I thought people switched over to the convertible seat from an infant bucket seat because it was easier. We had been leaving the infant seat in the base in the car and yes, it was annoying getting my 20 lb baby in and out of it in the car but it wasn't so bad. We just switched to a rf convertible (chicco Nextfit) and I feel like it's even more annoying and difficult. Is it because I'm just not as used to it? It always takes me longer to get the straps buckled, it's harder to get her in because the seat is higher and we have a sedan, so the roof is fairly low, and it's not so easy to tighten and Untighten the staps. Is it just me? I hope to rf until 2 so I have another year of this ahead of me.
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It may depend on the car seat! I've never used the next fit but loooove our myride. It's not really high up (though we have a highlander) but having to wake a sleeping baby was a huge downfall!
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@sorrycharlie: our backseat is pretty small so the Nextfit fit best and I think we may be stuck with it, though I did read on her that it's harder than some to tighten.
The diono radian has nice low sides so would have been easier gettin her in but no way was it fitting in our back seat.
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I have the Foonf in my SUV and it is much, much easier than the infant seat. My husband has a Recaro in his Audi and I HATE putting LO in and out of his car. I guess it depends on the car and seat?
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@Foodnerd81: like @sorrycharlie, we have the MyRide and I LOVE IT. Granted, I've only been using it for two days, but it is so easy to get my 17.5 lb. baby into and out of. She is really happy in her seat.
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@Foodnerd81: it was awkward and annoying the first few weeks we switched to a RF convertible. Then I got the hang of it and wished we'd have switched sooner!
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@Foodnerd81: The Radian with angle adjuster shouldn't take up much more room RF than the NextFit.
I remember feeling annoyed with convertibles when I switched from our bucket seat, and we supposedly had one that was easy to use (Marathon). Now we have a Radian and I'm used to it, so it's easy, but at first the straps drove me nutty.
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@Foodnerd81: We have a Nextfit and a sedan, and we bang our heads every time we put DS in or take him out of the car. I hate it!
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We have the Britax Marathon like @Mrs. Yoyo & I don't necessarily think it's easier to use, and it's definitely a pain to move from car to car. BUT, LO is SO much happier in it than she was in the bucket seat!
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I've read that the Nextfit straps are a pain to tighten, so that could be why.
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We use the bucket in DH's truck and have a convertible in my car. I don't think the height difference helps. Plus the space in his truck is much wider so in our case I think it is because the car is so much tighter than the truck. I drive his truck just so I can use the bucket
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I don't get why people want to switch either. While our britax boulevard is easy to clip in etc. It's not like my son liked the seat any better since he was RF -- and I found carrying a squirmy kid down to the car much harder than lugging the car seat.
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The nextfit is harder to tighten on the lowest headrest position but does get easier after that. I had a hard time with it at first, but am used to it now.
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@ninja: I did have an issue when it was on the lowest headrest position but she is on the second lowest. It is easiER but not easy.
@Mrs. Yoyo: I've read that, about the Radian, but we put it in the car and both DH and me, and the BBB worker, looked and thought it was just not going to fit, even in the center seat. Plus it comes up so high it would block our rear view. I wanted so badly to love that one.@grizz: Do you wish you had gotten a different seat? I can still return this one but I just don't think there is a better option for us. We have the new, velcro strap covers, and I CAN tighten it fine now, it's just not super easy. The infant seat was also a pain to tighten in the car though.
I kind of just want a new car but that's not really a very practical solution.
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@Foodnerd81: I believe you can take the strap covers off when your LO is rear-facing and see if that makes it easier to tighten. They are only required FF.
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@Mrs. Yoyo: I did try that, and it was a bit easier, but I pulled the straps too tight and left red marks on her neck
I'd rather deal with the difficult straps than keep hurting her. I guess I should clarify-- it's just annoying to get her in. Not horribly difficult or anything, just annoying. Whine whine whine.Did I mention someone woke up at 5 am this morning, when we have clearly told her over and over again that we don't wake up before 6? Especially on the weekends?
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@Foodnerd81: Bummer, about the straps and the wakeup!
Convertibles are just a PIA all around, I think.
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@Foodnerd81: I'm getting more used to it, but I totally hated putting DD in the convertible at first! We have an Outback and the way the door is angled, I'd hit her poor little head every time in and out until we put the seat in the middle instead of behind the driver. Now that we've been using it a few months, I think she likes it better though because she can sit upright and look around more. I also took the strap covers off initially, but put them back on because they are clearly more comfortable for her.
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I think it totally depends on the car and the seat. LO was in a Graco Snugride and now she's in a Radian and I love it exponentially more! But, we have a Honda CRV...
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We just switched to a convertible, and DS seems SO comfortable in it! The kid actually climbs in instead of having to be strapped in kicking and screaming.
We did spend half an hour trying to install that thing rear-facing, gave up, and installed it forward-facing. In the meantime, I put DS in the front seat so he'd stop whining, and he somehow turned on the car radio and started up an old, old CD full of happy songs. I'd forgotten it was in the car! Instant happiness
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I think it depends on the seat. I love our Foonf, I find it super easy.
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Must be a car/car seat/LO issue. With the bucket, I had to lift LO up so high, plus the way she likes to be held, so she hit her head all the time (even though we had a cross over). The Marathon has lower sides and is more upright, so LO doesn't fight me. I find the straps easier because you are meant to adjust by pulling towards LO. The bucket you meant to adjust pulling away, which meant you hit the backseat when the bucket was in the car. Oh, and my LO shrieked a lot in the bucket, whereas she's perfectly happy to be held on my arm while I lug all the stuff out of the trunk. She hangs on tight like a little monkey. No squirming.
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We have the graco my size 70 and love them.
but we both have large vehicles
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We haven't installed ours yet - I'm finding the infant seat pretty easy right now, but I drive a Santa Fe, so I don't have to bend over to get her in/out.
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@Grace: So, I have definitely been trying to pull the straps the same way I did on the infant seat-- pulling away from baby. If I should be pulling it towards her in the convertible, that will make me feel so dumb-- but glad I figured out an easier way anyway! Will test this out next time we get in the car.
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This thread had convinced me-bucket seat for life!!!1
Just kidding...kind of, but we're majorly procrastinating on the convertible, and this isn't helping!
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@MoonMoon: Yeah I was in no rush for the convertible either. But she was getting pretty close to the height limit on our infant seat and we had time to get to BBB to get the convertible, then we didn't want to store it in the living room.... so in the car in went. I am further convinced that it's silly to rush it though!
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@Foodnerd81: LOL - that's how it is for our seat anyways. Good luck!
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I hate putting Sadie in her seat in my husbands car (Mazda 6). We pretty much never take his car as a family, because I hate it so much. Putting her in my SUV/crossover is a breeze. I think the larger door opening, higher roof, and not having to bend over all make it so much easier!
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@Foodnerd81: the Nextfit straps are so hard to tighten. It helps if you have the shoulder pads that are smaller and Velcro.
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@Smurfette: I do have the new shoulder pads at least- it was the first think go checked.
@Grace: omg. It's totally easier to pull towards baby. I feel dumb but relieved!
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@Foodnerd81: bummer. DH said it is easier but still not as easy as the Foonf in my car. We never take his so I don't have to deal with it.
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@Foodnerd81: Yea!
The diono radian has nice low sides so would have been easier gettin her in but no way was it fitting in our back seat.
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