Carseat Experts

[GirlsMama]

We will be purchasing new/final seats very soon.

My older girl is 4 1/2, weighs 35 pounds and is 43 inches. My little girl is 20 months, weighs 26 pounds and is 35 inches. Both are facing forward.

What would be the best seats for these girls? I am looking for 5-point harness and the heighest possible weight limit. I've narrowed it down to the Britax Regent or the Cosco Juvenile Apx 65, but if there is something better I'm open to it!

Thank you for your assistance. :)

[Murphys]

I would get a Graco Nautilus for the older one. It's around $170. It will harness to 65 pounds, then becomes a high back booster, then a backless booster. Truly the last seat you'll need to buy for the older one. If you prefer Britax, the Frontier would be a good option - and it harnesses to 80 as well as turning into a booster. It is more expensive though, but there is a Britax sale starting in a couple of days.

Honestly, the little one is still kind of small and I personally would turn her back rear facing, so I'd be getting a convertible seat for her. The new True Fits are really nice. If you are absolutely insistent on her being forward facing, I would probably go with a Nautilus for her too. Please make sure you are using those top tethers with the forward facing seats! :)

[suzabanana]

I second the recommendation for rear-facing the younger one - it sooo much safer! Check out Joel's story (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gU9zzCGA8).
Also Car-Seat.Org is a fantastic resource if you want help deciding. The ladies (& few guys) there are amazingly knowledgeable about seats, installation & what will work for your kids & car. Next to this forum, it's the only one I go to!

[GirlsMama]

I have no problem turning her back around, I left my middle girl rear-facing until she was 2 1/2, she was not quite the weight limit but we turned her around our first summer here because it was so hot (North Carolina) and she wasn't getting any cool air. That is why we turned our little one as well, she would be sweating and red-faced. I have no problem turning her back around, I've seen all the videos in support of rear-facing.

The seats they have now are being replaced because my 4-year old is getting too tall for her seat (Evenflo Titan) and my 20-month old's straps are on the right level, but they always look like they are going to go off the edges of her shoulders (Cosco Scenera).

Now I am thinking about moving my little one into the Titan and turning her rear-facing, and buying a new seat for my 4-year old this year, then a new one for my little one when she outgrows the Titan.

?

I wish I could go to a carseat expert and have them tell me which seats to buy!

[Murphys]

Well, if that's the case, I'd get a Nautilus for your older daughter and turn the younger rear facing in the Titan and worry about getting her a new seat once she's outgrown the titan.

We can't tell you what seats to buy because different seats fit children and vehicles differently. But we can certainly make suggestions based upon the ages and sizes of your kids. Sounds like you have a great plan for both kids in place by replacing the seat for your older dd!

[GirlsMama]

I looked at the nhtsa.gov and for the Titan I can have her rear-facing until 35 pounds, but it doesn't have a height limit, it says minimum 19". I found somewhere else that they can face rear until the seat's weight limit as long as their head is below the top of the seat.

The Cosco Scenera faces rear until 35 pounds and 36 inches and she is 35 inches now, so I guess when my husband comes home I will sit her in the Titan and see how close her head is to the top of the seat.

I watched the Joel's story, even though I've seen those sad stories before, to encourage myself to turn her rear, my husband doesn't think she'll like it, but I don't really care if she likes it or not, if it's safer and it seems one of our current seats will work.

IF both of our current seats are not big enough height-wise for her to fit facing rear I will try to find seat that can face rear for a taller height.

We drive a 2002 Mazda MPV mini-van and the car seats are in the back row because our 12-year old sits in one of the seats in the middle row.

[PrincessEmilysMommy]

Murphy's (hi there!) What's the height limit on the Nautilus?

[Murphys]

Hi PEM. Congrats on your new dd!

