Question Anyone else find it really hard to tell how much growing room you LO has in seats RF?

Athena · Aug 22, 2010

I took DD to BRU to try her in seats and measure how much height she has left in them, but I could not get a consistent measurement. I was planning to try her in the new Britax, the CA, and the MR, but only got to the Britax and CA and only on the test bench. I tried to estimate where her head would fall against the seat and measure to the shell top, I tried to push her head back against the seat and measure to the shell top, I tried to make a line perpendicular to her head (with a product card) and to the shell top and measure.

I also sat my 4 yo in our RF MA in our car just to see by how much she exceeded the height limit. (no driving this way of course

) If she sits naturally and I look head on, her head is higher than the seat back. But if I ask her to lean back against it and draw a perpendicular line, it looks like she's barely outgrowing it. I thought I knew how to do this.

Any suggestions? TIA!

Irishmama · Aug 22, 2010

LOL, we posted about the same thing at the same time. Pondering this question at three a.m. (isn't that what all people do that time of night?) led to using two paint sticks, a paper clip, and a ruler. The BRU employees might look at you a little strangely though.

pj2rc · Aug 22, 2010

I don't have any stores around me with test benches, but when I was looking for a new seat a few months ago for my youngest, I was very discouraged trying her fit in the stores ... I thought none fit. From feedback on here, I went with an Avenue - which I did try in the store .... when it was installed -- the difference was huge. I've been told BRU lets you take them to your car if you have it narrowed down .... I would try that.

Athena · Aug 22, 2010

irishmama3 said:
LOL, we posted about the same thing at the same time. Pondering this question at three a.m. (isn't that what all people do that time of night?) led to using two paint sticks, a paper clip, and a ruler. The BRU employees might look at you a little strangely though.

I just looked at the pics on your other thread. Very cool idea! I don't know how well DD would cooperate, but I love it!

pj2rc said:
I don't have any stores around me with test benches, but when I was looking for a new seat a few months ago for my youngest, I was very discouraged trying her fit in the stores ... I thought none fit. From feedback on here, I went with an Avenue - which I did try in the store .... when it was installed -- the difference was huge. I've been told BRU lets you take them to your car if you have it narrowed down .... I would try that.

That is what I wanted to do, but it was a mad house there today so I did what I could.

Irishmama · Aug 22, 2010

My dd isn't usually very cooperative, and it worked really well. I just got the top part set (I used painters tape to hold it for me for the pictures), and then she sat down and I put the second stick on her head. It was really quick, much quicker than a measuring tape, and she even got into it by holding the paint stick for me as my "helper."

Glad you liked it! DH thinks I'm nutty though.

Athena · Aug 24, 2010

I've been thinking about this and I have a follow up question.

With the perpendicular angle, is it possible for a child to be even with or over the top of the shell when you draw a line parallel to the ground, yet still within the 1" limit when one draws the perpendicular to the shell line?

Also, do you use the way they naturally hold their head (sometimes up from the seat back) or have them rest their head back against the seat back? because that seems to make a difference.

Thanks!

Irishmama · Aug 24, 2010

I think this thread addresses your question.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=30201

If you use a line parallel to the ground, it can seem the child has outgrown the seat rear-facing when in actuality it isn't outgrown and using a line perpendicular to the shell, you can see the child is still ok.

I have dd rest her head against the back of her seat, since that's where her head would move in a front end collision. Then I try to get her to look in a direction that gives me the tallest point of her head, just to be safe. I don't think it's necessary to get that specific, down to the last 1/16 of an inch, it's just me being me.

Athena · Aug 24, 2010

Thank you for the link! I like your idea of having them turn their head so that the tallest part is there to measure.

It sounds so straightforward, yet when I was measuring the other day, it seemed I could get many different measurements. I found when I had them rest their head back that I got a larger measurement, as in they would have more growing room, than when they were holding it up more. Did I do something wrong or does that sound plausible?

Irishmama · Aug 25, 2010

That sounds plausible to me. I know it's easy for me to get different measurements depending on how dd holds her head, how straight she's sitting or if she's settled down in her seat a little. I'm not a tech, but from what I've gathered here, it's not imperative to get an exact measurement. Heck, the new Scenera allows rf until the head is even with the top of the shell, IIRC.

You could also take something, like a board book, that's 1" thick and hold that level to the top of the shell. If the child's head is touching it, you know that it's 1" from the top.

Question Anyone else find it really hard to tell how much growing room you LO has in seats RF?

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