too heavy for RF, too young for FF WWYD?

I posted this in another section but wanted to ask here too... I am at a loss....

DS turned 8 months 2 days ago... he is also 34 pounds... we have had him RF in the Evenflo Triumph since he was 2 months and hit the 20 pound mark....

I called everywhere this morning... the police station, the inspection place near me, the CAA and then Evenflo... they all said the same thing... he is too big for the carseat and can't use it anymore RF, but he is too young to be FF.... so they simply can't advise me what I can do... but just what I can't do....

My other two were RF until well into their second years... and the more that I learn the longer I want to keep ds RF but I am at a loss...

please help.... what is the lesser of the two evils? What would YOU do... ?

If it was me I would buy a cosco scenera and put him in that. In the US they RF to 35lbs so I would feel ok using it. I would not turn a 8mth old FF at all. He is way too young to FF.

If you're determined to keep him RF, then the only route would be to import a European seat with a higher RF limit. This would be expensive and would probably require a petition to the transportation board (not sure what it's called in Canada) with a letter from a doctor, etc. Another option is to get a special needs seat with the option to recline the seat while it is FF. Again, these seats are quite expensive and may require a prescription. Someone with special needs CPS experience might be of more assistance here...

Having said that, your child is safe as long as he is properly secured.

Thanks for posting the pics in your other thread. He is soooo cute!

Since you already own two Alpha Omegas (that are also approved to RF until 35 lbs in the US), I would not buy a new seat (Scenera) just for one more pound of use.

If it were me, I would use one of the AOs RF until he is 35 lbs and use the Triumph FF for your 3 year old.

Then (if you cannot find/import a special high weight RFing seat), I would get a Radian Premier for his next seat. FFing it should fit well in your middle spot as it's narrow and probably the safest option if he has to FF so young. Also this seat (known as the Radian80 in the US) is approved to 65 lbs in Canada and 80 lbs in the US. Just make sure you get one with the 65 lb sticker, as your DS will probably be one of the few who needs its full weight range before he outgrows it by height.

That is what I would do. HTH!

Thanks so much for your advice.... and yeah... he is cute (but of course I am biased)


I have to admit that I was literally in tears when I realized the problem that we had...
So I assure you that I am in no way wanting to turn him so I think I am going to try that option of having my 3yo in the triumph and using the AO with the little one...

He is just starting to crawl so hopefully he won't be putting on much more weight for a while...

I am also waiting on a call from a specialist from Transport Canada and see what other options I may have...

He's a big boy! Does your doctor expect this growth curve to continue, or is he slowing down in his gains? If he's slowing down, maybe you could get to 10 or 11 months before he outgrows a 35 lb. seat.

RF to 35 lbs., but if he exceeds that before a year old, I would not RF past the limits of the seat. He is safer in a properly fitting seat than one for which he exceeds the limits.

Oh, wow, I'm not that familiar with Canadian issues, but if I were in your shoes I think I'd do everything I could to import a Scandinavian Britax It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but they have about a 50# RF limit -- there are some members here who can help translate, but about 80% of the Scandinavian population is supposedly fluent in English so you should be able to find a Britax Representative over there who could also help.... I realize that this seat would not meet the legal requirements in Canada, but I personally would rather risk a fine than turn my child FF just yet I wish there was a perfect solution!

http://www.britax.no/meny1Frame-1n.html

You can try translating with http://babelfish.altavista.com/

I'm in agreement with Shauburg. When I posted on your other thread I'd really hoped one of the alpha omega's would have the 35lb sticker so that we wouldn't be placing you in the position of having to use the seat to the 35lb limit without the sticker. As others have mentioned, the alpha omega and scenera rf to 35lbs in the US. I would not go out and buy a scenera for a pound, when you already have an alpha omega.

In general I'm not comfortable with using a seat outside of the stickered limits, even though it's approved to different limits in the US... HOWEVER, this is exactly the type of situation where I think that it's acceptable. I wouldn't tell a parent of a 13 mo old to go ahead and use a seat rf'ing to the US limits - and I won't tell you it's A-ok to do it. But in this case making a parental decision to get that extra 1lb rf'ing is definitely something to seriously consider. Only you can make that decision - but it's one I would make for myself if I were in your shoes. :twocents:

Transport Canada typically takes a few days to return phone calls, so don't worry if you don't hear back from them right away. I read another post here recently of someone trying to get a special ff'ing harnessed seat imported from the US to be able to use with her 8yr old with special needs. Maybe there is something like that available where you could legally import one from sweden or somewhere similar with a doctor's prescription.

And here's to hoping that that last lb takes awhile to come on... when kids get mobile some of them do lose weight, so hopefully this is your ds's case.

Have you tried putting one of the AO in rf'ing yet? Start a seperate post if you need some help with getting it installed... and since your ds is so close to the 35lb limit, make sure that you're getting it installed more upright like 35 degrees if your ds can handle it without his head flopping forward. I'd also be putting him outboard so that the front passenger seat will help prevent any over-rotation of the seat.

Thanks everyone

I haven't put the AO RF yet but I will before we take the car next... I will take pictures to make sure that it is installed correctly.

I *really* hope that ds's weight stays the same or that he loses some... he is very tall also... just a big boy all around. (I don't know his growth curve because we have never did WBV's)

However, if he does outgrow it can he stay in it as long as he is 35#? Instead of buying a new seat after could I just use the Triumph again, or keep using the AO?

