Okay, my last pics of the SS including booster mode pics

tl01

New member
ETA... Added two more pics further down.

So I'm even more confused about this seat today. Yesterday I was pretty sure I'd keep it but it seems that DS1 has less time in this seat in harness mode than I thought he did in the house. I know install can always affect the harness height room... but this was a pretty big difference. I need to see how much more space he has in his Frontier 80. If that's his primary seat I need him to have enough harness room left in it. Plus, yesterday I noticed that I need to move him up to the next notch in that seat too. Ugh!

Today the seat was easier to get in and out of the base.. maybe b/c I had had more practice or maybe it was b/c I put the car in the driveway and had more light. Either way.. that's good b/c yesterday it was pretty frustrating. Also, in a three across with the Radian next to it, when the seat if RFing, I can't reach the knob to secure the seat. I just pushed down the red tabs and made sure the other knob was turned. I haven't read the manual to see if it makes a difference if it is done that way.

In booster mode, I really like the lap belt fit. I'm not so sure about the shoulder portion. DS2 is a big kid for his age. He's 2 months from his 5th birthday, but the moment I put a shoulder belt on him, he looks so tiny. I can't imagine how the belt will hold him in place....does that make any sense at all. In harness mode he seems so much bigger.

The seat also does take up way more leg room FFing than our FR85. I took pics of the two seats installed in DH's car so you can see the difference. DH puts his seat way back and there really isn't a lot of space for a child's legs. I wouldn't really be able to use the RFing in that spot either b/c of the lack of space.

Now for the pics... sorry about the shadows. I tried taking the pics outside with light shining on the car but it didn't work as well as I'd like. I thought I had a better pic of the booster belt path... it's sort of hard to see. I'll try to get another one. It really looked better that the pic seems to show.

A pic of the upright RFing install in DH's car... 2009 MB ML 350.
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Difference in FFing leg room. See how much more space the SS takes up.
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Leg room FFing for SS... I believe this was the upright mode.
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Booster mode
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Booster mode... he's all slouchy here... I think it's b/c I told him to sit normally and he was trying to figure out what that was.
d425c8f4.jpg
 
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ADS

tl01

New member
I don't know if it's the pics, or my computer screen, but how is the lap belt fit?

It's the pics.. I mentioned in the post that I thought I had a better pic of the lap belt. plus the shadows don't help. I'll try to get another one later. I really liked the lap belt. It went right across his thighs. It doesn't really seem that way in the pic though. I'm more unsure of the shoulder belt portion. I tried it at all different heights. I think I'd have to play around with it some more to be sure. I need another bribe though to get DS1 to go sit in it in the car again:).
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I can see it... I just have to turn off colors on my monitor to do so... it's not... BAD... but it's not great, either... though for his size, it's better than a lot of boosters do.

I'm not a fan of the lack of legroom ff, unless kids are gonna be able to manage to cross their legs.

Did you decide which one you are going to keep?? the ss or the f85??

(nosey minds are waiting on bated breath... aka... me who is living vicariously through you right now in your use of harnessed seats)
 

tl01

New member
Kat_Momof3 said:
I can see it... I just have to turn off colors on my monitor to do so... it's not... BAD... but it's not great, either... though for his size, it's better than a lot of boosters do.

I'm not a fan of the lack of legroom ff, unless kids are gonna be able to manage to cross their legs.

Did you decide which one you are going to keep?? the ss or the f85??

(nosey minds are waiting on bated breath... aka... me who is living vicariously through you right now in your use of harnessed seats)

IRL it was only on his thigh. It was an awesome fit. I'm going to get more pics later.
 

tl01

New member
Here's another few booster pics. The lap belt placement was better with his not so bulky pjs on. Guess he'll be wearing pj's forever:).

dc95e20d.jpg

b6d519d8.jpg
 

tl01

New member
Kat_Momof3 said:
I can see it... I just have to turn off colors on my monitor to do so... it's not... BAD... but it's not great, either... though for his size, it's better than a lot of boosters do.

I'm not a fan of the lack of legroom ff, unless kids are gonna be able to manage to cross their legs.

Did you decide which one you are going to keep?? the ss or the f85??

(nosey minds are waiting on bated breath... aka... me who is living vicariously through you right now in your use of harnessed seats)

I haven't decided what I doing. I am totally undecided. What is tipping me a little toward keeping it is the awesome RFing leg room for when DS2 is bigger.
 

cookie123

New member
I thought someone previously said that the base isn't used for booster mode. Is that untrue, or maybe I made it up?
 

tl01

New member
cookie123 said:
I thought someone previously said that the base isn't used for booster mode. Is that untrue, or maybe I made it up?

That's true. No base in the booster mode.
 

Mrs. Skeeter

New member
Does the padding on the headrest push your child's head forward? I thought it looked a little bulky in the store, but it doesn't look that way in your pics.
 

tl01

New member
Mrs. Skeeter said:
Does the padding on the headrest push your child's head forward? I thought it looked a little bulky in the store, but it doesn't look that way in your pics.

It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The headrest isn't as padded it looks. It actually sorts of poofs out bc of the type material it is. I was more worried about the placement of the whole headrest. In harness mode I'm not worried
Bc the seat is pretty recline. Booster mode might be more of an issue. I'll have to compare it to my dedicated booster.
 
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Kat_Momof3

New member
I think by the time he outgrows the harness, the booster fit would be fine... it's similar to the nautilus in that way.

You may just have to keep both seats... lol... use the frontier 85 for your older one, and the ss for your younger (and figure out which of his other seats to part with or hide)
 

tl01

New member
Kat_Momof3 said:
I think by the time he outgrows the harness, the booster fit would be fine... it's similar to the nautilus in that way.

You may just have to keep both seats... lol... use the frontier 85 for your older one, and the ss for your younger (and figure out which of his other seats to part with or hide)

We have one slot left in put frontier 80. I'm hoping he can then go into a booster:). We just moved to the 2nd to top slot today. I'm not sure I'd want to use such a heavy seat as a booster anyway. Ugh... Too much to consider. I'll drive myself nuts just thinking of it all!
 

MomToEliEm

Moderator
Did you have any issues buckling the seat in booster mode? One complaint I have heard previously was that with it being so wide, it can make accessing the buckle difficult.
 

tl01

New member
MomToEliEm said:
Did you have any issues buckling the seat in booster mode? One complaint I have heard previously was that with it being so wide, it can make accessing the buckle difficult.

Yes.. I think I said earlier it is almost impossible to do in a three across and it could be tricky even without a seat next to it. It really will depend upon where the buckle stalk is and the type it is. DS1 would have to be much older to do it on his own.
 

tl01

New member
FWIW I think the shoulder belt fit looks good.

I just feel like it is fine as long as he sits completely still and doesn't breathe;). The moment he just acts naturally then I start to question it. Maybe when he's bigger there will be a bigger sweet spot for the belt to hit. I wonder when I'll truly feel comfortable with him in a booster.
 

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