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Baby Car seat for Toddlers?

5K views 15 replies 15 participants last post by  Zoobiee 
#1 ·
Anyone with kids, recommend a good car seat for the JK?

Do you ride with the freedom top/sun rider top off in the summer with your baby on board?

I have a 2 year old and I wanted to know if its safe and reliable enough to drive with the top off if the baby seat is properly secure and strapped down on to the chair.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I've got a TJ & raised both my boys in one through toddler stage & now my daughter. Mine have been daily drivers & my only vehicle so my son from the time he came home from the hospital had been in his car seat in the TJ. I mostly keep the top on unless you're great about sunblock & eye protection. I mostly just run with the sides off though because here in FL the sun is rough daily & it gives them a break from direct sunlight on their skin & eyes and though the sides are off it still helps with not being as windy & so a lil less likely for something to hit their eyes but if they'll where a baseball type hat or sunglasses that's best.

Sun & eyes are my biggest concerns for the little ones. Good luck & enjoy, my boys & daughter LOVE the Jeeps
 
#3 ·
Can't go wrong with any of the Britax stuff. We just bought the Britax frontier. It's got the quick restraint system if you need to move it, but it's heavier then most which we don't care it will stay put in the jeep. Ride with the freedom tops off but the kid doesn't like all the wind with the complete top off. You'll spend a little more for the Britax stuff but the quality we feel is much better then most.
 
#4 ·
I use a Diono R100 with my 20mo old daughter, I've been happy with it, both rear and front facing. She's not real keen on top down, but she's quite content with the rear windows removed, which is nice, since that's also my favorite configuration.

Edit- to reiterate what others have said, while I feel perfectly safe with her in the car seat having the top down, from a sun and wind protection perspective I feel it's much better to keep her sheltered, so the top stays up most of the time.
 
#9 ·
I use a Diono R100 with my 20mo old daughter, I've been happy with it, both rear and front facing. She's not real keen on top down, but she's quite content with the rear windows removed, which is nice, since that's also my favorite configuration.


Second vote for Diono...I have two in a JKU, one set as rear facing and the other front facing. It fits really well in a front facing setup because it does not have a thick base. Both my guys like going topless but I only go doorless in the front for two reasons, the 2.5 year old can unbuckle his seat (has done it on the Diono, Safety First and Britax brands) and it is nice to put the rear windows up to give them a break from the wind.
 
#5 ·
recaro makes some amazing car seats as well. worked well for me.
 
#7 ·
I have a 2 dr JK and husband has 4 dr. We use the Britax advocate for our now almost 2 year old. When she was rear facing it was a pain in the 2 door but perfect in the 4 door. Now she front facing (she's tall like us!) and fine in either. We occasionally flip the top back but don't remove fully when she's inside unless it's a short trip at about 35mph and less. She loves it tho. She actually gets really upset if I get in it just to turn the battery on while messing with the winch, lights, etc and don't let her up!
 
#8 ·
I have two Graco's in the back of my JKU. One is an all in one with the Latch system for my 2-1/2 year old and the other is a booster with the 4 point restraint for my 4-1/2 year old. Both work great and are easy to take in and out. I have my top down as much as possible. I just make sure they have sunscreen on and ware sunglasses. I also run a spyderweb sunshade.
 
#11 ·
My 2 yr old had a Chicco NextFit that I can recommend. Even more highly I recommend running a sunshade no matter what seat you go with. I have a Spiderweb Shade and it's great.
 
#13 ·
Britax for her (2), cheap Graco for him (6). He also has a Britax but they are bulky and a pain to swap so it stays in mom's car. We always have the full-length shade when they're riding and the top is down. We don't go top down with the kids if it's too hot and we always have sunscreen. As you can see the wind doesn't bother them, but we rarely get above 45-50 mph around here. And we take towels to cover the seats while parked to keep the seats cool.
 

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#14 ·
I run with top and doors off, and my kids love it!

Full car seat for when they are young, then I went with a Clek Oobr car seat as they got older. It attaches to latches, so it won't slide out on a turn... and has hard supports that wrap and keep the child from moving around. A little spendy, but the safety is worth every penny. I also went with tube doors for the rear, as extra precaution to ensure they don't fall out. I recommend Barricade Adventure Door, they provide lots of steel for protection.

I also run a Trektop NX, which I use as a safari top to keep the sun off them in the back. Kind of hard to see in the photo, but I've got the front folded back... and the kids in the rear have shade
 

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#15 ·
I've got 2 1/2 year old twins who love the JKU. Hard top. Soft top. Whatever. I haven't gone topless with them, yet, because I'm very protective, but they have ridden without the freedom panels.

They are currently riding in Britax Marathon seats but it's about time to bump them up to the next level.

They fit fine and a thin adult can easily fit between the two seats, accommodating three passengers in the rear.
 
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