Cosco - Scenera 5-Point Convertible Car Seat, Black Santee

Considering I paid $30 for this seat, it's not bad.

Compared to the Combi Cocorro my wife, mother-in-law and father use in their cars (& truck), this Cosco seat is pretty clunky. Clunky? Yeah, lack of padding, cheap plastic feel, notchy belt action -- you know, cheap!

But my son (now 2 years 3 months) has spent a lot of time in this seat, and not once has indicated he's uncomfortable in it, and has no problem nodding off when he's sleepy. So the lack of padding is a non-issue.

My biggest criticism is the belt system. They don't pull evenly, so I do spend a bit of time making sure the lap belt connection and shoulder straps are all even-steven when I pull the tightening strap, er, tight. That's because they're all one strap winding all around the kid (pretty normal for the car seats I've used), but there's a lot of friction making it anything but smooth (again, compared to the other seats I've used).

This seat is holding up well after nearly... Read more

I have very mixed feelings about this car seat. Some parts of it work well and other things about it are annoying so here's the list:

The Good:
- Price: I think everyone has established this point. For $39 you can't get anything else and honestly, if you're really strapped for money and that is your primary concern my recommendation is to just buy the seat and not read on because for the price it really is good enough and it meets all the safety requirements.
- Durable Cover: I've washed this thing endless times, it's a poly material that seems to wash very well and still look decent. Once it's out of the washer it's also practically dry so just air drying overnight or a quick tumble and you're good to go. Not getting it back on is a different story ... read below under The Bad.
- Size and Weight: It's very lightweight, I think the lightest on the market which makes it easy to transport although it has no place to hold while moving it so it's awkward... Read more

Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat
Rear facing 5-35 lbs. and 19-36"
Forward facing 22-40 lbs., 34-43" and over 1 year old

I 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, [...] 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 at Walmart. So...$200+ on a car seat that could last her until she's out of a... Read more