Best Cheap Car Seats, Cheap Convertible Car Seats Review

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Rear-facing infant seats are probably the models most often found on new parents' baby shower registries. Many are designed to combine with a stroller, so they can be moved back and forth between the car and the stroller frame or simply carried around while you go about your daily business. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages parents to keep children in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible and the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its policy in 2011 to recommend that children ride facing backward until age two. However, many children outgrow the height and weight limits on rear-facing infant seats before they turn two. That's where a cheap convertible car seat comes in. Convertible models are designed to do double duty by facing either backward or forward, depending on a child's age and weight and on parents' personal safety standards. The weight ranges on most convertible car seats start at about five pounds, making it tempting to buy a convertible seat right away and skip the infant seat entirely. However, government and medical experts caution that convertible car seats are rarely a good fit for newborns.

Convertible car seat prices range from $50 all the way up to the three-digit stratosphere. While you could lay down upward of $200 for a convertible car seat (let's face it -- how do you put a price on your child's safety?) you don't have to spend that much to get a safe car seat. The market is dominated by products from Cosco, Evenflo, Graco, and Safety 1st, all of which offer many good options for less than $100. Beware of models that command higher prices simply for aesthetic appeal and a brand name. Britax is the car seat of choice among parents who are willing to spend more.

Cheap car seats are similar in safety, build, materials, and weight limits and lack the frills found on higher-priced models. Most have a five-point harness, which experts recommend as the safest way to strap a child in. Most cheap car seats also use the LATCH system, which is found in most cars made since 2002 and relies on anchors instead of a seat belt to hold the car seat in place. (LATCH stands for lower anchors and tethers for children.) Additional features to look for when purchasing a cheap car seat include a sturdy, durable body and a removable, washable seat pad. Make sure the seat isn't too big to fit in your car or too heavy to move from car to car. Based on scores of convertible car seat reviews, parents and caregivers appreciate easy installation and comfort. Overall they seem pleased with the value they get for the money they spend on cheap car seats.

The best cheap car seats we found are the Evenflo Titan Elite (starting at $100, Amazon) and the Safety 1st OnSide Air Convertible Car Seat (starting at $64, Amazon), which is capable of keeping young riders facing backward up to 40 pounds. We also like the lightweight yet sturdy Graco ComfortSport (starting at $72, Amazon). All three come with a five-point harness, as well as the LATCH system. One cheap car seat we aren't so fond of is the Eddie Bauer Deluxe Convertible Car Seat (starting at $100, Amazon). It's a bit on the heavy side and gets very poor user reviews.

by Raechel Conover (Google+ Profile)