I need help getting new seats

bekah

New member
I have four children. A 7 seater Toyota Sienna and two seats expiring Dec of this year, and one April of next.

My kids are:
DS 6.5, 46 inches, 42 lbs
DD1 4.5, 42 inches, 39 lbs
DD2 2, 33.5 inches, 25 lbs
DD3 almost 2 months...she's 11 lbs.

My current seats are (in order of who uses them, oldest to youngest)

Britax Frontier (doesn't expire for forever)
Britax Marathon (Expires next April)
Evenflo Triumph Advance (Expires Dec of this year)
Graco Snugride 35 (child will outgrow well before it expires in about 4 years)

I also have, for spares for our other car:

Recaro Vivo (Expires Dec of this year)
Graco Turbo Booster (Expires in years)
Cosco Scenera (Expires in 3 or so years)


I am trying to figure out how to move kids around and what to replace seats with.

Ideally I'd like to have 3 across in the back of our van but not sure that is even possible.

My 6.5 year-old sits fine in a booster but hasn't complained about the FN as of yet. My 4.5 year-old actually sits really well in a booster but not ready to move her. My 2 year-old is currently RF, but I am fine with her FF in about a year.


I need at least one more booster, but can't decide if I should move ds to booster permanently at age 7. It seems like such a leap but he's going to be 7. I think most "normal" parents have their kids 100% out of boosters by 8 at the latest.

So, what is a good booster for a skinny little guy? Are there some that are narrower than others? Is there any chance I'll be able to fit 3 across? Is there any real difference between HBB and a no-back booster once they are a certain age? Advantages to keeping in a HBB booster?

If I move DD1 to the FN? What do I get for DD2 that will get her through 2-3 years until I move DD1 out of the FN? And how would you juggle the baby? Put her in the scenera RF after she outgrows the SR35 (around 18 months)? I know a lot of you like to collect seats but I like to have just enough for my needs (spares for Dh's car, and good seats for mine). In about 2 years, DD1, who is bigger than DS overall, will be able to be boostered full-time. So the FN will be available and whatever I bought for DD2 will be ready for DD3, but there will likely be a small gap between when that happens.

Thanks for any input!
 
ADS

christineka

New member
I've gotten a bunch of 3 acrosses in the third row of my sienna. The passenger's side seat is fairly wide and has a stiff buckle stalk, which is great for boosters in a 3 across. I usually have a booster there, but the frontier fits and installs fine with the seatbelt. On the 60 side of the bench, my 3 acrosses generally involve radians- One or two of them. You can fit a booster passenger's side, frontier center, and a rfing radian. Two radians any direction. Radian and classic britax or radian and true fit facing the same direction. I haven't tried the eta before. Radians have long lifespans and last for a very long time, so you won't go wrong picking one up:) How do you like your son in the boosters you have?
 

Kac

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I would move DS to a booster now. A "typical" 6.5yo can sit properly in a booster. I would use the Vivo for now with the Turbobooster as a spare.

I would move DD1 to the FR until the Marathon expires and then put her in booster so DD2 can use the FR. She'll be 5.5 by then and DD2 will be 3.

I'd leave DD3 in the Snugride for now.

You might be able to get a FR/Marathon/Vivo as a three across. The Marathon is higher so DS should be able to buckle easier and I believe the FR and Marathon puzzle well. It might be hard for the kids to get in the back with a RFing seat in the middle though.

I wouldn't worry about buying new seats until closer to the expirations, but you could start saving now. :)

Hope that helps a little.
 

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