Need a new seat, not sure what to get

DD is 3 years old, 34.5 pounds, and has a torso height of 21" (no, I'm not kidding), total height of 37.5". She's currently RF in a Britax Marathon in my Volkswagen New Beetle, and we just turned her FF in the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe in DH's Audi 4-door sedan (can't remember the model). She rides in DH's car once or twice a week. We also have a 2-month-old 13.5 lb DS who is currently in a Britax Companion infant bucket.

I'm not sure which seat would be the best one to get for her to continue RF. We need to get something ASAP since she is just a half-pound below the 35# RF weight limit in the Marathon. We will likely leave her FF in DH's car since she doesn't ride in it very much, and it's the only way we can go anywhere in one car as a family, as he is very tall and requires the driver's seat to be all the way back, which doesn't allow for a RF car seat behind his seat. I'd really like her to RF until she's 4 if at all possible. But if it's safe and makes more sense financially to get a FF seat that will get her through the rest of her 5-point-harness days and just turn her around in my car, that's what we'll do.

What would you do in this situation?

Thanks!

Just wanted to let you know that we generally measure torso height from tush to shoulder, not tush to the top of the head

Given her overall height, my guess is her torso height is in the realm of 14-15 inches.

The beetle doesn't have loads of space in the back seat (and that's a bit of an understatement, no?) I would look at the Safety First complete air, which can be installed quite upright and would give you more time rear facing

Hate to say it, but you are kidding about the torso height. It's from floor to shoulders when sitting, not floor to head. I have a 22" torso height at 61" tall. No way can a 37.5" child have a 21" torso. Then they'd have a six inch head, a four inch neck, and you're looking at 6.5" legs.

How much room above her head in the Marathon? If she's got room you could get a Graco My Ride with a 40 pound limit and about the same size as the Marathon. If more room is needed then look at the Safety 1st Complete Air or the Sunshine Kids Radians, either with the 40 pound rear facing limits (65, 80, XT, 65SL) or 45 pound limits (80SL, XTSL). Those are it for above 35 pounds. If you need something today then you're looking at the My Ride or Complete Air at BRU. Those are available in stores. The Radians are mostly online. I hear some Buy Buy Baby's have Radians, but I don't know that they'd have the 80SL or XTSL, but all Radians made after 9/08 have at least a 40 pound limit.

Wendy

nak
oh, so glad i am kidding about torso height. funny! i'll blame the 2 month old and a lack of sleep on that one. will remeasure her in the am.

the marathon is rf and still reclined at the 45* angle b/c that's the only way i can lean over the seat to buckle her in. i'm short so i don't need the leg room in my car. but yeah, there isn't a lot of space back there. with two car seats, dh can't ride in my car any more.

not sure exactly the room above her head in the marathon, will check that in the am as well.

is any one of the suggested seats a decent ff option once we get to that point? or should i plan on spending more money on a new ff seat once she can no longer rf?

The Complete Air and Radians will last until 5-7 years old forward facing by torso height, so those are good. They have the same top slot height, 17.5", but the Complete Air goes to 50 pounds and the Radians mentioned to 80 (the 65 and 65SL go to 65, amazingly enough. Sunshine Kids isn't making a profit by hiring fancy naming people).

The CA and Radians sit lower, so you wouldn't need them as reclined to reach in to buckle her, I hope.

Wendy

joana1n said:

nak
oh, so glad i am kidding about torso height. funny! i'll blame the 2 month old and a lack of sleep on that one. will remeasure her in the am.

the marathon is rf and still reclined at the 45* angle b/c that's the only way i can lean over the seat to buckle her in. i'm short so i don't need the leg room in my car. but yeah, there isn't a lot of space back there. with two car seats, dh can't ride in my car any more.

not sure exactly the room above her head in the marathon, will check that in the am as well.

is any one of the suggested seats a decent ff option once we get to that point? or should i plan on spending more money on a new ff seat once she can no longer rf?

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At her age I would suggest trying to teach her to buckle properly herself, my DD can do it. (sometimes I regret doing this though, as I have created a car seat crazy child by doing so!) She will tell me her buckle is not tight enough and she is not safe all the time! (The buckle will go no tighter!) Then you will only have to check it and not have to buckle her all the time, much easier to do. Also I would not worry about spending money on a seat and then having to get a new one for FF later since you have a younger one to pass it down to.

