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Katrina says:
What convertible car-seat do people recommend for a small car? I have a 20 lb 4 1/2 month old who will soon outgrow his infant carrier (graco snugride with a 22 lb limit and it barely fits in my backseat passenger side)
Post contains affiliate links My oldest child went from a Graco Snugride to a Britax Marathon, and it actually seemed to take up a bit less space than the infant seat did. My sons went from a Chicco Keyfit 30 to a Marathon and Britax Pavilion, and I didn’t notice a huge difference there either. I haven’t used one myself, but the Combi Coccoro is often recommended for compact cars.
Double check the manual for installation instructions of course, but you may be able to use a seat not fully reclined, and if you slide the passenger’s seat up a bit as well as making it a bit more upright, you might be surprised what you can make work.
Many baby stores will allow you to take the floor models out to your car to see how they fit, and Amazon has free shipping & free returns on many of the seats they sell. Amazon is also offering 20% off many car seats through 5/31 with coupon code BABY0513. You do have to be an Amazon Mom member, but it’s free to join.
Have you installed a convertible car seat in a compact car?
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
i keep seeing the Britax Marathon recommended so that is what I am going to order for my 9mo DD. Amazon seems to have the most consistent best price.
I have Evenflo Triumphs for my daughters (5 years, 35 lb and 38″ and 2 years, 26 lb and 34″). They have worked great for us, but they would probably be tight rear facing in a small car.
Check out the group ‘Car Seats for The Littles’ on facebook. It’s a group of CPST’s who will help you find the right seat for babies size, your car, and budget!
I love my dion radians. ~ $180 on amazon or similar sights for the basic model. It’s one of the few that RF, FF, and converts to a booster and will last for height as well as weight.
It’s one of the few that 3 will fit side by side in the backseat most cars.
Oops! $139!!!
How funny! I literally just did this. 20 lb 11 month old in a Graco Snug ride. Be careful! They outgrow it when they are an inch from the top!
We just got our Britax Roundabout 55 in the mail. On sale at Amazon for $239. Yay! Fits great, and is more narrow than the Marathon but still rated high by Consumer Reports for safety. Good luck deciding! And remember most kids outgrow them by height before weight, so don’t bother buying one that goes up to 70 lbs. 🙂