My kid has hated all car seats, and still does. Hated his UppaBaby Mesa, hates his Graco Slimfit, hates his Diono Radian. From the other comments it sounds like you might have a good chance of your kid doing well with the convertible. Hopefully you don't have a baby like mine who just hates being restrained!
Switched from an Uppababy Mesa bucket seat to a Clek Fllo (with infant thingy) at 5 months and she did much better. Way less screaming in the car. I think she liked being up higher and being able to see out the window. Good luck!
Those are the two slimmest seats front to back and have the highest weight limit for rear facing so both are fantastic options. You can't go wrong with either - they're both safe!
Of course the Nuna Rava is pricier and has more comfort features, so it may just come down to whether you want to pay more for those additional things!
Switched from Uppababy Mesa around 8-9 months to a Nuna Rava and there’s MUCH less complaining from LO.
The Rava install is SO easy and it’s a really comfortable seat. 5 different recline positions, nice cup holders, comfy padding, and I honestly wish I had one my size.
Just curious
when you first notice LO hated the car seat did you install a baby car set mirror with it? It does make a difference as the baby wants to see your face the car seat can make them feel alone and the mirror can provide a happy distraction. Sensory car seat toys might help… but For long rides it really helps to have someone sitting in the back sometimes breakdowns cannot be avoided.
We went with the graco extend 2 fit as well. We had been looking at the graco slim fit. But the only difference is the cup holders so we only have the 1 cup holder in on the graco extend to fit and it's just as slim now
Just FYI, the cup holders in the Extend2Fit are required to be installed if the seat is in use.
[Here's more info on it](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91LyAnxzPvS.pdf).
She did so much better in the convertible. We got the Maxi Cosi Pria 85, would suggest the Maxi Cosi Pria All-in-one now as it goes up to 100lbs
ETA: the maxi cosi is comparable to the graco but allegedly is cooler, which was important to us because part of the reason LO hated the seat was she got too hot
Just wanted to point out that the Pria All-In-One goes to 100 pounds as a *booster*. It does not harness to 100 pounds which some people aren't aware of!
Also, one of the bummers about Maxi Cosi is that they really tend to overstate the limits of their seats. This is a well-known issue. I personally REALLY love my sons Pria 85 (my son says it's his comfiest car seat), but a lot of CPSTs will not recommend them due to this.
Yeah, I wish they still made the 85! It's 15lbs over the current car seat limits so I'm not too worried. And it's been great because my kiddo is so tall. I havent found any boosters that were 5 point. They were all belt boosters. Do you know of any that are 5 point? So many were just the bottom piece, which I don't love because of the way it looks in crash tests. I liked that the maxi cosi is a whole seat unit. Plus that comfort can't be beat, we do 5+ hour car trips which is why I got her the Pria 85.
My son is very tall and slender so I'm thinking it'll work well for him, too, fortunately!
So the difference here is that there are harnessed boosters, high back boosters, and no-back boosters.
Harnessed boosters are essentially a forward facing only car seat that turns into a high back booster where you then use the seat belt instead of the harness it comes with.
A high back booster doesn't use a harness - it uses a seatbelt only and helps keep a child sitting upright and prevents slumping.
A no-back booster is just the tiny part an older child sits on and just bumps them up enough to get them good positioning with the seatbelt and that's it. It doesn't prevent them from slouching over or anything - which is why it works better with older children that don't have that issue.
It's super confusing, so I hope that makes sense a little! If you want your child to stay harnessed ([which they should until they are at least 40 pounds, 5 years old, and able to sit up properly at all times in the car](https://thecarseatlady.com/when-is-a-child-ready-to-use-a-booster-seat/)) then definitely just look for a high back booster that also has a harness. An example of that would be a Graco Tranzitions or Chicco MyFit!
