So I hear this is the forum of car seat gurus. I am in some serious need of some car seat magic. It all comes down to the (common?) problem of big car seats, facing rear, and a small back seat. Your mission (please accept it) is to help me find a car seat that will meet our needs. The hardware involved:
1) (the most important part) The most wonderful little boy in the world (yes, I am biased)- he's 13-months old, currently weighs in at around 26lbs, I don't know his exact hight, but he is tall (95th percentile for height at the 1-year checkup), and he has a big (adorable) head (also in the 90s for percentile).
2) The current seat- he is currently in a Chicco KeyFit 30. He still has some room to grow in it, but we are definitely not wanting to be caught off guard if he has a sudden growth spurt. His current seat necessitates the passenger seat being pushed up to the point where it is uncomfortable for me to be in the passenger seat (almost as cramped as a coach airplane seat, with a super recliner in front of you..). i.e.- my knees are pushed against the dash. My wife seems to do OK- must be nice having shorter legs..
3) The car- a 2004 Impreza WRX wagon. Yes, that fun, sporty little thing that looked like the perfect car for our lifestyle. Great for camping, the dog, throwing our bikes on the rack, etc... Turns out it is not so good for car seats. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to be Mr. Moneybags, and just say "lets buy a nice new car," it isn't going to happen.
So, we'd like to find something that he could remain rear facing up to 35-40lbs, AND, I'd like to be able to sit in the passenger seat on those rare occasions where my wife would like to drive . So, any tips?
1) (the most important part) The most wonderful little boy in the world (yes, I am biased)- he's 13-months old, currently weighs in at around 26lbs, I don't know his exact hight, but he is tall (95th percentile for height at the 1-year checkup), and he has a big (adorable) head (also in the 90s for percentile).
2) The current seat- he is currently in a Chicco KeyFit 30. He still has some room to grow in it, but we are definitely not wanting to be caught off guard if he has a sudden growth spurt. His current seat necessitates the passenger seat being pushed up to the point where it is uncomfortable for me to be in the passenger seat (almost as cramped as a coach airplane seat, with a super recliner in front of you..). i.e.- my knees are pushed against the dash. My wife seems to do OK- must be nice having shorter legs..
3) The car- a 2004 Impreza WRX wagon. Yes, that fun, sporty little thing that looked like the perfect car for our lifestyle. Great for camping, the dog, throwing our bikes on the rack, etc... Turns out it is not so good for car seats. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to be Mr. Moneybags, and just say "lets buy a nice new car," it isn't going to happen.
So, we'd like to find something that he could remain rear facing up to 35-40lbs, AND, I'd like to be able to sit in the passenger seat on those rare occasions where my wife would like to drive . So, any tips?