Seat with longer crotch buckle

Hi Everyone!

I've been doing a bit of reading on rec'd car seats and was all set on getting the Marathon 65 for DD2, but then suddenly I came across threads that are saying this may not be the best seat to RF longer if your child is tall.

I'm looking essentially for a car seat for DD2 who is going to outgrow her infant seat and I want a seat that will last me as long as possible.

We used (and still have) the Graco - Platinum CarGo Booster Seat that my DD1 used before she outgrew the THS in it and then we put her in the True Fit.

The biggest issue I have with the True Fit is the short crotch buckle. It is ridiculously tight. The Graco one has at least another inch if not more of the placement of the buckle strap on the actual seat. I really should measure.

In the assumption that DD2 will be just as tall as DD1, here are DD1 stats:

Almost 3.5 years old
42" tall
39 lbs
16" torso height when sitting on the floor to her shoulders

Yet even with the 18" THS straps in the True Fit's straps don't allow her to sit up straight enough to fit the harness strap properly (they're currently on the top strap slots). That is, the straps are loosened almost to full capacity and it's just so hard to get her in and out of this seat and properly tightened.

Based on all the good reviews of this seat I'm honestly wondering if we just got a lemon or something. We don't use a coat or a bundle bag. Usually she just has on a simple hoodie which is second skin to her t-shirt.

Another option I was looking at was the Frontier XT and I thought that we could use the Graco and then switch to the Frontier XT when the time came, but I had DD1 sit in the Frontier XT at the store and the crotch buckle was short again! I was really disappointed. I even had her scoot her bum back to the very back of the seat and made sure there wasn't some adjustment and it was on the furthest strap out.

In which case does anyone else have this issue? What do you use?
Or can anyone rec any seat with a longer crotch buckle placement?
I'm obviously not going to get both b/c I believe the Frontier XT has the highest THS so I fear I'm going to be out of options.

thanks!

I'm not quite understanding the True Fit harness issue you are having. Does the harness come out of the shell above her shoulders? You might want to check that the harness itself is on the longest setting. With the True Fit you can shorten the harness for babies so maybe it is on the shorter setting. You'd have to uninstall and check that the harness is attached with the loops on the end instead of further up. I hope that makes sense - it should when you actually look at it.

As for other options, have you looked at the Radian? If you have crotch buckle issues it could be the same problem with the stock Radian, but my understanding is that you can get a longer crotch strap for that seat if you call Sunshine Kids. Hopefully someone else can confirm that.

Sounds like your daughter and the TrueFit are not compatible

I have, and absolutely ADORE my Frontier XT. With a tall little girl like yours, the added height of the top harness slot (20 inches!) will allow her to stay harnessed longer than any other seat.
I highly recomend it.

I have heard of other people having issues with the length of the crotch buckle before, and had several parents come out to have it checked. In about 80% of these cases, the crotch buckle is set at the most inner position, and just needed to be moved out. Have you adjusted the crotch buckle?

Hope this helps, and best of luck! (BTW, the Frontier comes in PINK! )

Apologies in the delay in my response.

Yes the buckles are at the top slots. We've gotten both my father and my husband to adjust it all properly and check it over. They're fine. The issue with me is the crotch buckle length.

I have leeway to pull the straps a bit more out when I strap her in, but compared to my old Graco buckle, I'm amazed they haven't fixed this issue b/c it's such a common consumer complaint.

I really wish I could find the excellent picture review that a member did measuring the seat and buckle length for the True Fit b/c as soon as I saw hers, I was like I have the same issue. And that is, when I measured my own and it's on the furthest setting out, it only goes to 6.5" (this is from the back of the chair with the cover on as my DD would sit in it).

I wrote in to True Fit to ask them if the newer models have changed and if their crotch buckle lengths have increased and this is the response I got:

"Thank you for your interest in The First Years!

Each of the True Fit Convertible Car Seats (C630, C650 & C670) have the same crotch buckle locations, which are at 6 inches & 8 inches from where the seat back meets the seat bottom."

The True Fit model we have is manufactured in 2009. There's no way it's 8" out at its furthest setting.

I'm going to go back when I have some more time to BRU and get my DD to sit in the Frontier XT and see how that one goes all properly adjusted b/c realistically there is no other car seat that we can buy that harnesses higher than the Frontier XT's 20" THS. And b/c we already have the True Fit getting another carseat with 18" THS is useless on our end.

night said:

Apologies in the delay in my response.

Yes the buckles are at the top slots. We've gotten both my father and my husband to adjust it all properly and check it over. They're fine. The issue with me is the crotch buckle length.

I have leeway to pull the straps a bit more out when I strap her in, but compared to my old Graco buckle, I'm amazed they haven't fixed this issue b/c it's such a common consumer complaint.

I really wish I could find the excellent picture review that a member did measuring the seat and buckle length for the True Fit b/c as soon as I saw hers, I was like I have the same issue. And that is, when I measured my own and it's on the furthest setting out, it only goes to 6.5" (this is from the back of the chair with the cover on as my DD would sit in it).

I wrote in to True Fit to ask them if the newer models have changed and if their crotch buckle lengths have increased and this is the response I got:

"Thank you for your interest in The First Years!

Each of the True Fit Convertible Car Seats (C630, C650 & C670) have the same crotch buckle locations, which are at 6 inches & 8 inches from where the seat back meets the seat bottom."

The True Fit model we have is manufactured in 2009. There's no way it's 8" out at its furthest setting.

I'm going to go back when I have some more time to BRU and get my DD to sit in the Frontier XT and see how that one goes all properly adjusted b/c realistically there is no other car seat that we can buy that harnesses higher than the Frontier XT's 20" THS. And b/c we already have the True Fit getting another carseat with 18" THS is useless on our end.

Click to expand...

I have the exact same problem, the crotch buckle is way too short on my daughter as well. We have the new Evenflo Gold convertible car seat.