Will a Frontier work for a small 3.5 YO?

C

cakebreak

New member

• May 12, 2013

• #1

Hi,

I'm trying to help a friend find a second car seat for her DD. The child is currently in a BLVD and small for her age. About 35 inches. The parents are looking for a new seat and considered the radian. I've been reading that since the DD is FF that a combination is just as safe. I assumed they would get more bang for their buck, but will the Frontier just be too big of a seat for the child?

They are expecting DD2 in a few months so I am just trying to help her make the best decision.

Thanks so much!

 

J

Jessica61624

New member

• May 12, 2013

• #2

How much does the child weight? The frontier has a 25lbs min fir FF.

 

C

cakebreak

New member

• May 12, 2013

• #3

Ah. I didn't ask that question and she's already sleeping for the night. Let's just assume she is about 30 lbs (she obviously won't move forward with Frontier if DD doesn't meet weight requirements), are there any comfort or sizing issues? Would the radian be a safer seat for her? I have another friend who thinks the Frontier won't be safe at all bc the child is small and that the Radian is the better option.

 

K

Keeyamah

Active member

• May 12, 2013

• #4

It would be safe, I just think its overkill for a small/petite kid myself. They could get a more cost effective seat, one of the other combos, like the Nautilus, Defender, etc. and still get her to a safe age/size to booster.

 

Phineasmama

New member

• May 12, 2013

• #5

It's perfectly fine If they like the seat and have the money to spend then no one needs to convince them out of it! As long as the minimums are met of course.

I've pretty much tried them all, and the Frontier is still my favorite forward facing seat. I don't really care what size the kid is, I just like the seat so I'm going to use it.

 

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• May 13, 2013

• #6

I sat my daughter in the Frontier I have when she only weighed 25 lbs (at about 18 months old) and she fit beautifully and comfortably.

If space is an issue, they might be better off with a Radian because it's so much narrower. They'd have to get a booster later because the Radian doesn't make a very useful booster especially for petite children (minimum weight for the booster function is 50 lbs). But it might be a better fit for their car.

The new Frontier 90 is not approved for air travel so that's an important thing to know if they're considering that one.

The Frontier 85 is kind of a pain to install in some vehicles. But it depends on the car; sometimes it goes in quite easily. And even if it's difficult, it's rarely actually incompatible and we can usually help if someone's having a hard time with the installation.

All that said... for me personally, yes, if I had the budget and the room in the car I would get a Frontier for a forward facing child, even a petite one. I don't mind dealing with the tough install of the Frontier 85 and/or having to pick up a separate, cheaper travel seat if I need to take my child on a plane before she's ready to move into a booster.

 

nataliem257

New member

• May 13, 2013

• #7

Phineasmama said:

It's perfectly fine If they like the seat and have the money to spend then no one needs to convince them out of it! As long as the minimums are met of course.

I've pretty much tried them all, and the Frontier is still my favorite forward facing seat. I don't really care what size the kid is, I just like the seat so I'm going to use it.

Click to expand...

^ yep. No doubt there are more economical and narrow options, it is overkill in that they will likely never reach the full benefits of the harness height, but its a great seat for pretty much any size though. My petite 4 1/2 year old has been it it since she was 2 and the harness has always fit great and she's been super comfy. When she was smaller and the seat was a bit deep she would just sit Indian style and slept for hours on road trips. Never had head slump either. (Disclosure : I do not recommend putting a 2 YO in one, I didn't know any better back then)

 

agave

New member

• May 13, 2013

• #8

My 37" 30 lb 3 1/2 yr old will be moving into a frontier in a few weeks. It fits her great but, she'll never max it out. I got it very cheap and it is her favorite color since blue seats are rare I'm glad I grabbed it.

 

C

cakebreak

New member

• May 13, 2013

• #9

Thanks everyone for your input! I'll let them know that the Frontier works if it fits her budget and she has the room for the seat. I will also recommend other options if she feels the seat would be overkill.

 

Meg

Well-known member

• May 13, 2013

• #10

My 3 year old is tiny (28-30lbs and 36in) and he fits nicely in the FR90.

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2013

C

cakebreak

New member

• May 13, 2013

• #11

Meg said:

My 3 year old is tiny (28-30lbs and 36in) and he fits nicely in the FR90.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the pic, Meg! What kind of car is yours in?

Besides recommending it for a friend, I'm considering buying one for my small 3 year old - same stats as yours. Hoping to put him second row, middle seat... next to a foonf.

 

Meg

Well-known member

• May 13, 2013

• #12

cakebreak said:

Thanks for the pic, Meg! What kind of car is yours in?

Besides recommending it for a friend, I'm considering buying one for my small 3 year old - same stats as yours. Hoping to put him second row, middle seat... next to a foonf.

Click to expand...

You're welcome. He's in the middle seat in the second row of a 2013 Pilot.