Question Please advise

M

Monika

Guest
We have just moved to Canada from the UK so are not very familiar with car seats here so your advice will be greatly appreciated.
We have just bought Toyota Corolla 2010 and urgently need to purchase car seats for out 2 daughters.
DD1 will be 3 years old in about a month and is tall and slim 39 in and 30 lbs
DD2 is 2.5 months old and 24 in and 12 lbs
I did some research and right now we are thinking about Britax Boulevard for DD1 and Graco SnugRide 35 for DD2. My plan is that DD1 will use Britax Boulevard forward facing for a year and a bit until DD2 outgrows her Graco. Then we will buy child/booster seat (Britax Frontier?) for DD1 (then 4 years old) and DD2 will be rear facing in Britax Boulevard.
For your information we did not have a car before and on occasions we rented one our DD1 was forward facing (she hated rear facing as a baby) so it is not likely she accepts rear facing seat now. Also I would like to seat at the back with children for the first few months if possible (I am slim).
This is our plan but since I do not know much about Canadian seats I would appreciate your comments, recommendations and suggestions.
Also where in Toronto I can go to check if my seats are fitted properly?
 
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catchthewind

New member
Funny, my two girls have almost the same stats and similar ages to your two girls. :) I'm sure a tech or someone will chime in with more info/better advice, but that struck me so I wanted to post. Are you set on an infant seat? You could always get a convertible for DD2 (maybe a Radian since you want to sit back there too, though normally I think it's recommended the ff-ing kid is in the middle) and a ff combination seat for DD1, if they would fit side by side in your car. We had a rf Marathon in the back of a Honda Fit, and it wasn't terrible to sit next to but wasn't entirely comfortable either. A Britax ff would probably be less comfy for the adult next to it because the shoulder part is wider than the base by the feet. I think Radians are the narrowest seat though, if it will work in your car.

Also wanted to add that some kids actually find it more comfortable to rear face. We recently drove a friend's 3.5 year old and put him in my daughter's Radian rear facing and he told us he loves our car and wants to drive with us more often (he's been ff since about 16 months old prior to that). My daughter likes having somewhere to put her legs too.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Sorry, no real advice for the OP, but FWIW I'm 5'8", and 7 mos pregnant, and can sit beside a MyRide. The wide part sits so far away from the seat that I can comfortably fit my hips & shoulders behind it, especially FF. I know MyRide isn't the best for tall & slim, but wanted to throw that out there.
 

bubbaray

New member
Listing of techs here: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=67767

I have PMd one of our US members (who might not see this thread given the forum) and asked her to reply as she does 3 across (3 car seats) in a Corolla.

I think you will need at least 2 Radians. The Radian fits little babies well, is RFg to a decent weight and is the narrowest convertible around. Most people trying to do a 3-across end up with at least one of those. I would recommend looking at a RN for your oldest instead of the Blvd.

I had a 2009 Corolla for a few days when my former van was in the shop. I had 2 Radians in there (FFg) and I can't imagine *me* sitting between or beside them. I'm 5'9", average-slim/athletic build. I will say that I am not at all motivated to sit beside my kids, though, LOL.

I can't see you fitting 2 seats side by side plus an adult if you get the Frontier. The Frontier + another seat should fit, but getting and adult back there too will be pretty tight.

HTH
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I don't think 2 Radians is necessary, if you don't want them. I'd probably do one of two things to fit 2 car seats in a Corolla with adequate room for an adult:

-forward-facing Radian outboard, rear-facing Radian center. This would allow a rear-facing Radian probably not to touch the front seats and mess with the airbag sensors in the front seats.

-rear-facing Complete Air outboard (it can be installed significantly more upright), forward-facing Radian OR rear-facing Radian center (depending on if you wanted to rear-face that 3 year old for another year or two-- did you know that rear-facing is significantly safer?) If you do this you might want to do an infant seat first unless you rear-face the 3 year old too, as the Complete Air does not always work for very young babies-- around 9 months is when many "average" babies grow into it.

Those would be the long-lasting, space-saving choices I would personally probably make, knowing what I do of space in a Corolla. :) Good luck!
 

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