Question Learning Curve True Fit VS Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX

brelza · Feb 26, 2010

Which would YOU get for a newborn of approx 8lb+ and 21"+ knowing that prior children tend to be long and lean in build? We of coarse are guessing on the stats of a newborn BUT that said my smallest was 7lb 14oz and 21.5" and my largest was 9lb 4oz and 21.5".

Here's our dilemma...IF both seats fit in the van obviously if 1 does and the other doesn't our minds are made up for us......these both appear to fit newborns great, have the same top harness slots but in our mind the EFTA has one great advantage for us---It's made in the USA, not China. I read somewhere in another posting that the TF is the tallest RF seat but how is that when both seats have 17.5 slots?

Another thing...would anyone consider a marathon for a newborn? I know it says 5-65lbs but is that realistic? My husband loves the fact that britax can be tethered rear facing. It makes HIM feel better after seeing what can happen during impact in an accident with rear facing seats--the seat flipping up. He said if we are going to ERF than in his mind it should be a seat that should be tethered. Britax and Sunshine kids are the only ones that allow rear facing tethering though....help?

autumnlily · Feb 26, 2010

The Marathon is not great for a newborn. The first harness slots are around 11", I think. That is very high for a newborn. And, some research supports not RF tethering for such a small child and that the benefits come after 9 to 12 months of age.

Looks like you are headed in the right direction and have got some great questions!

joolsplus3 · Feb 26, 2010

True Fit Premier, with the anti-rebound bar

. Fits newborns WAY better than Britax (which have very tall bottom slots, well above most newborns' shoulders). The True Fit has a taller shell when the headrest section is on, than the Evenflo, that's how it makes ALL kids to the full 35 pounds, even skinny 5 year olds don't outgrow it by height.
Evenflo's fine, tends to fit babies well, no anti rebound protection, though, but that's not the most important feature as long as you use the seat properly and to the max rearfacing (which are the biggest safety measures to take).

Callansmomma · Feb 26, 2010

The ETA will fit a newborn. Personally, I like it because of the knob tightening system. It is great for rear facing! No strap to pull to get the harness tight. Plus, it has a no re-thread harness. We had the old one, the Triumph, and it was my favorite seat ever.

The True Fit will also fit a newborn. It does have a tall shell. It is taller than the ETA. It also has a max weight of 65 lbs as opposed to 50 lbs on the ETA.

Both are good seats. I am sure you will be happy with either one. If you can go to BRU and try them both out in your car for fit. Good luck!

Mommy0608 · Feb 26, 2010

I'd go with the True Fit for long and lean kiddos. I have owned both seats (no longer have the EFTA, replaced it with the TF). I believe the True Fit's top harness position is slightly taller than that of the Triumph Advance. That is not what makes a seat last rear-facing though, since the straps must be at or BELOW the child's shoulders while rear-facing. What matters is the shell height, since a child fits in a seat rear-facing as long as he has at least 1" of hard shell above the top of the head. The True Fit shell is a few inches taller than the Triumph Advance. Both seats do fit newborns well though.

A Marathon would not be a good choice for a newborn... it's lowest harness position is quite high compared to other seats, and is often too high for newborns (remember, the harness must be at or below the shoulders).

As for rear-facing tethering, it's debatable. Yes, it can have added safety benefits, but there are those who believe it might actually not be a good idea for newborns. Check out this article for more information.

Many people do like the rear-facing tethering feature though. The True Fit Premier has an anti-rebound bar, which works similarly to the rear-facing tether in reducing rebound. :thumbsup:

Twinklefae · Feb 26, 2010

The Marathon's bottom slots are too tall for most newborns.

I would choose the True Fit, of the two you've listed, for the taller shell and built in lockoffs, as well as the removable headrest. The True Fit is taller than the EFTA, which means that the child's head does not get within 1" of the shell prematurely.

If anti-rebound protection concerns you, you could look into the True Fit Premiere which has an anti rebound bar. Or, alternatively, the Radian by Sunshine Kids is suitable for most newborns.

bree · Feb 26, 2010

If you like that the EFTA is made in the USA, then you might also be interested in the Graco My Ride, which is also made in the USA, to the best of my knowledge. It will rear-face to 40 pounds, compared with the 35 pounds of the EFTA. It should fit newborns well (it comes with a nice insert).

I agree a True Fit might be good for long and lean kids, but I have a My Ride and a True Fit (and a Marathon and a Boulevard and a Radian XTSL

), and I like the My Ride much more as a rear-facing seat than the True Fit. It's totally personal preference, though, as others love their True Fits. I think a Radian is also a good choice, because of the high rear-facing weight limits. Personally, I'm more interested in rear-facing as long as possible in general than the ability to tether rear-facing specifically, so the tether wouldn't necessarily sway me toward a seat. It's cool that the Radians can fit from birth and tether rear-facing, but the ability to rear-face so long in them is what appeals to me the most.

Anne · Feb 26, 2010

I agree with the others, the Marathon doesn't fit newborns well. I would go with a True Fit. A Premier if you can swing it financially, which since you've also considered a Marathon, the Premier should still be in your price range.

I love our True Fit Premier. We had an original TF, but I wanted rebound protection and neither Britax nor Radians work well in my car, so we went with the TFP and now I would go with another one even if we got a different car that would allow for one of the others.

