advice needed

babychild taxi

New member
Hi,

I'm familiar with many carseat recs/practice, but I do have a question about my friend and 27month old with low muscle tone and overall delays. He weighs 23lbs.

Last year I talked to my friend about keeping little one RF for as long as possible (and why). At the same time one of the child development professionals said it was ok to FF in the seat my friend wanted to use (2 in 1)and to just use some rolled up towels under it to help with recline- :(

She is now realizing that little one is having a lot of "head slump" and knows she has to get a new carseat for him and place him RF.

I have some ideas of what may work, but I'm wondering if any of you could give me your ideas/recs. The family has a tight budget and is in Canada.

Thank you so much!

Kathy
 
ADS

AtTheSouthDam

New member
A Graco My Ride 65 would work well for him, I would bet. A member here, Shaunum has a SN girl in her sig RF in one and she looks so very comfy! My LO rides in one, too (though she is typical). It is so deep and cuddles so well she doesn't want to FF ;)
 

mommycat

Well-known member
Yikes! That's some alarming advice, even in a special needs situation where rules might need to be ignored, when there are perfectly acceptable options which don't need to bend the rules. Glad your friend is realizing that something needs to change.

How tall is the child? He is definitely light enough that she has her choice of seats. Depending on how tight her budget is exactly (and count in the fact that she may be able to sell her FF seat to help offset her cost), there are a couple options which might be better than others. I am not sure how much the low tone affects his ability to sit upright without slumping sideways, but I am going on the assumption that this might be a factor in seat choices.

While the Radian would last RF a very long time, it may be out of her price range and I am not sure how supportive it is, exactly. Don't know if there are any limits on using the comfy soft body pillows or how well they work.

I know the Graco MyRide is very good for providing support to slumpy kids, and it has a 40 lb RF limit, but the shell is not as tall as some others so if the child is tall it may not be the longest lasting option. It's about $220 or so. Oh and a bonus with this seat is that installs very reclined once it goes FF compared to most seats, so it may help prevent headslump once he is FF as well. Great choice IMO if he is slight overall.

The Safety 1st Complete Air looks like it would be fairly supportive as well. I looked at one briefly today IRL for the first time, and it seems to me it was pretty enclosed. It is much taller and also has a 40 lb RF limit. It was about $270??

The First Years True Fit RF to 35 lbs and has a nice tall shell but it has a wide interior and widely spaced straps which seem to cause some issues with potentially trying to slip off the shoulder, especially if the child tends to slump to the side at all. It is about $199, or often $150 on sale at Zellers. While it offers less support, she could always pad his sides with rolled receiving blankets, and just being RF and more reclined should eliminate a lot of slump anyway.

For some more budget friendly options there is the Cosco Scenera (~$90-100 not on sale) or Safety 1st Avenue (~$150). These seats RF to 35 lbs and have decently tall shells for a budget-friendly seat. They would not last very long FF compared to the other options. I don't think they provide as much support to a slumpy posture (at least not the Scenera) as the MyRide and Complete Air but if it's what she can afford, then they should work, same reasoning as the TF that just the fact that the child is reclined when RF should be a great help as it is.

I think a good option would be for her to take him in to the store and try sitting him in some of the seats she is considering to check for fit and comfort and she will be able to see which ones look like they would work better. I went by my Zellers today and was THRILLED to see the CA, MR, 2 models of TF (no ARB), the 35lb models of AO (another ok option but not as popular as a choice for a variety of reasons - but she could look at that too as long as she promises not to use it in booster mode ;) ) and some awesome choices for FF as well. Some Walmarts apparently also carry the MR and CA as well as the Scenera. Good luck!
 

babychild taxi

New member
Hi-thanks for your replies so far. Yes, I am very thankful she is deciding to RF again. I could only give my/the info and try not to be "pushy" about it. I saw them a few months ago (we live in different cities) and cringed when I saw little one in the FF seat, and in a winter jacket! Anyway, they are going through a lot right now so I'm happy this part is turning around.

I like the seat ideas and the pros and cons, some of which I had considered, but the replies are very helpful!

I will let you know the outcome.

-although he only weighs 23 lbs right now at 2yrs old, do you think an Evenflo Triumph Advance would work, even with the 30lb RF limit? I know it reclines and I'm not sure how fast he will grow. Although I like the other options better, what do people think?

Thanks,
Kathy
 

mommycat

Well-known member
I have very limited experience with the seat in terms of how it fits, etc. He is certainly light enough that it would work for a while barring any huge growth spurts. My only concern and why I didn't bring it into the mix is that with the issues he has it sounds like he will likely benefit from RF as long as possible, even longer than most "typical" kids, and I didn't like to limit his growing room in any way. I am not sure of the shell height on this seat as compared to others. But it's a nice choice as well, and it is often a little less pricey as well.

Not knowing the LO's height it's hard to judge which seat would be best.
 

babychild taxi

New member
Hi-thanks again for the info. I don't know this little guy's height and cannot measure him as we are in different cities and he is in the hospital right now.

I realize the Evenflo seat has lower limits, but know he is only 23 lbs at 2 yrs and seat reclines, etc. I would prefer him in a different seat too. Someone mentioned that the TF may be too wide? What do you think April? I want to recommend a good seat to them that is somewhere in their budget (they have 4 other kids). There is a Zellers, Walmart, Sears near them (no TRU in their city).

Thanks!

Kathy
 

April

Well-known member
Hi-thanks again for the info. I don't know this little guy's height and cannot measure him as we are in different cities and he is in the hospital right now.

