Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Review

Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat Fast Facts  

• Designed for infants to toddlers to a preschool booster seat
• Rear and forward facing settings
• Accommodates weights up to 100 pounds
• Three adjustable seating positions
• Arm rests that can be moved up out of the way, or down for your child to use
• Cloth headrest adjustable to four different positions
• Smaller headrest for infants
• Small storage compartment in the back (I kept the manual there)
• Easy to install, easy to fasten baby or toddler
• Five- point security harness
• Easy to adjust size, no rethreading of harness

Price:  $169.99

My Viewpoint:  Assembly and installation of the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat couldn't be easier.  But if you are using it for an infant be sure to put all the growing up pieces in a safe spot for later use.  Placing your infant in the seat rear facing can be a little difficult, even when it's in a reclining position, and we have a mini van so there is lots for room for me to move.  Adjusting the harness to safely seat your baby to preschooler takes just a minute with the use fo the sliding harness which you simply move into another predetermined position and lock into place from the back of the car seat. With five different positions it will grow with your child.  The five point harness means that you child is safely secured, and I prefer it over the three point harness system. Five point harness means that the straps come across baby's shoulders, are fastened at the chest. Then there are fastenings from the legs that then come up and fasten to the chest also.  It looks uncomfortable, but it works, my children have even slept in the seat so it must be comfy.

The recline position does take a little work, by pulling the red bar in the front of the car seat near the bottom, but it offers three positions and your really don't have to do it that often, just often enough to accommodate your growing infant to baby.  The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat is large and when in a reclining position will take up quite a bit of space in a small car as well as sits quite high so it may be too tall for some cars in the back seat. 

Use on a toddler is quite easy, you simply turn it around, follow the manual instructions for installing it with your seat belt and then strap in as you did before - after adjusting the harness.  The booster seat is even easier to use - that is after you make the appropriate adjustments to the seat and installation. 

Overall, the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat is a great deal for the money, you can really get your money's worth out of it being able to use it for up to 100 lbs, so that gets you through most state laws as well as then some.  However, contrary to the manufacturers claims I wouldn't use it for a small infant.  There is no detachable base so you end up waking baby when you move them and I just feel like it wasn't very comfortable or snug as even with the head position her little head just drooped over to one side or the other.  My preference is an infant car seat and then move up to this one at about 9 months. 

Lastly, just to be sure take advantage of local car seat checkpoints - where they check to make sure your car seat is installed and adjusted correctly for your child.  It's free and definitely worth it!

This car seat is "bulky" I would actually have rated it higher, except for the fact that many small cars or trucks driving parents will not be thrilled with the size of the seat - but they will love the security.