need ideas for EASY INSTALL RF

MaineRN · Nov 13, 2010

my 12mo DD is 16 lb, 12 oz and 29" long. her infant seat is now expired and i need some ideas on a car seat that is Easy to Install. my DH frequently takes her carseat in and out of his 4 door ford truck, and it is also sometimes installed in Grammy's older minivan.

need mostly options for easy seatbelt install, as currently neither vehicles have latch.
i am thinking i want to buy:
http://www.babyage.com/car-seat/the-first-years-true-fit-recline-convertible-car-seat-77518.htm
but not sure how easy it is to install.

any suggestions are very very appreciated!! :thumbsup:

geekKT · Nov 13, 2010

Hi!

I have a True Fit Premier and find both it and a regular True Fit a very easy install, especially once you are installing it slightly more upright as the angle of the lockoffs gives me a little more trouble when I'm aiming for fully reclined.

I have heard good things about the MyRide and the Britax seats in terms of installations, though these may not last as long rear-facing. I also admit that I haven't played with or installed a lot of seats, and some may not agree with me.

Is there a specific budget you have in mind? That might narrow it down some. Aside from that, the best advice I can give is to try them in your car(s). What I find easy you may not and vice versa.

I'm sure you'll get more suggestions shortly. Happy seat hunting!

Baylor · Nov 13, 2010

Looks like a big comfy seat!

Defrost · Nov 13, 2010

Going from an infant seat to a convertible can be tricky, because most infant seat bases are pretty easy to install compared to a convertible. The belt path on a base is open and easy to see and work with, whereas with a convertible it is usually closed or covered by the carseat's cover.

Usually it's just a matter of having a learning curve - it might seem difficult at first, but after a bit of practice it gets a lot easier. It also depends on the vehicles in question - how easy an install is often depends as much on the vehicle as the carseat itself.

I know a lot of people really like the carseat you're looking at (the Truefit) but I've also met someone who absolutely hated it and was ready to blow it up by the time he got done installing it in a particularly tricky vehicle. Odds are he would have eventually gotten better at the install with practice, but his initial frustration really spoiled that carseat for him.

I'd suggest you post the year/make/model of the vehicles in question, and see if anyone here has experience with the TrueFit in those vehicles, and also find a local tech to help you AND your dh (and hopefully Grandma, too) learn how to install the seat once you get it.

Carrie_R · Nov 13, 2010

The Truefit gave me a lot of trouble in certain seating positions -- but the biggest issue is that my then-vehicle had THICK belts and it took tons of practice (and near superhuman strength) to get the lockoffs closed. I'd be concerned about Grammy being able to do it.

OTOH, if she doesn't have trouble with the lockoffs, it might be great! Especially since it sounds like the 35lb weight limit might be plenty for your daughter. Is there any way you can find one locally to try out?

I find my MyRide very easy to install, and it would last a good long while. It does have an additional five pounds on the TrueFit, but the shell is shorter. If your daughter is an overall peanut (not terribly tall in the torso) then it would probably last her a good long while. My tallish 4yo lasted until a bit past three years before outgrowing his in height.

The Britaxes are known for their easy installs, as well.

You also might look at a Complete Air LX (with the base) -- I believe those go in well on the models with the base, but I don't own one, so hopefully an owner can chime in here.

zactayaus · Nov 13, 2010

For me the My Ride is one of the easiest to install with seat belt rear facing. It literally takes me no more than 2 minutes to get a rock the car solid install in my older vehicle. I also own MA's and they are pretty easy as well but I would definitely say that the MR would be easier for your novice car seat installer (no cover to lift up, no lock offs to figure out, just your basic straight forward install).

MaineRN · Nov 13, 2010

@geekKT
i have never owned a car seat with lockoffs. what is the point of having lockoffs? it sounds kind of like they make the install more difficult from what i've read in these replies so i'm wondering what is the point?

i have also heard good things about Britax's installs but i BELIEVE it is always in reference to LATCH, NOT with a seat belt.
PLEASE CORRECT ME IF i'm WRONG!

i would like to spend $175-$250 tops. i want to get something that seems really comfortable and a nice fabric that wont constantly snag and is darker so not so easily stained. i currently have the red cocorro which is great, but a WICKED install and fabric snags very easily.

