should I switch 5 yo to HBB?

rverrone11 · Jan 9, 2013

I need to get a 3 across in our Jetta beginning in April. My older daughter will be 5.5 years old then. I think she could sit properly in a booster because she is a cautious child and listens when it comes to things like safety. I'm a bit nervous though because we go on quite a few long road trips each year. We just got back from going from California to NJ to Arkansas to Arizona and then home to NV. one stretch was about 30 hours in the car with a few short stops.

Anyway, I can't seem to figure out a good 3 across in our Jetta, and I've been researching and trying car seats for the past 3 or 4 months. it's not easy because we live over 3 hours from the nearest Wal-Mart/BRU/baby store. I've been ordering and returning online.

The combination seats are all too wide except maybe the Harmony Defender, but it sounds like the crotch strap will be too short for my daughter. I could get a Radian for her but she won't last very long in it. I could use the radian down the line for baby #3, and then get a HBB for my older daughter at that time.

what would you do? HBB now or Radian for another year?

T4K · Jan 9, 2013

What ate the other kids' ages and sizes? What are they riding in now?

I would recommend keeping everyone harnessed as long as possible for a tight three across.

rverrone11 · Jan 9, 2013

Thirsty4Knowledge said:
What ate the other kids' ages and sizes? What are they riding in now?

I would recommend keeping everyone harnessed as long as possible for a tight three across.

Baby 3 Is due in April. Still searching for a seat for baby, hoping a Coccoro will work but not positive because we tried it already and couldn't get a good install.

DD2-- will be almost 3 when baby arrives and will be rear facing behind driver in a Radian xtsl at that point (My older DD' s current seat). currently 38" and 30 lbs with a 12.5" torso.

arly1983 · Jan 9, 2013

I agree with PP that with a tight 3-across its much easier to buckle a harness than a booster. I have one with 1 ff harness a d 2 boosters and I have to buckle the boosters and its not fun.

I would go ahead and get another radian for your older dd. If you are ok with no headwings then I would try out a radian without them. My kids have more growing room in the radians without headwings.

Coccoro would be my first pick for an infant but if it will not fit...how big are your babies at birth? A new gen britax would puzzle well with radians as would a graco myride.

For boosters for older dd I found the harmony highback, turbobooster, and parkway to be pretty narrow. I haven't had an lobe buts supposed to be narrow too.

Phineasmama · Jan 9, 2013

My friend has a brand new Jetta Sportwagen. She was able to get 3 across with a Radian, Britax boulevard classic (they still sell the marathon classic at Target) and a high back Graco Turbobooster. I believe she has the Radian in the middle. They are all forward facing but I'm sure it would be possible to have one or two rear facing if you have a Radian in the mix.

Baylor · Jan 9, 2013

There is no way I would buy a radian for a 5 yr old. I would try the turbo.

Phineasmama · Jan 9, 2013

Yeah my almost 6 year old has either outgrown it or is on the very top slots. I wouldn't buy it unless there's a younger kid to pass it down to.

arly1983 · Jan 9, 2013

Normally I wouldn't but if I were getting a cocorro and knew I would be passing it down later then it would be well worth a year of not having to buckle a booster.

Also the directions a seat is facing DOES make a big difference in a 3-across. A foward facing britax and ffing radian take up much less room than when the britax is rfing. Same with a myride.

I bought a radian to harness a 5.5 for what turned out to be just 6 months but my youngest is in it now. I don't regret it. It wasn't because she wasn't a good booster rider but because buckling was a pain. I am not saying don't booster a 5.5 yr old.

NVMBR02 · Jan 9, 2013

arly1983 said:
Normally I wouldn't but if I were getting a cocorro and knew I would be passing it down later then it would be well worth a year of not having to buckle a booster.

Also the directions a seat is facing DOES make a big difference in a 3-across. A foward facing britax and ffing radian take up much less room than when the britax is rfing. Same with a myride.

I bought a radian to harness a 5.5 for what turned out to be just 6 months but my youngest is in it now. I don't regret it. It wasn't because she wasn't a good booster rider but because buckling was a pain. I am not saying don't booster a 5.5 yr old.

This!!

We had a 2002 Golf for several years, I am not sure what year your Jetta is but the back seats are pretty similar in size.

