A logic puzzle for car seat aficionados

Keeanh · Jul 13, 2010

Assumption: You have children ~2 years apart (12 down to 2), and plan to continue having children (likely ~2 years apart) past any current car seat expiry date.

Puzzle: Come up with the most convenient, inexpensive combo of the fewest seats possible to have on hand to transport ANY 4 of the children in a smaller sedan (Protege, Mazda3, Accord, Corolla -- no super-tiny cars in our family). The children are generally 70-90% in height, 60-70% for weight.

These would be for very short local trips, so let's assume that 5-yo's are good in boosters if necessary & 3-yo's (possibly older 2-yo's?) FF if necessary.

Have fun! And TIA!

Lesley

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

2 Complete Airs & a highback Turbo for the back seat. Are there airbags in the front? If so, I wouldn't put any child up there unless it was an emergency. Unless your 12 yo adult sized.

An Aurora · Jul 13, 2010

So the youngest 4 would be:

2 yo
4 yo
6 yo
8 yo

First, ideally you would only put 3 kids in a sedan, since the back seat is safest.

So, that would be a 2, 4, and 6 yo, with a potential of this combo becoming an infant, 2 and 4 yo in the near future.

Cheapest would be a Cosco Scenera (RF for the 2 yo, and later RF for the infant). The 4 yo would be in a Evenflo Maestro (later, the 2 yo moves to this, and the 4 yo moves to a Turbo).

So, these 3 seats (Scenera, Maestro, Turbo) would run you a total of about $160 if you shop smart, and you'd be good for 6 years, to keep cycling the kids through them.

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

An Aurora said:
So, these 3 seats (Scenera, Maestro, Turbo) would run you a total of about $160 if you shop smart, and you'd be good for 6 years, to keep cycling the kids through them.

We're in the Canadian forum. These 3 seats would cost ~$280.

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

Ooops, OP...I missed the 4 youngest kids part. I thought you were meaning any of your children. In that case, I think you could do as An Aurora suggested. I didn't suggest a Scenera because I didn't think it would fit anyone besides the 2 yo. The Complete Airs would be more versatile, while still narrow, but would cost more. Sounds like you're going to get your money's worth, though. You could look at My Rides too. I think they puzzle decently as well.

An Aurora · Jul 13, 2010

Ooops, didn't notice it was in the CA forum. Sorry

Kat_Shoshin · Jul 13, 2010

I would totally switch that scenera for a truefit if I had the money.

So it would be Truefit, Maestro, Graco TB.

That way you can use it as a harness seat if you wanted to go 4yo, 6yo, 8yo
whereas you couldn't do that with a scenera.

My spare seat is a Truefit so I can take anyone from NB to 5 in it (mostly).

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

Kat_Shoshin said:
I would totally switch that scenera for a truefit if I had the money.

So it would be Truefit, Maestro, Graco TB.

That way you can use it as a harness seat if you wanted to go 4yo, 6yo, 8yo
whereas you couldn't do that with a scenera.

My spare seat is a Truefit so I can take anyone from NB to 5 in it (mostly).

You think we could get a Maestro, TF and Turbo in the back of a 3?

Kat_Shoshin · Jul 13, 2010

It was tight, but I did it with the Chase in a Kia Rio. Maybe it wouldn't work with the bigger Maestro. It also worked with the Truefit Forward facing.

But I did have to shred my hand bucking the booster. Maybe the Complete Air would be better - you would just have to manually adjust the straps.

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

All I have to say is "all hail the queen"

That's friggin' amazing

The Complete Air had no-rethread height adjustment too...you just have to do it from the back like the 3-in-1's so if it were FFing, you'd need to uninstall.

Keeanh · Jul 13, 2010

Thanks for the replies so far! Yes, in an ideal world, there would only be 3 children in a car. But I want to be prepared for having to take 4 children somewhere if it was essential. And yes, I meant ANY 4 children.
- NB, 2, 4, 6
- 2, 4, 6, 8
- NB, 2, 6, 8
- 1, 5, 7, 9
etc...

No airbag in our car, which is the one I'm most concerned about. Right now, if someone has to make a quick run somewhere in the van (usually when the errand requires the utility trailer -- if the space in the van is needed, the seats are coming out anyways), I either have to swap out seats or worry that someone will break an arm and whoever's home will have no way to safely transport the injured child, never mind the rest of the littles who can't be left home alone...

As for day-to-day stuff, I would like to be able to easily take the car with whichever 2 or 3 kids have to go somewhere without swapping seats around too much. Or have seats on hand for whichever kids Grandma wants to take shopping... that kind of thing.

