Is the Sunshine Kids Monterey booster available anywhere?

[KarinSDCA]

If so, where?

If not, any idea on when it will be available and where?

Thanks! :)

[CDNTech]

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Monterey-Booster-Seat/dp/B000YJEWC4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1204834849&sr=8-3

Amazon has them on pre-order for March 5th. As far as I know, they are not being released to be sold until then.

Canada isn't supposed to get ours until May. :(

[Jewels]

Amazon has them on pre-order for March 5th. As far as I know, they are not being released to be sold until then.


Today is the 6th my dear so it should be available now :)

[CDNTech]

Today is the 6th my dear so it should be available now :)

:D Meant to add... it states they are temporarily out of stock. :D

How did March get here so quickly???

[Jewels]

:D Meant to add... it states they are temporarily out of stock. :D

How did March get here so quickly???

Oh, okay! That makes sense :p

I wonder if they actually got them in yet then if they are out of stock the day after they are available :confused:

[CDNTech]

Oh, okay! That makes sense :p

I wonder if they actually got them in yet then if they are out of stock the day after they are available :confused:

My guess is no... since we were supposed to get ours in April and it got pushed back to May. :(

[Gypsy]

Russ has said that because of the weather in China, they won't be receiving them at SSK in WA until the very end of March, very beginning of April, and it will take retailers about a week from there to start shipping them, so people who order before April should have them by mid-April.

[joolsplus3]

Yeah, they told us late march, early april in the SK chat the other day, too...

[KarinSDCA]

EEK! I don't know if I can wait that long. :( DD's shoulders are below the top slots on the Apex by about a half-inch (maybe a little less), but complains every time we ride in that car that her thighs/groin area are "squished" and she looks uncomfortable. We already have the longer crotch strap and without that the seat would have been completely useless for us. We cannot use it as a booster in either vehicle (too wide for current vehicle and improper headrest issue in other vehicle).

I found the Nautilus in person, but it was still sealed in the box (as it should be) and the store didn't have any on display to see if DD would fit and/or liked it. I know she is borderline, so I didn't want to buy it and have to return it...especially after reading that stores are supposed to legally destroy them if the box is open. :eek: What a waste!!! Yet, I understand the flip side (buying a used seat with an unknown history...thinking it is brand new). What a paradox. In any case, I don't wish to participate in such a wasteful practice.

Has anyone been able to test a Nautilus in Wal-Mart? Are other stores carrying them now? Do any of them allow testing before buying? Even just putting my DD in it in a store is a start, although getting it out to my car would be more accurate. I could at least rule it out if she hated it or her shoulders were even or above the top slots in the store...

See, I would rather keep her in a five-point, but she is outgrowing them faster than manufacturers can produce them for tall, lightweight children...

[Mama2J]

I'm not sure if WM allows you to take seats out to the car and test them, but you can always ask if you find a display. But I think WM bolts them down too, so maybe not.

If she still has room in the Apex, she should fit in the GN. I think the Apex is around 17" high and the GN 18.5" high. Or you could get a Regent, although it is expensive, but would last longer.

[KarinSDCA]

While I have seen the numbers and have heard many people say DD would have more growing room in the Regent, I haven't seen it. I had the Apex installed in one outboard position in our vehicle and went to the store and installed the test Regent in the other outboard position and had DD sit in both and compared. She only had a smidgen more room in the Regent than she did in the Apex at the time (6-7 months ago). I had gotten the Apex on sale for $89 and it can be used as a booster, so I kept it and decided we'd revisit the issue when she outgrew it. Here we are and it turns out we cannot use the Apex as a booster because it covers up the seatbelt buckle stalk.

DD is only 41 pounds, so we'd prefer to keep her in a five-point. She's going to be seven years old later this month and she is 47-ish inches tall.

[Mama2J]

If she's almost 7 and over 40 lbs., I'd be comfortable with a booster. I didn't catch her age before; I thought she was younger. Hopefully you can wait for the Monterey. But if not, maybe get a cheaper booster in the meantime and keep it as a spare once you get the Monterey?

[joolsplus3]

That's bizarre...the Regent is like 4 inches taller than the Apex :confused: Could be that crazy thing where the test bench doesn't fit like a car, but you got the flip flop result, she had less room out of the car. Have you seen these comparison pictures? http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/FFalbum.aspx I should have taken one of my 10 yo in the Regent before I sold it a couple weeks ago (55 inches and a little room to grow...)
I'd preorder the Monterey and just hope they are out for delivery sooner than the expect, it's only a couple more weeks...
(and not sure what you mean about the headrest for the apex in the other car, it needs a proper headrest when harnessed or boostered).

