Recommendation for 2011 Sienna

[brelza]

Hey all. I have a question regarding what seat you'd get if you drove a 2011 Toyota Sienna--8 seater. I'm driving myself crazy with the options and was wondering what others would do.

I currently have a 14 mo old(20lb 31") RF in a safety first bucket and he's getting close to needing to upgrade based off of height. I've also been using it without the base since he so rarely goes anywhere, but I do take our older 2 teen kids to work. I have him in middle row 8th seat most of the time so that a teen can use the captains chair next to him. The other rides in passenger front seat.

I also have an almost 5y/o (42lb 45") FF in a graco slimfit in the second row passenger side seat.

Also have a 10.5yo who is 4'11" and about 70ish lbs and he does 5 step in the middle row captains chairs as of last week when I checked. He normally used an evenflo big kid in the back bench until recently, but again, we haven't been going anywhere.

I'm contemplating on what to do. I can get a great install of an evenflo sureride in the 8th seat. It's the ONLY seat I've found that works there really well. I did that with my now almost 5y/o and loved being able to have the 2 captains chairs open for when I had to cart the big kids or other adult family members. I'm thinking that might not happen as often now though as a lot has changed in 5 years (I have 2 older children that were still at home but now are gone to college). If I do that it would free up 1 seat in the middle row for the now 16y/o. My 18y/o will be leaving for college in the fall so I don't really want to factor him in the "lugging around long term" picture.

I'm debating the purchase (or just taking the one from my husbands car) of a sureride and put the 14 mo old in the 8th seat OR purchase another slim fit and put that in one of the captains chairs in the middle row. It looks to me though that the new slimfit has lower top harness slots? If I did that, I might try the slimfit in the middle row 8th seat again but for some reason I changed it. I don't remember why. OR I might just give the sureride to the 14mo old and get a different set for the nearly 5y/o. If I do that I was thinking of the chicco myfit for the 5y/o to get a higher harness slot. WWYD?

Also, can anyone tell me how I'd know the old version of slim fit vs the new one? I'm looking at the target ad coming up and wondering if the one listed is new version or old. Would it have to be based on manufacture date?

 

[ketchupqueen]

The Slim3Fit, also known as the True3Fit at Wal-Mart, is a totally different seat with a slightly different name. It has a different shape, is much narrower, and you may have trouble finding it as they're flying off the shelves, but check the name is correct and you should be good.

SureRides are low stock and hard to find due to supply chain issues right now, too. If you have one that's probably worth trying though, though you may find that other seats now on the market work there depending on your budget.

 

[brelza]

The Slim3Fit, also known as the True3Fit at Wal-Mart, is a totally different seat with a slightly different name. It has a different shape, is much narrower, and you may have trouble finding it as they're flying off the shelves, but check the name is correct and you should be good.

SureRides are low stock and hard to find due to supply chain issues right now, too. If you have one that's probably worth trying though, though you may find that other seats now on the market work there depending on your budget.

So the Slim3fit /True3fit are only at walmart? I got our last slimfit at target and I was eyeing the sale this week. BUT....I'm thinking I might just give the slimfit to the 14mo old and get a myfit for the almost 5y/o. I guess it will depend on what is in stock I guess.

I do have an sureride in my husband's car but he uses it for the almost 5y/o when he takes him places. I'd have to get a new seat for the 5y/o for his car. My husband doesn't take the 14mo old anywhere because we can't get a rear facing seat in his car.

 

[ketchupqueen]

No, the True3Fit is the Wal-Mart exclusive name for what's called the Slim3Fit elsewhere.

What car does he have? Very few cars truly can't fit any rear facing seat.

5 year old probably won't need the tallest seats on the market to get to a safe booster age which is likely very close, so your options are wide open there.

 

[brelza]

No, the True3Fit is the Wal-Mart exclusive name for what's called the Slim3Fit elsewhere.

What car does he have? Very few cars truly can't fit any rear facing seat.

5 year old probably won't need the tallest seats on the market to get to a safe booster age which is likely very close, so your options are wide open there.

Argh I had a reply and it went away when I logged in.

Ah I see. I didn’t know that was a Walmart exclusive name.

My husband has a 2008 Mazdaspeed3. It's a tiny not family friendly car. My husband is 6'5" and it gives him legroom BUT...that takes away nearly all legroom in the back. He got it when our kids were over the age of 3 and Front facing at the time and he only ever took 2 kids at a time. I was able to install the sureride, the onboard(without the base) and have my 10y/o squeezed in the back only out of emergency necessity when the van left me and the 3 youngest sit 4 miles from home and it was towed. It did not work well and wouldn't be something I'd do on a regular basis. The seats of the car arent' very car seat friendly. So if one of us has the baby we either use the van or stay home.

It is the onboard35 nearly being outgrown for my daily in van use that got me thinking about playing musical car seats and thinking about what seats should be used for which kids--especially since target is doing the trade in sale. I figured if I need a seat then why not get it on sale. THen I was trying to figure out how I should position the seats since RFing seats in the van block passage. My 16 and 18y/o big kids tend to complain about climbing into the back so we typically will do the 18y/o in the front and 16y/o in the 8th seat but she was more comfortable in the captains chair when I had a sureride RFing in the 8th seat. Target doesn't have the sureride. So I was debating on passing down the slimfit and getting a different seat for the almost 5y/o (will be 5 on the 28th). But doing that I have to use the 2 captains chairs as he still can't buckle/unbuckle himself in the slimfit without help. I'll have to be toting the 16,10,5,and 1y/o on a fairly regular basis soon.

 

[ketchupqueen]

Makes sense. I know the Clek Foonf works in that seat as well, but not sure what else does. The Graco Contender might.