I think I want a My Ride.

UPDATE POST #18
Today I made the mistake of playing with the My Ride. I'm seriously thinking of selling my XTSL so I can buy one (DH won't let me sell the MA, he's in love with it). I've never really liked the XTSL, I just made myself deal with it. The steel frame, RF tether, high weight capacity, and so on. I really want to love it but I can't.
In the store today DS2 was just below the 3rd slots in the My Ride. So installed he'd be above the 3rd a little bit, I imagine. In the XTSL he's way above the 3rd but not close enough to the 4th and it sucks. Too much space inbetween the 3rd and 4th slots IMHO.
I just really like the My Ride. I wish I could see some crash tests of it RF. The 5 lbs less RF and the 15 lbs less FF don't bother me in the least, DS2 is about 25lbs at 2 1/2. He's super skinny.
Anybody hate their My Ride? I remember some talk when it first came out about the covers falling off and being kinda cheap. Were there certain covers that were worse than others? Any good threads I should read about the My Ride?

They fixed the cover problem last year :thumbsup:

I don't like how wide the cup holders make the seats. I can't have it in the center of my van because I can't flip the side seats for the older kids to get in back. But I can have it outboard

I the MR. I don't have the love for the radian either, i try but just don't. I love the cupholders and the deep sides on the MR, and it doesn't take up a ton of room rfing either.

I love the MR too! I got ours about a month ago and took the XTSL out of the van, now it's all we use. I love the deep sides and the cover on ours has never been a problem, the XTSL is just overkill for my petite DD anyway being 2 and just 22lbs and a very short torso. The MyRide will get her easily to 3 or 4 rear facing I'd think, I just can't love the XTSL anymore either. We have the Alma and I LOVE the purple!

Ditto. I love the My Ride too. DD2 is in it at 14 months old. I like the natural recline of it. I have had no problems with it--this seat is NCAP tested, which tests at higher speeds than the federal tests. I purchased it for that reason and for the Higher Weight of 40 lbs for RF b/c my kids seem to be larger than other kids. In addition, the car seat that I have is a light gray and still looks very clean--it doesn't seem to attract dirt easily.

As far as the XT SL is concerned, I do like it for DD2 who is 41 inches and 38 lbs. She fits perfectly in it--not sure if I would want DD1 in it b/c it seems better for bigger kids--it doesn't seem to "hug" the toddler like the My Ride.

We love our MyRide but, personally, I wouldn't trade a Radian for one. I have both and much prefer the Radian. My son still fits great RF in the MyRide though so I do think it is a great seat. It is super easy to install and fits very nicely in many vehicles. My son's torso is a tad over 15 inches and he still has about 1.5-2 inches of growth left for RF.

If your son is just under the 3rd slots while sitting in it in stores, he'd probably be lower than that when it is actually installed. I know, it sounds backwards lol. Many children gain room in the MyRide RF AFTER it is installed in the vehicle. My son gained at least an inch of RF room after it was installed. While RF, my son is over the 3rd slots and is close to the 4th slots but, while FF, he is above the 4th slots and needs to use the top slots. The same goes for when it is just sitting in our living room. I love the MyRide as a RF seat but I'm not crazy about it as a FF seat, not at all actually. The natural recline of the seat really bugs me. It is great for slumpy heads while sleeping but, in my vehicle, my son's feet are really forward and almost touching the front seat. In the Radian, True Fit, and Frontier his feet don't come that far forward. After RF is over, I probably wouldn't use the MyRide full time as a FF seat.

I love my MR, but I'm also not sure if I'd trade a Radian for it.

In my eyes, the MR is a RF only seat. I've used it FF a time or two, in unusual circumstances, and am totally comfortable with that... but I couldn't see using it full time as a FFing seat. It's on a giant pedestal, it's super reclined, it installs strangely... I dunno. To me, it almost feels like the seat was designed for ERFing, and the FF function was thrown on there as an afterthought.

That said, I DO love it as a RF seat. It ties with, or maybe scoots a bit above, my Radian. I agree with the PP that said your child will probably actually gain room when it's installed in the vehicle... mine did. I had one of those very first Spiral covers, which had the problems, but never really had an issue with mine. I find the seat easy to buckle, easy to adjust, and the cupholders are so deep they're amazing for putting snacks (dry cereal!) in without having the likilhood that the baby will dump a little container... And I guess you could use it for cups, too. It's also easy to get a good, upright install by pushing on the foot area, or a less upright install by pushing further back. And the padding is really snuggly, if your child is still on the second slots

I was an early MR adopter, and was in love with the seat before it was well-loved on this board. I went out and bought another one when I needed to replace my seats, even though I needed it to fit in a tight 3-across. (Although ironicly it fits better than a Radian would, lol!) So as long as you're aware that it doesn't have as many "advantages" as a Radian, *and* you're aware of its FFing limitations, then I wouldn't say worst decision ever.

Lastly... install it in your vehicle before purchase, both RFing *and* FFing. If it doesn't work FFing, you could still get it, just know going in you'll need a FF-only seat. (I love my Nautilus for that... I would gladly have my own kid start in a MR as a newborn, ride in it until outgrown RF then switch to a Nautilus if they weren't booster-ready. It just feels like the logical 'next step,' lol.)

