High Weight/Height Harnessing Car Seat for SN on Budget

Hello all! I have been researching on my own now for about a week but I am still torn. Here is what I need...

I have two sons that are on the autism spectrum and I want to keep them front harnessing for as long as possible. My four year old is about 43 inches tall and 43 lbs and my five year old is about 44-45 inches tall and 43 lbs. The four year old currently uses an Evenflo Maestro and the five year old uses a Evenflo Generations 65 carseat that we have had since 2009 (was the first one made). These seats are fine, but I wish I had done my research and realized they would need to harness passed the weight limits. I know the Maestro only harnesses up to 50 lbs. Before they hit a growth spurt and I am sent scrambling, I want to be prepared.

I loved the Britax Front 85 SICT and the Recaro ProSport looks really good too. My issue is we are on a VERY VERY tight budget and, ideally, we need carseats for both my husband's car and mine so that is four carseats (we take turns picking the boys up from their autism school). My in-laws also pick them up. So, as you can see, I need a high weight/height harnessing carseat that is good for the budget and super safe. Does such a seat exist?

Thank you for your time!

What about the Graco Nautilus? Harnesses to 65# & usually runs around $150 or so. There's also the Argos (basically a GN ^ that harnesses to 70#) which is closer to $200.
Every now & then you can find Frontiers for closer to the price of a GN (but boy is it rare!!!)--they harness to a higher weight (85#) and a very tall height.
There's also the Evenflo Securekid 300 (and 400) that are on Buy.com for $109 & WalMart for $120 (respectively). Both harness to 65 & then convert to boosters. If I'm not mistaken, the big difference between the two is that the 400 is supposed to be very easy to install tightly b/c the LATCH connectors have built-in retractors (like a seatbelt).

I'm super happy with our Evenflo Secure Kid so far. The top slots are as tall as the Graco Nautilus, the head rest extends nice and tall, the cover is soft and easily removed, and it looks like it will have good belt fit when used as a booster later. I think the crotch strap is further out than the one on the Nautilus. The install w/LATCH is probably super easy (but I don't have LATCH in my car and thus, haven't tried it yet). Mine has the alligator clips instead of the hooks, but not the retractable super LATCH. Using the seatbelt, it's an easy install, but if you have really long buckle stalks, esp ones on a hard stalk that you can't twist down, it may be impossible to get it tight b/c of how the belt path is. With most seatbelts, I'm assuming, it's going to be a piece of cake.

My 4 yr old is 41 or so inches tall and 37 lbs, long torsoed, wears a size 4/5 shirt, and he's *just* on the second from the top slots (meaning he's barely above the third from the top slots). My 7 yr old, who's on the small side, is 46" tall and 44 lbs, fits in it on the top slots w/some growing room. I'd say he could fit in it harnessed for a whole year or more.

My only complaint is that there aren't any harness strap covers and the shoulder harness is set very close together. Since so many kids with autism have sensory issues, that may be a problem, but we just pull their shirts under the straps. Even my 7 yr old can handle it, and he's autistic. Neither of my kids likes the Nautilus, although I can see where it is a bit wider in the body, which is a big bonus for a kid who doesn't like to be squished or hugged. The Nautilus also has the red shoulder belt guides for booster use near the kid's face, which the SK does not. My kids did not like the red belt guides near their face.

I'm not sure if the Nautilus is still in on sale or not...but it was $155 w/a $25 gift card at Target last week or this week....maybe it will be again soon. Walmart has the Maestro on sale for $67, but that might not buy you much time weight wise. If it gets you 2 yrs though, it may be worth adding another Maestro for the smaller built kiddo in the second car. Later, you could hand down the 2 SK's or Nautilus' to the younger one, and buy Britax Parkway boosters for the older one, b/c you can use the SG clip w/those to make a "crotch strap" with the lap belt.

Honestly, if you're going to spend $150 for a nautilus, I would just get a Frontier 85 from wayfair.com for $179.99. That's a great price for the frontier! And free shipping! I got our frontier from wayfair about a year ago and it has been awesome! That way you're safe, even if you need to harness to the max. And you can add the sg clip to it to use as a booster when you're ready for that.