I realize the Evenflo seat has lower limits, but know he is only 23 lbs at 2 yrs and seat reclines, etc. I would prefer him in a different seat too. Someone mentioned that the TF may be too wide? What do you think April? I want to recommend a good seat to them that is somewhere in their budget (they have 4 other kids). There is a Zellers, Walmart, Sears near them (no TRU in their city).

Thanks!

Kathy

Do you mean too wide internally or externally like they are trying to fit three across? the TF does has a lot of room inside the shell, but the EFTA is pretty wide as well. I also think the MR would be the best best because its very cozy inside the shell and has a super tiny "base" so it should work three across. I'd pick the TF as a second choice. :twocents: the TF also installs quite reclined FF although not as much as the MR.
Apparently some Zellers have the MR now. I wouldn't doubt it if it goes on sale there in the next couple months considering the TF and Nautilus go on sale all the time. Depending on how much time they have, they could wait and see if the MR goes on sale or buy one now and hope it does so they can get a price adjustment. You have even longer for a price adjustment if you use and HBC credit card as well. We tend to post the Zellers sales in the Canadian forum, so you could check here or subscribe to their online flyer.
 

babychild taxi

New member
Thanks April!

I found out from my friend today that they will have the entire cost of the seat covered by one of their gov't programs which is great.

I went to Walmart today and "played around" a bit with the My Ride. It looks really good overall. My only concern is the top shell doesn't look too high. So, with that in mind I'm wondering what people think:

-My Ride vs. Complete Air (I think my friends will like the side impact protection wings (CA), but depth of the MR too)

-what is the highest top slot on each seat?

-it looks like the CA has a higher shell, but it wasn't on display, only in box

-any installation issues to consider (2000 Honda Odyssey)

-will recommend baby rear view mirror as little guy is having seizures (although their older siblings in the van most other times)

-no LATCH, so I will not recommend Radian because I know there can be many install problems with seatbelts (my car included). They need something very easy to install, transfer if needed, they have too many other things going on and do not need a difficult carseat!

Any more input would be most helpful!

Thanks Again :)
 

LittlePeanut

New member
Safety 1st Complete Air -RF-40lbs FF-50lbs THS-18.5"

Graco MyRide-RF-40lbs FF-65lbs THS-17"

So it seems there is more growing room in the CA as al other aspects are comparable.
 

mommycat

Well-known member
Based on Ketchup's statement on the CA being more upright when FF, I would go for the MR unless the child is taller. I would probably test the FF install to see how well it will go into the vehicle, though I wouldn't make that a dealbreaker if the install is not great - I would possibly RF as long as possible, then sell the MR and get another seat for FF if it isn't compatible FF. I tried the MR FF in my car and DH's truck and the installs were solid if strange - the seat doesn't fit into the vehicle seat quite like I am used to and were more reclined FF than they were RF!! But that may be a good thing in your friend's case. :twocents: Have her try the MR and see how much shell there is left over his head, if it's close to the 1" then look at other seats, if it's 2-3" I would definitely go for it barring any issues installing. I find the seat easy to install RF and mostly easy (though odd) FF.
 

babychild taxi

New member
Hi All,

Thanks for all your valuable input! I have sent links to my friends about each seat (My Ride/CA) and suggested they try little one in each seat and van. I will talk to them when they are back from the hospital. I'm hoping they can find a tech in their area as it is a smaller city without any major cities nearby (I don't live near them).

Thanks again and I will keep you posted.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I just saw your question on one of the threads in the CDN forum and figured I'd answer you here rather than PM you. :thumbsup:

Assuming they're able to install it well, I'd go with the MR. It's more enclosed and lined in EPS foam. I think that the narrower interior will be a benefit in terms of support, but also in terms of reducing the risk of injury should he have a seizure. (Though I admittedly don't know what his seizures look like and seizures can take on many forms, so this may not matter as much as I think it might.)

In terms of being easily moved between vehicles, the MR is going to win out again - I've had it in quite a few vehicles now and haven't encountered one yet that needs a noodle - even my Outlook which has such sloped seats the Radian is super upright doesn't need a noodle with the MR. I also don't particularly think that the shell height will be a problem on the MR. It's about the same height as the MA, and with a kid who is just 23lbs at 2yrs old, I'm guessing that he's shorter than average as well and will have tons of growing room in the MR.

I can't speak for ff'ing install of the MR in an Odyssey, but I do know that the Complete Air is quite upright ff'ing, so that makes me lean on the side of the MR in that regard as well.

From an everyday use perspective, I personally prefer the Complete Air over the My Ride - but how a person finds a seat to use is really going to vary a huge amount from one person to another. I do find that a seatbelt install with the CA pretty much needs a noodle or something for angle, and with a seatbelt install I prefer using a locking clip to prevent tilt - so the initial install might be harder with the CA, but if it's not going to be moved regularly, that may not be as big of an issue.

Other thoughts that may or may not apply to their situation - the My Ride is a wide seat overall, but has a narrow base. In terms of front to back space, it actually is quite compact in the amount of room it takes up even when more reclined. The Complete Air is narrower in the overall side to side width and I've found it puzzles well with a ff'ing radian. It is quite big in terms of the amount of room it takes up front to back though when installed at a newborn recline, so this could be an issue for them. While they may not need a full 45* angle for their little guy, they'll need at least a 40* angle I'm guessing, so the CA is definitely going to occupy more front to back space than the MR.

Just some other factors to throw in to the mix. :thumbsup:
 

babychild taxi

New member
Thanks Trudy, that's excellent advice!

I will pass the info on to my friends within the next day (hopefully).

I do hope they can find a tech in their area. The PT gave them horrible advice last year.

I'll keep you/everyone here posted and thanks again. :)

Kathy
 

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