MIL has a new beetle and the my ride fits very nice so thats my suggestion for you.

you will encounter the same problem you have with having the MA installed at a more upright angle while RF and what you will have to do is push the front seat up all the way and plop it forward... ya know how the seat moves up in the beetle.

then let your 3 yo climb in the back seat and up into the middle of the 2 seats... there wont be very much room but i think your 3 year old can do it.
then once shes in, kinda climb in behind the seat, in the space of the car seat and the front seat and buckle her in while leaning over. im 5'4" and can do it and my 5'9" MIL can do it as well.

another thing i just thought of is using the britax companion for DS without the base installed. that way you can put DS in the passenger seat just to keep him safe, then go back to the drivers side, climb in the back, sit down in the seat, help DD into her seat and then go back around for DS

its tricky finding seats to fit in the new beetle and still allowing for a 2nd front seat passenger.

and just for down the road suggestions....

ive tried out the graco nautilus in the beetle and it doesnt offer much growing room because the headrest will eventually touch the side of the car inside.

i think the radian would be the best seat to use FF in the beetle for extended harnessing when its time.

xursusmaritimusx said:

then let your 3 yo climb in the back seat and up into the middle of the 2 seats... there wont be very much room but i think your 3 year old can do it.
then once shes in, kinda climb in behind the seat, in the space of the car seat and the front seat and buckle her in while leaning over. im 5'4" and can do it and my 5'9" MIL can do it as well.

another thing i just thought of is using the britax companion for DS without the base installed. that way you can put DS in the passenger seat just to keep him safe, then go back to the drivers side, climb in the back, sit down in the seat, help DD into her seat and then go back around for DS.

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That's pretty much what I do. She climbs into her seat while I put DS in the bucket while it's sitting on the front seat, then I pop the bucket into the base, walk around the car, then lean over the top of the seat and buckle her in. The only reason I use a bucket is because I like to be able to move it from the back to the front seat to remove him and put him into a sling -it's way easier than trying to get him in and out of a convertible right now.

Hijacking for a second --

I hear some Buy Buy Baby's have Radians, but I don't know that they'd have the 80SL or XTSL, but all Radians made after 9/08 have at least a 40 pound limit.

FWIW -- our BBB (Easton/Columbus, OH) has the 80SL. They had another Radian as well but I can't recall which... don't believe it was the XTSL, but I could be mistaken.

I don't know if all BBB are the same, but it was nice to know there was somewhere where I could try it out in store.

joana1n said:

That's pretty much what I do. She climbs into her seat while I put DS in the bucket while it's sitting on the front seat, then I pop the bucket into the base, walk around the car, then lean over the top of the seat and buckle her in. The only reason I use a bucket is because I like to be able to move it from the back to the front seat to remove him and put him into a sling -it's way easier than trying to get him in and out of a convertible right now.

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yeah... man the beetles are such a PIA lol
fun lil cars with lots of pep but not very ERF friendly!!!

my MIL wants me to have another baby (we're trying but not for this reason) so she can buy a new car, using the excuse that she needs to be able to transport her grandchildren

Re: Need a new seat, not sure what to get-updated

So DD actually has a 15" torso. Took her into Lone Star Baby today to seat her in the MyRide and she is TOO TALL! Bummer. She was very excited about the cupholder. I got all excited when I saw a Radian 80 marked down to 212.49 - floor sample. I had just paid for it when my eyes fell on the stickers on the side - DOM 4/08 and RF to 33 LBS! Wait a minute! I ended up leaving with a Radian XTSL, paying a little bit more but oh, well. I was done and didn't feel like trying to find a better deal. Probably could have saved a little bit if I had looked at Buy Buy Baby (they have them online) but don't have the energy to return the seat and get another one elsewhere, plus DD is 34.5 lbs so we're pushing it on the RF Marathon and I'm tired of weighing her every day.

I got a solid install RF using LATCH in my beetle behind the driver's seat, but I want to try and get it installed with less of a recline so I can have a little more space between my chest and the steering wheel. If the air bag deploys, I'm going to be BRUISED (yeah, I'd likely be bruised anyway, but think a little more distance from it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing). Or I may move it to the passenger side and put the Britax Companion on my side, though DS is likely to outgrow that soon and will be moving to a Graco SafeSeat.

Ok, I'm rambling now. Thanks for the advice. I feel much better knowing DD will be rear facing for a long time, and that this seat will last us a while!