Amanda

amandaj553 said:

Honestly, if you're going to spend $150 for a nautilus, I would just get a Frontier 85 from wayfair.com for $179.99. That's a great price for the frontier! And free shipping! I got our frontier from wayfair about a year ago and it has been awesome! That way you're safe, even if you need to harness to the max. And you can add the sg clip to it to use as a booster when you're ready for that.

Amanda

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Just wanted to point out that the OP already needs at least 2 seats for the older child right now, b/c he's already over the weight limit of his seat. He needs a new seat *yesterday* and should ride in his current seat converted to a booster until he can get a new seat. The OP also posted that she will need 4 seats total and that budget is an issue, partially due to needing 4 seats at once/very soon. FWIW, raising two kids w/autism, even 2 w/high functioning autism, is more expensive than raising two typical kids. So, $179 times 3 or 4 is a huge expense all at once--that's nearly $650-800 in seats. 2 Secure Kids (one in each car for the older kid), plus one Maestro for the second child (he has one Maestro already), would be around $300 total. If that's still too much in the immediate future, I would go w/3 Maestros ($210), and wait and see how much weight they gain in the next year or so. You could sell 2 of them later and put that $ towards a Nautilus or SK, if needed. hths

Amazon has the nautilus in gray for $129. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-Car-Seat-Matrix/dp/B0011URFRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345862676&sr=8-1&keywords=nautilus"]Amazon.com: Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 Car Seat, Matrix: Baby[/ame]

henrietta said:

Just wanted to point out that the OP already needs at least 2 seats for the older child right now, b/c he's already over the weight limit of his seat. He needs a new seat *yesterday* and should ride in his current seat converted to a booster until he can get a new seat. The OP also posted that she will need 4 seats total and that budget is an issue, partially due to needing 4 seats at once/very soon. FWIW, raising two kids w/autism, even 2 w/high functioning autism, is more expensive than raising two typical kids. So, $179 times 3 or 4 is a huge expense all at once--that's nearly $650-800 in seats. 2 Secure Kids (one in each car for the older kid), plus one Maestro for the second child (he has one Maestro already), would be around $300 total. If that's still too much in the immediate future, I would go w/3 Maestros ($210), and wait and see how much weight they gain in the next year or so. You could sell 2 of them later and put that $ towards a Nautilus or SK, if needed. hths

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Which seat is the OP's son outgrowing by weight? Is that info from another thread? In this thread, she mentions 2 kids who both weigh 43 pounds, and an Evenflo Maestro with a 50 pound limit and an Evenflo Generations 65 with a 65 pound limit. I could see a concern with torso height with the Generations 65, but weight-wise, both current seats should work for both kids unless I am missing other info.

henrietta said:

Just wanted to point out that the OP already needs at least 2 seats for the older child right now, b/c he's already over the weight limit of his seat. He needs a new seat *yesterday* and should ride in his current seat converted to a booster until he can get a new seat. The OP also posted that she will need 4 seats total and that budget is an issue, partially due to needing 4 seats at once/very soon. FWIW, raising two kids w/autism, even 2 w/high functioning autism, is more expensive than raising two typical kids. So, $179 times 3 or 4 is a huge expense all at once--that's nearly $650-800 in seats. 2 Secure Kids (one in each car for the older kid), plus one Maestro for the second child (he has one Maestro already), would be around $300 total. If that's still too much in the immediate future, I would go w/3 Maestros ($210), and wait and see how much weight they gain in the next year or so. You could sell 2 of them later and put that $ towards a Nautilus or SK, if needed. hths

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Which kid has outgrown the seat?? According to her height & weights above they both are still within the limits.

You can stagger your purchases a bit, hopefully that will help. You can pass down the Generations to your smaller child for the time being so that's 1 of 4 (oh, unless you planned to use it in your parents car and you need to end up with 6 seats total?)

I think the Frontier has the tallest top slots at 20" though we don't have the prosport here and I am not sure what the slot height is. The Frontiers would definitely last a long time.

Good for you for thinking ahead!

I am with mommycat. Try to stagger your purchases. Nothing has taller top slots or higher weight limit than the Frontier85 so if you want to harness them as long as possible without resorting to expensive SN seats then that is the way to go. If I were you I would start saving as much as you can now. Then watch for sales. Frontiers have been hitting wayfair for $180ish range and also have been on sale at amazon for $199. Pass down your oldest seat to the smaller DS when you get him a new seat then when you get seats for the main vehicle use those for your other car and let them use them in the grandparents car.

