Can't decide what to do w/ my Regent - help

Here is my config: dd1 is 4.5 (will be 5 in Nov), 43" tall, 50.5 lbs. She's in a Regent in our primary (3rd slot w/ growing room there). She has a GN we love in dh's car (last slot w/ maybe 2 inch grow room). I've done a little booster training with her (have a HB TB also) and believe she could be able to handle a booster full time at 5.5 or 6 (does great now with short 10-15 minute trips). Think the GN would last her another year or more? Dd2 is 26 months, 33", and 35 lbs rfing in a MR with about a year left of rfing room in that seat. Original plans were to switch dd2 to the GN when she is ready to ff, but now, I'm tempted to sell the Regent to help fund a barnes and noble nook for myself (totally selfish, I know). Would it be a bad choice to sell the Regent with my big 4.5 yo? I've thought ahead - if dd2 needs the GN and dd1 still fits in her GN, I'll just buy another GN when we get there (don't want to use the MR ffing). Thanks for advice!

I just dealt with the same situation/decision making process that you're trying to make right now! My 4.5 year old who is 55lbs. 44.5in. is on the last harness slot in his GN (hoping to make it until next summer before he offically outgrows it) and would have just moved to the last slot in the Regent, had I not just sold it. I have also began booster training my big boy as well. Installing seats everytime he goes with grandparents just wasn't cutting it anymore. He is doing great with booster training and I plan to have him mainly in a booster by next summer, at 5.5 years old. I sold our Regent last month, when we bought the FR85. He will stay harnessed in the 85 in my vehicle for another 2 or so years, but in all other vehicles he will be in a booster by next summer. I know we will make it thru winter before outgrowing the GN's, so he will stay harnessed full time for one more winter. I have found myself at moments wishing I hadn't sold the Regent though. I only sold the Regent because I didn't think I needed two seats that harnessed to or past 80lbs and the 85 is easier to move around than the Regent. I made a promise to DH when I bought the 85 that, that seat WILL be my last car seat purchase...though, I did tell him that doesn't count boosters! By next summer Daniel will be 5.5 and Dominic will be 3. I will sell Dom's MR (I hate it FF too!) and he'll go in the GN's full time. Our MA will have 1.5 years left, so I'll probably just give it to dh's cousin who is car seat clueless, for her little girl. That'll leave Daniel with his PWSG, Monterey and RF85 to rotate between vehicles.

Not sure if explaining what I'm planning to do will help you at all...but I just went thru the same thought process within the last few weeks too!

Maybe I'm just having a hard time letting go of the Regent since I had coveted one for so long (like 2 years) before actually getting it this past fall? Any others with advice?

I kept mine as a spare when I discovered it wasn't compatible in our car with a seat belt (DS was over LATCH limits). I bought him a Fr85, and had DD (2.5) rfing in a MA that she had about 3lbs of rfing or one year of expiration left on. I was going to use the Regent for her next, but then we were hit and I got a check for full retail value to replace both seats. I took the opportunity to get a new radian for DD.

I would LOVE to get rid of the Regent, but realized that I could only get about $100 for it. We have never had spare seats in the past, but I was thinking with my oldest starting school and sports, it might be nice to keep a spare seat in DH's car if we have any schedule conflicts or emergencies. I would much rather have a lighter HBB for this purpose, which would cost me around $100 and go easily from car to car, but at least the Regent can also be used for my two year old in a pinch. So I decided to keep it, but I am not a fan. To me it is a big, awkward, space-consuming seat. I never loved it, but at the time that I bought it there wasn't anything else that would have kept my tall three year old out of a booster for very long.

It sounds to me like you don't really need a Regent with the size of your children. If it's not the seat you'd choose for your younger child, I'd ditch the monster and fund your Nook. When our Regent expires, I know I won't miss it. The obvious risk is that you might find yourself buying a GN that you wouldn't have had to before, but I'd rather have that seat anyway if it made sense for my children. My poor kids have a dad who is 6'5" and a mom who is 5'10". The tallest harness on the market is the only option for them.

I definitely understand about having a hard time letting go after waiting so long to get it. I had to bug dh to death about the Regent to get it. Maybe try putting on craigslist when you think you're ready to sell it and see what kind of offers you get for it...that'll help you decide if you really want to part with it. I sold mine for way less than I should have ($70 for an 4-08 DOM)..but I also knew it wasn't going to be used and was just going to end up sitting in my basement- which would have just been a waste of money; so at least I made a few bucks on it. I decided to sell it to someone who was actually going to get use out of it and let that person get a steal of a deal. I do still have some sellers remorse on selling it, but I knew I didn't have a need for it any longer. If my youngest wasn't such a peanut, I would have kept it for him, but I know he will never need a seat as big as the Regent!

If you think you could use it for your younger DD, then I would probably consider keeping it. If you don't think you would use it for her, then try Craislist to give you an idea if you're really wanting to sell it or not!