I agree that the MR is awesome RF. My MIL has one in her car, and I got one for mine, but it just didn't give us enough room up front. It would have worked in the center but because it's so wide, no one else could sit in the back comfortably. But I really hate this seat FF, at least in my car, because it is sooo reclined, and just HUGE! I think her head would be hitting the roof as she got older. So I do agree with the PP, try it out FF, too.

i'm in a similar boat too, purplemama. another thing we have in common (besides our love for purple )

i put up with my RNXT too. my poor toddler has awful head slump/forward flop. i keep telling myself once he's a bit taller and i can move the wings up, it'll get better. i think i'm deluding myself.

the MR wasn't available here when i was car seat shopping. pfft. otherwise i may have gotten it.

I love the MR for RF. As for the gaining/losing room, my DD lost a bit of room from in the house to installed. She was at the 4th slot when we got it and is a tad over it now. Still has close to 2" growing room.

As for FF, it appears the seat is actually incompatible FF in my vehicle and possibly in my parents vehicle as well. Can't get it installed how Graco wants it (Graco U.S. says entire base touching vehicle seat bottom and base cannot hang off the front). Although I am awaiting for Graco to test out the seat in the same vehicle I own to see what they say.

Even if I can get it installed to their satisfaction the recline will be approx. 45° in my vehicle and over 45° in my parents vehicle. So, it won't be used FF regardless if it can be installed properly. I bought it for RF though so when FF time arrives, I'll just look for something new.

Thanks for all the insight on the MR!! I love to hear about why people like a seat or don't, it's really helpful why trying to make a decision.

PurpleCat said:

i'm in a similar boat too, purplemama. another thing we have in common (besides our love for purple )

i put up with my RNXT too. my poor toddler has awful head slump/forward flop. i keep telling myself once he's a bit taller and i can move the wings up, it'll get better. i think i'm deluding myself.

the MR wasn't available here when i was car seat shopping. pfft. otherwise i may have gotten it.

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I so have the head slump/forward flop problem too!!! And that's with the wings in use because he's on the 3rd slot. It drives me nuts!! That's one of the reasons I want to get rid of it. I'm one of the "lucky" ones that can get a pretty upright install but that makes the forward flop worse.


So I'm thinking that for my kid (little tiny thing ) the MR would be good for ERF. Besides, I want something new to play with . Now I just need to get to BRU to try it in my truck before I buy it.

purplemama said:

I so have the head slump/forward flop problem too!!! And that's with the wings in use because he's on the 3rd slot. It drives me nuts!! That's one of the reasons I want to get rid of it. I'm one of the "lucky" ones that can get a pretty upright install but that makes the forward flop worse.

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Now that I think of it, my little dude's on the 3rd slot too with an upright install. This is getting spooky. (Quick hijack but still on the topic... does anyone know how a MR installs in a 2004 trailblazer?)

PurpleCat said:

Now that I think of it, my little dude's on the 3rd slot too with an upright install. This is getting spooky. (Quick hijack but still on the topic... does anyone know how a MR installs in a 2004 trailblazer?)

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Um you wanna talk spooky, I DRIVE A TRAILBLAZER!!!!! I can let you know in a few days how a MR installs in a 2002 trailblazer.

i am officially spooked out now. if yours is also the EXT TNF edition i'm going to lose my mind.

PurpleCat said:

i am officially spooked out now. if yours is also the EXT TNF edition i'm going to lose my mind.

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Don't worry, I have the regular LS.

I loved the mr rf but ff it's a beast to try and climb into (it's not as easy as climbing in rf) and it's so reclined that even with the tricks and tips I got here he still felt like he was laying down. and being so thin he was sliding all the way to the crotch strap. We've been using our spare avenue while the mr was listed on cl but it sold yesterday so we are seat shopping.

Cool. I get to keep what little mind I have left.

So..... it's been a few days....

Okay tried the MR out. I don't like it. Could not get it as tight as I like. Acceptable yes, but I like my seats rock solid. And there is NO WAY I could ever use the MR FF in my truck. It simply does not install FF. No big deal for my little guy but you never know what circumstances might happen. I just simply did not like the MR. I liked him in it and he sure liked the cupholders but I just didn't like the install. My gut feeling was NO.

PurpleCat, there in NO WAY to install the MR in a trailblazer FF. The seat backs are too upright. RF was okay. I didn't like it but that's me. I would definitly go try it before you buy it.

purplemama said:

Okay tried the MR out. I don't like it. Could not get it as tight as I like. Acceptable yes, but I like my seats rock solid. And there is NO WAY I could ever use the MR FF in my truck. It simply does not install FF. No big deal for my little guy but you never know what circumstances might happen. I just simply did not like the MR. I liked him in it and he sure liked the cupholders but I just didn't like the install. My gut feeling was NO.

PurpleCat, there in NO WAY to install the MR in a trailblazer FF. The seat backs are too upright. RF was okay. I didn't like it but that's me. I would definitly go try it before you buy it.

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I find if I pull the cover back from around the cupholder and pull from inside the seat I get a much better install:twocents:

That's sucks. I thought it may work FF if the seat bench was reclined back all the way. Now I really have to play around with it. I've just groped it in a store but haven't had a chance to get to properly get to know it.

I just have to find a place that will let me play with it and not make me buy it first, like Walmart does. ugh.