Thank you all! I really appreciate all of these really thought out answers. Most of my friends don't understand the huge cost of two with autism. Both of my boys go to a special ABA school and I drive them back and forth so I want them to be VERY safe but saving money is always important too, as long as I am not sacrificing safety. To be clear, neither boy has outgrown their carseat YET, but I know it is on the horizon. I have noticed that my long torsoed five year old doesn't have much time left in the Maestro. I didn't mention it in the original post, but we also have Maestros in my husband's car. My five year old can still ride in it in his car but not long at all. The strap is just perfect but if he grows at all he will be too tall in the torso for the straps. My in-laws currently have Britax Marathons so we will be needing something cheap for them too.

I was so stressed the other day that I left a few details out and I apologize. I am off to research the seats mentioned. I didn't realize you could find the Frontiers for $179 at Wayfair. I was looking at Amazon and a few other retailers. I am definitely going to have to stagger out the purchases a bit, but since my younger son can fit in all of the carseats for a good bit longer, my first priority is my five year old's seats. Do you think we need the SICT or is the regular Frontier 85 ok? Do y'all know the tallest a kid can be in the Frontier?

amandaj553 said:

Honestly, if you're going to spend $150 for a nautilus, I would just get a Frontier 85 from wayfair.com for $179.99. That's a great price for the frontier! And free shipping! I got our frontier from wayfair about a year ago and it has been awesome! That way you're safe, even if you need to harness to the max. And you can add the sg clip to it to use as a booster when you're ready for that.

Amanda

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I just looked on Wayfair and I don't see one for $179.99. Do you have a link or was that just a one day sale on Friday?

Wayfair must be stalked daily in the morning for the good stuff. Also watch diapers, they sometimes do a 20% off. As long as your car has side airbags, I feel the reg frontier 85 would be fine.

I never thought of the expense with an autistic child but you & pp are right. Also if your son has a texture issues go with cow print. Its a plush material. I learned that the one hard way.

I feel just fine with a regular frontier as well. The SICT could be a nice feature but is not the most important if you are on a budget. Just getting the 5pt harness to keep them well positioned should be a priority If they are unable to sit properly in a booster any time soon.

The seated shoulder height on britaxusa.com is 20" harness and 24.5" booster, with total height shown as 57" and 65". The seated height is more important for fit. Also something to think about is that it needs to be top tethered above a certain weight (i think 65lbs?) so you would need to look ahead to that (top tethering is important all along but is optional in US below that weight, and there is some todo about vehicle top tether limits... Maybe a US tech could address that issue as all seats have to be there'd here in Canada and none harness above 65 lbs.)

Oh and does TRU/BRU have regular trade in events or multiples discounts in the US? That might be a way to get some discounted seats.

mommycat said:

Oh and does TRU/BRU have regular trade in events or multiples discounts in the US? That might be a way to get some discounted seats.

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Thank you so much! TRU/BRU does have a trade-in event right now but looks like Britax isn't included. I will check on the other brands. Thank you everyone for the great info! Y'all are so caring and thorough. I am going to go stalk some sites for sales now.

ahgirls said:

Wayfair must be stalked daily in the morning for the good stuff. Also watch diapers, they sometimes do a 20% off. As long as your car has side airbags, I feel the reg frontier 85 would be fine.

I never thought of the expense with an autistic child but you & pp are right. Also if your son has a texture issues go with cow print. Its a plush material. I learned that the one hard way.

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We have a 2003 Honda Pilot and it looks like we do not have side airbags in the back, only in the front of the vehicle.

Wayfair does still have Frontiers in their sale section:
http://www.wayfair.com/Britax-Frontier-85-Booster-Seat-E9LC2H6-BRX1187.html?clearance=true

jordansmom said:

Wayfair does still have Frontiers in their sale section:
http://www.wayfair.com/Britax-Frontier-85-Booster-Seat-E9LC2H6-BRX1187.html?clearance=true

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Thank you! For some reason, they didn't show up when I did a search.

Babies R Us does do multiple discounts last I heard, I believe 10% off each seat if you buy two or more identical at once. But you might call them or check their website for info on that policy.