BRITAX MARATHON

Bottom Line:  Love It, Love It, Love It!

Pros: Very comfortable for long road trips, kids can sleep in it without their heads bobbing about.  My 3.5 year old looks like she's sitting in a lounge chair as she leans back, puts her hands behind her head and enjoys the onboard movie!  You don't have to dig too far to get the crotch piece for the seatbelt- fewer broken nails...  There is a nice piece of fabric around the crotch piece that is great for preventing chafing on your kiddies thighs (especially if you have a girl who likes to wear dresses or for boys wearing shorts) and also protects against accidental pinches when clicking in.  Straps don't tangle very often but when they do the are easy to untangle, the shoulder pads come off so you don't have twist and untwist...   There are also little bits of velcro on the sides of the seat for placing the opened straps on to keep them open while you put your child in.  Tightens smoothly.  Once you know how to put it in you can do it in 5 minutes, very sturdy system.  I'll get my husband to elaborate on this below.  Comes in funky patterns and in a cotton option- good for the summer.  Removable cover can be washed.  After your first in transit vomit or potty accident you'll know why this is an important feature!

Cons: It's pretty much the most expensive car seat you can get, however, if you consider how often you use it, and the hassle that comes from using a cheaper brand, then it is well worth it.  We mulled over the price factor for awhile but having experience the Eddie Bauer 3-in1 and cursing in virtually everyday, we decided it was worth the extra $75 over the 3-6 years that we would own it, and haven't regretted it whatsoever.   The seats do take up quite a bit of space, but they all do.  If you have a compact car, this may be more of an issue for you.   I do find that the chest clip is a bit stiff on the 2008 model. 

Other:  I have two of these, one for each daughter.  My one year old doesn't love it as much, but I think that is because she is still backward facing and because of its bigger size, she can really see me over her shoulder like she could in the infant bucket. 

The major competitor for this the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1, I would take the Britax Marathon a hundred times over...

EDDIE BAUER 3-IN-1 

Bottom Line:  It Does the Job, but I Hate It!  

Pros: LOOKS very comfortable, and is for as long as your child is awake.  Cheaper than the Britax.   Arm rests can be put up, an nice feature to help get your heavier child into the seat without having to launch them in.

Cons: This is Cosco's top of the line seat.  I find that it is very deep and VERY difficult to get the crotch clip out from underneath my daughter's bottom no matter how hard I try to lay it out before putting her in it.    The straps constantly get tangled and bind up- it drives me insane that I paid so much for this car seat!  The cover is not removable for washing, not a good feature if you do driving trips.  Comfortable enough when your child is awake, but after that even with a neck pillow, my daughter's head lolled all over the place.  We take a lot of road trips (some very long- Florida) and I felt so bad about my daughter's neck that I would often sit in the back just to hold her poor little head back!  My advice, pay the extra for the Britax Marathon.  If you have the older version it has a puzzle piece buckle- no grandparent in the universe can figure it out, what a pain!   More recent models have dual clips.  Not as nice to install.  Again, hubby will fill you in on the technical aspects of this.   My friend attempted to use it with her newborn, she hated it and returned it promptly.

Other:  I have two of these, one for each daughter.  My one year old doesn't love it as much, but I think that is because she is still backward facing and because of its bigger size, she can really see me over her shoulder like she could in the infant bucket. 

The major competitor for this the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1, I would take the Britax Marathon a hundred times over...

EDDIE BAUER DELUXE BOOSTER SEAT

Bottom Line:  It Does the Job (Wouldn't buy it for anything more than a second seat that doesn't get used very often.)

Pros: Smaller and lighter than the 3-in-1, good for compact cars.  Reasonably priced. 

Cons: Arm rests cannot be moved up in the older version, but newer versions do have this feature.  I would advise always getting movable arm rests, stationary arm rests makes it much harder to get your heavier toddler into the seat.  The straps don't tangle as badly as the 3-in-1, but they still do.  The cover is not removable.  Again, I wouldn't buy this car seat for driving any distances, the head lolling is an issue with this seat too.  Hubby's tech advice to follow... 

GRACO SNUGRIDE

Bottom Line:  Loved It!  But make sure you get the front adjust version! 

Pros: Sturdy seat, both of my babies like this seat and it wore very well.  The newer version is a bit bigger, which allows you to keep your infant in a bit longer, nice in the winter time and allows you more freedom to be out and about for a few more months.  There are other models and brands that have even greater weight and height allowance (although after a certain point it becomes very heavy to haul around, even for me, and I weight train regularly).   Base installs fairly easily.  Front adjust is a must- repeat after me, front adjust is a must! 

Cons:  Do not, I repeat, do not get a back adjusting seat!  I unknowingly purchased a second hand one without checking- I didn't know that back adjust even existed, my older one was a front adjust (I was trying to get a few more months out of the bucket).  You can't open up the straps to make it easier to get your child in or out of the seat if you have a back adjusting straps.  Basically you have to set it in one position, which is supposed to be snug and therefore not easy to get out.  Forget about trying to adjust it from the back with your child in it, you're just asking for a screaming fit.  Sometimes the straps bind up at the back in the front adjust version, all you have to do is unhook them and untwist, still, it is annoying, this didn't seem to be an issue with the back adjust as the straps are completely independent.  The handle bar on the newer version isn't as sturdy as the older version.

Other:  Considered one of the safest infant car seats on the market.