We did have a FFing Radian, Rfing Coccoro and and HB turbobooser for awhile but it was very difficult to buckle and it would not be my first choice. I was also able to do RFing Radian, RFing Coccoro and a HB Turbobooster but again, it was not easy buckle, I had to slide the booster out to buckle then push it into place. The Coccoro was narrow but it did not puzzle nearly as well as the Myride or Britax convertibles that I tried.

Phineasmama · Jan 9, 2013

If you have a convertible that sits up on a base next to the booster rider, it should be easier to buckle the booster.

rverrone11 · Jan 9, 2013

Baylor said:
There is no way I would buy a radian for a 5 yr old. I would try the turbo.

Phineasmama said:
Yeah my almost 6 year old has either outgrown it or is on the very top slots. I wouldn't buy it unless there's a younger kid to pass it down to.

My daughter is almost at the top slots of her xtsl, which is why Im passing that on to DD2 and thinking about one without headwings for my older daughter to give her a while longer in a harness. There will be a younger kid to pass it on to once baby outgrows Coccoro or whatever seat we get for newbie.

arly1983 said:
Normally I wouldn't but if I were getting a cocorro and knew I would be passing it down later then it would be well worth a year of not having to buckle a booster.

Also the directions a seat is facing DOES make a big difference in a 3-across. A foward facing britax and ffing radian take up much less room than when the britax is rfing. Same with a myride.

I bought a radian to harness a 5.5 for what turned out to be just 6 months but my youngest is in it now. I don't regret it. It wasn't because she wasn't a good booster rider but because buckling was a pain. I am not saying don't booster a 5.5 yr old.

I didn't realize a Marathon and Radian would puzzle nicely together when they are both forward facing. We currently have a Marathon rear facing next to our radian, but younger DD will be rear facing for probably over another year so I haven't even tried it forward facing.

Mommyto2 said:
This!!

We had a 2002 Golf for several years, I am not sure what year your Jetta is but the back seats are pretty similar in size.

We did have a FFing Radian, Rfing Coccoro and and HB turbobooser for awhile but it was very difficult to buckle and it would not be my first choice. I was also able to do RFing Radian, RFing Coccoro and a HB Turbobooster but again, it was not easy buckle, I had to slide the booster out to buckle then push it into place. The Coccoro was narrow but it did not puzzle nearly as well as the Myride or Britax convertibles that I tried.

Thanks for the info! Our Jetta is a 2001, so probably very similar. I have a couple Britaxes that I can try but our Marathon is a classic so we couldn't use it from birth.

Phineasmama said:
If you have a convertible that sits up on a base next to the booster rider, it should be easier to buckle the booster.

Hmm, it depends on what seat we end up getting for newbie as to whether there will be a seat up on a base.

rverrone11 · Jan 9, 2013

arly1983 said:
I agree with PP that with a tight 3-across its much easier to buckle a harness than a booster. I have one with 1 ff harness a d 2 boosters and I have to buckle the boosters and its not fun.

I would go ahead and get another radian for your older dd. If you are ok with no headwings then I would try out a radian without them. My kids have more growing room in the radians without headwings.

Coccoro would be my first pick for an infant but if it will not fit...how big are your babies at birth? A new gen britax would puzzle well with radians as would a graco myride.

For boosters for older dd I found the harmony highback, turbobooster, and parkway to be pretty narrow. I haven't had an lobe buts supposed to be narrow too.

My babies were 9 lbs 2 oz, 20" and 8lbs 13 oz, 22" at birth. The first one (20") had a really long torso and fit in our Roundabout 40 from birth (she really had the shortest, stumpiest legs). My second, taller baby was all legs so didn't fit in the Roundabout from birth. I currently have a Roundabout 55 that I'm trying out but it is a really tight squeeze front to back. If we were just driving around town or driving a couple hours, it wouldn't bother me. But we travel for most of the summer in our car (DH and I both have summers off), so I don't want to be squished for long drives.

rverrone11 · Jan 9, 2013

Okay, I think I figured out what I'm going to try. I'll buy a radian without wings and a narrow high back booster for our other car that will fit in the Jetta as well. Then when DD outgrows the Radian, I can pass that down to newbie and then move high back booster to Jetta or get another high back booster.

Thanks for helping me bounce ideas around!

should I switch 5 yo to HBB?

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