big little man out growing seat....what to do?

M

mami of one

Guest

• Feb 28, 2006

• #1

hello...i have a situation... i bought one of those "convertible" seats...and my son (18months) uses it forward facing....my problem is this... he is large for his age and long torso...thus... i just recently took the car seat out to adjust the harness and now the straps are too tight to buckle his "healthy" frame in... i called the manufacturer and they said that above 29 lbs the seat can be used as the "high back booster" with a shoulder strap... while i must admit i was hoping to just be sent some longer straps for the harness ... my real concern lies in whether or not my 18 month old is ready and or legally able to be in just a booster even if it is a high back...any notions? thank you...

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Feb 28, 2006

• #2

He is definitely not old enough. They should be 4y and 40lbs to safely consider riding in a booster.

What seat does he have and what slot is he on?

 

M

mami of one

Guest

• Feb 28, 2006

• #3

he has the saftey first intera and in order for it to be above his shoulders i just repositioned it to the 4th or highest slots...but in doing so...it left almost no slack so as to encompass his body...he is only 36 inches tall...

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Feb 28, 2006

• #4

hmm I wonder if you took it out and played with it, if it has the double loops at the end like some other safety 1st seats do(you know a loop at the end and then a loop a few inches up from the end on the strap).
How far are his shoulders from the top slots?

Also he is still small enough to be rearfacing which would put the straps down lower and give you more slack. It is now recommended to leave children rearfacing to the limit of the seat so hed be safer as well.

 

M

mami of one

Guest

• Feb 28, 2006

• #5

i have tried it all...i took it apart to wash it as well so i had all parts and examined them...but alas when i put it all back together... the only place there is a hint of slack is on the strap that you use to tighten or loosen however when i put the harness straps in at the fourth slots, the metal connecter hook thing was all the way up at the slots so the excess slack on the adjuster pull strap was useless.. his shoulders hit like a cm above the third slots so i guess they would be and inch below the fourth...i feel like my only options are trying to buy a new car seat...which isnt an option really...or maybe finding longer straps....or having them made maybe...i really did play with it to see but there is no play

 

M

mami of one

Guest

• Mar 1, 2006

• #6

according to the manual he is at the maximum ht and wt for rear facing...but good thought

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #7

you could put him RF until you found another seat you liked(that way he would be in there properly until you found a good seat). Or call again and talk to a new rep and ask if they make longer straps for the intera.

It sounds like he has a long torso anyway, like my DS so he more than likely wont make it to 4y and 40lbs(or even 40lbs) in the intera. Looking for a new seat wouldnt be a bad idea then.

 

L

LuvBug

New member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #8

the height limit on any seat is really only a guestimate of when they will outgrow it. He can use it RF until there is no longer 1" of shell above his head. The only limits set in stone are the weight and harness height limits.

 

M

mami of one

Guest

• Mar 1, 2006

• #9

thanks again... i appreciate it!... nite

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #10

He is 35 pounds and 18 months old? Start saving for a higher weight limit seat ASAP. Most seats only harness to 40 pounds and he will reach that weight long before he is ready for a belt positioning booster.

And I can't believe Dorel told you to use the booster mode for him!! Argh!

It sounds like they didn't make the harness strap any longer when they started making the Intera, which sucks--the Intera's top slots are the tallest of any 40 pound weight limit convertible carseat, 1.5" taller than other Dorel seats, so the strap should be longer than the other seats they make. I bet they just took some Cosco highback booster strap and used that (insert sarcasm--can you tell I've HAD IT with that company?).

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #11

Brain scan imaging shows that kids don't develop the synaptic responses that reveal the attention span necessary to sit properly in a regular lap/shoulder belt booster for the entire length of every ride until at lesat 4 years old ... regarldess of size. Plus, his head:body ratio & spinal/neck ligaments are not nearly developed enough to withstand the force of pressure that he would risk in a booster compared to the harness....

You definitely need to see about rearranging your finances for a higher weight seat immediately - you can choose between the Britax Marathon/Boulevard or Regent, Sunshine Kids Radian & Cosco Apex.

We can help talk you through the pros/cons of each - what is your budget?
If your budget is tight, some of us might have ideas there, too - you're not the only one who's kiddo grew out of the harness before mom's ready to buy another seat

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #12

There's also the new Fisher Price Safe Voyage convertible, about $180, which is almost identical to the Britax Marathon.

 

shashoo

New member

• Mar 1, 2006

• #13

I had to order a new set of straps for a friend's Interra. I can't remember why now though...lol. I think they might have been longer though so I would try calling again. If you need me to I can measure how long her straps are.