[papooses]

She only had a smidgen more room in the Regent than she did in the Apex That is really quite bizarre :scratcheshead: My DD outgrew the Apex harness by height last summer & still has at least 2 more years in the Husky/Regent....

[chickabiddy]

That's bizarre...the Regent is like 4 inches taller than the Apex :confused:

Maybe it's one of those mythical 19" Apexes?

[Mama2J]

Maybe it's one of those mythical 19" Apexes?

Ah maybe that's why. In that case, I'd definitely go with a booster. Karin, could you measure the top slot on your Apex?

[KarinSDCA]

That is really quite bizarre :scratcheshead: My DD outgrew the Apex harness by height last summer & still has at least 2 more years in the Husky/Regent....

It IS bizarre and BTW I love that smiley! LOL The owner of the small boutique store who seemed much more knowledgeable than most carseat salespeople helped me install the seat with LATCH and she, too, was perplexed. The seats were right next to each with very little room in between since both are wide and this was the backseat of our Prius. DD got into one and then the other and I snapped pictures. I wonder where those shots are???

[KarinSDCA]

(and not sure what you mean about the headrest for the apex in the other car, it needs a proper headrest when harnessed or boostered).

We cannot use the Apex at all in the Camry due to the weird headrests. They stick into the backseat space when left as normal, which puts the Apex into a very uncomfortable (and seemingly unsafe) angle forward. When I flip the headrest around, it snaps the top tether cover shut (I didn't have it tethered for the test at first) and it (headrest) wouldn't stay on when I did tether the carseat because the posts couldn't go down far enough to be secure.

[KarinSDCA]

Ah maybe that's why. In that case, I'd definitely go with a booster. Karin, could you measure the top slot on your Apex?

DH has that car today, but I can measure it tomorrow. :) BTW, it's official name when I purchased it was something like Safety First Signature Biltmore??? Does that sound right? The paperwork is also in the Prius, so I cannot look it up. I got it at albeebaby.com. Just in case either of those facts would help clear up the mystery. ;)

[Mama2J]

Yes that seat has gone under a few different names. As far as I'm aware that was not a connection to the harness height though. Most of them are 17 inches, but I have heard of some being 19.

[KarinSDCA]

How ironic! I had been hoping and praying I would get one of those "mythical" 19-inch Apex seats, but when DD had such a small amount of growing room left I assumed I didn't. However, it kind of makes sense now if I put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

She had a Graco Ultra CarGo in our Camry and the Platinum version in our Prius. In harness mode, she outgrew the Platinum by height and then outgrew the Ultra harness a little while later. The difference is padding, to my knowledge.

So, I sort of tested the Apex from BRU in our Camry, but the Ultra CarGo was installed in the center seat and another shopper was going beserk over me having my door open and blocking her from parking in the exact spot she wanted (there were lots of other parking spaces available, so go figure). Therefore, I just sat the Apex in the outboard seat and sat DD in it and estimated it would be okay. The angle was wacky, but I attributed it to the CarGo and not the headrest. Definitely not the way I would go again. ;)

Then I ordered the Apex from albeebaby and we tried installing it in the Camry and Prius and discovered all its quirks. It wasn't the right seat, but it was the best harnessed option at that price range and we already had it in our hands. The important bases were covered: it fit in the Prius (family car) while in harness-mode and DD fit in it and she liked it (once the new crotch strap arrived).

Meanwhile, I still wanted to find the right seat, so I dragged DD back to BRU, over to USA Baby, and up to The Right Start. This is when I tested the Regent and Radian and Child Seat. None of them provided any more room than the Apex. In fact, she was at or over the top slots in the Radian and Child Seat. The Regent fit about the same as the Apex, but there was a smidgen more room (roughly 1/4-inch).

I had forgotten all about the possible differences in height on the Apex! If DH had a tape measure handy at work or in the car, I'd be asking him to measure it right now. LOL Meetings? Clients? Conference calls? Who cares...this is a mystery to be solved! :D

[KarinSDCA]

Going back to another question I asked in a different thread regarding the Nautilus...

If I can confirm the top-slot height on our Apex is indeed 19 inches, then am I "safe" to drop the Nautilus quest for testing in harness mode and move on to finding appropriate boosters?

BTW, thanks for all the assistance! I was getting very frustrated with all this and now it is starting to make sense, so I feel better... :)

[Mama2J]

Going back to another question I asked in a different thread regarding the Nautilus...

If I can confirm the top-slot height on our Apex is indeed 19 inches, then am I "safe" to drop the Nautilus quest for testing in harness mode and move on to finding appropriate boosters?

