Check this fit?

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

My thread in the other forum was getting pretty long, and I've weeded out most of the seats I've tried. Just wanted to check the fit on the Dreamtime....is the shoulder belt OK where it is as long as it doesn't bug her? She says it feels fine, but I don't know if that's the novelty of a new seat and once it wears off she'll be pulling at the belt. Is it still worth ordering a Vivo or Probooster to try?

momtotwogirls · Apr 19, 2013

I wouldnt be comfortable with that neck fit. <swap content removed by moderator because swap content is only allowed in the dedicated swap section of car-seat.org >

mominabigtruck · Apr 19, 2013

It looks high to me. Is the headrest too low for her if you move it down one click?

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

momtotwogirls said:
I wouldnt be comfortable with that neck fit. <swap content removed by moderator because swap content is only allowed in the dedicated swap section of car-seat.org >

mominabigtruck said:
It looks high to me. Is the headrest too low for her if you move it down one click?

I originally had it down one click. It was right at or just barely below her shoulders...either way, it didn't make the belt fit any better.

veggiegirl228 · Apr 19, 2013

Could be me but the lap part looks a bit too high

creideamh · Apr 19, 2013

veggiegirl228 said:
Could be me but the lap part looks a bit too high

I agree, in addition to the shoulder belt on the neck... I think this is a no-go.

glockchick · Apr 19, 2013

Can you harness her? That seems like it might be easier in this case. Maybe a Radian?

gsdguenter · Apr 19, 2013

Lap belt looks high and headrest low imo

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

creideamh said:
I agree, in addition to the shoulder belt on the neck... I think this is a no-go.

Any other suggestions? So far, I've tried a Monterey, Parkway, Turbo, Turbo w/Safety Surround, and this Dreamtime.

glockchick said:
Can you harness her? That seems like it might be easier in this case. Maybe a Radian?

No way will dh go along with spending that much to harness a 6-year-old (not that he's opposed to harnessing a kid that age...her twin brother is just barely moving into a booster...but he won't go along with buying a new seat just for that). Neither the Nautilus or the Frontier will fit in that space.

If there's no other likely options for the center seat, I think we're going to have to move on to plan B, which is put her outboard and deal with having to put the center seat up and down every time we load. Thus far, the Monterey, Parkway, and Turbo w/SS don't play well with the seatbelt in that location (although I called Diono yesterday and will hopefully have the new belt guide, which may solve that issue there).

A very last resort would be to put DS1 in that center seat in a backless. I'm not sure I'm ready for him to be in a backless yet, and I'm sure as heck not looking forward to pairing him next to the baby, but it is an option if worse comes to worse.

glockchick · Apr 19, 2013

Yeah, you may have to put her outboard. I know it's a pain to fold to seat every time, but it can be done. I do it when all of mine ride in my suburban.

MommyShannon · Apr 19, 2013

What about trying a Harmony Defender? She just looks so narrow. We just got a Vivo and the way the guide is on the side doesn't look like it'd fit her well and it'd be really hard to buckle.

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

glockchick said:
Yeah, you may have to put her outboard. I know it's a pain to fold to seat every time, but it can be done. I do it when all of mine ride in my suburban.

Ok...so if I switch my sites in that direction, where should I start? I'll have more latitude as far as seat width goes, but it will still have to be narrow enough to allow the center seat to fold up and down next to it. It barely cleared the Nautilus when it was installed in that seating position.

MommyShannon said:
What about trying a Harmony Defender? She just looks so narrow. We just got a Vivo and the way the guide is on the side doesn't look like it'd fit her well and it'd be really hard to buckle.

If it didn't require supporting Walmart, I'd look into it, but we choose not to share our dollars with them.

creideamh · Apr 19, 2013

What car is this in? Have you tried all the boosters outboard?

ketchupqueen · Apr 19, 2013

What about a very tall convertible? Evenflo SureRide? (I know they were reported to have short harness issues but they claim to have fixed it...)

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

creideamh said:
What car is this in? Have you tried all the boosters outboard?

'07 Dodge Durango.

So far I've tried the following:

Monterey--allows for middle seat to fold down, but we have the infamous shoulder belt guide issues with and the belt doesn't fit well outside of the guide in this seating position. It's working in the 3rd row right now. Diono has a replacement guide on the way...could possibly make this seat work.

Parkway--shoulder belt sits too wide.

Turbo w/SS--shoulder belt sits too wide.

TB--belt slips out of shoulder guide. It's the old style guide, but I imagine the new style guide will fit like the SS....if there's enough difference in the body style of the two seats, I can buy a regular TB and try it. Otherwise, it's just one more seat to buy and return.

FR85--works fine except that the little red clip on the side that holds the cover on catches on the center seat when it's folded up and down.

I didn't try the Dreamtime because the only reason I'd keep it is if it worked in the center. It's a major pain in the butt to adjust.

jennzee · Apr 19, 2013

ketchupqueen said:
What about a very tall convertible? Evenflo SureRide? (I know they were reported to have short harness issues but they claim to have fixed it...)

What would some of the benefits of going back to a convertible be? She's going to have to booster eventually, which will put me right back where I am trying to figure out a booster that will work. My brain is muddled....maybe I'm missing something obvious.

MommyShannon · Apr 19, 2013

jennzee said:
What would some of the benefits of going back to a convertible be? She's going to have to booster eventually, which will put me right back where I am trying to figure out a booster that will work. My brain is muddled....maybe I'm missing something obvious.

It just might fit well and last longer and be easier to buckle. Its not so much that its a convertible as its one that might fit, is affordable, and has a taller harness than every combo seat besides the FR. By the time she outgrows it, she may fit these boosters better.

babyherder · Apr 19, 2013

Or by the time she outgrows it you'll be ready for your ds 1 to be backless. Or your ds1 and baby could be ok sitting next to each other.

MommyShannon · Apr 19, 2013

What are her stats?

MJHY27 · Apr 19, 2013

I know you have mentioned trying a probooster and just wanted to chime in and say I find it a great fit on my two kids and they have them here: http://www.albeebaby.com/recaro-probooster-car-seat-envy.html for only 89$ free shipping. This is where I just got mine and they ship super fast. Not sure how returns are but when I talked to a CS guy and asked if I could return if I thought it didn't work for my car he said no problem.
just in case you want to try one of those. It is a bit wider up top then on the base but I don't find it overwhelmingly bulky or too tippy in both my mazda 6 or dodge grand caravan. oh and my kids are 6.5yo (43lbs and 50") and 5 yo (38lbs and 46") just for comparison

Check this fit?

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