Which do you like better for FF use?

Mommy0608 · Oct 5, 2009

**See post #13 for pics**

...Signo or True Fit?

I just posted another thread about DD's freakish growth spurt.

I'm not turning her yet, but will have to pretty soon I'm afraid. My plan is to put her FF in Tyler's Signo, and then put him RF in the True Fit so he has more leg room. I'm just afraid that the seat depth will be too shallow and DD's legs will be uncomfortable (she's very leggy). However, I like the wings on the Signo for FF use, but on the other hand, adjusting the Signo RF is much easier than adjusting the TF rear-facing. Tyler is now in that dreaded phase where he struggles and fights getting buckled.

Which would you choose for each child and why?

ginny4 · Oct 5, 2009

well i have neither seat so i'm not much help....i think jessica will have a learning curve of where she is gonna have her legs when FFing anyway. james STILL puts his feet up on the passenger seat 95% of the time. he even falls asleep with his feet in the air. you can always add a foot rest for jessica if it becomes a problem regardless of the seat.

i'd say the wings are pretty much unnecessary for a RFing child. so yes a signo for jess & true fit for Tyler

firemomof3 · Oct 5, 2009

The shallow seat depth really doesn't bother most kids

I would put Jess in the Signo :thumbsup:

Mommy0608 · Oct 5, 2009

I thought I had heard somewhere that shorter seat depth can be uncomfortable... I don't know, maybe I'm confusing it with leg room while RF. :shrug-shoulders:

I'm sure she'll complain about it regardless since she resists change. Making a foot rest might be a good idea though. I remember reading about the pool noodle foot rest with a string/strap threaded through the RF belt path, maybe I'll try that.

jsta1005 · Oct 5, 2009

I love my TrueFit FFing! I've never seen a Signo so I have no room to compare... but the TF is maybe my favorite convertible FFing.

jujumum · Oct 5, 2009

My dd loved the TF ff - it was easy for her to get it, fit beautifully, and she could cross her legs. Unfortunately, she had terrible slump in it when sleeping. I don't know how a Signo would compare to a BV, but she does great ff in her BV, too.

Mommy0608 · Oct 5, 2009

See, that's what I was thinking... with more seat depth in the TF, she could probably cross her legs, but in the Signo she probably wouldn't have room to do that. I've never installed the Signo FF in my van, but we do have very slanted seats so I'm thinking neither one will cause head slump, but who knows. I do like that the TF sits lower so she'd be able to climb in more easily. Might have to put a stool in there for her if she's in the Signo (she must get in the seat by herself, little miss independent).

She might even panic about switching seats on top of switching to FF. Hmm. I suppose I could try the Signo FF and if it just won't work I could switch them back.

Spam · Oct 5, 2009

Try them both and let her choose?? Since she doesn't like change, maybe she'd be more into it if she had a say?

bree · Oct 5, 2009

I don't have a Signo, but I really like the True Fit as a forward-facing seat. I really didn't like it rear-facing, but it works great as a forward-facing seat for DD. She's about 35 pounds and 41 inches, and it fits her really well (she's on the top slots). Her fit was always okay in the True Fit RF, but I just like the way she fits in it FF.

I've also used the True Fit rear-facing for my son, probably somewhere when he was about 20 months old and maybe 27 pounds, and I thought it was a really wide seat for RF for him at his size. I always hated the buried harness adjuster rear-facing, as well. In the end, since I liked the True Fit FF a lot more than RF, that's how I decided DD would use the True Fit.

babygirlsmom1005 · Oct 5, 2009

Here is my DD FF in a Recaro Como (same shell) at 3 1/2 years old 33 lbs and 39 inches tall (she's the one in the middle).

I have a TFP, but don't have the headrest with me right now (it's at my parents being stored) or I would put it in for comparison pics for you, she's now 35 lbs and 40 inches

romanoma · Oct 6, 2009

letting her chose is a good idea.

but also consider, if your plan is to FF in the signo when your DS gets cramped (which is also my plan, I have a signo for my 16mo) you might just want to switch them now. Will your DD have a harder time switching seats after she is FF in "her" seat for several months?