I don't have the Nautilus so I can't check the manual, but I think it has 18.5" top slots, so a child sitting on the floor measured floor to shoulder 18.5" or less should fit the seat in harness mode. As long as the tops of the ears aren't over the top of the seat shell, the child is under 65 pounds, and the shoulder straps are at or above the child's shoulders, she is good to keep using it in harness mode. Beyond that, it can be used as a high back booster, then a backless booster.

Keep in mind it is a forward facing only seat.

[PrincessEmilysMommy]

Thank you! This would be for Emily. Molly may not reach ff requirements until she's 5.

I'll sit her on the floor & measure her.

[HammBugga]

GM- I Have both the Nautilus and the Apex for my 3 YO DS who is about the same height(but weighs 10 pounds more) as your 4 yo DD. I prefer the nautilus and so does he. It isn't as wide as the Apex but it is more comfortable for him anyway. HTH.

Oh and I KWYM about rear facing and the LO's getting hot. I would take off my LO's pants and shoes this past summer. I'd rather do that then turn him around. He is RF in a Decathlon.

[GirlsMama]

Thanks Hamm, I am going to check out the Decathlon, it seems both of our current seats have 36 inch rear-facing height limits and she is 35 inches now.

[HammBugga]

Albee is having a sale right now but it is only on the brown color. It's a big discount though...
http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-decathlon-convertible-car-seat-cappuccino-fabric.html

[HammBugga]

This girl marathon is a really good deal too!
http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-marathon-convertible-car-seat-in-brooke1.html

Or this one:
http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-marathon-convertible-car-seat-in-ashley-floral.html

[_Gypsy_]

A child can rear face until one of two things happen - 1. they reach the weight limit OR 2. they have less than an inch of hard shell above their head.

A child can use a forward facing harnessed seat until one of three things happen - 1. the child's shoulders go above the top slots OR 2. the tips of the childs ears are above the back of the shell of the seat OR 3. the child reaches the weight limit for the harness.

A child outgrows a high back booster when 1. the child's shoulders go above the highest belt guide OR 2. the tips of the child's ears are above the back of the shell of the seat.

A child needs to continue using a booster until they pass the 5 step test http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm


Girlsmom, I'd get your older daughter a Frontier because it has a 9 year lifespan, and when your younger daughter outgrows the titan or it expires, I'd pass the Frontier down to her and get your older daughter a dedicated high back booster.

The Nautilus is a great seat, but it can only be used 6 years as a harnessed or high back booster, and 9 years as a backless, but the entire Frontier can be used for 9 years.

[HammBugga]

I thought the reason carseats had expiration dates was something to do with the plastic breaking down. If that is the case, then why would the frontier last longer?

[_Gypsy_]

I thought the reason carseats had expiration dates was something to do with the plastic breaking down. If that is the case, then why would the frontier last longer?

Call Britax and ask them :)

I don't know why, I just know that that is the stated expiration for the Frontier - none of the other Britax seats are 9 years - they are all 6.

I do think that the extra time the Frontier can be used for makes it fabulous!

They also have a MINIMUM of 2 YEARS AND 25 pounds for use.

So if a parent gets a Frontier for their 2 year old, it will expire when that child is 11, most 11 year olds can pass the 5 step test.

In addition, the long life span makes it ideal for passing down to younger siblings.

It's also the tallest high back booster on the market - it's VERY impressive at 24-25 inches from seat to shoulder!

[HammBugga]

That's odd.

[Murphys]

Thanks Gypsy. I couldn't remember the expiry thing. So many seats have different amounts of time now.

[Murphys]

I just want to add that Decathlons have a long history of giving people problems with the harness adjuster. I wanted to love my DC but hated it because I couldn't tighten it ever. It would have been a great seat if it weren't for that. There are loads of others who have this problem too (though some of them seem to be okay). If it is an option, I'd go with the Marathon instead. Just my 2 cents!

[HammBugga]

Yeah, sometimes it does stick and it takes some wrestling to get it tighter. I didn't know that was an across the board problem. I always forget the difference between the marathon and the decathlon. I went with the decathlon at the time because it was on sale for like $220 with free shipping.