Another great benefit to the TF or TFP for a newborn, is that the headrest can come off so that it doesn't take up as much room front to back when you need the full 45 degree recline. When baby gets too tall or hits 22 lbs, the headrest goes back on, but at that point, they usually don't need the full recline anymore and can be more upright.

brelza · Feb 26, 2010

bree said:
If you like that the EFTA is made in the USA, then you might also be interested in the Graco My Ride, which is also made in the USA, to the best of my knowledge. It will rear-face to 40 pounds, compared with the 35 pounds of the EFTA. It should fit newborns well (it comes with a nice insert).

I agree a True Fit might be good for long and lean kids, but I have a My Ride and a True Fit (and a Marathon and a Boulevard and a Radian XTSL ), and I like the My Ride much more as a rear-facing seat than the True Fit. It's totally personal preference, though, as others love their True Fits. I think a Radian is also a good choice, because of the high rear-facing weight limits. Personally, I'm more interested in rear-facing as long as possible in general than the ability to tether rear-facing specifically, so the tether wouldn't necessarily sway me toward a seat. It's cool that the Radians can fit from birth and tether rear-facing, but the ability to rear-face so long in them is what appeals to me the most.

We are looking around locally to try to find a radian from the installation nightmares we've heard we don't want to buy and then not be able to fit the seat in our vehicle. I'd also like to see one and play with it before purchasing. It's just a lot harder to find one than I'd like! LOL But the same thing goes so far with the true fit. I was at TRU/BRU/target/WM and none of our stores have them there to play around with. THey say they can be ordered online and shipped to the store but what a pain since I can't see one before buying.

Mommy2Marcus · Feb 26, 2010

I have owned both seats. Out of both of them I absolutly

my Evenflo Triumph Advance (EFTA)! It is easily my favorite seat hands down. I love the knobs for tightening, the easy install, the no rethread harness, the way it is shaped made it fit GREAT in my tiny 2 door car RF & it fit my son well. I used it RF for a LONG while, pretty much for 2 years. It now lives in my DH's car & he also loves it. I really do miss it though!

I am one of a minority, but I despised my True Fit (TF) as did my DH. It was just not a seat for us. The continuous harness was a pitb for my DH as he could never get them properly even, so it made him not get him properly buckled. It also did not fit well in either of our cars RF. For his car a RF seat had to be in the center or behind the passenger, it did not fit well in either position. In my car it needed to be behind the passenger seat, terrible fit. So in the end, I sold it to my friend that did like it. She LOVES it & finds it a GREAT seat.

I also owned the My Ride (MR). I also LOVED this seat. I found it to be very close to the EFTA. It also fit great RF in my car & DH's car. I was sad to see it go.

Hope that helps!

solmama · Feb 26, 2010

If you purchase a seat from Target, and it doesn't work out, it can be returned to the store. Yes, a bit of an inconvenience, but it is a solution.

I currently have both the Radian and TF (replaced an EFTA). The red tabs at the top of the harness bothered my son, so the EFTA had to go. The TF is relatively easy to install and is well padded. My ds currently rides in a Radian65 (08/08) as his primary seat. It works well for him. We've installed it in a variety of vehicles, using LATCH. Seatbelt installs can get tricky with Radians.

Radians can be tethered rear-facing and, with the addition of the comfort padding, fit newborns well.

Callansmomma · Feb 26, 2010

brelza said:
We are looking around locally to try to find a radian from the installation nightmares we've heard we don't want to buy and then not be able to fit the seat in our vehicle. I'd also like to see one and play with it before purchasing. It's just a lot harder to find one than I'd like! LOL But the same thing goes so far with the true fit. I was at TRU/BRU/target/WM and none of our stores have them there to play around with. THey say they can be ordered online and shipped to the store but what a pain since I can't see one before buying.

Do you have a Buy Buy Baby near you? They carry the Radian (not sure which version though) in store.

trippsmom · Feb 26, 2010

I

my EFTA's... I

my True Fit Premier... I guess if I were to do anything, I'd make the TFP adjust as easily as the EFTA. I got ds's EFTA when he was 2 mos and it took up alot at such a great angle. The TFP has a removable headrest and with that off, a newborn's 45* angle isn't greater than that of a bucket. DD fit well in it. We didn't have fit problems like we did in the beginning with the SR, dd had to ride in it for almost 2 weeks before she fit right (even then I had to put a rolled washcloth at the crotch to keep her from sliding down).

armywife12 · Feb 27, 2010

I would choose the True Fit but I'm also not a fan of the EFTA. The True Fit lasts longer RF because it has a taller shell, allowing more room above the child's head. The shell is is a good 2-3 inches taller than the EFTA's. It is more compact when RF a newborn because the headrest comes off for babies under 22lbs in the RF position.

brelza · Feb 27, 2010

Callansmomma said:
Do you have a Buy Buy Baby near you? They carry the Radian (not sure which version though) in store.

Our closest Buy Buy Baby is a little more than 2 hours away..almost in MD...hmmmmmm I guess we have some more to think about.

Thanks everyone! I sent my husband this thread to read too so I don't have to keep doing the "relay of info". Guess we might have a car seat discussion tonight! Finding a place to try a couple out and see what will work

arly1983 · Feb 27, 2010

They are both great seats. I think either would be a good choice.

I personally like the EFTA better. I could never find the TF love but its a nice seat.

Question Learning Curve True Fit VS Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX

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