Cosco Juvenile Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat - Hammer Print

When I was shopping for a car seat, I was looking for something long term. I have to admit, I was very skeptical when I first saw the Cosco Alpha Omega, but it was competitively priced at $130 so I decided to give it a try. I didn't understand how it would be possible for a car seat to last 7 years! But, 6 years after my purchase, my son is still using this seat as a booster seat!

The fabric on the seat is still in great shape! Even after being in a car that was sitting out 24/7, there is minimal fading. There has been no tearing or wear at all, even after having washed it 3 times!

Converting from rear-facing to toddler to booster simple was super easy and took no more than 5 minutes! I had to keep looking at the directions because it almost seemed too easy!

My only complaint with the seat, however, is that it doesn't fit well in sports cars because of the molded sitting area. It's not a snug fit and will rock side to side even with the seat belt locked. I ended up taking it to a safety inspection (I owned a 2000 Toyota Celica at the time and currently have it in a 2002 Chevy Camaro) and they ended up having to rig it with a pool noodle!

All in all this is an excellent car seat and well worth the investment!!

This carseat is awesome. Strapping the kids in takes a little work at first, but it's snug, which is a good thing. In regards to the review above mine, yes, it's not easy to take apart and put it back together again and perhaps the instructions are needed. But considering the point of a carseat is to keep the child safe, it's a small price to pay. The safety rating is number one in my book. I'll take the detailed instructions, so long as I know my kids will be safe in the car. Highly Recommended.

This seat does indeed fit newborn to big kid although it is helpful for those first few weeks of baby's life to cover the plastic clip that crosses over their chest since it is a bit large on tiny ones and mine tended to scratch his hands and arms on it until I covered it. The ease of converting it for bigger kids is a dream; so using it for diferent kids is super easy. I bought one for my daughter 2 years ago when she was 6 months old and then bought the exact same seat for my new born son a couple of weeks ago and have used it only for him - no need for the infant seat. make sure your windows are tinted since it doesn't have a hood - of course:-). As far as taking it apart to wash - it comes apart very easily but make sure to notice and take notes as to what goes where because it can be confusing putting it back together otherwise. I have washed my daughters a bunch of times and it hasn't faded of torn or even piled at all. Pretty amazing for black material! All in all, an excelent seat; super safe, comfortable and stylish.

I have bought this seat because of the wide weight range you can use it for. Very easy to install it in most cars, it reclines and my son likes the armrests especially. The bottom lock is the only kind my two-year-old cannot open! We took it with us when flying to Europe on the plane, it is approved for air travel. It fits in the seat but then it is difficult to use the tray because the sides are too high.
I share the opinion of others when it comes to washing the cover. Lots of small pieces, get your camcorder out when disassembling it so you'll know how to put it together (not that bad). But the cover didn't fade, didn't shrink, no remaining spots after washing, no tears, rips, nothing. Very sturdy.
The ad says "No carry handle", actually, there is the middle bar on the back, by grabbing that, it is very easy to transport, otherwise it's a bit bulky.
In summary, it is a great seat, I'm looking forward to buy another one for my newborn daughter.

This carseat has been a dream! I have used it since my son was 20 lbs. It has really been great! My son loves it. It is very comfortable for him. You can use it for a small infant in the rear facing position. Once you turn it forwards, the recline positions are so wonderful and very easy to use! The straps are the easiest I have ever used. Just press the buckle at the base of the seat above the recline handle and the straps can be pulled very far out to easily go around baby. Once he is buckled, you pull the strap at the base of the carseat and the shoulder staps instantly tighten. I had no idea it would be that easy and I LOVE IT!

Before buying this seat, I read many mixed reviews regarding the straps and how they twist. I have never had this problem yet. The only complaint would be that since I bought this used, I had to remove every pad and every strap on it to wash it. It took forever and was such an extreme pain that I was really thinking about going out and spending the $159.99 to get this brand new just to save myself the headache. The person I bought it from told me it would need cleaning, so I knew to expect it, but I really would have just bought a new one in the store. Also, once I got it completely disassembled, I saw there was a rip in the head pad that had been hidden, so I had to sew that up. I spent $83 total on this used car seat. It costs $159.99 here in stores. Now that it is clean and installed in my car, the savings have been worth it. But when I was knee deep in straps, buckles, and a 20 page manual, I would have been happy to spend that extra $80.