Max back length in TrueFit w/out headrest

I have twin boys, a Toyota Sienna and a 6'4 husband, all of which play into my question!

Because of the twins, we have to use both middle seats for carseats, which means they need to be able to fit even with the driver seat pushed way back. Currently our Graco Snugride fits very nicely even with my husband driving.

It appears, in pictures I've seen here, that the True Fit, without headrest, doesn't take up much more room rear facing than the Snugride. However, I'm wondering how long my boys will be able to fit without adding the headrest. They are currently 9mo, about 18lbs and 28in long.

I need to measure them from their seats to the tops of the heads and compare to the max no-headrest height (red line) on the TrueFit, but no one seems to carry that carseat in person.

Could some kind person possibly measure their seat and let me know the measurement? Additionally, if anyone happens to have the Sienna and a TrueFit, could you tell me how it fits in the driver-side back seat with the driver seat pushed way back AND the headrest on? Does it work at all? I'd like to keep them RF as long as possible but realize that may not be a possibility if all the RF carseats take up too much room.

I can measure later when I go out if no one else does. It's pouring out right now, so I'm not going to make a separate trip to do it.

However, the good news about convertibles is wherever an infant seat fits 95% of convertibles fit. The convertibles don't need a 45º angle like the infant seats. So just about anything will fit there nicely more upright. And at nine months your boys don't need a 45º angle at all.

Wendy

Specifically, the True Fit allows installation at up to a 35 degree angle from vertical. Because the top part is angled more "up" than "out", it tends to take up no more room at 35 with the headrest on than at 45 with the bottom part only (and often, they take up less room than the bottom part only, at 45 degrees.)

If your boys are 18 lbs. now, they'd need the headrests on very soon regardless of height, because it must go on at 22 lbs. OR when they hit the max line, whichever one comes first. Remember that for car seat purposes you need to use their weight diapered and clothed (and shoed if they are wearing them.)

I just put one yesterday in a Suzuki Grand Vitara with the seats pushed back; that is a LOT less space front to back than a Sienna. It wasn't quite an acceptable angle in the GV, but only by a few degrees too upright. I think you'd be fine in a Sienna, with a 35 degree angle, probably. Remember that if possible the driver's seat should be as upright as can be tolerated, too; it not only gives more room, it's safer for the driver.

Depending on how long their torso's are and how quickly they gain weight you may have more or less time in the seat. For example my daughter has really slowed down on gaining and growth. She was close to 18 lbs at 6 months and at 1 year she is just under 20#.

I asked this question the other day.. the shell height on the True Fit without the headrest is 18 or 19 inches... let me go check.

Here is the thread with shell heights for the Truefit w/o headrest and the Coccoro. The posters said 19 in for TF and 20.5 for CCO.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=111608

My son is about the same size, but older than your twins. We have a True Fit Primier. I recently added the headrest, even though he doesn't need it yet. My son is all torso and wearing 12-18m bodysuits/onesies. I just got tired of having the extra peice hanging around the house.

I have his seat very upright now and there is plenty of space between his seat and the drivers seat when my husband drives. My hubby isn't as tall as yours though.

Susan