Cosco - Scenera 5-Point Convertible Car Seat, Black Santee 4.4 5 505 632
More Bang for your Buck At the time of purchase, this was high on the list for Consumer Reports. I could hardly believe some that "cheap" would be that effective. Cosco has proved me wrong. I am very pleased with this car seat and will continue to recommend it in the future. 02/04/2010
Great seat for a great price Cosco Scenera Convertible Car SeatRear facing 5–35 lbs. and 19–36”Forward facing 22–40 lbs., 34–43” and over 1 year oldI spent a lot of time researching car seats. We needed a convertible car seat because my tall 7-month-old has nearly outgrown her infant carrier in height (a Graco SnugRide, rated to 29” and she was 27” at her 6-month checkup). My first concern was that she would quickly outgrow a convertible seat as well, since she’s been around the 90th percentile in height since birth. So I was about to spend a couple hundred dollars on a car seat rated to 65 lbs. and 50” (The First Years True Fit C670). But then, luckily for my wallet, I found this infant growth chart, pediatrics.about.com/cs/growthcharts2/l/bl_growthcharts.htm. According to it, even a child in the 95th percentile will not hit 40” or 40 lbs. until around 3 years old. By that time I will be happy to put my daughter in a high-back booster, which Cosco sells now for $35. So…$200+ on a car seat that could last her until she’s out of a car seat, or about $75 for this car seat and a booster later. That made the decision pretty easy for me.That is the main reason I bought this seat over a fancier brand, but it is missing the ease-of-use features of a more expensive seat. I liked the no-rethread feature on other brands, but how often are you going to have to adjust the harness height? Not enough to justify the extra expense. Also, the most common complaint I’ve seen on reviews for the Scenera is that it’s not as padded or cushy as others. But it seems about the same as my daughter’s infant carrier, and she’s not complaining. Again, not a good enough reason to spend five times as much.I installed the Scenera rear-facing in my ’92 Toyota Camry with no problem. The top of the shell comes just between the front seats, which our infant carrier did as well. I’m 5’5” and my husband’s 6’3” and it’s just fine installed in the middle of the backseat. We tried installing it behind the driver’s seat as well. There’s enough room for me to drive comfortably enough, but not my husband. Also, behind the driver or passenger seat it needs a rolled up towel to adjust the angle.Our first day in this car seat, she didn’t make a peep during the car ride, even when we were heading home right at feeding time. She’d been fussing before we got in the car, but was quiet the whole 15 minutes home, just looking out the windows. Similar times in her infant carrier, she would scream the whole way home. We’ve been using it about a week now, and she’s always content in her new seat. 05/10/2011
Safest Car Seat When I was pregnant I went to a safety class that said this was the safest car seat on the market. All others don't have a warranty nearly as long as this one (which is saying something!) and the ones that you lock in the infant carrier and then take it out are the worst because they are only safe up to 20 miles per hour. WHO DRIVES ONLY 20 MPH? People buy the pretty and cute and comfortable car seats and that is why the prices are so expensive. Your car seat doesn't have to be pretty. It has to be safe and this one has been tested and is the safest. It's conveniently the cheapest. I took my baby home from the hospital in it. It's not east to set up and a pain to switch from car to car (namely because of the strap you have to find a place to secure). Just make sure you secure it right. But it's worth it. I just got in a car crash and NOTHING happened to my baby. No bruises or seat belt burns. He was acting completely normal after getting over being scared. So now I know first hand. 07/03/2010
Great Value I have used this carseat for my almost 2 year old son since he was about 8 months old. It is perfect. We bought a second one for my husband's truck, and both have held up really well. I plan on using it for my second kid as well. 01/18/2010