@ DEFROST
EXACTLY!! i think no matter WHAT we go to, it will be harder to install than our infant seat. i have one friend who loves her truefit but she installs it FF for her 3yo DD (despite me directing her to this website and trying to educate her!! oh well). i think most convertibles are easier to install FF but that is irrelevant for me, for now.
my DH's truck is a 2001 Dodge Ram extended cab, grammy's van is a dodge caravan, unsure of the year.

@ Carrie R
no, there isnt ANY store that has one. i have a friend who lives 1.5 hrs away with a truefit and i heard about the carseat on here, otherwise i wouldnt have known it existed. all i have is walmart

how tall is the shell of the MyRide? my DD is in the 50th percentile for height for her age.

@ zactayaus
are you installing the MyRide RF with a seat belt?

THANKS ALL FOR YOUR HELP!!! i would be lost without this board!!!

Spam · Nov 13, 2010

The MyRide is very easy to install with seatbelt. I found the truefit easy to install as well with seatbelt, but the lockoffs can be hard to close in some vehicles/positions. I also liked the fit better on the myride. The Myride was deffinately always easy. The shell i think is 24", plenty tall enough for a 50%ile child to rearface in for a long time.

flipper68 · Nov 13, 2010

@geekKT
i have never owned a car seat with lockoffs. what is the point of having lockoffs? it sounds kind of like they make the install more difficult from what i've read in these replies so i'm wondering what is the point?

Lock offs are manufacturer's way to achieve a tight install w/o having to rely on a human to switch the retractor or lock the belt. More and more seats have them and more and more manufacturers seem to be requiring their use - it is NOT an option.

Like all things car seat, sometimes they are a blessing (Have you see a Chicco Keyfit? That lock off is the poster child for elegant and simple) and sometimes they can be tricky because of the geometry of the vehicle, seat belt, and the CR's belt path (My cousins will be 7 soon and I still wince thinking about RFing their MAs in an older Explorer. The seat belt DID NOT line up with the lockoff.).

i have also heard good things about Britax's installs but i BELIEVE it is always in reference to LATCH, NOT with a seat belt.
PLEASE CORRECT ME IF i'm WRONG!

Britax is usually pretty easy to install. The new Britax 70 came through a recent check event. Those lock offs seemed to be quite nice.

For several years, Britax was the king of HWH seats but in recent years, many manufacturers have released seats with higher harness height and weight limits than Britax. The name/brand recognition continues to be associated with high quality, but on this board, you'll find they've fallen from favored status, simply because there are MORE and less expensive options.

Some CRs have a reputation for ease of install and others are known to be "tricky." Same goes for vehicles: some are known to be more challenging than others.

As a pp stated, if you give us the make/model/year of the vehicles involved, we can help steer you toward seats that will work well and away from seats that are known to not be a good fit. In addition, there are many tips or 'tricks' to make installing almost any seat easier.

Defrost · Nov 13, 2010

MaineRN said:
@geekKT
i have never owned a car seat with lockoffs. what is the point of having lockoffs? it sounds kind of like they make the install more difficult from what i've read in these replies so i'm wondering what is the point?

The purpose of the lockoff is to take the place of a locking clip. This can be a huge benefit for older cars that do not have locking seat belts (all vehicles since '97 must have locking seat belts, some older than that might have them, but if all the vehicles in question are '97s or newer, the lockoffs aren't that big a deal.) Your dh's truck has locking seat belts, so no need for a locking clip or a carseat with lock-offs.

But even if grammy's van doesn't have locking lap/shoulder belts, you can possibly just choose a seating location that has a lap-only seat belt for the install, since it will almost certainly be a locking lap-only seat belt, even on an older vehicle. It just might not be the most convenient seating location.

To summarize all that - yes, in most cases you'll be happier with a carseat that doesn't have lockoffs. The only time you'd be in love with lockoffs is if you had to use a locking clip instead.

zactayaus · Nov 13, 2010

MaineRN said:
how tall is the shell of the MyRide? my DD is in the 50th percentile for height for her age.

@ zactayaus
are you installing the MyRide RF with a seat belt?

The MR has about the same shell height as the MA and my 90% for height LO fits almost exactly the same in both seats. I'd say he still has a good 4 inches of shell above his head (so 3 more inches of torso growth) which hopefully will give him another year or so of RF'ing in both seats.

