safety first air

vancouvermommy · Jun 9, 2010

hello, i am new to the car sat forum world! i have two older kids (a seven yr old in a graco booster, and 11 year old in a seat belt), and an 8 month old in a graco snugride who is 20 pounds.
I just bought a saftety first air seat, and havent tried it yet.

I feel silly asking this, but i am new to the whole "stay rear facing as long as possible" thing. When I had my daughter 7 and a half years ago, we forward faced her at 9 or ten months once out of her infant seat.
Isn't it VERY uncomfy for kids to be rear facing when they are older, as they can't stretch out their legs, and they hit the back seat. My baby's feet hit the back seat, and I just can't imagine not being able to stretch my legs out, and have an older toddler sitting like that for so long (??).
Also, I have been reading tons of very negative reviews on the air seat (on the babies r us website).....so I am thinking I may return it? I am also worried it will not fit into my car (mazda 3 ).....and I am not buying a new car to fit the seat. It was also NOT cheap at 229 plus tax.
Anyone here have one that fit into a mazda three rear facing , with enough room for front passengers?

Thanks!!! (ps I am from Vancouver, BC)

wendytthomas · Jun 9, 2010

Welcome.

I'm assuming you mean the Complete Air, and not the onBoard 35 Air, right? One is a convertible, one is an infant seat. The "Air" is Safety 1st's side impact technology.

It's not at all uncomfortable or unsafe for their legs to hit the backseat. In fact, for your 7.5 year old (I have a nearly eight year old myself), they AAP was recommending even then to rear face as long as possible. So it's not new news. Kids kill put their feet up on the backseat, cross their legs, dangle their feet over the sides, whatever. Remember, kids are more flexible than us. And their legs dangling forward facing actually causes more discomfort (numb bum) than their legs being supported rear facing.

Your Complete Air should fit very well in your backseat. It can be as upright as 30 degrees, so it fits in small places.

If you'd like to meet with a tech in your area, there are quite a few in the Greater Vancouver area from this board.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59135&highlight=technician

Wendy

cookie123 · Jun 9, 2010

The Complete Air has been $140 at Target lately. Check it out.

The rear facing album has pics of older kids rfing. Its getting old, so many are in Britaxes. A lot of other seats have more rf leg room now. Just click on the photos for a full view.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum.aspx

Also have you checked out the rear facing links on the blog?

cookie123 · Jun 9, 2010

Here's the link to the rear facing link blog!

http://carseatblog.com/?p=5168

I agree the Complete Air should work fine in your car. You'll probably need some pool noodles to get an acceptable recline. What specifically worries you in the reviews? Maybe we can help.

bubbaray · Jun 9, 2010

cookie123 said:
The Complete Air has been $140 at Target lately. Check it out.

Please note that the OP is in Canada.

OP, use of non-Canadian seats by a Canadian in Canada is not legal and can land you with the exact same ticket as if you weren't using a seat at all. The BSA's can also seize your US seat at the border. Really, given the better selection of seats here, its not worth it.

DahliaRW · Jun 9, 2010

I think most of the bad reviews are from parents who don't use the seat properly. I know a lot say it's too upright. Yes, it can be and you might need a rolled towel or pool noodle to get it to recline more, no biggie.

I own an CA and my nearly 3yo is still rfing in it. I really like the seat and he doesn't complain about being rfing at all.

ketchupqueen · Jun 9, 2010

It's not uncomfortable at all for most kids, especially in seats with more leg room. Have you ever seen kids playing, how they'll sit for hours in positions that would be really uncomfy for us? They're way more flexible than we are. Also, they have more leg support rear-facing than forward-facing-- so no dangly legs to fall asleep! They frog them out, put them up, cross them, they find a way to be comfortable. Let me link you to a pic I posted on their FB page of my 5 1/2 year old (then) rear-facing in the CA: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...w=global&subj=32252524353&id=602359353&ref=pf

As you can see, she was quite happy. She was sad when she outgrew it by weight!

Unregistered · Jun 9, 2010

thanks for all the information ladies, I appreciate it!!
Yes, I meant the Complete Air Convertible. He is 20 pounds and has outgrown his graco snugride. And, there is no Target here, and we cant use seats from the USA.
Everyone I know here forward faces their toddlers, my friend has a 2.5 yr old and when I mentioned rear facing, she looked at me like I was nuts!!! I plan to keep him rear facing as long as I can.

Do you think he will need another seat after this one (in a few years), or will I be able to move him straight to a booster/seatbelt later on?
This seat was so expensive, I want to be sure I am getting my best value longevity wise too. I know nothing about car seats. I picked the Complete Air because he looked the comfiest in it when I tested him out in a few at BRU.

We also looked at the evenflo triumph/titan because price wise they were wayyyy cheaper.
I need to get a second seat for my hubby's car, and not sure if we should spring for a second Complete Air, or another (cheaper but still good) convertible.

