Cant decide (this will be my fourth seat for one child!)

[tellina]

My ds is now just over 2.5 years old, 32lbs and fairly tall in the torso, but he wont let me measure him :) ... he has outgrown the top slots on an AO, so now I need to get a new seat for his grandma's car ... 2001 Honda CRV.

In my car we have a Britax Marathon, and in my husbands car we have the Evenflo Triumph Advance (love them both!).

But my questions/choices are:
The Frontier (Rushmore or the Canyon)? What are these new seats all about?
The Safety First Apex ... is this going to do it for him for the next couple of years? (had great reviews on BRU)
And the True Fit Aurora this is new too, any input on this one?

So many choices! Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks so much!
Natel

[Debn31]

We just got the True Fit and we really like it. Was pretty easy to install FF, and we got a rock solid install too (in our '98 corolla - no latch).

They look super comfy and I like the SIP it offers (well, it really looks safer, anyways ;) )

The frontier I am very curious about, the other one I know little about.

[Neatfreak]

The Frontier and the Apex serve the same multi-purpose function - they will keep a child harnessed forward-facing for a long time, and then convert to a belt-positioning booster when the harness it outgrown. The Frontier probably has more longevity in harnessed mode, as it's top slots are reported to be about 1.25-1.5" higher than that of the Apex. The Apex is only a good choice when it will be supported by a vehicle headrest. I am not sure if the Frontier has the same requirement.

Does your mom's car have a top tether anchor? I can't recall when those became standard in Canadian vehicles!

I hope that all helps a little!

[tellina]

Thank you for your input.

Her car has a tether option -- its in the roof of the 'trunk' area (if that makes sense).

I am going to try and find more info out on the Frontier. Did Radian just release these into Canada?

Thanks again.

Natel

[Debn31]

The Frontier is made by Britax.

The Radians are made by Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products, and I cannot recommend them...:thumbsdown:
There was a problem with short straps in some of the Radians sold in Canada, and I got stuck with two of them. And when I say stuck - I mean almost literally. The distributor AND manufacturer were no help with these seats,
but luckily Canadian Tire came to my rescue. Some people do love the Radians though ( and I liked ours before the short straps become an issue), but again don't expect stellar service if something DOES go wrong. They're very inconsistent.

As for the Frontier, it is made by Britax. I don't have personal experience yet with Britax, but will be looking at the Frontier soon.
The Frontier hasn't actually been released yet, but it close to being on shelves from what I hear. It will be at TRU/BRU (toys r us/babies r us) soon, and supposedly also in boutiques.

There is also the Graco Nautilus coming out in fall, which I believe is a contender of the Frontier. If you can indeed wait, you might want to compare the two (Frontier and Nautilus) - when the Nautilus hits the shelves (supposedly in the fall sometime).

Keep in mind that the True Fit is a rear facing/forward facing convertible. Since he's no longer rear facing, and has a long torso, I am thinking that maybe the Frontier or Nautilus might be a better choice? I have a 4 year old who's tall and pretty long in the Torso too, and I only wish the Frontier/Nautilus were out now. The True Fit we have is keeping him in the 5 pt harness for now, though, and I am grateful for that.

The Frontier and Nautilus are forward facing/booster seats (convert to booster).

Is he your only child? If not, the True Fit might be an okay choice (and I certainly like ours). If he is, and you don't plan on more kids, it might not be your best choice (since you can't use the RF function for him/any subsequent kids).

Again, I don't know too much about the Apex...though I THINK it's also a FF seat that also converts to booster... (don't quote me though, I'm not 100% on that one..but I think so).

And, I am suddenly remembering, I also think someone might have said to me something about the Apex being tighter fitting in the crotch than some seats (which would be an issue over here for sure...)

Can anyone confirm that???