Roundabout Onyx Convertible Car Seat

There are many decent car seats available on the market. Britax manufactures many of them. This is one of Britax's less expensive models, but, by far, the best. It's Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) highest rated convertible car seat with a score of 81/100 (August 2007). It rates higher than the larger, more expensive Britax Marathon with a score of 58/100 from Consumer Reports. Baby Bargains (6th Edition) recommends it too. BB picks the Roundabout as "one of the best convertible seats" and rates it an "A".

It's a "convertible" car seat because it will support newborn infants (from 5 lbs) upto toddlers (40 lbs) and can be both rear and front facing. This is a great and versatile alternative to buying a seperate car seat for every growth stage - which can - obviously get ridiculously expensive.

With the plethora of options out there, it was hard to chose. We almost went with the Marathon . . . but after reading CR review and Baby Bargains we went with the Roundabout.

It is easy to install and set up in your car. It is LATCH compatible. We don't have LATCH, so we installed it the traditional way (and removed & reinstalled a few times with ease). It sits securly in our car. LATCH is a system in cars built by the manufacturer where you can attach your baby seats directly to the car.

The fabric is great for our boy/girl twins. It doesn't matter who's in what chair.

It is cushy and very well padded all around. The 5-point harness is fantastic. It adjusts very easily. To put your kid in and comfortably get his/her arms through it, it is easy to loosen and then tighten the straps with a touch of a button near the crotch strap.

The harness buckles are easy to use for adults, but stay in place nicely. The kids can't open them. The chest strap adjusts nicely to make sure it sits high on the kids' chest, no matter how tall they are.

The harness also stays in place nicely. When not in use, there are a couple of pieces of velcro that the strap can attach to so when you pop your kids in the chair, you don't have hunt or untagle the straps.

It is easy to get the kids in and out of the seat. Easy to strap them in and out. I feel good about the CR review.

It goes up to about 40 pounds per kid. This should take us through 4 or 5 years old. After that, they may start fighting being in a "baby chair". Per the CR and Baby Bargains recommendations and reviews, we'll probably go with the Graco Backless Turbo Booster for about $20.

MANUFACTURER WEBSITE and INFO:

http://www.britaxusa.com/products/product_detail.aspx?ID=10

Product Weight (lbs) 13
Exterior Product W x H x D (in) 18.5 x 24.5 x 24
Seating Compartment Height (in) 21
Seat Area Depth/Width (in) 9/11
Shoulder Width (in) 12.5
Harness Slot Heights (in) 10 / 12.5 / 15.1
Buckle Strap Depth (in) 6.6

The Britax Roundabout? compact convertible car seat is renowned for safety, comfort, and convenience. The Roundabout's compact size is ideal for use with vehicles with limited rear-seat space. The tangle-free, five-point harness with three harness heights ensures a snug and secure fit. Premium push-button LATCH connectors provide a quick, simple and tight installation. Unique features include the patented Versa-Tether? for energy management, and rear- and forward-facing recline for child comfort and positioning. The Roundabout is designed for children rear facing from five to 33 or 35 pounds and children forward facing from at least one year old and 20 pounds, up to 40 pounds. The Roundabout is made in the USA with U.S. and global components. (from Britax website 4/8/08)