News from JPMA and Spillingthebeans.net

[joolsplus3]

http://spillingthebeans.net/

If you can read my comment there, I'm in love with the Britax Diplomat already...and the Clek :)

[Splash]

So.... Britax is basically bringing back the Advantage? How lovely.
Diplomat? Stupid name. I would probably be forced to skip it on the name alone. Stupid name. I'm not thrilled with Regent and Monarch, but it's better than Diplomat.
So.... they've given up road formations (Boulevard, Roundabout, Parkway), and athletic events (Marathon, Decathlon), and the ultra popular "fat kid" designation, in favor of royal and noble titles? So will they be bringing back the King as well? It'll fit right in.

[bensmom]

Interesting. I'm a fan of the Clek, not so sure about the Diplomat - depends on the adjuster and price!

[joolsplus3]

So.... Britax is basically bringing back the Advantage? How lovely.
Diplomat? Stupid name. I would probably be forced to skip it on the name alone. Stupid name. I'm not thrilled with Regent and Monarch, but it's better than Diplomat.
So.... they've given up road formations (Boulevard, Roundabout, Parkway), and athletic events (Marathon, Decathlon), and the ultra popular "fat kid" designation, in favor of royal and noble titles? So will they be bringing back the King as well? It'll fit right in.

If it's a mini-boulevard, shouldn't they call it an Avenue or something? On-Ramp, maybe?

[Splash]

I'm fond of cloverleaf, myself.

[UlrikeDG]

The Trunki (http://trunki.net/) looks really cool!

[ThreeBeans]

If it's a mini-boulevard, shouldn't they call it an Avenue or something? On-Ramp, maybe?

How about, Unpaved Road? :whistle:

[cpsaddict]

How about, Unpaved Road? :whistle:

I can see the post titles now, " Britax Unpaved Road or Britax Boulevard?"

:D

[joolsplus3]

Hey, makes me think of a town... imagine a whole town with carseat names, lol.....

LOL, cloverleaf... yeah, i mean, the roundabout is a road-thing, too.

Maybe onramp for the infant seat, freeway for the toddler seat, and offramp for the booster?

[joolsplus3]

The Trunki (http://trunki.net/) looks really cool!

I know!!!! My mom has a massive bag collection, I sent her an email about this as a hint hint, it'd be great for going to grandma's, maybe she'll buy it for us for our trip this year... at least Bitsy could ride it (she's still only 50 pounds, lol)

[scatterbunny]

Except maybe for newborns, big Britax seats DO fit in many smaller cars RF.

I guess it's still a good product to have, basically a RA with TSIP, but I really think Britax needs a COMBO seat to compete with the Apex. We really need another HWH combo seat (that works without vehicle headrests and has taller top slots).

[rlsadc]

hmm interesting...i personally found the RA a waste of money...why not just splurge a little more (since youre splurging anyways...lol) and get the MA? and i agree...i have yet to not be able to fit my MA in any vehicle, so does the BV really need to be smaller? :confused:

[Kellyr2]

Yeah, I also have always found the RA to be a waste of money - the MA isn't that much more, just go for it. So the Diplomat does nothing for me. And I agree - i like the road-themed names better.

My excitement though? I see Recaro on the list of vendors...

[papooses]

Those diaper bags would have been very helpful back when my parents were babysitting Leila as an infant -- I used zipper PUL bags & they always complained about not being sure which was which ... although I thought it was simple enough to see which one was not fadded/threadbare :rolleyes:

[CandCfam]

I agree, I find the Roundabout a waste of money. IMVHO, it is no better than any other FF 40 lbs limited seat, maybe easier to install than some, but not worth the money, to me, by any stretch of the imagination. So, I personally will lump this new Diplomat in the same 'not worth the money' bin i my mind.:o

[joolsplus3]

I'm really thinking the people with more money than sense WILL like the Diplomat. Tall dads with small back seats... it really IS a pain to try to get an rf MA behind some 6' 3" guy in a VW Golf, and the RA allows more front leg room than the Snugride for those tall guys, IME, so I think we shouldn't lump it as a niche seat. Besides, if it's got an RA adjuster...ah... finest adjuster ever made.... :love:

Yeah, the Evolva 1/2/3 is what we need here...it's a Monarch with a built in harness...

[papooses]

Yeah, the Evolva 1/2/3 is what we need here...it's a Monarch with a built in harness...

