Which direction??

What seat & which direction??

  • EFTA RF if under the weight limit

    Votes: 9 64.3%
  • FF EFTA with recline if over RF weight limit

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • GN in recline mode

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • FF MA (33lbs RF weight limit)

    Votes: 2 14.3%
  • Generations 65 with recline mode

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • Something else I am not thinking of....

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    14

Mommy2Marcus

New member
So....We're going back to FL in June for vacation for about a week. WOOT! :D We went in August of last year for 10 days & had a BLAST! So last time we left here at 11PM & drove through the night so Marcus would sleep. He did great & slept pretty much the WHOLE night. Up untill about 7:30-8 that morning & we arrived at 9AM their time, which is an hour ahead of us. It is a 9 hour drive. He was RF in the MR last time.

So....here are the options for his ride. RF in the EFTA if he is under the weight limit, FF in the EFTA with the recline if he is over the RF weight limit, FF in the GN, or FF in the MA, or FF in the Generations 65, or some other option I am not thinking of. I do not want to buy another seat. I want to use one of the ones I have availible to me.

I wanted to take the GN if he is over 35lbs, but will need to do a test run in DH's car to see how it installs. Also need to see how reclined it is. Any seats will be installed in DH's 2001 2 door Chevy Cavalier for the trip. I am thinking I will do center install & if FF they will be top tethered.

As of right now he is 34.6lbs...:eek: with just undies on & a full belly. So...probably will not be under the weight limit for RF in the EFTA. If he stayed this weight would you be okay with him RF on the way there granted he weighed under 35lbs with light weight PJ's on & no shoes?

The reason I am considering RF is so he can sleep better. However I would be okay with a FF seat with a good recline so that his head does not flop forward. He will be 4 months shy of 4 when we go.

So....WWYD? What seat would you take? He is familar with all of these seats, so all are fine. I am just torn on what to do. I know I am early thinking this out, I just want to have a formidable plan here.
 
ADS
you don't have a my ride anymore? we use that one a lot when we Travel.. for some reason.

I love our efta but only rear facing, I can not install that thing ffing.. so I would say rear facing in that one if I had to choose.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
for most other kids, I'd say rf... but I remember one of the reasons you turned him was your back... add to that toting a seat through the airport and installing it in the airplane and then the car when you arrive... and I just keep thinking that even if your hubby does it all, I'd prefer the lightest weight seat possible.

I also know from WAY BACK WHEN the Generations/Bolero 40lb seat was a commonly recommended spare seat for traveling that it works well with allowing the kid to use the tray in front of them... and at age 3, I think he'd be more likely to want to use it for coloring and such things (if that airline's seats do indeed fit with him using it)

So I'd take the Generations, use the recline, and not think twice.
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
you don't have a my ride anymore? we use that one a lot when we Travel.. for some reason.

I love our efta but only rear facing, I can not install that thing ffing.. so I would say rear facing in that one if I had to choose.

No MR anymore. It was in my car when I was rear-ended awhile back & I did not feel comfortable using it anymore afterwards, so I replaced it with a GN since I was planning to leave him FF.

As for the EFTA, we :love: it RF or FF. It is currently in my DH's car FF with a freakin rock solid install. So no bother either way.

for most other kids, I'd say rf... but I remember one of the reasons you turned him was your back... add to that toting a seat through the airport and installing it in the airplane and then the car when you arrive... and I just keep thinking that even if your hubby does it all, I'd prefer the lightest weight seat possible.

I also know from WAY BACK WHEN the Generations/Bolero 40lb seat was a commonly recommended spare seat for traveling that it works well with allowing the kid to use the tray in front of them... and at age 3, I think he'd be more likely to want to use it for coloring and such things (if that airline's seats do indeed fit with him using it)

So I'd take the Generations, use the recline, and not think twice.

There will be no airport. We're driving down as it is only 9 hours. Crazy, but in the end more cost effective for us then 3 airplane tickets would be in the end. We drive a small car, so gas only cost us around $70 each way. It took us 2 $50 gas cards, plus about $50 more dollars in gas last year, so about $150 in gas total give or take a little.

As for the reason for turning him, yes it was b/c of my back. However the RF will only be for the ride down & then I would turn him back FF for the rest of the time. I can manage just for the one night. However it might be moot point anyhow since he may or may not be over the weight limit.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
RF him if possible, if not, then use whichever seat you feel he'll sleep most comfortably in.

