my oldest in 5 and weighs only 38 pounds and in 43 inches tall. He is currently in a booster with a seat belt. I want him back in a 5 point harness. I am not sure I can afford the regent. So is the apex 65 good? Or do you know another less expensive alternative to the regent? Thanks
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Apex vs. Regent
- Thread starter sme84118
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Splash
New member
You must have high vehicle seatbacks and/or adjustable headrests to use an Apex. Try it out and see where his shoulders are in relation to the top slots. Also, what vehicle do you drive? Do you have top tethers? It's not a real popular opinion here, but I would rather have a 5 year old in a booster than an untethered harnessed seat. If you have tethers, harness all the way. If not, I would put my child in a good booster instead.
The "headrest rule" with the Apex is that when seated in the Apex, the midpoint of child's head must be at or below the VEHICLE's seatback. Basically, the didn't design their headrest to be structural, so the vehicle needs to provide support behind the child's head as the Apex can't.
So, unless you have a bench seat or a just a low seat, it should work. Put the child on the seat directly, how far does he have until the tips of his ears are AT the car's seatback or headrest? Assume the Apex would put him 4 inches or so up in the air.....
At five years old nearly 40 lbs, there isn't much for long-lasting options that are less expensive than the Regent. Apex, Safeguard Seat (very $$), Safeguard GO (probably too short, needs tether, easier with lower anchors), the big Britaxes and Radian (probably close to being too short). Apex and Radian are really your best options.
Is he too wiggly for the booster?
So, unless you have a bench seat or a just a low seat, it should work. Put the child on the seat directly, how far does he have until the tips of his ears are AT the car's seatback or headrest? Assume the Apex would put him 4 inches or so up in the air.....
At five years old nearly 40 lbs, there isn't much for long-lasting options that are less expensive than the Regent. Apex, Safeguard Seat (very $$), Safeguard GO (probably too short, needs tether, easier with lower anchors), the big Britaxes and Radian (probably close to being too short). Apex and Radian are really your best options.
Is he too wiggly for the booster?
skaterbabs
Well-known member
He may already be too tall for the Apex, even excluding the rule about the vehicle seat. You'll want to check that his shoulders are not above the harness slots.
scatterbunny
New member
What is his torso height? Sit him flat against a wall. Make a mark on the wall at his shoulder, where harness straps would be. Measure from the floor to that mark, that is his sitting torso height. That will give us an idea of how much growing room he would have, heightwise, in various seats.
The top slots of the Apex are 17.25 inches tall.
The top slots of the Regent are 21-22 inches tall.
My 5.5yo would have just a smidge of room in an Apex but would have 3+ years in a Regent.
The Sunshine Kids Radian may be a good option. It has top slots about 18 inches tall, harnesses to 65 pounds. I'd probably not want to go with a convertible seat like this one unless your ds had 2+ inches of torso growth, or unless you have younger siblings to pass the seat down to.
The top slots of the Apex are 17.25 inches tall.
The top slots of the Regent are 21-22 inches tall.
My 5.5yo would have just a smidge of room in an Apex but would have 3+ years in a Regent.
The Sunshine Kids Radian may be a good option. It has top slots about 18 inches tall, harnesses to 65 pounds. I'd probably not want to go with a convertible seat like this one unless your ds had 2+ inches of torso growth, or unless you have younger siblings to pass the seat down to.
mominabigtruck
New member
I've had both an apex and a regent and I ended up taking my apex back just because my ds didn't have enough room in it. My ds is about the same as yours height wise and he is only in the second slots on the regent and was in the top slots of the apex with no extra room.
scatterbunny
New member
The second slots on the Regent are about 15 inches high; the top slots on the Apex are about 17 inches high.
If your son is on the second set of slots on the Regent then his torso is under 15 inches, which means he would have had 2ish inches in the Apex.
Unless, when you say he's on the second set of slots on the Regent, you mena the second-to-top slots and not the second-to-bottom slots?
If your son is on the second set of slots on the Regent then his torso is under 15 inches, which means he would have had 2ish inches in the Apex.
Unless, when you say he's on the second set of slots on the Regent, you mena the second-to-top slots and not the second-to-bottom slots?
UlrikeDG
Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Just be aware that, while measuring can be helpful, those measurements are no substitute for actually trying the seat out in your vehicle. Many of us here can tell you stories about how a child fit great in a seat in one vehicle, but was too tall when the same seat was installed in a different vehicle. A variety of factors can make a big difference in exactly how much growing room a child has.
mak101376
Member
The newest Apex, the tan one at BRU, appears to have 19 inch slots. I tried out Katy in one today and she was on the third slot, but had an inch to go above her shoulders, and then the next slot was another 3.25 inches above that. She's on the second slot on her Regent with maybe an inch and a half to go, and the top slots on my Regent measure at 20 inches.
MommyofBoogieBear
New member
I had never considered the Apex until now....now I am curious! I was set on a Regent (which I can't seem to find in my needed time frame), but i am now open. Does anyone know if it has a steel frame? Or it's safety ratings?
Holly
Holly
scatterbunny
New member
No, no steel frame. The Regent doesn't have steel frame, either.
All seats in the US pass the same federal testing. No way to know which one is "safer" than the other.
All seats in the US pass the same federal testing. No way to know which one is "safer" than the other.
MommyofBoogieBear
New member
ok, thanks. i'm still deciding between the two....and we need to buy it soon. thanks!
yup and also they can measure one thing and fit different when actually strapped in lol! but it will give you an idea. No matter how hard I try I cant get my DS to sit like he does in his seat when I measure him against the wall. So Ive taken to strapping him in his seat and using a hard ruler behind his back and measure from seat to his shoulder lol!
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