Review: Cosco Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat

When you have a growing child to take care of, this car seat is a great buy. It can be with him or her until he or she is too old to be in a car seat anymore. This is because, as the name implies, the Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat is, in fact, convertible. We didn't use it at first because we had our baby in one of those travel system car seats that doubles as a carrier. When they are newborns, it is just easier to be able to take the baby, car seat and all, with you. Plus, it is more comfortable for baby.

By the time our son, Gavin, was 4 months old and sitting up, however, he became more annoyed by the carrier car seat than anything else. So we started using the Alpha Omega. This car seat is great. At the infant stage, it is back facing and slightly tilted back, just as it should be. In most states children under the age of one should be in the back seat, facing backward. The Alpha Omega is designed to do this.

When he reached toddler stage, a little beyond one, we converted the Alpha Omega to its upright and forward facing stage. This has also been very nice, and comfortable for Gavin. We recently moved across country, and Gavin gave no indication of being uncomfortable in his Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat. We have not yet made the final transition, to a booster, but we expect that soon we will. Where we live now, in Utah, they've stipulated that a child has to be at least seven before he or she can sit on an actual seat.

The Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat can hold children up to 100 pounds (most seats only go up to 80 pounds). This is a very nice feature, as some children are bigger than others, but may still be required to be in a car seat. For safety, the Alpha Omega car seat features a five point harness system. This means that it is less likely to "pop open" in a wreck. It also makes it more difficult for kids to wriggle out of. The harness retainer is positioned against the child's chest, for maximum safety and protection. And it has a two piece release that makes it even more difficult for children to open themselves.

The highest piece (against the chest) is a bit easier to open, and sometime Gavin does undo it. But the lower is much harder to push open; his fingers are not quite strong enough. The harness is adjustable for fit, and even when Gavin does get the top piece undone, he has not succeeded in wriggling out.

We bought our Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat at Wal Mart more than three years ago for about $130. It has since gone up in price, and we couldn't find it at Wal Mart. It sells at Target and Sears for between $150 and $165. You can also now get a version of the seat with a latch for close to $170.

However, it is a great seat for the money. You can spend a reasonable amount for safety and comfort, and be able to use the seat for 6-8 years (depending on how long your state requires children to be in car seats.