Best Selling Convertible Baby Car Seat Roundup

4 Sep, 2007 Britax, Evenflo, Cosco, Car Seats, Review, 0 to 12 months, 12+ months, Pregnancy

Convertible baby car seats offer parents a seat that can be used from birth up to when their child is around 40lbs. A convertible car seat can be used in both rear- and forward-facing positions. The rear facing position is used for the about the first 6 months (the seat can lay virtually flat), after which time the seat can be repositioned to forward-facing.

Baby car seats can be one of the hardest purchases to make. All the manufacturers seem to quote the same information, but the seats can vary widely in price. We have collected here the top 5 bestselling convertible baby car seats from Amazon. We have also researched a number of smaller and national baby retailers, and these baby car seats are included in most retailers top 5 or top 10.

We have tried to cover a wide price range (we have included car seats from $55 to $270), and have found a real bargain at the lower end of the price range.

Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat - $55 -
Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat - $139 -
Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat - $140 -
Britax Roundabout Baby Car Seat - $219 -
Britax Marathon Baby Car Seat - $270 -

Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat

The Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat represents excellent value for money. At 55 dollars, the Evenflo Tribute provides all of the features and meets all of the safety standards as seats costing 4 to 5 times as much. The seat supports the LATCH system that can be found on newer vehicles. The car seat’s modern design and stylish, neutral color scheme will also complement the interior of any vehicle. The padding is also machine washable.

The only weakness is that is can be time consuming when fitting and removing the seat from a car. However, this will only cause issues if you need to be able to move the seat between mulitple vehicles.

Features

Two-Position Recline
Adjustable Harness and Safety Bar
Removable Machine Washable Pad
Rear-facing 5- 30 lbs and forward-facing 20-40 lbs
Recommended Weight 5-40 lbs

Strengths

Extremely good value for money
Extremely good value for money (yes, it is worth saying twice!)
Machine washable padding
Supports LATCH system found on newer vehicles

Weaknesses

Can be time consuming to fit and remove from a car

The Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $55.

This baby car seat is highly recommended for anybody looking to spend less than 150 dollars (it actually can compete with more expensive seats). It represents such great value for money, it could easily be sold for 2 or 3 times as much and still be a best seller.

5 Stars Highly Recommended

Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Baby Car Seat

The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Baby Car Seat provides a good range of feature at an affordable price. One of the selling poingts is that the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite can be used as a booster seat, supporting children up to 100lbs. This is a great feature for Cosco to include, and may swing the decision for parents looking for a seat that can be used beyond the typical lifespan of traditional car seats. Padding is soft and comfortable and strong EPP foam is included for additional side impact protection.

However, one of the biggest issues with the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite is that the seat does not fully recline as much as with other baby car seats. Even when fully reclined, the babies head can easily flop forward, especially worrying when a young baby is still strengthening their neck muscles. I have read many reports of this issue, so it is not just something that we have found. Another issue is the short crotch strap, where the strap buckle will rub against the babies legs, rather than being higher up. For the average baby size, the strap length is okay. However, for taller babies, it is too short and uncomfortable.

Note that the Eddie Bauer Convertible car seat is also made by Cosco, so these comments also apply.

Features

LATCH equiped for 5-35 lbs Rear facing; 22-40 lbs Forward facing; 40-100 lbs belt positioning booster
Removable, full-wrap tailored fabric pad
Padded head rest: Infant insert
Extra-wide roomy seat with comfort support seat
Up-front harness adjustment

Strengths

Sturdy EPP foam for increased side support
Well padded
Can also be used as a booster seat to 100lbs

Weaknesses

Does not recline as much as other seats
Crotch strap is too short and the buckle can dig into babies legs

The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $139.

We have only given this car seat 3 star as we feel that the lack of a fully reclining seat makes it less ideal for parents wishing to use the seat from birth. If you are planning on using a car seat from birth, we would only give it 2 stars. There has been numerous reports of this issue, so it is not just something we observed. If you are planning on using the seat after your baby is a few months old, then the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite has a lot of good features. The standout feature has to be its use as a booster seat, supporting children up to 100lbs. However, there are better car seats available for less money.

3 Stars Average (Poor if used car seat from birth)

Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat

Our second Evenflo baby car seat is a larger version of the Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat. The Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat can be thought of as its big brother. It is wider than the Tribute 5, and may not fit smaller vehicles, especially if positioned in the middle seat, where it can extend out over both side seats. The side and head padding is very supportive, and can be easily removed and machine washed. The Evenflo Triumph DLX features a modern looking design, with a blue color scheme that should complement most vehicle interiors.

