My son is going to be 2 in September and while he will still be RFing 99% of the time, he will be FFing if my husband and my mil ever take him. I would like something that is very safe and easy to install. Which will be safer? KWP or 5pt harness? My husband just got the scion frs so rear facing is impossible in it. Any suggestions?
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Kiddy world plus or 5 pt harness?
- Thread starter kkcoconut
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lovemy2kidstw
New member
How much does your son weigh? The KWP can only be used with the shield until 40 lbs, so if he is lightweight it would last a while. If he is on the chunkier side, I would get the 5pt harness for him.
Good job for keeping him RF for so long
Good job for keeping him RF for so long
lovemy2kidstw
New member
kkcoconut said:
If he is 25 lbs, then the KWP would be a good seat to consider. It has passed the same standards as the 5 pt harness seats, so both are equally safe when used properly. My only worry with the KWP is if the child hits 40 lbs before they are booster ready, then you are left with a seat you can't use. I think it should last you to or very close to booster age. Our sons weigh the same & my son is a month older than yours.
On another note, what is his seated height? If you were wanting to try to keep him RF in the other vehicles, there may be options. Some seats are allowed to be more upright when the child is older so they take up less front to back room. I'm not familiar with the vehicle you are talking about, so I can't be helpful there.
LISmama810
Admin - CPS Technician
Are there removable/very adjustable headrests? The KWP requires its back to be flat against the seatback, and that has caused incompatibility issues in many cars--even some with the headrest removed, depending on the contours.
Probably semantics, but passing standards implies they meet an adequate level of safety. They may or may not be equally safe. It's also quite possible the KWP may perform better than some 5-point harness models, but not as good as others. The differences may not be all that significant for a seat that passes the standards and is installed and used correctly, of course.
This is a very valid concern. It's a better situation that with some 3-in-1 products where the child outgrew the harness well before 40 pounds. On the other hand, with most combination seats going to 65+ pounds these days, the bar has been set a little higher for squirmy kids at 40 pounds who may not quite be ready to use a booster yet.
Brigala
CPST Instructor
Well, honestly my solution would be to not transport the child in that vehicle until I felt the child was ready for facing forward. It seems odd to me to go out and buy a vehicle that won't fit a rear-facing car seat when you know perfectly well that you have a rear-facing toddler at home.
It sounds like with a back seat that tiny even forward facing seats are going to be hard to fit and even harder to use. No matter what you end up getting, I'd make sure to try it out before buying. And probably if it were me I'd just get a Scenera or something because it would only be used in a life-or-death emergency. As in, probably never.
It sounds like with a back seat that tiny even forward facing seats are going to be hard to fit and even harder to use. No matter what you end up getting, I'd make sure to try it out before buying. And probably if it were me I'd just get a Scenera or something because it would only be used in a life-or-death emergency. As in, probably never.
I think it would be just fine to purchase a forward-facing carseat for an almost-2-year-old who is 25 pounds, especially in a vehicle that is rarely used to transport them.
Perhaps an inexpensive combination seat would be the best value for this situation? Maybe something like an Evenflo Maestro? Only $68 at Walmart...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/19414739?adid=22222222227014596756
Perhaps an inexpensive combination seat would be the best value for this situation? Maybe something like an Evenflo Maestro? Only $68 at Walmart...
http://www.walmart.com/ip/19414739?adid=22222222227014596756
cmcki737
New member
Since you are concerned about easy of use and installation perhaps you should take DH and grandma with you to look at seats and bring the new car to ensure it fits.
Because your child is smaller like my DD maybe you should consider a combi coccoro. It is easy to install and fits both FF'ing and RF'ing easily in smaller vehicles and has a 33 lb RF'ing limit which for a 25 lb almost 2 yr old they might make it to 3 RF'ing.
Because your child is smaller like my DD maybe you should consider a combi coccoro. It is easy to install and fits both FF'ing and RF'ing easily in smaller vehicles and has a 33 lb RF'ing limit which for a 25 lb almost 2 yr old they might make it to 3 RF'ing.
lovemy2kidstw
New member
cmcki737 said:
I agree taking DH & grandma to look at seats would be a great idea.
The coccoro may not last until 3, it just depends on the Childs torso. While my son is only 25 ish lbs, he wouldn't be able to fit RF or maybe even FF in a coccoro.
lovemy2kidstw
New member
Brigala said:
^^^ this is completely unnecessary & not helpful to the OP at all. She has already said that her son will be RF 99% of the time. She said the seat will be used occasionally NOT just a life or death emergency, so a scenera isn't really the best option. A FF combo seat would be, since it will only be used FF
Kat_Momof3
New member
you know, considering the small back seat, I'd want a seat that sits really low, too, as head room in a 2-door for carseats and boosters can be tricky.
