simple install seat for multiple vehicles

I need a recommendation for a seat for my 18 month old niece. I asked back in July for rec's for my car and ended up with the Scenera, which is awesome for my needs. I love that it's really light, as I transfer it from my car to my truck quiet often, and loved it on the plane when I took her to Saskatchewan with me in August.

My niece recently went back to live with her mom and I lent them the Scenera. My mom went and picked up my niece yesterday, and S. arrived in the Scenera forwardfacing but with the UAS belt still through the rearfacing path and no top teather:scratcheshead:, and they'd peeled off/scribbled on the stickers that explained where the belt/UAS should go rear and forward facing. I was upset (mostly with my mom who should've check before leaving my sisters house, but also with my sister who I've shown multiple times how to install the seat properly, REARFACING!)

Anyway. It's a non-issue right now as S. is back to living with me, but as I know it's only temporary, I've decided I would like to keep the Scenera for myself (well, keep it installed in my mom's car as she's the one who usually picks up S. from my sister), and get my sister/her boyfriend a new seat.

The glitch is the fact that my sister/her boyfriend don't have a car, so the seat needs to be simple to install AND fit in multiple vehicles. When S. lives with my sister, my sister has S. one week and the boyfriend has her the next, and the boyfriend comes to pick S. up/drops her off in whatever car he can find.

Any real favourites for 'ease of use'? S. was 19lbs and 24" at her doctors appt in Sept. Cost isn't really an object as I have money put aside to buy myself a Britax that I will use.

Nothing is idiot proof.

The Scenera that they're used to is actually a pretty easy seat to work with.

In terms of using the wrong beltpath, that's a common error, made worse by UAS straps that need to be 'switched' from under the cover.

Some, but not all, Sceneras have the UAS strap attached on the *outside* of the seat. This makes it a lot easier to switch from rf to ff, though it's still not perfectly easy breezy. I would look for a model like this. You will see the pigtail strap bolted to the left side of the shell, where her hips would be.

Try putting big white labels with arrows: " -----> REAR FACING" and "--------> FORWARD FACING 22+ POUNDS" by each belt path. Be careful not to cover any relevant info on existing labels.

I have to run, but I'll keep thinking and maybe come back later.

I would say a Marathon. UAS slides back and forth for rf/ff, and TT is easy to use. Its also easy to adjust the height and installs very well in almost any vehicle. Its my go to seat for people who switch cars frequently or for grandparents who dont want a car seat in the car all the time.

Oh I misread the OP.

If cost is not an issue, a Marathon would be great!

For such a little peanut, maybe a combi shuttle 33 would work. Its rear facing only, and has a super easy to install base. You could sell it to you sis and the bf as you thought a seat with a handle would be more convienient to lug around.

safeinthecar said:

For such a little peanut, maybe a combi shuttle 33 would work. Its rear facing only, and has a super easy to install base. You could sell it to you sis and the bf as you thought a seat with a handle would be more convienient to lug around.

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We don't have the Shuttle in Canada.

You guys do have the Graco Snugride 35 right? Maybe that would be a good option as it is easy to install even with out base and the shell is close in size to a smaller convertible.

cmcki737 said:

You guys do have the Graco Snugride 35 right? Maybe that would be a good option as it is easy to install even with out base and the shell is close in size to a smaller convertible.

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Yes, we do. And the Via 35 as well for higher weight infant seats.

I hadn't thought of going back to an infant seat. They always had the infant seat installed correctly when I saw her in that, so a Snugride 35/Via 35 may just be the answer, at least for now... I'll have 16lbs and 8" to figure out a new solution (and with the way S. gains weight/grows, that could be a lot of years!) this way.

Thanks everyone! Such creative solutions. I'm going to see if I can get to Baby's R Us before the weekend and check out the Snugride, Via & Marathon to cover all my bases. Anyother suggestions are for sure welcome!

If a Zellers near you is still open there's a slight chance you'd find a really discounted Via there.

Pixelated said:

If a Zellers near you is still open there's a slight chance you'd find a really discounted Via there.

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Excellent! The one closest to me has already closed, but I have to drive an hour to get to BRU anyway, and I think there's two fairly near there that are still open-- might as well check those if I'm dirving anyway!

Amazon.ca has had the Via for $135 recently. Not sure if they're still in stock, though.

They are back in stock (they were all gone when I checked the other day) at $136.99

[ame="http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004JM8XCC/ref=s9_simh_gw_p75_d7_i2?pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1WVRENC2JQP13GAQ0RDW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1375923922&pf_rd_i=915398"]The First Years Via Infant Car Seat Abstract O's: Amazon.ca: Baby[/ame]

Got a Via ridicuously cheap at a Zellers today. Thanks everyone!

SnoGurl said:

Got a Via ridicuously cheap at a Zellers today. Thanks everyone!

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Nice! How much did you get it for? My Zellers closed last week and has been out of car seats of any kind for ages, so I'm curious. After they all close I wonder where the leftovers will turn up - does Liquidation World take stuff like that?

Pixelated said:

Nice! How much did you get it for? My Zellers closed last week and has been out of car seats of any kind for ages, so I'm curious. After they all close I wonder where the leftovers will turn up - does Liquidation World take stuff like that?

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It was regular 179 and marked down 40 percent, so I ended up paying just over 100 dollars for it. They didn't have any out on the floor, and I was just about to leave, but my cousin who was with me happened to know one of the employees who walked by. They were willing to brave the stockroom for us and found two. I ended up buying both-- the sscenera's not going to go bad anytime soon, but I like that I can get her situated in the house before taking her outside in the winter. I'm not sure where all the stock goes-- I know my zellers had a ton of stuff left over at the end.