Ok, turning from FF to RF! Need help!

After a discussion on one of my mommy boards about internal decapitation, I'm going to turn my 22 month old back to rear facing. Here's my situation and ?'s:

I have 2 kids:
little guy is 36 inches and 31.2 lbs and 22 months old,
my daugther is 41 inches and 36 lbs and 4.5yrs old.
They are both ff in a Britax Boulevard (one is a CS, the other is the model before CS, both do NOT have side cushions)

->I'm assuming it would be best to put my little guy RF, and the Radian was suggested to me.
-----Which model would I go for if that is what you would suggest as well?
-----Or if not a Radian, which carseat? Keep him RF until when?

->My daughter is fine in the Boulevard FF right?
------If not, what should I get her?


Also do any of the carseats you suggest have cup holders in them?

Thank you all for your time!
Natalie

Does your son still have an inch over his head to the top of the shell of the Boulevard (shell, not headwings?) If so, he has several pounds more to go before he outgrows it, so you can turn him NOW while looking for something longer-lasting.

Seated torso heights of both your children would be helpful in making recommendations (sit them cross legged, sitting straight, against a wall; measure from the top of their shoulders to the floor.) Your son's seated height (measured the same way) to the top of his HEAD would also be helpful.

What vehicle do you have? Some cars and Radians do not get along; luckily, there are other models that usually work in that case.

Do you have a budget, or is any cost fine by you?

We can definitely make recommendations for you when we have more information, and let you know if cupholders are available.

If you're going to get a Radian for a LO that weight (mine are both older and weigh less LOL) go for the XTSL or the XT, both of which go to 45lbs rear-facing.

But if you just need 40lbs, the Complete Air is great (and has a nice TALL shell). After that in height is (IIRC) the EFTA65 and MyRide65.

Yep. You can rf him in the BLVD now as long as his head is 1" below the shell. This is a pic of my 33 lb, 29 month old in a Marathon which has the same shell as the BLVD minus the head wings. He has a few inches of torso height to grow.

Ok here are the measurements:

My 22 month son:
19.5 inches from bum to head
13 inches from bum to shoulder


My 4y5m daughter:
22 inches from bum to head
13.5 inches from bum to shoulder


Hope that helps!!

OPPS! Forgot to add that I have a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country Limited. Budget is not an issue for car seat purchases.

If you have a store that carries radians you can look into that route. Although the above mentioned seats are great too. At a torso of 13 inches (bum to shoulder), your son should still have more than an inch of shell above his head in the blvd. I too would turn the blvd rear facing atleast for a few more pounds while you are looking for something else.


ETA: I have no idea how radians and T&Cs play together.

Oh and congratulations for doing your research to make your children the safest they can be. In my opinion your daughter is fine in her forward facing blvd.

I have a Boulevard and we RF'd to 3yo/31 pounds/ 36inches with your numbers he should be able to RF in that seat for a couple more pounds I never could find a Radian to try out, and I have read that they don't install well in all vehicles, so hopefully you can find one near you. The problem I am facing now is the top slot harness height is not tall enough for my tall skinny girl, so my advice is consider that when you're shopping. Kudos to you for turning him back around

Looks like you have some shorter torsoed children there. I would turn your son back in the Boulevard for now while you look for a bigger seat. However he will probably have at least a year, and possibly another 2, left for RF in the Boulevard. You can use that for quite awhile & see how his growth goes & decide from there if you need another seat. He probably has about 3-4 inches heightwise & he has another 3.5lbs before outgrowing it.

As for your DD who is 4.5 years old. She is fine to continue to stay FF. I would let her stay in her Boulevard FF unless you just want a new seat for her. Then I would get a combination seat like the Nautilus or Frontier.

sunnymw said:

If you're going to get a Radian for a LO that weight (mine are both older and weigh less LOL) go for the XTSL or the XT, both of which go to 45lbs rear-facing.

Click to expand...

The XTSL goes to 45 RFing. The XT (if you can find one) is 40 pounds. I think you were thinking of the 80SL, which also goes to 45 RF.

65: 40 RF, 65 FF
80: 40 RF, 80 FF
XT: 40 RF, 80 FF
65SL: 40 RF, 65 FF
80SL: 45 RF, 80 FF
XTSL: 45 RF, 80 FF

I have a 2002 Grand Caravan with the captains chairs (it should be similar). My radian has the old recline foot, but it installs great and pretty upright.

But, since you have a BLVD it should last you a while longer to RF your son. I'd just use that.

The Radians do fine in the T&C from what I've seen/heard. A cup holder ("Side Rider" I think) is available as an accessory for it, those who have seen it in person say it's not a projectile danger as it is very lightweight. They attach with clips. The Radians have very tall shells, and as mentioned above, the XTSL and 80SL have 45 lbs. rear-facing limits (others have 40.)

Your son would have about 3-4 inches of head/torso growth before outgrowing the Graco MyRide by height (very similar to the Boulevard he's in, though how kids sit really varies in the MyRide) and it does have cup holders built in and a 40 lbs. limit. If you think he's likely to stay small torsoed and gain weight over height, this might be a reasonable choice to get him to 3 1/2 or 4 in your case (though it can be hard to predict how kids will grow at this point, as growth patterns vary and often change at 2, a lot of kids do gain height mostly in the legs at around 2 years old; rear-facing to around 4 might be very feasible for a child with your son's stats at almost 2 in the MyRide.) The Evenflo Triumph Advance 65 would give about another inch of height over the MyRide, and also has a 40 lbs. rear-facing limit. No cup holders I don't think. Evenflo Momentum is a little taller, IIRC, but same limit, no cup holders.

I don't recall if the Complete Air has issues in your vehicle (if it does the LX version might potentially solve some of them... I'd search on this issue.) It has a taller shell and I've found it easy to install in most cars, though you do need a rolled towel or pool noodle(s) for angle adjustment. It also rear-faces to 40 lbs. It comes with a cup holder you can leave off or hook over the side, so not attached.

For your daughter, there's room to grow in the Boulevard, but do check that expiration date-- if you got it before she was a year old, and you got a slightly older model, there's potential for it to expire before she outgrows it/before you're done using it.

Also, some kids her age would prefer to be in a seat that gives a little bit different leg support and lets them sit differently. Some find that recline in the Boulevard comfy but some are uncomfortable and would prefer a different seat. If you decide to get her a new seat, I'd suggest a combination seat instead of a convertible. The Graco Nautilus (and Nautilus Elite) and Britax Frontier 85 are frequently recommended combination seats. Both have cup holders built in, I believe. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) They could later be passed down to your son in a few years when your daughter is ready for a booster (many kids are ready between 5 1/2 and 7, that would be a very typical age range, by 6 most but not all typically developing kids can be in a booster at least most of the time safely) and he outgrows rear-facing in whatever seat you choose (hopefully not until he's around at least 4.)

Good luck with your choices!