Features

New Easy-off pad
BuckleRight Buckle gives visual verification buckle is secure
Rear-facing for children 5-30 lbs, Forward-facing for children 20-40 lbs

Strengths

Supportive side and head padding
Removable and machine washable padding
Includes a cup holder!

Weaknesses

Larger (wider) than the Evenflo Tribute 5, so check the fit if you have a smaller vehicle

The Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $140.

If you require the extra size and padding, then the Evenflo Triumph DLX offers great value for money. However, it is nearly 3 times the cost of the Evenflo Tribute 5 and does not offer 3 times the features. For those looking to spend less than 150 dollars, we would seriously consider the Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat, as it offers extremely good value for money.

4 Stars Recommended

Britax Roundabout Baby Car Seat

The Britax Roundabout Baby Car Seat is the top selling baby car seat on Amazon. The comfort and safety features are the same as the range-topping Britax Marathon. Both the Roundabout and the Marathon include additional EPS foam side impact protection, helping to reduce the risk from side impacts. The straps are very strong and supportive, being thicker and wider than other Britax models, helping to limit any issues with tangling. However, you may need to add additional padding (available from babies’r'us for only a few dollars) as they can rub against the babies neck and body. The Britax Roundabout is available in a range of colors and patterns to complement most vehicle interiors.

As with the Britax Marathon, it is easy to understand how this car seat has become a bestseller. Its range of safety features is very impressive, and even though it is expensive, a car seat is one item where many parents are happier to spend more money.

Features

Easy installation with built-in lock-off clips, Versa-Tether’, and Safe Guard Latch Connectors’
Tangle-free five-point harness for convenience and a more secure fit
Equipped with Energy Absorbing EPS foam for additional protection during impact
Fits from birth (4 lbs)
Supports up to 40 lbs

Strengths

Very high safety standard - seems to be at the top of every safety award
Anti-twist straps actually work!
Very comfortable fit

Weaknesses

Expensive
The larger straps may need additional padding as they can rub against the babies neck and body

If you’re debating between the Britax Roundabout and the Britax Marathon Baby Car Seat, think of the latter as the big brother. They are identical in terms of comfort and convenience features, but the Marathon has a higher weight maximum and is larger than the Roundabout. If you do not need the extra size of the Marathon or have a smaller vehicle, then the Britax Roundabout is the better model, and costs nearlly 60 dollars less.

The Britax Roundabout Baby Car Seat is available for $219.

5 Stars Highly Recommended

Britax Marathon Baby Car Seat

Our second Britax, the Britax Marathon Baby Car Seat is the most expensive baby seat reviewed here. At $270, it is one of the more costly car seats and is at the top of the Britax range. The quality of the components is noticably higher than other cars seats. The straps are very strong and supportive, being thicker and wider than other Britax models, helping to limit any issues with tangling. However, you may need to add additional padding (available from babies’r'us for only a few dollars) as they can rub against the babies neck and body. It should be noted that the Marathon is larger (28″H x 19.5″W x 25″D) than most baby car seats, and can be tricky to fit, especially in the rear facing position in a smaller vehicle. Allow for at least 31″ of backseat space to properly accommodate this model. The seat is very well padded, especially around the head and neck around. The padding is also machine washable. The Britax Roundabout is available in a range of colors and patterns to complement most vehicle interiors..

As with the Britax Roundabout, it is easy to understand how this car seat has become a bestseller. Its range of safety features is very impressive, and even though it is expensive, a car seat is one item where many parents are happier to spend more money.

Features

5 point harness with patented Floating HUGS system
Built-in lock-off clips, Versa-Tether & Safe Guard Latch Connectors
Equipped with Energy Absorbing EPS and Comfort Foam for safety and comfort
Fits from birth (5 lbs)

Strengths

High safety features (however, we hope that you will never need to use them)
Strong and supportive straps
Very well padded, especially around the head and neck
Approved for use on airplanes (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213 compliant)

Weaknesses

Expensive
Larger than typical car seats, and may not fit smaller vehicles
The larger straps may need additional padding as they can rub against the babies neck and body

The Britax Marathon Baby Car Seat is available for $270.

4 Stars Recommended

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