Sunshine Kids Monterey - NEWS... POLL... Please read!!

Okay... for those who don't know me, I'm a regular from the babycenter carseat board and have had contact with Russ Berger from early on in the life of the Radian.

Well, I have probably harrassed the guy to tears over the Radian, the Monterey, and between the two, given his email address to SOOO many (which I got from my orginal questions/complaints about the trouble people originally had with the Radian so that I could send him picks and videos of those problems)

ANYWAY....

So I approached him with my thought that the Monterey should also be available as JUST the base (similar to the turbobooster... how they sell it with AND without the back)

And he says my "homework assignment" is to figure out how much it should cost.

Obviously I want to be fair... and I'm coming to all the boards I'm a member of (finally joined this one) and asking for your thoughts.

if you were in the market for a backless booster... (your child was too tall for the highback monterey, your car wouldn't work with a highback, you needed to fit 3 in a row, whatever reason)... keeping in mind that the Moneterey's base measures the same widths as the cosco backlesses (which are GREAT for 3 across... so narrow) at 15 3/4" wide at the widest, but are deeper than other boosters at 14" deep, and it's latch compatible, how much would be fair??

I was thinking somewhere around 40-50 dollars.

But tell me what you guys think.

the highback version is going to be 129

the clek olli (only other latch compatible backless) retails for 90 dollars.

I agree $40 to $50 sounds right given the retail price on the whole booster. My way of thinking is that the backless version should be about 40% of the cost of the full one. I'd say a smaller percent, but since the base has LATCH, I think that puts it into a higher price range then a regular backless turbo booster or any others, so 40 to 50 sounds right.

Those are my thoughts anyways.

I chose $40-$50, however I think $50-$60 would be reasonable.

When will the high back booster be available? How tall does it adjust from seat to shoulder in it's highest position?

I chose $40-50 because that's what I'd like to pay.

Gypsy said:

I chose $40-$50, however I think $50-$60 would be reasonable.

When will the high back booster be available? How tall does it adjust from seat to shoulder in it's highest position?

Click to expand...

it should be out in February.

it will go 22" high and expand 3" out... it's really an awesome booster (I'm definitely buying a highback one for Jeffrey... though he may use it backless until I'm comfortable with Ruthie in the third row by herself (he's almost too tall for a highback to fit in my third row for him and his brother is too tall for ANY booster in the third row, so he has to be in the 2nd row)



Maiya - me, too... I would pay more (less than the olli's price, though), but it's what I'd LIKE to pay.

Heck, I'd love to say 20 bucks... but I know that's not a fair price.




http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v332/kat_k1/carseat photos/?action=view&current=Montereyspecs.jpg

the link will show you guys the specs... it was a pdf file, but I used the camera icon to copy it, pasted it into paint, and saved it as a jpg file so I could upload it to photobucket and share it with you as I don't know where the mom who sent it to me got it (she might have gotten it from Russ)

Trudy's way of calculating is how I'd do it, too, so I voted $40-$50.

Well, let's see...A Graco Turbobooster sells for about 50, barebones, and the backless is 20. So 2/5 of 130 is...52?

So yeah, I'd say 50 is a reasonable price.

Okay, first could someone tell me why you would even want a backless version? This thing will fit a child to 5'2" and 120 pounds. At that point the child should almost definitely fit a regular vehicle seat and belt. What am I missing?

carpooling, grandma's house, 3 across in a car where you can't raise the back of a booster with out it being pushed to the center of the car.

Jenn

Okay, I guess that makes sense then. I don't carpool and only have two kids who sit in the second row captain's chairs in my van so I don't think of those instances. Any extra kids I have go in the third row, but I've never had more than two extras at a time.

But, would you really want a LATCH backless for those occasions?

I voted $40-$50.
I agree with Snowbird and ThreeBeans

I hope they have some pretty ones. I could get one for me! (If the limit really is 5'2" and 120 lbs!) I wonder if I could drive in it, or if I could only use it in the backseat. Too bad my driver's seat doesn't have LATCH.

I think somewhere between $40 and $60 is good.

LuvMyGirls said:

Okay, first could someone tell me why you would even want a backless version? This thing will fit a child to 5'2" and 120 pounds. At that point the child should almost definitely fit a regular vehicle seat and belt. What am I missing?

Click to expand...

My son is 7.5yrs old (he'll be 8 in January), he's 55" tall (4'7") and 83lbs... and his torso is.... GET READY.....

DUNH


Dunh

Dunh

Dunh


DUHHHHHHHHHHHH

21"

He would have... at best... 1" left in the highback version.

In my third row, he's too tall for a booster, yet the belt fits him better with a booster... so I keep him in my 2nd row... where he has height room in it...
He passes the six step test (barely), but again, boosters are safer and as long as he CAN fit one, he WILL use one.

This boy grew over 6" last year (he was 47.5" when he turned 6)

I honestly don't know what to do with him sometimes other than put bricks on his head, but have decided not to do that.



other uses... vehicles with fixed headrests that angle out (can we say oldmobile alero people? My sister had it and highback boosters just were not possible for her car)... not all cars work with highbacks.

3 in a row... sometimes you have to go to backless boosters to get the right pieces for the puzzle.

The parkway and the FIsher Price Safe VOyage are the only highbacks I can use for 3 across anymore... and my oldest is too tall for both.

My younger son is almost too tall for the FPSV booster and in the third row, the parkway can only go so high (my daughter has to be in the 2nd row... she's too young to be back by herself in the third row)... so soon, it will be a choice of ...

A. move my oldest to just a seatbelt

OR

B. both boys use backless boosters

Right now it will depend on how tall my oldest is when my younger one grows another inch (when I will have to raise the headrest where it will bump the ceiling and tilt to the side because of it).

If he's outgrown boosters... it'll be easy.

if he hasn't... still easy, but different decision.

Now... in my dh's cobalt, even with my tallest highback booster user in the middle, two highbacks do NOT work... so when my daughter's britax laptop expires, I'm going to sell the parkway and put her in the middle in the FPSV booster (she'll be 4.5yrs old) and put the boys in backless boosters when they're riding in it (my oldest already uses one there)

(I'm buying the highback Monterey when it comes out and my younger son will use it backless until his brother outgrows boosters... then he will use it with the back in the 2nd row until his sister needs it)


Oh... and GOOD FOR YOU... for asking... because it's a good question and I used to wonder it myself.

skipspin said:

I hope they have some pretty ones. I could get one for me! (If the limit really is 5'2" and 120 lbs!) I wonder if I could drive in it, or if I could only use it in the backseat. Too bad my driver's seat doesn't have LATCH.

Click to expand...

That's a good question.... I think it would be a point of Adult choice and decision.

Also, on your torso height and weight.

But I believe the weight limit is 100lbs... but don't quote me.

I can double check.

And since Russ did a dangerous thing... asking me for any other ideas/hints... I'll mention petite adults wanting boosters.

Thanks so much you guys!!

Do we know if there will be a girly one available?