Kat_Momof3 · Jun 9, 2010

it's not uncomfortable at all... and even 7yrs ago, the guideline was 1yr AND 20lbs for minimum forward facing on seats.

It was in 2001 that we saw seats with 30-35lb rf weight limits and the new AAP recommendation of rearfacing as long as possible... but I know the info has been slow to get out there... I was one of the few and lucky who saw it in babytalk magazine that summer... when I was very pregnant... and even so, managed to then have a baby who was 30lbs at 1yr old... but hey, he was also 22lbs (the rf limit on his brother's convertible seat) at 4-5mo old.

Anyway... I think the better we know the better we do, and think about when you're sitting... you don't keep your legs out the whole time... you move them, fold them, change position.

Also, remember that babies are used to being in the womb... it's comforting for them to be more bunched up. Naturally, as we age and get less flexible, that changes, but for most kids, they're very comfortable rearfacing up until they outgrow it. My own daughter LOVED rearfacing until she hit the max limit on her seats at 2.5yrs old... had we had the seats that are out now, she could have rearfaced until about age 4... and I tell you, I KNOW she would have loved it... because she did NOT like forward facing until she got used to it.

But the simple fact for me is the risks associated with being forward facing... I will take uncomfortable legs or broken legs (and broken legs are actually more common in FORWARD FACING) over a broken neck/spine ANY DAY.

This was my daughter's last rearfacing photo...

cookie123 · Jun 9, 2010

bubbaray said:
Please note that the OP is in Canada.

OP, use of non-Canadian seats by a Canadian in Canada is not legal and can land you with the exact same ticket as if you weren't using a seat at all. The BSA's can also seize your US seat at the border. Really, given the better selection of seats here, its not worth it.

Oops, sorry for not paying attention!

DahliaRW · Jun 9, 2010

Most kids should make it to booster age in the CA. But there is no guarantee.

icnee · Jun 9, 2010

Hi any thing that I could say has already been said but I just wanted to show you some pics of my kids they are 4 1/2 3 and 20 m. My yoiunger 2 dont know the difference but my 4yo does and she prefers to Rear Face. Be for I knew that I could rf past 12m 20lbs and that it is safer she was Front Facing and would cry cause her legs lower back and bum were hurting now that she is RFing she is much more comfortable and no loger wakes to sudden movements ( like sudden braking when some one pulls out in front of me)

I guess I did have something to say lol.

Mommy2Marcus · Jun 9, 2010

I also wanted to chime in & say that kids are fine with being RF for longer. My son rode RF untill he was 3 1/2. He also rode RF 2-3 weeks ago & did fine. Alot of people think that their legs being bent or scrunched up is uncomfortable, but it's not really. My son did great, never complained. I also got alot of funny looks with my son still RF at 3 1/2. However it is so much safer.

Keeanh · Jun 10, 2010

Hi Vancouvermom! I used to live in Vancouver (well, Burnaby & Maple Ridge actually ;-)). I just wanted to mention that I have always preferred to sit cross-legged rather than hang my legs down, even though I'm plenty tall enough to reach the floor

. I'm sitting that way right now at the computer. And when I was a child/teen my parents' vehicles had smooth patches on the vehicle doors where my knees would rub, LOL. I would sit like that in the car now, except we have a passenger airbag and I'd rather not have my legs in the way of that

! In high school I used to sit "rear-facing" on bus trips -- I actually found it more comfortable. Maybe I'm just weird, though, LOL.

shauburg · Jun 10, 2010

Hello vancouvermom. Good for you for doing your own research and keeping your son safe by planning to RF him as long as possible, despite what others in your life think!

Here is a a great article by another Canadian car-seat.org tech that address some of your questions/concerns: Rear-Facing Toddlers - The importance of rear-facing beyond the first year. Maybe some of your friends would like to read it too.

Another benefit to RF is that kids sleep much better in the car. Since I turned my son FF, he will hardly ever sleep in the car anymore, even on longer trips.

Unless your son is unusually large as he grows up, the Complete Air should last him until he is big enough & mature enough (emotional maturity is key here) to move into a booster seat. Have you tried the seat in your Mazda3 yet? If you're having installation issues, I'm sure there is a tech in Vancouver that could help you.

What type of vehicle does your husband drive? That will help us to better recommend a 2nd seat for you.

mommycat · Jun 13, 2010

I think you should be able to get the CA in the Mazda3 with no major issues. Do you have lap/shoulder belts in all 3 positions or does the CA need to go in the center lapbelt? I have had a Radian in the passenger outboard of a Mazda3 and it fit well, the CA would be even easier to get in since it naturally goes in more upright (the Radian wants to recline).

I also think a little info on DH's vehicle would help us figure out a good, hopefully less expensive 2nd seat. (If you want to go really inexpensive for a bare-bones seat, you could look at the Cosco Scenera, knowing that it won't last as long RF and definitely not as long FF, definitely not to booster age. It has fairly little padding and no EPS foam. But it's a narrow little seat which is usually under $90 at Walmart or less when on sale, usually at Zellers.)

safety first air

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