Another question... DS#1 is 5yo and *just* hit 40# (the scale still waivers) and is 108cm... At the moment he is still harnessed in his Alpha Omega but I know that it is the end, should I use his AO as a booster or should we get something else?

paxye said:

However, if he does outgrow it can he stay in it as long as he is 35#? Instead of buying a new seat after could I just use the Triumph again, or keep using the AO?

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Once he is over 35lbs you can put him FF in either the Triumph or the AO. I would suggest the one that fits best in the middle seat of your van as that is the safest position for someone who has to FF so young.

paxye said:

Another question... DS#1 is 5yo and *just* hit 40# (the scale still waivers) and is 108cm... At the moment he is still harnessed in his Alpha Omega but I know that it is the end, should I use his AO as a booster or should we get something else?

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I would highly recommend getting a seat that can keep him harnessed up to 65 lbs. There are several threads on here and videos (i.e. like this one) on the importance of keeping them in the 5-point harness as long as possible. I suggest the Sunshine Kids Radian. You can use it for the 5yo now and then when he's actually ready for the booster, its likely that one of the two younger ones will have outgrown the AO and Triumph and it can be passed on to them. Like I mentioned before, the Radian will eventually be needed by your youngest DS because he's so big, so might as well get it now and use it for your 5yo in the meantime. Just be sure to get one with the 65 lb sticker - there are several other threads on here about that.

shauburg said:

I would highly recommend getting a seat that can keep him harnessed up to 65 lbs. There are several threads on here and videos (i.e. like this one) on the importance of keeping them in the 5-point harness as long as possible. I suggest the Sunshine Kids Radian. You can use it for the 5yo now and then when he's actually ready for the booster, its likely that one of the two younger ones will have outgrown the AO and Triumph and it can be passed on to them. Like I mentioned before, the Radian will eventually be needed by your youngest DS because he's so big, so might as well get it now and use it for your 5yo in the meantime. Just be sure to get one with the 65 lb sticker - there are several other threads on here about that.

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Ok... I hadn't gotten that part and that sounds PERFECT... I really am not ready to put DS#1 out of the harness... and I was wondering about DS#3 if/when he would get too big for the AO/Triumph harness also but still desperately NEED to be harnessed still...

Wow, I just had to say I'm amazed that your 5yo still fit heightwise in the AO when he reached 40lbs. Most kids outgrow the AO by 3 or 3.5 at the latest since the top usable slots are only 15" high.

How much growing room did he have left in it? (It's outgrown when the shoulders go above the slots when the headrest is in the highest usable position for harnessing - the uppermost headrest position is usable in booster mode only.

And I'm in agreement about getting a Radian for him. It will get lots of use by your youngest ds..

I would put your youngest ds into the Triumph when he goes back ff'ing because it has the EPS foam which provides side impact protection and the AO doesn't have that. Hopefully you get a few more months at least before your youngest hits the 35lb mark though.

snowbird25ca said:

Wow, I just had to say I'm amazed that your 5yo still fit heightwise in the AO when he reached 40lbs. Most kids outgrow the AO by 3 or 3.5 at the latest since the top usable slots are only 15" high.

How much growing room did he have left in it? (It's outgrown when the shoulders go above the slots when the headrest is in the highest usable position for harnessing - the uppermost headrest position is usable in booster mode only.

And I'm in agreement about getting a Radian for him. It will get lots of use by your youngest ds..

I would put your youngest ds into the Triumph when he goes back ff'ing because it has the EPS foam which provides side impact protection and the AO doesn't have that. Hopefully you get a few more months at least before your youngest hits the 35lb mark though.

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DS#1 has a very short torso and the slots are right at the shoulder mark right now but were still above a few months ago before his last growth spurt. I haven't put the headrest up to the highest position... DS#2 will outgrow it way before his brother did though...

Anyway, I showed DS#1 the Radian and he thought it looked really cool (I think he likes that it can fold up...) and we are going to go get that as soon as we can...

DOn't know if this is an option or not in Canada since laws are different. But Susnhine Kids is currently testing higher weight limits for RF. They started with the 33 lbs because that was the market standard at the time, but are "fairly certain" they will succeed fine at higher limits. I will email Russ, but you may want to call the US number and get his number directly and explain you situation, and see if they can put a rush on the testing and fax you a letter stating the seat will work to a higher limit. Even if they've only tested up to 40 lbs so far, that buys you a lot of time. That is one big kiddo, and SK I am sure would rush the testing if they knew it will keep your child RF. They had such good RF numbers with 33 lbs, that a higher limit should be easy to come by. Hope that helps. Hopefully you can get a good install with it? I'll update when I hear back from him, but for a faster response I would call if I were you.

Stephanie

RearFacingAdvocate said:

DOn't know if this is an option or not in Canada since laws are different. But Susnhine Kids is currently testing higher weight limits for RF. They started with the 33 lbs because that was the market standard at the time, but are "fairly certain" they will succeed fine at higher limits. I will email Russ, but you may want to call the US number and get his number directly and explain you situation, and see if they can put a rush on the testing and fax you a letter stating the seat will work to a higher limit. Even if they've only tested up to 40 lbs so far, that buys you a lot of time. That is one big kiddo, and SK I am sure would rush the testing if they knew it will keep your child RF. They had such good RF numbers with 33 lbs, that a higher limit should be easy to come by. Hope that helps. Hopefully you can get a good install with it? I'll update when I hear back from him, but for a faster response I would call if I were you.

Stephanie

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That would be great!!! It is so upsetting because I get SO mad when I see kids FF before they should and I though I probably could have kept them RF for longer I kept them RF for at least a year longer than others around me... and now that I Want to keep ds#3 RF for as long as possible the thought of it not being possible is quite scary for me... especially if I have to change him before I know he is ready...