BTW, thanks for all the assistance! I was getting very frustrated with all this and now it is starting to make sense, so I feel better... :)

Yes if the Apex you have is 19 inches, I would buy the booster. Good luck in solving the mystery! :D

[chickabiddy]

For an almost-seven-year-old of typical physical and mental development, I would not be looking to spend hundreds of dollars to harness for an extra quarter-inch.

[Girly_Qs]

Interesting. My just-turned-5yo is almost the same size (48" 40lbs, long-torso) has plenty of room in her Regent, both in height and width. We're staying in the Regent (partly because we already invested in it, lol!) because of her age. I'm just not comfortable at 5, but at 7 . . . I think I'd save some $ and go for the booster.

[April]

In fact, she was at or over the top slots in the Radian and Child Seat. The Regent fit about the same as the Apex, but there was a smidgen more room (roughly 1/4-inch).



I REALLY think you've got a 19 inch Apex!

[Stretchy Glue]

Here's a copy of the email conversation between Russ and I. If I understand correctly, if you haven't ordered yet, you won't be getting your seat until late May or June if you order now. FWIW, I haven't heard exactly from Kathy yet:mad:. I ordered my seat from SKJP March 3, so hopefully I'm on the first shipment.

Joni,

Great to hear from you - I really do think you will love (and I mean
LOVE) the Monterey. Orders will go out to retailer sand techs in the
order in which they were received (this is most fair to everyone). We
have been very much oversold on the initial shipments of Monterey, so
Kathy will be able to reply to you as to when your seat will ship.

I am glad you appreciate our working with the techs, but it is also us
who are appreciative of the techs and the work they/you do. It's a great
service. Keep it up!

Best regards,
Russ

------------------------------------
Sunshine Kids
Russ Berger
russ@skjp.com
3104 142nd Ave East
Suite 105
Sumner, WA 98390
USA
tel: 253-859-5700 ext 240
fax: 253-859-5800
mobile: 617-817-3201
------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----
From: Joni
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 1:20 PM
To: russ@skjp.com
Subject: Monterey

I ordered one earlier with my tech discount and was wondering if it
would be in the first shipment or a later one? I got an email from
Kathy once but she never replied to my question about when mine would be
shipped. I thought maybe you could help.
As a tech, I really appreciate your company offering us this discount.
It is so nice to have support.

Joni McSpadden

[snowbird25ca]

Moved to shopping and deals forum. :)

[trinityklm]

I placed an order at Amazon for a pink Monterey back in February. About a month ago, they sent an email asking if I wanted to continue to wait for my order since they were experiencing "shipping delays." I knew all about that lurking here, so I wasn't concerned. I told them, yes, I still wanted to wait for my order. Today I got an email saying my order was canceled because I did not respond about keeping the order within the specified amount of time.

Has this happened to anyone else??? I'm freaked out because I assume I'm losing my place in line. I did send them an email requesting that they immediately reinstate my order, but I have doubts about that happening.

Also, they don't even show the pink Monterey on their website anymore, so I probably couldn't reorder if I wanted to.

Does anyone here have any insight?

Edited to add: I just talked to someone at Amazon and they can't reinstate my order for the pink one because it isn't even on the website anymore. I'm NOT happy!

[T~Licious]

Oh no! I ordered the pink one too! :(

[trinityklm]

I finally got an email from Amazon explaining that they can't get the pink one so they canceled my order. Funny how they started out trying to blame me. I would have much preferred they tell the truth from the beginning. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else who ordered that color from Amazon.

I ended up placing an order for a pink one at Elite car seats. It costs more with tax and shipping, but its probably better customer service. They're still saying it's back ordered.

Does anyone have any new news about this seat and when it might show up?

[mom2be]

I checked on Elitecarseats.com today and saw that they no longer list the Sunshine Kids Monterey booster (in all colors) as backordered. They are in stock. I would be interested to know the feedback on this booster if anyone as received one yet.

[trinityklm]

I got an email today saying my pink Monterey is on the way from Elite car seats. Now, I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm very excited! I'll let you know when/if it shows up!

[mom23boys]

I got an email today saying my pink Monterey is on the way from Elite car seats. Now, I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm very excited! I'll let you know when/if it shows up!

I am anxious to know if you get it and how you like it! Please post some pics if you can!

[ZephyrBlue]

Elitecarseats.com definately has them instock- mine shipped today and I have a FedEx tracking number that is registering. Russ from SK told me once that this is their favorite retailer, so I'm guessing that's why they got the first shipment.