Convertible Car Seats Reviews

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Convertible Car Seats Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Convertible Car Seats Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Convertible Car Seats Editors of Consumer Reports As of Aug. 2007		Consumer Reports tops our chart because it's the only reviewing organization that crash tests car seats in a laboratory. Following a model similar to government crash tests, reviewers examined 27 seats for crash safety (including infant, convertible, toddler and booster seats), then analyzed ease of use and installation. Consumer Reports pays special attention to safety standards regarding tether use, and emphasizes correctly sized car seats for a baby's height and weight. The downside is that only five convertible car seats are tested, and that testing appears not to have been updated in two years.
2. Baby Bargains >> Details/Subscribe	Convertible Seats Denise and Alan Fields Seventh Edition, 2007		With an emphasis on value, safety and durability, this book provides useful shopping tips and recommendations on dozens of baby products. While car seats aren't independently crash tested, the authors perform some hands-on testing, and parent, manufacturer and retailer interviews are also conducted. Write-ups are very thorough, including data regarding manufacturers' recall history. Updates to the book are posted online.
3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings Editors of NHTSA As of Nov. 2007		The NHTSA tests child car seats for ease of use (including assembly, evaluation of labels, evaluation of instructions, installation features and securing the child) and assigns each an overall rating of A or B, although some models receive a rating of C in some categories. This is helpful information, but not as comprehensive as Consumer Reports' crash testing, and not as insightful as reportage at Baby Bargains.

Convertible Car Seats Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Convertible Car Seats Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. CarSeatData.Org	Convertible Seats Toby McAdams As of Nov. 2007		CarSeatData.org has a great compatibility chart for which car seats can go into which cars. There is also a nice report on the various kinds of car seats, along with recommendations. The top pick for convertible car seats is the Britax Marathon, which the author commends for its higher weight limit, which allows a child to be rear-facing for a longer period of time.
5. BabyCenter.com	Parents' Picks Car Seats Contributors to Baby Center As of Nov. 2007		Baby Center is an online store. The Parent's Picks section includes the items that have received high ratings from owners. Four Britax convertible car seats get high ratings, including the Roundabout, the Marathon, the Boulevard and the Decathlon. Most of the parents' picks, however, are lower-priced convertible car seats such as the Safety 1st Enspira.
6. Epinions	Car Seats Contributors to Epinions As of Nov. 2007		Epinions invites parents to rate their car seats. There are a great number of reviews written on car seats, but individual reviews vary in quality. The number one convertible car seat is the Britax Roundabout. While some of the reviews are very helpful, this site suffers from the same fault as other opinion sites. The popular seats have a lot of reviews, while the others may have no reviews at all.
7. About.com	Top Ten Convertible Car Seats Heather Corley As of Nov. 2007		About.com Guide to Baby Products, Heather Corley, doesn't appear to have examined these seats in person. Rather, this list represents car seats that "consistently earn rave reviews from car seat experts and parents alike." Corley doesn't say which experts she consulted, however. Coming in at number one is the Britax Boulevard, followed by the Britax Marathon, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage and Britax Roundabout.
8. Amazon.com	Infant and Toddler Car Seats Contributors to Amazon.com As of Nov. 2007		It's tricky finding reviews at Amazon.com. That's because each year when a manufacturer introduces new fabrics, reviews for the older styles are often lost, even if the product hasn't changed functionally. Still, with a little more clicking, you can find reviews. The Britax Marathon appears to be a particular site favorite. Convertible car seats are mixed up in the listings with infant and toddler car seats.

Convertible Car Seats Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Convertible Car Seats Ratings Comments on Reviews

9. Parenting.com	Baby Gear Guide: Car Seats Editors of Parenting and Baby Talk Not Dated		Editors of Parenting and Baby Talk Magazine include one convertible car seat in this buyer's guide - the Britax Roundabout - but it's not clear how it was chosen over others, and it's not clear when this article was written.
10. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Child Car Seats Editors of Which.co.uk Oct. 2007		Which? is a European consumer advocacy site similar to Consumer Reports in the US. It posts news, gives product information, conducts testing and makes recommendations. Which? has an excellent comparative review of car seats with ratings based on crash test results, but tested models are only available in Europe. This should be your first stop if you are buying a car seat in Europe.
11. Mumsnet.com	Car Seats from Birth Editors of Mumsnet.com As of Nov. 2007		There is a lot of helpful information at Mumsnet.com, and a lot of valid information about car seats. Mumsnet.com is a European site, so there are certain issues like measurements are confusing. In addition, many of the seats mentioned are not sold in the U.S. If you're a European consumer, this is the place to look; if not, the site still has a lot of useful safety information that you may find helpful.
12. Consumer Guide.com	Convertible Car Seats Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Nov. 2007		Consumer Guide, which is partnered with How Stuff Works, has a fairly informative guide to convertible car seats. The site includes a recently-updated buyer's guide, information on key features, safety recommendations and product reviews. Nineteen car seats are reviewed, and ten, including the Graco ComfortSport and the Britax Boulevard, receive "Best Buy" ratings. Unfortunately, it's not evident how products are chosen, and there are no specifics in this review to indicate that any testing was performed.