Yes I'm installing the MR RF with a seat belt. My vehicle is a 2000 so no latch.

Keeanh · Nov 13, 2010

Just adding to the consensus that the MyRide is a very easy install.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the TF lockoffs, but that's because the vehicle I use most often has locking latchplates, so I have ZERO use for a lockoff in that vehicle. All they do is make the install take twice as long. OTOH, like Debbie said, they are a bit easier than a locking clip, if you're working with a vehicle/situation where one is necessary.

raider23 · Nov 13, 2010

You get one Cosco Scenera RF40 for the two cars that your daughter is in less frequently and swap back and forth between those two cars and then get a True Fit or Graco MyRide for the car she rides in the most. Just a thought

Twinklefae · Nov 14, 2010

I'll present the other side - I love the lockoffs on my Truefit. Even with a switchable retractor I find them far easier to use, I don't have worry about tipping and I can concentrate on one side of the install at a time. With a little practice it takes me less time to use the lockoffs. It takes me far less muscle to get the seat tight with the lockoffs. :twocents:

I've never used the MyRide though.

monstah · Nov 14, 2010

raider23 said:
You get one Cosco Scenera RF40 for the two cars that your daughter is in less frequently and swap back and forth between those two cars and then get a True Fit or Graco MyRide for the car she rides in the most. Just a thought

That's a great idea but the Scenera can be a pain since it almost always requires one (or 3) pool noodles stacked. IME, it also takes a bit of muscle. But depending on the vehicles, that could definitely work.

urchin_grey · Nov 14, 2010

The lock-offs on the True Fit can be great, or they can be a PITA. In my '96 Saturn, the seatbelt doesn't line up with the lock-offs very well and I have to struggle to get the seatbelt in the correct position. In my '03 Caravan, I use LATCH and it lines up fine. When DS has to ride with my sister though, I always choose the TF to put in her car because the lap/shoulder belts in her car don't lock (and her DS already rides in the center, with the locking lap belt). With our other seat (with no lock offs), the buckle is *just* outside the belt path, so that means using a locking clip is particularly difficult. So the TF was actually my easiest option in her car. On the other hand, her DS is in a My Ride and the install using the center lap belt is even easier, so if you are able to just use the lap belt in Grandma's car, that would likely be easiest. There is a trick to getting it tight enough with a lap belt though, at least in my experience (this has worked in all 3 of our cars). We take the tail of the lap belt and pull it through the hole in the cover around the cup holder (some seats have a slit in the cover for this reason so that's what gave me the idea). This gives us a better angle to get enough of the slack out. Otherwise we're huffing and puffing trying to get it tight enough.

cpsaddict · Nov 14, 2010

I installed my new Marathon 70 in a 94 Ford Explorer in FOUR minutes. The lockoffs are a must in there due to age and the seats are very, very squishy. I hadn't installed this seat with the lockoffs yet and my first time through, four minutes. So nice! You could get the Roundabout 55 for less than the MA and still get the lockoffs.

jjordan · Nov 14, 2010

My sister hates her Truefit seatbelt install (rearfacing). I haven't tried it myself...

I agree with Jacky that I found the Marathon70 to have a very easy seatbelt install (rearfacing). I read the manual carefully and then installed the seat in 2 minutes.

But, what is easy for one person in one car might be difficult for another person in another car. So, really the best you can do is try out several seats and see how it goes.

MaineRN · Nov 14, 2010

does anyone know which is less bulky in width, the my ride or the marathon (Old or new?)
(and i am understanding that the marathon does have lockoffs but i ALWAYS here what an easy install it is, which makes me think it would be worth the $$ if it really is easier)

i think i have been talked out of the truefit for now, since this carseat will be moved around a ton.

thanks everyone

jjordan · Nov 14, 2010

Both old and new marathons have lockoffs. I'm not sure which is wider than the other, they are probably about the same. According to the carseat measurement database, the myride is 1.5" wider than the (old) marathon.

You can get a good deal on an old marathon if that's what you decide on. There are several options in the $200-$210 range at albeebaby.com (and they have a coupon code for 22% off the "next generation" Britax seats as well).

need ideas for EASY INSTALL RF

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