Car seat shuffle time: who gets the new seat, and what? TFP? MR? Booster?

We have baby #4 due at the end of February, and I have car seats on the brain now. Currently I have dd nearly-10 in a Monterey, dd 7 harnessed in a Nautilus and ds nearly-4 in a Blvd. DS will be 4 in January, and just turned ff in his Blvd a few weeks ago. It's an older Blvd with a 33-lb rf limit, and will expire in the Fall. I have the KeyFit 22 I used with ds to use with this baby (I assume there's no reason not to--still a great seat, right? I sure liked it with him.)

So, the Blvd will need to be replaced before the end of the year anyway, and with the more recent crash tests that have been discussed, I'm considering if I should just get ds a new seat now--a MyRide or a True Fit Premier?--and then when the baby is ready to move to a convertible, baby would get that seat, ds would move to dd's Nautilus, and dd7 would get a booster (she turns 8 in August, which is probably the soonest I would be moving baby out of the KeyFit, unless she screams in it like my dds both did in their SnugRide).

That's option 1. My other thought is that I could put dd 2 in a booster now (but what? I thought I was waiting for the Cybex, but didn't like the crash tests for it), put ds in the Nautilus, and wait and get baby whatever convertible looks best for her when the time comes.

Of course, option 3 is that I really don't *need* a new carseat right now, and I should just sit tight with the arrangement we have, and get a new seat when it becomes necessary (either Blvd expiring, or baby needing a convertible).

So, any thoughts for me, on which seat you would get, and for who? Oh, it's probably helpful to point out that my kids are on the small side--ds is really, really short, and just hits 33 lbs on his heavier days. My 7yo still fits harnessed in the Nautilus with plenty of room to grown--her big sister was over 9 by the time she outgrew the Nautilus harness (though she never rode in it). My babies usually start out chubby though, so I don't expect an itty-bitty baby.

If you're going to buy a new seat now I would get a MR or a True Fit for your DS. Rear facing would benefit him now. No one really knows if being in a harnessed seat or a booster would be better for your 7 y/o but we're pretty sure that rear facing your 3 y/o would be better. Anyway, thats just what I would do.

I think I'd just wait. You never know what might be coming out. Plus, this gives you several months to think and research.

I'd get an MR for ds and sell the BV.

I'd get either a Myride or a Radian SL of some kind (even the 65, which only goes to 40lbs rf would buy you a lot of time with small kids) and let your 3.5yr old rearface again.

I'd either save the BV for the baby or sell it/give it away.

Now, when your 2nd child turns 8, I'd get another Monterey or the Recaro Vivo, depending on which fits her better.

I'm kind of leaning MR now, although I like the anti-rebound foot of the TFP. Not sure I'd like the harness, though. Is the MR harness as nice as the one on the Nautilus? I love that thing. I'm not sure about having ds rf once baby is here, just due to logistics of arranging them all in the car. He will be 4 by then (turns 4 in about 3 weeks). I also totally forgot about the Recaro Young Style booster we have--dd 2 just recently started using it when she rides in dh's car, and it fits her nicely. DD 1 has really outgrown it at this point. So, I could do MR for ds now (or soon--I just don't know how much stock to put in those Marathon tests now that ds is ff and it matters more), then when everyone needs to move up, dd2 could go into the YS, ds into the GN, and baby into the MR. That would mean only buying one new seat--the MR or TFP. By the time dd 2 outgrew the YS, she could go into the Monterey. Does the Vivo fit any longer than the old Young Style did? It's a really nice booster for smaller kids, but is outgrown way earlier than a lot of others.

^^ The harness on the nautilus is the same as the harness on the my ride

I don't know about the vivo compared to the youngstyle... but I can tell you the Vivo goes almost as tall as the Monterey (it's about two inches shorter)

here's pics for comparison -

Jeffrey in the Monterey at full height


he's only got one notch left... here's him with it fitted to him


And here he is in the vivo his sister will start using full time after she turns 6 in March... he would already be on the tallest setting (BUT... it fits fully raised in my third row... no other booster boasts that one)

K, the MR is nice :thumbsup: Really really nice. Love the harness adjuster- way better than the TFP.

You already know my opinion, but I'd get R out of the BV asap. Can you take him to Target or BRU and try him in the MR? Honestly, for $150, you can't go wrong with it, IMO. And if/when you don't need it anymore, it's not like you invested $300+, kwim?

Yeah, I was just looking today to see if our Target has the MR in stock, and it looks like hopefully they might--it says "Limited Availability". I've been dealing with some dumb pg/health stuff for the past week, so haven't been able to get out, but as soon as I can, I'm going to go see if I can try him in one. If there was free shipping on it from Target right now, I would go ahead and just order it. Since I would have to pay shipping, I'd rather try it in person first.

Oh and Kat--thanks for those pictures. It looks to me like the Vivo goes a good deal bigger than the Young Style. Does it have the handle at the top, and stay all together in one piece when you pick it up? I love the YS so much more than the Monterey when we have to move it anywhere. It's so easy, and doens't fall apart like the Monterey always does.

it does stay in one piece... in fact, it is VERY hard to get it to snap together... until you put the base part against a wall/front of couch/front of chair and PUSH the back into it... then it's pretty quick and simple (a bit loud, but, eh)

it doesn't have a handle, but you can grip it at the top where you would grasp to adjust the height, so you could easily carry it two-handed... but I always carry boosters at the armrests... out of habit.

I don't have the problem with the Monterey falling apart, probably because of how I carry it... lol... using the armrests and leaning the top of the headrest against me with the knee end of the base against my belly.... OH, but Jeffrey found them equally comfortable because, as the Vivo has such a low profile (being a thin base with heavy padding for comfort and not sitting the child up very tall in the vehicle), his feet already sit flat on the floor with this booster...

Which means on longer rides, he's now complaining that his legs dangle in the Monterey... GRR... I think it's time to give him a light footstool. Didn't have this problem with Damian... there was no booster that let his feet be flat on the floor, so he never knew anything different. Ah well, I can't regret Jeffrey testing out the Vivo... it has me sure that it will fit Ruthie well even when she gets taller and broader... and more sure that it is THE seat to have for her in my hubby's car when she does inherit her brother's Monterey (though as she won't even sit in that one now for a demo shot because it's "NOT PINK!", I'll have to order a different cover)... And Jeffrey LOVES how soft the cover is (the vivo lite is only mesh, which isn't super soft like the microfiber) on the Vivo.

I gave my dd a light footstool to use when we went on a very long road trip last Spring, and that made a big difference for her in the Monterey. I don't keep it in there for regular trips though, just because we have enough stuff on the floor back there without that .

I did try my ds in the MyRide today, and he liked it, and I liked it, so I'm likely going to get one. It just came in such a big box, and me with my big belly and 2 of my kids with me just couldn't handle figuring out how to get it to the front of the store.