Hmmm... how is this possible? Carseat fit...

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
I wish I had had a camera with me, but I didn't, so bear with me.

This afternoon, I played with carseats with my friend and her just-turned-three-year-old (freakishly tall) son. I am perplexed by his fit in the seats we tried.

(He was *just* turned FF).


Graco Nautilus installed in a Honda Civic-- on second-to-top slots, with about 0.5" until he is even with those slots. So, he has around 2.0"-2.5" or so left in this seat.

Sunshine Kids Radian XT installed FF in a Honda Civic-- just about 0.25"-0.5" or so below second-to-top slots. So, around 2.0" until this seat is outgrown.

Safety First Complete Air installed FF in a Honda Civic-- Around 0.5" or so left until this seat is outgrown. :confused:

Britax Marathon (old style) installed FF in a Honda Civic-- On top slots. Around 0.5" or so left until this seat is outgrown. :confused:

Britax Marathon (new style) installed FF in a Honda Civic-- On top slots. Dead even with top slots.:confused:

Graco MyRide installed FF in a Honda Civic-- On top slots. Dead even with top slots.:confused::confused:


Ummm... how is this possible?

The Nautilus has 18.25-18.5" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso around 15.5"-16" or so, right?

The Radian XT has 17"-17.5" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso around 15"-15.5" or so, right?

The Complete Air has 17-17.5" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso around 16"-16.5", right?

The old-style Marathon has 16.5"-17" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso 16"-16.5", right?

The new Marathon (Marathon 70) has 16.5" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso 16.5"?

The MyRide has 17" top slots, right? So that would make Jake's torso 17"?



I know that recline of the seat can impact fit, but by that much? These were all installed in the exact same vehicle, but the fit difference was incredible!


I was *shocked* that he was on the top slots of the MyRide. Whoa!

This isn't typical, is it? To have that big of a fit difference?
 
ADS

christineka

New member
I tried my dd3 out in a bunch of seats. The radian seats kids in some way that gives them more room. Recline and stuff plays a part- not just how tall the slots are.
 

Shaunam

New member
I know that recline of the seat can impact fit, but by that much? These were all installed in the exact same vehicle, but the fit difference was incredible!

Yes, by that much! I notice it all the time. It's crazy. All of the seats fit differently and even *slight* differences in recline seem to affect how kids fit.

FWIW, ff'ing, my failure to thrive 18th%ile height, not yet 3 year old DD is just below the top slots of the MR.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Thanks, guys! That makes me feel better. I was *shocked* that he had so little room in the MyRide!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
It can also have something to do with the crotch strap depth or width of the shoulder area, I think. I have a liquid-child theory that if you squish a kid into a narrow seat, they will look taller (like half a cup of water in a skinny glass looks like more than half a cup in a fat glass). CA's pretty narrow, kid looks taller, RN's pretty wide, kids look shorter. :twocents::) (and it was amazing to me how much longer Bitsy fit in the RN compared to the MA, even though I measure them exactly the same, she fit in the RN a good year longer...probably fit in the MA 6-9 months longer in dh's upright car, than in my recliny van, too!)
 

ulrich7

New member
If he is about to the second to top slots on the Nautilus, I can believe he is about to the top slots of the My Ride. He must be super tall and have a long torso, that is the same way my just turned 5yo fits in those seats!!
 

asch884

New member
That is how my just turned 3 year old fits in some of those seats

Top slots of the old ma

Top slots of the my ride

Second to top slots of the nauti

That is why when we got to the top slots of the ma I got rid of the ma and and my ride to help fund the frontier 85 which has the highest top slots of any seats. It is our every day seat and the nauti is our back up seat
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
He is currently riding in a Regent (passed down from his eight-year-old sister, who is now in a HBB full-time), which has higher slots than the Frontier 85. However, the Regent is a discontinued seat.

He was in a Radian XT (RF), but that has been passed down to his six-month-old little sister, who seems to be taking after Jake in height. She is about *thisclose* to outgrowing the Snugride 35. :eek:
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
The posture of the child makes a big difference too. Different shaped seats make kids sit differently.
 

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