Question Between the Turbo and the Vivo....

Mylilboyblue

Active member
Which booster is more narrow and more likely to fit between a Shuttle and a Radian?

I am having a hard time deciding what booster I would like. My son is skinny/leggy and will be 6 years old at the time the baby is born (most likely unless baby comes early).

My car does NOT have adjustable headrests but my husband's truck's backseat goes up to the ceiling.
 
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Meg

Well-known member
I have both, and it's been awhile, but I remember the Vivo being harder trying to do a 3-across with.. it probably depends on what others seats you are puzzling it with though. One thing I remember not liking about the Vivo (I've since moved it to his Grandma's car, so I don't have to deal with it) was that the belt has to fit in a really narrow little space under the armrest and my 6 year old seemed to have a lot of difficulty bucking himself in because of it. Add in the added difficulty of dealing with a 3-across, and I think it's really hard to buckle. The Turbo is a breeze for him to use and buckle by himself though.
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
The Turbo is definitely easier to buckle in a 3 across. The down side is it is outgrown much faster than the Vivo. We have a tight 3 across and a bunch of boosters. I have a FF MyRide in the center with a nbb on one side and a HBB on the other side. In order from easiest to fit/buckle to hardest for us is Turbo, Monterey (wide seat but narrow at the base at the back where you buckle,) and Vivo or PWSG are about the same.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
The Turbo is definitely easier to buckle in a 3 across. The down side is it is outgrown much faster than the Vivo. .

Wow, the TB is shorter than the Vivo? I just moved my DN (who is almost 7) from a harnessed seat to the Vivo and she is on the last click of the Vivo. She has a lot of height growing room with it on that click, but I would guess she'll outgrow the Vivo by next summer (at age 7.5 or so). I have a Parkway SG, too, so I can try that. Otherwise, I guess she'll go into my backless boosters. :crying:
 

kam1011

New member
From personal experience:
I've had a Turbo in between a radian and a Shuttle in my old 2008 Malibu (51" across). It was tight. To buckle the radian, the carrier had to be taken out of the base. It was totally doable, because most of the time the kids were all getting in the car at the same time, so the baby went in last. On the rare occasion that wasn't true, I'd pop her out, sit her like four inches over, like off center on the base, help buckle the HBTB, and then snap the carrier back into the seat. If your backseat has another inch or more than mine did, you may not need to do that!

BTW: The shape of the shuttle base was *perfect* for making buckling easy!
 

Mylilboyblue

Active member
The issue is that my backseat is only 48" according to the manual. That is going to be a problem. My friend is selling me her Shuttle and I am hoping with that narrow seat I can get the Turbo and the Radian in there.

My 5 year old isn't super tall so I am pretty sure he will be in the Turbo for a while. The Radian will be FF for younger son by then. (right now at 2.5 he is RF in a My Ride)
 

kam1011

New member
There wasn't ANY room left over...

My husband's car is 48" but we never did a three across until after the baby was out of the carrier. Until then, we just used two seats and he took my car if he needed to take three somewhere.

It might fit better baseless, too. What kind of car is it? The good thing about my husband's back seat is that it's completely flat.
 

kam1011

New member
I just noticed you have a MR. In my husband's back seat (Chevy Aveo) I can fit a TB-MR-Radian. With the TB on the outside, you can slide it out a little to buckle and then push it back over into position. That info doesn't help if you really want an infant seat, but later, when the baby's a little bigger, you know you'll be able to fit them!

I would say go to BRU with the Radian and Shuttle and try out the TB. Try them in all different positions, too. If I still had my shuttle, I'd go out and try it for you, but I sold it after my daughter outgrew it.
 

Mylilboyblue

Active member
Luckily I already have a Radian and a nearly expired TB that I can use for measurement purposes once I get the shuttle. :) Then once we see what will fit I will be buying 2 of whatever booster fits and one Radian. I am hoping the Turbo, Radian, and Shuttle will work 3 across in both our cars.
 

momtoo3

Well-known member
If TB, RN and Shuttle doesn't work, I'd try HBTB/FF MyRide/Shuttle. In our tight 3 across. The MyRide is the only seat that works FF with a booster next to it. It sits so high that FF the HBTB puzzles right under the side of the MR. I would bet the shuttle would fit on the other side. I don't know if it would work with the base or not, depends on how high it is. I tried to do a FF radian in the middle of 2 boosters and there was no way it would work for us with a booster next to it. Here are some pics of the MR and HBTB I posted in another thread recently http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2424252&postcount=22.
 

Mylilboyblue

Active member
Thanks so much for your reply! That is totally doable since we already have 2 Myrides which he uses RF now. But my concern is getting him in the seat. He has mild CP and while he walks and runs okay his left side is weak and his left arm is pretty useless so he cant climb in. That seat is super high. I will kill my back.
 

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