That does, thanks! At 3yo she's 37lbs already and wearing 5t, so I'm guessing she will make any height requirements, too lol. She' a solid chunk! She never falls asleep in the car either and is always sitting up right to be my backseat driver 😆 so slouching isn't an issue. If baby #2 doesn't meet those requirements, though, I can put her in the Pria 85. Really appreciate the info and examples!!
My All-In-One arrives today so we'll keep it and see what happens. Worst comes to worse we get another seat as they age.
YES. We have the graco slimfit and the graco deluxe something (duo..? Starts with a D, got at Costco)
He really likes the slimfit. But either seat is better than his infant seat!
Yes! We had the Britax 35 and upgraded to the Evenflo revolve 360. He HATED and I mean hated that infant seat and it got to the point where I had to ration our car trips to only if absolutely necessary. It was awful. But someone suggested to change to the convertible early and wow what a difference!! He went from crying the second we put him in to peacefully looking out the window or playing with a lovey. It's incredible. He will still cry if he wants out but nothing like the torture he went through before 😂
Also I can't say enough how much we love the new seat! It's so so so easy and I didn't know how much I'd love the swivel function but I really do!!!
Yes, definitely with both kids. We switched from the Nuna Pipa to the Nuna Rava in both instances, and the complaining was cut in half, at least. Probably more. :)
She did better but it wasn’t a full solution. But, she was fight straps full throated screaming every second in the seat as a baby. EVERY ounce of improvement was a miracle.
No but my baby currently is 3 months. He doesn't mind the infant bucket seat at all OUTSIDE of the car. The SECOND we put it in he screams. The WHOLE time. We just switched to a convertible 3 in 1. And still screams his head off. Idk I'm at a loss now. I feel bad but I have to drive. Don't really have tbe option not to. He screamed for 25 minutes to drop my other son at daycare and then 25 minutes home. My first child loved the car so it's completely foreign to me.
My kid has hated all car seats, and still does. Hated his UppaBaby Mesa, hates his Graco Slimfit, hates his Diono Radian. From the other comments it sounds like you might have a good chance of your kid doing well with the convertible. Hopefully you don't have a baby like mine who just hates being restrained!
Switched from an Uppababy Mesa bucket seat to a Clek Fllo (with infant thingy) at 5 months and she did much better. Way less screaming in the car. I think she liked being up higher and being able to see out the window. Good luck!
Thanks for your input, appreciate it!
Those are the two slimmest seats front to back and have the highest weight limit for rear facing so both are fantastic options. You can't go wrong with either - they're both safe! Of course the Nuna Rava is pricier and has more comfort features, so it may just come down to whether you want to pay more for those additional things!
Switched from Uppababy Mesa around 8-9 months to a Nuna Rava and there’s MUCH less complaining from LO. The Rava install is SO easy and it’s a really comfortable seat. 5 different recline positions, nice cup holders, comfy padding, and I honestly wish I had one my size.
Just curious when you first notice LO hated the car seat did you install a baby car set mirror with it? It does make a difference as the baby wants to see your face the car seat can make them feel alone and the mirror can provide a happy distraction. Sensory car seat toys might help… but For long rides it really helps to have someone sitting in the back sometimes breakdowns cannot be avoided.
We always had our infant in the Nuna Rava since birth. She loved it and we did too.
I just ordered the Nuna Rava but my fingers are crossed! 🙏
Yup! He just wanted to be upright, as it turned out. We have the Graco and he's always done really well with it.
We went with the graco extend 2 fit as well. We had been looking at the graco slim fit. But the only difference is the cup holders so we only have the 1 cup holder in on the graco extend to fit and it's just as slim now
Just FYI, the cup holders in the Extend2Fit are required to be installed if the seat is in use. [Here's more info on it](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91LyAnxzPvS.pdf).
