Best Convertible Car Seats of 2016 Announced by BabyGearLab

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - May 23, 2016 - PRLog -- To determine which convertible car seats are the best for parents and their children, pediatrician run BabyGearLab purchased and tested 10 of the most highly regarded and popular seats and put them through a rigorous testing process like no other ever performed. The seats were tested side-by-side for crash tests, ease of use, installation, comfort and quality, and weight and size. BabyGearLab developed a comprehensive testing plan under the supervision of a NHTSA-certified Child Passenger Safety Technician that included professional crash testing to NHTSA's specifications, and extensive field testing across a range of vehicles including trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars. Test results and overall performance helped to determine award winners. Awards were given for an Editors' Choice, Top Pick for Innovation, and two Best Value options.

The awards winners include:

The Britax Marathon won the Editors' Choice award with the highest overall score in the group. The Marathon is an easy to install, easy to use car seat that offers the best combined crash safety results with a quality seat that stands out in the competition. Dr. Juliet Spurrier, the founder of BabyGearLab says, "The Marathon is a cool seat that has an easy to use height adjustment handle that keeps baby in the seat and allows for adjustments on the fly." Dr. Spurrier went on to say, "This seat is one of the easiest in the group to install, which, according to studies, has an impact on overall safety. Easy installation combined with the great crash safety results indicates this seat potentially offers an additional margin of safety. It is also easy to use, comfortable, and made with quality materials."

The Britax Roundabout earned a Best Value award with a 3^rd place rank in the group and the cheapest seat in the top half of products. According to BabyGearLab's founder, Dr. Spurrier, "The Roundabout is as easy to install as the Marathon with similar scores in several metrics. While the Roundabout doesn't offer the quick height adjustment, we think most parents won't mind given the money they'll save on this economical quality product. The Roundabout is one of the lighter options in the group, is easy to install, and has similar quality and comfort to its more expensive brother, the Marathon."

The Evenflo Tribute LX earned a BabyGearLab's Best Value award. This winner is somewhat unique for an award winner given its lower rank in the competition, but it was hard for BabyGearLab to ignore what the Evenflo offers. Dr. Spurrier says of the Evenflo, "This convertible car seat might not have all the bells and whistles of the completion, but it stood out thanks to a second place rank in the crash safety results and its high ease of use score. It is hard to ignore a seat that only costs $70 and is easy to use with the peace of mind of better crash test results. We like the idea of all parents being able to afford a seat that potentially offers an additional margin of protection."

Top Pick for Innovation was awarded to the Clek Foonf. The Clek is a one of the only seats in the competition to truly stand out, offering features and functionality not ordinarily found in convertible seats. Dr. Spurrier explains, "The Clek has a rigid LATCH system for forward facing installation that doesn't require strap tightening. This makes the installation process almost foolproof." Dr. Spurrier went on to say, "The Clek is a steel frame seat with adjustable headrest and an anti-rebound bar. We were impressed with all it has to offer and the overall quality of this seat."

BabyGearLab tested all the convertible car seats in multiple vehicles with multiple testers. The individual metric scores are an average for all tester input to get a broader idea of the typical user experience. Each seat installation was monitored or performed by a Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure proper installation. Testers then compared each seat to the others and assigned scores relative to the competition for each metric.

The complete review can be found here:

http://www.babygearlab.com/Best-Convertible-Car-Seat

BabyGearLab also created a buying advice article that functions as a companion piece to the main review. This article is designed to help parents make an informed buying decision based on personal needs. The article included information on the features and functionality parents need to consider when narrowing their options down to the perfect seat. This article helps parents find the right seat for their needs, even if an award winner is not a winner for them.

BabyGearLab.com is an unbiased product review website exclusively for baby gear. They test popular gear to determine which options are the best in each category of products. Created and supervised by a board certified pediatrician, Dr. Juliet Spurrier, BabyGearLab provides reviews and buying advice that are performed with integrity and attention to detail and safety. The site also offers articles on health, safety, and first look items for baby, including an important article on avoiding common car seat installation mistakes.