BTW - my DS is almost 3.5 and he just had a huge growth spurt. He was 30lbs at his 3 yr check and has been 28 -29 since he was 2. Anyway, now he is over 35 with clothes on!! It is mostly length in his legs I think, still skinny as can be...

Mommy0608 · Oct 6, 2009

I swear I replied to this last night, but it's not here.

Thanks for the input everyone! It sounds like both are great FF seats for various reasons. Letting her choose would be nice, for now, until she has to be in the Signo so that Tyler has more RF room in the True Fit, so I like the idea of just putting her in the Signo now to save the hassle of switching later.

Thanks for posting the picture of your 3 year old in the Como! It looks like it's very reclined while FF... or is it just the camera angle? Maybe during nap time today I'll run out and try the Signo FF just to see how it looks.

Mommy0608 · Oct 6, 2009

Little update: I tried both seats FF in the van today. The Signo is super reclined while FF!

Yes, I remembered to put it in upright mode before installing, it's just that the van seats are very slanted which adds to the FF recline.

The True Fit is very reclined as well.

There's a tiny gap at the back between the base and vehicle seat bottom. I know the base is supposed to be flat, but if I make it flat then the seat has to be pulled out a few inches, causes some hang over (which I know is fine), and makes the seat ridiculously reclined. Is this teeny gap okay? It's about 1/4".

Here's the True Fit, also pretty reclined while FF:

ARGH!!! I'm not happy with the FF recline of either of these seats.

firemomof3 · Oct 6, 2009

Are your vehicle seats as upright as they can go? They seem very reclined to me

Mommy0608 · Oct 6, 2009

There is no adjustment on the vehicle seat bottom. I reclined the vehicle seat back a little so that there wasn't so much of the car seat hanging off the front edge of the vehicle seat. Reclining the vehicle seat back didn't really make a difference in the amount of recline in the car seat since the base is still sitting at the same angle.

ginny4 · Oct 6, 2009

i actually like my seats reclined like that. they sleep so much better that way in the car. otherwise we get major head flopping.

cpsaddict · Oct 6, 2009

I think the Signo looks more upright than the True Fit. I would use the Signo, personally. Then again, I am in serious Signo love. It has swayed me from Britax(not completely! That would never happen! LOL!) and we are getting one, since we need three convertibles eventually. The Signo is so plush and nice.

Avery'sMama · Oct 7, 2009

Can you set the car seat on the vehicle seat, then tighten it and "force" it to be more upright? If we meet up at Lew's or at the meet-up, I'll show you what I mean. But... with my Marathon on my van seats, I can either start with the car seat base flat against the vehicle seat, which ends up with a very reclined install. OR, I can start with the seat upright, which leaves the base on a crazy steep angle with just the front touching. I then clip on the lower attachments and kneel in it, pulling to tighten. The back of the base then comes down in contact with the seat. This makes the install more upright. Does that make any sense? I'll play with it with a Signo tonight, if I can. (Although I know we have different vans.)

obamamama · Oct 7, 2009

My TF is very reclined FF. I have tried to sit it more upright and yet it still slumps down. Locking latchplates, using FF lockoff-- :scratcheshead:
just have no idea how to fix it.
Have you tried Jess in both seats yet? What does she think?

fyrfightermomma · Oct 7, 2009

My leggy 4 year old loved the Signo. She is scrawny and the True Fit was just too wide for her. Shes never complained about lack of leg room

For us the TF was way too reclined FFing. I honestly don't remember ever having a problem with the Signo reclined FFing. It reminds me of the MA FFing. My kids have always loved the Signo FFing without an issue. Just try both and see what she prefers. While your son likes the Signo now, he will eventually get too big RFing and just plain won't fit leg wise. So you may have to switch eventually anyways.

Which do you like better for FF use?

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