Kat_Shoshin · Jul 13, 2010

All I have to say is "all hail the queen" That's friggin' amazing

The Complete Air had no-rethread height adjustment too...you just have to do it from the back like the 3-in-1's so if it were FFing, you'd need to uninstall.

Thanks Amy - I remembered I did it, but it wasn't until you questioned it that I remembered how much I hated it. Things like the hand scraping and god-forbid taking anything out and getting it to puzzle back well. Which is why I upgraded to 2 radians as soon as I had the money. The truefit puzzles well if you find something that fits under the flair (chase or TB).

Anyhow - I forgot the complete Air had the no re-thread. I really have to get my hands on one one of these days - especially if they are really that narrow for the 3 across.

I change my vote to:
Complete Air
EF Maestro
Graco TB

For the forth child in the front seat I guess one could add on an additional booster for your 8 or 9 y/o if you are intending on taking them.
Could be used for the youngest combo you have here: NB, 2, 4, 6 in an emergency - but I wouldn't make it a habit.

amyd · Jul 13, 2010

If there's no passenger side airbag & you absolutely must have 4 kiddos in the car, I'd put someone RFing in the front seat. You can't do a FFing seat since you must tether and a RFer is more protected than a booster rider.

I personally wouldn't do a combo seat at all. You can harness longer in most convertibles than you could in a Maestro since it has a 47lb weight limit in Canada and the top slots that are 0.5" lower than the Complete Air. I'd stick with no-rethread convertibles like the True Fit or Complete Air and dedicated boosters.

Keeanh · Jul 14, 2010

Thanks everyone! Just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm aware of "best practices" and was only asking about 4 in a car on account of being prepared in an emergency. Gotta love our old barebones manual transmission beater for that, though -- no airbags anywhere... along with no power locks, windows, seats... At least it has power steering unlike the last beater we inherited from my Dad ('83 Tercel), LOL! Oh yes, and I also have no problem moving a seat or 2 for a planned trip, for example if I had a 5yo I didn't completely trust in a booster. I just want to have *something* appropriate for a last-minute, short, necessary trip.

Amy, I was also thinking TB & CA but didn't want to sway the vote

. You also confirmed my thought that I really have no need for combo seats at all. With everyone buying Maestros, Frontiers, & Nautiluses, I was starting to wonder if I was missing out on something

.

2 TB's, 1 CA, 1 Scenera should do it, I think. I would do 2 CA's but we have an infant bucket so the time frame of NEEDING 2 convertibles should be small, as are the chances that someone would go somewhere in the car with, say, 2 & 4 yo. Generally, more than one of the littlest ones = taking the van. Probably buy the CA first since boosters are the easiest to swap around.

Is it at all possible to adjust the height of a FF CA without uninstalling? I can't remember where the height adjust is on it (only played with it once).

Thanks again!!

Lesley

amyd · Jul 14, 2010

If memory serves me, I believe you need to adjust the CA height from the back. Maybe the new model has front adjust. Not sure.

featherhead · Jul 14, 2010

Keeanh said:
Thanks everyone! Just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm aware of "best practices" and was only asking about 4 in a car on account of being prepared in an emergency. Gotta love our old barebones manual transmission beater for that, though -- no airbags anywhere... along with no power locks, windows, seats... At least it has power steering unlike the last beater we inherited from my Dad ('83 Tercel), LOL! Oh yes, and I also have no problem moving a seat or 2 for a planned trip, for example if I had a 5yo I didn't completely trust in a booster. I just want to have *something* appropriate for a last-minute, short, necessary trip.

Amy, I was also thinking TB & CA but didn't want to sway the vote . You also confirmed my thought that I really have no need for combo seats at all. With everyone buying Maestros, Frontiers, & Nautiluses, I was starting to wonder if I was missing out on something .

2 TB's, 1 CA, 1 Scenera should do it, I think. I would do 2 CA's but we have an infant bucket so the time frame of NEEDING 2 convertibles should be small, as are the chances that someone would go somewhere in the car with, say, 2 & 4 yo. Generally, more than one of the littlest ones = taking the van. Probably buy the CA first since boosters are the easiest to swap around.

Is it at all possible to adjust the height of a FF CA without uninstalling? I can't remember where the height adjust is on it (only played with it once).

Thanks again!!

Lesley

Sounds like a good plan:thumbsup: The height adjustment for the Complete Air is on the top of the headwings, so I'm fairly certain it can be adjusted from the front while installed

amyd · Jul 14, 2010

Thanks, Heather. Been a while since I looked at the CA. OP, it's on salefor $199 at TRU right now, BTW.

A logic puzzle for car seat aficionados

Keeanh

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amyd

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An Aurora

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amyd

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An Aurora

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Kat_Shoshin

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Keeanh

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Kat_Shoshin

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