Drools :love: if its top slots are 19" or more I'm all over it :whistle:

[UlrikeDG]

The RA can be a good option when you've got more than one child and handing down seats is going to happen. I got my RA before the MA even existed, but I continued to use it after I bought my first MA. If it hadn't expired, I'd still be using it and, frankly, loving it more than my MAs. The harness adjuster on the old RAs was so much easier than on the MAs.

[hsjwmom]

:yeahthat:

I loved my RA. Sniff Sniff

I would have went with a Marathon had they been available back then, but then I would have missed out on the joy that was my Roundabout. I used it for my 2 dds and then passed it on to someone who wouldn't use it past it's expiration. It was worth every penny! Just my :twocents:

Disclaimer: this is not to say that I don't love my MA and Regent...It's just a different type of love. LOL

[bensmom]

The RA can be a good option when you've got more than one child and handing down seats is going to happen. I got my RA before the MA even existed, but I continued to use it after I bought my first MA. If it hadn't expired, I'd still be using it and, frankly, loving it more than my MAs. The harness adjuster on the old RAs was so much easier than on the MAs.

I totally agree. I love my RA. I actually bought a second one for DS2 (one for each car - we only had one car when DS1 was in the RA and now have two) because I love the adjuster, especially RF. It was a good price and I figure I'll get enough use out of it for a few years and can always pass it along to a friend.

[skaterbabscpst]

Except maybe for newborns, big Britax seats DO fit in many smaller cars RF.

I guess it's still a good product to have, basically a RA with TSIP, but I really think Britax needs a COMBO seat to compete with the Apex. We really need another HWH combo seat (that works without vehicle headrests and has taller top slots).

:yeahthat:

[cmm7]

I know a family that LOVED the RA so much they did all of this just to have one...

DD outgrows infant seat and goes RF into RA.
DS born and into infant seat.
DD too tall to RF in RA and goes into RF MA.
DS goes into RF RA.
DD weighs too much to RF and DS gets too tall for RA RF.
DS goes RF into MA and DD FF in RA.
DS gets too heavy to RF and DD too heavy for RA.
DS into RA FF and DD into MA FF.

Then since the RA was bought over a year earlier then the MA, the DD went into a booster and DS into the MA when the RA expired.

Now how complicated was THAT just to have a RA?!?!?!

[Splash]

I don't think that has anything to do with having a Roundabout. That is making use of the seats you have instead of wasting money on another.
If I had kids very close together, I'd probably do the same thing. As it is, my son is already too tall for the RA no matter which way it faces, and we're not having another kid for at least two years, so it would have been a big ole' waste for us.
I did buy one for friends recently. Their children are 18 months apart, and they had a Titan of the oldest that they hated, and nothing for the baby. I got Evenflo to replace the Titan with a Generations, and I bought a RA for the oldest as a Christmas gift to the parents. A MA really doesn't fit well RF in their car (same as my car, and his BV fits, but not comfortable for the passenger and it is bolt upright, far too upright for an infant). So the oldest is currently in the RA, and the baby in her basket. When the baby outgrows the basket, she'll go RF in the RA and the oldest will go into the Generations. Soren should last in the Roundabout until she's 3.5-4, especially if she's as teeny as her sister. Since it was over a year old when I bought it (why I got a good deal), they'll use it until it expires or darn close to it. For THEM, it was a good deal. Not only because I got it (marginally) cheap, but because it fits MUCH better than a MA would in their car, and they have children very close in age and therefore will get the full use out of it.

[mom2acrew]

A cool "broadcast" from JPMA check out the Combi and the 50# Triumph!


http://www.babytv.com/videos/2007-JPMA-Show-Day-1.aspx

[Splash]

Interesting offering from Combi, but I hope the woman didn't really mean that it only goes to 22 RF. I see a TON of misuse with that seat though. Tons. And haven't they learned that parents HATE puzzle buckles? Geez. I like them, but I know I'm in the minority.
I liked the additional room in the leg area when RF, unless it was just a trick of the camera and it doesn't really exist.

[broken4u05]

Interesting offering from Combi, but I hope the woman didn't really mean that it only goes to 22 RF. I see a TON of misuse with that seat though. Tons. And haven't they learned that parents HATE puzzle buckles? Geez. I like them, but I know I'm in the minority.
I liked the additional room in the leg area when RF, unless it was just a trick of the camera and it doesn't really exist.

Yeah the Combi looked cool but with 22 pounds RF that is nothing. And i can see someone driving with the child facing the side.