To me, I think a 9 hour drive overnight -- with drivers who are more likely to be tired, both from time of night and time spent driving -- is a fairly dangerous thing, I'd want to RF for that reason at all if at all possible. Even if you are drivers who can do that drive without being unsafe, there are many who cannot, but attempt it anyways.

ETA: I am not a tech, but I am comfortable pushing the RF weight limits TO the stated limit. So yes, I'd use a 35lb seat at 34.6 weighed as he's going to ride. But, you'd need to make your parental decision on that, and I'd weigh him literally the day we were going to leave.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
No MR anymore. It was in my car when I was rear-ended awhile back & I did not feel comfortable using it anymore afterwards, so I replaced it with a GN since I was planning to leave him FF.

As for the EFTA, we :love: it RF or FF. It is currently in my DH's car FF with a freakin rock solid install. So no bother either way.



There will be no airport. We're driving down as it is only 9 hours. Crazy, but in the end more cost effective for us then 3 airplane tickets would be in the end. We drive a small car, so gas only cost us around $70 each way. It took us 2 $50 gas cards, plus about $50 more dollars in gas last year, so about $150 in gas total give or take a little.

As for the reason for turning him, yes it was b/c of my back. However the RF will only be for the ride down & then I would turn him back FF for the rest of the time. I can manage just for the one night. However it might be moot point anyhow since he may or may not be over the weight limit.

okay... somehow I thought there was a plane ride involved.

in that case, I'd do EFTA with recline ff (no having to lug a seat through an airport)

it gives more recline than the other seats...

I just don't see him being under the limit.

Now if he IS... then I say rearfacing.
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
RF him if possible, if not, then use whichever seat you feel he'll sleep most comfortably in.

To me, I think a 9 hour drive overnight -- with drivers who are more likely to be tired, both from time of night and time spent driving -- is a fairly dangerous thing, I'd want to RF for that reason at all if at all possible. Even if you are drivers who can do that drive without being unsafe, there are many who cannot, but attempt it anyways.

ETA: I am not a tech, but I am comfortable pushing the RF weight limits TO the stated limit. So yes, I'd use a 35lb seat at 34.6 weighed as he's going to ride. But, you'd need to make your parental decision on that, and I'd weigh him literally the day we were going to leave.

Yes, I wanted him RF b/c of the night driving more than anything. Not b/c I feel we will be unsafe, but b/c I feel that other drivers may not be safe. We will make sure that we're well rested before we leave! I will use the seat RF as long as he is under the weight limit. I think I would feel comfortable as long as he was 34.8, but not much more than that as he will be wearing a pull-up for JIC. However I deffinatly plan to weigh him THAT day RIGHT before we leave. LOL!

okay... somehow I thought there was a plane ride involved.

in that case, I'd do EFTA with recline ff (no having to lug a seat through an airport)

it gives more recline than the other seats...

I just don't see him being under the limit.

Now if he IS... then I say rearfacing.

LOL! I firgured you just misread it. No Bigs. I was thinking the EFTA or the MA if he was FF. However I plan to play around with all the options in a few weeks. I also agree that I just do not see him being under the weight limit come 3 months from now. However with this little bugger, I will never know. I could weigh him next week & he be 30lbs. LOL. However if he IS under the limit, then RF he shall go.

Thanks everyone so far for your thoughts.
 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
Ha. I took my J out of his MR and moved him into (bought) a Radian, because he was 39.6, about a month ago. Little stinker, I weighed him last week and he was 38.6. I guess I would have bought the Radian regardless, but it still amused me.

It sounds like you have a good plan under control :)
 

Mommy2Marcus

New member
Ha. I took my J out of his MR and moved him into (bought) a Radian, because he was 39.6, about a month ago. Little stinker, I weighed him last week and he was 38.6. I guess I would have bought the Radian regardless, but it still amused me.

It sounds like you have a good plan under control :)

LOL! It seems that at this age they fluctuat weight SO freakin much. I know when I weighed him a couple of weeks ago he weighed like right at 33lbs. Not the other day he weighed 34.6lbs. :eek: WTH happened? He has been eating me out of house & home but that has been going on for a YEAR now. LOL. I swear this kid eats like he is a fully grown 200lb man that runs a marathon everyday. However he is SOOOO freakin active. He must run all the food off. LOL! Kids are so funny aren't they?

However if he is over the weight limit then I will not freak. I really wanted him RF so he could sleep better & be a little safer b/c we're driving at night. However I will use whatever FF seat has the best FF recline for him to sleep & not stress it. He will be safe either way he is facing as I know how to properly install any of the seats.
 

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