their pick for the best convertible car seat. Britax, a British company that has sold car seats in the U.S. for 15 years, sweeps reviewers' choices for the best convertible car seats, even though its seats cost more -- sometimes twice as much as others. But Britax includes extra safety and convenience features that are hard to find on other seats, and conducts stricter tests than the U.S. government requires (including side crash testing). In reviews, parents generally agree that Britax seats are worth the higher price.

However, with car seats, price isn't necessarily an indicator of quality. Although the expensive Britax car seats get good reviews, the even more expensive Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat (*Est. $360) lands near the bottom of one high-profile test. It does a fine job protecting a child in a crash, but testers find it very hard to install rear-facing -- and they note that unlike most convertible car seats, you can't use the Orbit with a newborn (it has a 15-pound weight minimum). Although most owners who post reviews at Amazon.com like this seat, we found recurring complaints that the bulky Orbit blocks their view, won't recline enough or that the straps get hopelessly twisted. Owners were also frustrated that once you turn the Orbit Toddler seat front-facing, you can no longer use the "orbit" base that allows you to rotate the seat to the side to strap the child in -- the major convenience feature of the seat -- and that it's so heavy and hard to install that they would never take it out to use it with the matching stroller base (another convenience feature).