I'd probably get the Evenflo Sureride - it has 19" top slots, goes to 65lbs and it's inexpensive... sure, it's a convertible, but because it will sit so low and doesn't convert to booster, it won't take up as much space up and down. As long as he won't be taking it in and out of the car, once you install it (and I'd do so with latch if you can get it in tight that way, just to make it less likely that it could uninstall by an accident of someone hitting the button on the buckle), all you have to do is get the basics drilled in... harness tight, above shoulders, chest clip at armpit level
the other options I'd look at are the Evenflo Maestro and SecureKid 300/400
Also to others, please remember that 2yrs old ff is perfectly acceptable. Not everyone can do ideal. We have worked so hard to finally get 2yrs to be the minimum and we have to remember why we wanted it as the minimum... because it is the true reasonable minimum. Yes, we now finally have seats that easily rearface MOST kids past 2, but we have to be realistic and understand that most of america is still working at getting on board with the 2yr minimum. A child is 100% safer in a properly installed properly used seat than one that isn't so, but is facing the rear.
I'd probably get the Evenflo Sureride - it has 19" top slots, goes to 65lbs and it's inexpensive... sure, it's a convertible, but because it will sit so low and doesn't convert to booster, it won't take up as much space up and down. As long as he won't be taking it in and out of the car, once you install it (and I'd do so with latch if you can get it in tight that way, just to make it less likely that it could uninstall by an accident of someone hitting the button on the buckle), all you have to do is get the basics drilled in... harness tight, above shoulders, chest clip at armpit level
the other options I'd look at are the Evenflo Maestro and SecureKid 300/400
Also to others, please remember that 2yrs old ff is perfectly acceptable. Not everyone can do ideal. We have worked so hard to finally get 2yrs to be the minimum and we have to remember why we wanted it as the minimum... because it is the true reasonable minimum. Yes, we now finally have seats that easily rearface MOST kids past 2, but we have to be realistic and understand that most of america is still working at getting on board with the 2yr minimum. A child is 100% safer in a properly installed properly used seat than one that isn't so, but is facing the rear.
Thank you for your suggestions! My husband and I are currently sitting in the babies r us parking lot waiting for our son to wake up so we can test out seats. I do have a britax frontier 85 that I got last year before I know about car seat safety but my husband just can't properly install it. I think the KWP may be the best option because of the easy install.
Are there any negatives about the KWP safety wise? I've never seen a sheild carseat before.
Are there any negatives about the KWP safety wise? I've never seen a sheild carseat before.
lovemy2kidstw
New member
kkcoconut said:
The frontier can't be used until his 2nd birthday, britax specifically states the child has to be 2 & 25 lbs.
Baylor
New member
Not helpful at all. This is pushing your agenda and not the safety guidelines..
I would follow Darrens advice. Get a maestro. Its a good seat, at 25 lbs your child will probably get good use out of it over the years even if it is a once in a while seat. My cousin loves the Maestro. Easy to install and light.
Baylor
New member
Its different from the old shield seats. I'm not sold on this seat because the 40lb ff limit is too low to me to spend the money. I just don't think its worth it. I also would not buy one without getting a change to try it out first in your car. See if it is compatible.
But I think the Maestro is a great choice. The FR85 is not hard to install and there are videos on installation on youtube. You could also set up a seat check so they could teach you to install it correctly. Again child has to be 2 so that is a couple weeks a way. But it is a great sturdy seat.
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Brigala
CPST Instructor
I'm sorry so many of you think my thoughts on this weren't helpful. If the parents are planning to FF the child anyway on the 2nd birthday, it would be a little different. I still am having a hard time understanding why a family would purchase a vehicle that didn't fit with their lifestyle.
Since everyone here thinks I'm a jerk anyway, I might as well say the other thing that I was thinking, which is that i wouldn't allow any passengers whatsoever in a back seat that's so small absolutely no rear-facing seat will fit. I would be too concerned about a passenger (child or not, car seat or not) bashing his or her face against the front seats in an accident. I would consider such a car a two-seater. But I didn't want to say "I don't think that car is safe, period" because I figured I'd get a lot of backlash for that. I might as well just say it anyway.
I'm a little sick of the drama on this forum anyway. Peace out.
Since everyone here thinks I'm a jerk anyway, I might as well say the other thing that I was thinking, which is that i wouldn't allow any passengers whatsoever in a back seat that's so small absolutely no rear-facing seat will fit. I would be too concerned about a passenger (child or not, car seat or not) bashing his or her face against the front seats in an accident. I would consider such a car a two-seater. But I didn't want to say "I don't think that car is safe, period" because I figured I'd get a lot of backlash for that. I might as well just say it anyway.
I'm a little sick of the drama on this forum anyway. Peace out.
LISmama810
Admin - CPS Technician
It doesn't really matter whether you understand why they purchased that vehicle. The point is that they did.
Head excursion might very well be a valid concern, but there are ways to bring that up without being condescending.
Head excursion might very well be a valid concern, but there are ways to bring that up without being condescending.
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