Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat, Triton

I was really wary when I read the reviews before buying this seat, because people had mentioned lack of cushioning, and difficulty of adjusting the straps. But this car seat was so much cheaper than everything else out there, I got it anyway - and I'm so glad I did!

As for lack of cushioning, maybe it has less than other models out there, but it's plenty for my little one. Also, it makes for very easy clean-up. Face it, at some point or other, your kid is going to throw up ALL OVER the car seat (or worse, diarrhea). When that happens, you'll be so happy you bought this car seat because it is very easy to just pull off the cover and throw it in the washing machine, and all that's left to do is wipe off the plastic base.

As for the difficulty adjusting the straps, I'm not sure what other reviewers were referring to. I have had no problems at all in pushing the little button to loosen them or pull them tight, which we do every time we get in or out. The...Read more

The number one important feature of any car seat should be the SAFETY RATING! We checked Consumer Reports before buying our car seat and this car seat was the ONLY convertible car seat that was rated "excellent" for crash protection. Safer than Britax, Graco, First Years, Combi, etc. I was quite surprised that it was rated so safe considering the fact that it really is a bare bones car seat. It's not very soft & cushiony (but hey, neither is our daughter's papasan swing and she's been napping comfortably in that thing for 7 months!) and it was a little more difficult to install than the car seat that we're using in our other car (the Combi Coccoro). But seriously, who cares, it's all about safety and this car seat is safe. Just make sure when you're installing it backwards to keep the level line horizontal and it will help you install easier; if the line's not level the seat will be moving around way too much.

This is a good car seat for the low price but it does not have padding. It is nice that it is small and lightweight so if you need to move it from one car to another it's easy or if you have a small car it fits well but your child may not be comfortable on long trips due to the complete absence of any padding or cushioning. I just use it for the baby's grandfather's car but use a more comfortable one in our car since he rides in it more often.