Is the mesh on the Monterey annoying?

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #1

Isn't the mesh on the radians that crappy mesh that gets snagged and dirty easily? Is that the same mesh on the Monterey? If you were going to get one, would you choose a non mesh (like the Shadow or black)?
I'm not buying one anytime soon, I need to make sure it fits in my car and dd fits in it well first, and if we do get it, it won't be until June or July. Just trying to decide on a color.

 

Maggie

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #2

I don't know much about the new Monterey's but we have an older version (red) with meshy type fabric. I wouldn't actually call it mesh though. It's not at all the like the mesh on the frontier. I HATED that fabric. DD could barely climb in without snagging it.

DD1's monterey is almost 2 years old and it looks brand new. I admit, I take less pride in it than I do my other seats. So I'm not super careful about how she climbs in, what she eats/drinks in it, etc. It had a juice spill for almost 3 months before I washed it. It cleaned right up and there are no snags at all on it.

 

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #3

Thats good to hear. Dd would love to have the pink one.

 

ntrenary

Active member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #4

My kids have had their Monterey's for almost a year, and they still look new. The only thing I notice on their seats are butt prints because of all the padding.

 

Maggie

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #5

ntrenary said:

My kids have had their Monterey's for almost a year, and they still look new. The only thing I notice on their seats are butt prints because of all the padding.

Click to expand...

LOL Ours gets a butt print too if DD's been in for a long time.

FWIW, we have a Monterey, old style Parkway and a turbo and DD says the monterey is the most comfy.

 

tweetybaby2005

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #6

I just switched my 7y2m DD to the Monterey about 3 or 4 months ago (pink of course ). She is much happier in the Monterey than in her TB (now moved to my car). No snagging so far and she is not very gentle with her seat at all plus dad loves to let her eat and drink in it. This mesh thingie is a bit different than my DS's FR though. It seems more sturdy and can tolerate the abuse it gets from my DD.

HTH

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #7

I never had a problem with the Mesh on the Red Monterey that Jeffrey had... it was wonderful... very soft, too.

However, I doubt the Monterey would be a good fit for your car OR for your dd... we didn't keep it for Ruthanne because she is built very skinny and it didn't give her a good shoulderbelt fit at all.

Also, it's a very wide seat, not one that is good for trying to do a 3-across with.

 

solmama

Active member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #8

We haven't had any problems with the mesh on ours, either...and it's the pepto pink one.

I agree with Kat, though, I'm not sure how well the Monterey will fit your dd, since she looks petite. My dd is 50" and 55lbs with broad shoulders-the Monterey fits her well. However, my ds (5 in April) at 43" and 40lbs, with a narrow build, does not fit in the Monterey well, at all. The OSParkway fits him quite nicely.

No, he doesn't ride in a booster, yet, we've just had him sit in them to see how he fit. He still prefers his Radian. We'll begin short distance booster riding after he's 5.

 

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #9

I know, it might not fit her well. I'm hoping it will, but it's likely that it won't.
I'm not too worried about it fitting in my car, it's in the 3 across thread in a 2009 Camry next to a RF radian and a Turbo Booster on the other side (Ours is a 2007 Camry, so the back seat should be very similar, if not identical).

I hope dd will fit in it well, because it would be nice to have one latched in and not have to buckle it in all the time. The Parkway SGL could do that too, but the arm rests look like they would be harder to buckle around. The Compass B570 can latch but still has to be buckled in when not in use (per the manual) which defeats the whole point of having it latch in IMO.
Are there other boosters that can be latched in that could be a better fit for her? Besides the Clek, I'm not spending that kind of money on a booster.

If the Monterey won't work for us, my back up plan is trying a Parkway SGL and seeing it that fits both the car and dd well AND if it's not a pain to buckle it, then after that going back to the Compass boosters, starting with the B570 (for the easier to use belt path and flip up arm rests).

ETA, I forget, can the nautilus be latched in booster mode? If so, thats an option too if it would be a good fit for dd and easy enough to buckle. I could use it later for ds when he's FFing so it wouldn't be a total waste of buying a combination seat just to use it as a booster.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #10

the compass and the Parkway (moreso the parkway) have the same issues... being too wide for small/skinny riders' shoulders.

Other than the Clek, there isn't a latchable booster I'd recommend for her.

 

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #11

I thought the parkway was supposed to be a better fit for small kids, or am I just thinking small kids because of the secure guard (thats what it's called right?)

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #12

yep... the secure guard is supposed to help... but for kids with narrow shoulders... many have found it has the same issue as the monterey with it not staying close enough to the neck.

 

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #13

Hopefully I can try out a Monterey tomorrow, then I can know for sure.
I know it's likely to not fit her well but it will bug me if I don't at least check and know for sure.
I'm trying to talk dh into going to this cool kids museum tomorrow, we have free tickets to go and nothing to do here, we've all been home since Christmas eve night and starting to get Cabin fever. Anyway, if he agrees (and I think he will) we can stop at USA baby while we're in that area. I'm pretty sure they will let me take it out to my car to test it out. I'll put the radians in how they would be (rf center and ff outboard) before we go so I can just check the booster fit and Hannah fitting in it without having to move anything else (she can ride in the RA50 on the way there, it's easier to take out, and put back quickly.)
Once I know for sure whether she'll fit in the Monterey, I can plan to get it, or definitely cross it off my list.
I know it's way early since I won't be buying anything for 6 ish months, but It's bugging me already and I really want to plan.

 

Maggie

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #14

It's a least worth a try to see how she fits.

My DD is very tall and thin. She fits well in the Monterey.

 

mlohry

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #15

Nothing can be as bad as the GN mesh! My sons Velcro shoes tore up ours. I don't think I would ever buy mesh again.

 

Holly

New member

• Dec 27, 2010

• #16

Does SKJP sell the old style pink covers, the ones that are suede?
If so, that would be cool. Then we could get pink for dd and still have it be a nice suede cover incase the mesh bugs her (or me). I also like the look of the shadow, I think it looks a lot like the Britax Onyx.

 

emandbri

Well-known member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #17

I still don't think it would be a good fit for your car. Sure someone posted a picture of one but that doesn't mean it was easy for them to buckle it. My MIL had a very hard time buckling a monterey next to a ff radain in her camry and I'm tired of buckling Benjamin in my sienna and it is next to a ff radian and I'm going to move him to the back row again. I moved him to the center while they were off school.

 

christineka

New member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #18

I had the old style mesh one for just a little while and my kids hated it. hey thought it was very uncomfortable. I think they just didn't like the monterey. One thing I've learned from searching the 3 across thread is that when boosters are in the mix, if the poster doesn't specifically say, "The boosters were easy to buckle.", you can't assume it. While the monterey may fit in your car, you already know that turbobooster and an os parkway also fit. Your problem isn't which boosters fit, but which your dd can buckle in a 3 across. I've found that practice is the best way to teach kids to buckle boosters in a 3 across.