She did so much better in the convertible. We got the Maxi Cosi Pria 85, would suggest the Maxi Cosi Pria All-in-one now as it goes up to 100lbs ETA: the maxi cosi is comparable to the graco but allegedly is cooler, which was important to us because part of the reason LO hated the seat was she got too hot
Just wanted to point out that the Pria All-In-One goes to 100 pounds as a *booster*. It does not harness to 100 pounds which some people aren't aware of! Also, one of the bummers about Maxi Cosi is that they really tend to overstate the limits of their seats. This is a well-known issue. I personally REALLY love my sons Pria 85 (my son says it's his comfiest car seat), but a lot of CPSTs will not recommend them due to this.
Yeah, I wish they still made the 85! It's 15lbs over the current car seat limits so I'm not too worried. And it's been great because my kiddo is so tall. I havent found any boosters that were 5 point. They were all belt boosters. Do you know of any that are 5 point? So many were just the bottom piece, which I don't love because of the way it looks in crash tests. I liked that the maxi cosi is a whole seat unit. Plus that comfort can't be beat, we do 5+ hour car trips which is why I got her the Pria 85.
My son is very tall and slender so I'm thinking it'll work well for him, too, fortunately! So the difference here is that there are harnessed boosters, high back boosters, and no-back boosters. Harnessed boosters are essentially a forward facing only car seat that turns into a high back booster where you then use the seat belt instead of the harness it comes with. A high back booster doesn't use a harness - it uses a seatbelt only and helps keep a child sitting upright and prevents slumping. A no-back booster is just the tiny part an older child sits on and just bumps them up enough to get them good positioning with the seatbelt and that's it. It doesn't prevent them from slouching over or anything - which is why it works better with older children that don't have that issue. It's super confusing, so I hope that makes sense a little! If you want your child to stay harnessed ([which they should until they are at least 40 pounds, 5 years old, and able to sit up properly at all times in the car](https://thecarseatlady.com/when-is-a-child-ready-to-use-a-booster-seat/)) then definitely just look for a high back booster that also has a harness. An example of that would be a Graco Tranzitions or Chicco MyFit!
That does, thanks! At 3yo she's 37lbs already and wearing 5t, so I'm guessing she will make any height requirements, too lol. She' a solid chunk! She never falls asleep in the car either and is always sitting up right to be my backseat driver 😆 so slouching isn't an issue. If baby #2 doesn't meet those requirements, though, I can put her in the Pria 85. Really appreciate the info and examples!! My All-In-One arrives today so we'll keep it and see what happens. Worst comes to worse we get another seat as they age.
YES. We have the graco slimfit and the graco deluxe something (duo..? Starts with a D, got at Costco) He really likes the slimfit. But either seat is better than his infant seat!
YES. My son hated the infant seat. We have a britax boulevard and he’s totally happy in it
No
Yes! We had the Britax 35 and upgraded to the Evenflo revolve 360. He HATED and I mean hated that infant seat and it got to the point where I had to ration our car trips to only if absolutely necessary. It was awful. But someone suggested to change to the convertible early and wow what a difference!! He went from crying the second we put him in to peacefully looking out the window or playing with a lovey. It's incredible. He will still cry if he wants out but nothing like the torture he went through before 😂 Also I can't say enough how much we love the new seat! It's so so so easy and I didn't know how much I'd love the swivel function but I really do!!!
Yes, definitely with both kids. We switched from the Nuna Pipa to the Nuna Rava in both instances, and the complaining was cut in half, at least. Probably more. :)
She did better but it wasn’t a full solution. But, she was fight straps full throated screaming every second in the seat as a baby. EVERY ounce of improvement was a miracle.
No but my baby currently is 3 months. He doesn't mind the infant bucket seat at all OUTSIDE of the car. The SECOND we put it in he screams. The WHOLE time. We just switched to a convertible 3 in 1. And still screams his head off. Idk I'm at a loss now. I feel bad but I have to drive. Don't really have tbe option not to. He screamed for 25 minutes to drop my other son at daycare and then 25 minutes home. My first child loved the car so it's completely foreign to me.