Help me compare/contrast - Harmony Defender 360 vs Safety 1st Guide 65 Sport vs ???

Hello! I do childcare full time and I have a 2002 Mazda MPV. Ideally, I would like to have the option of doing 3 across in the tiny backseat, so I'm searching out skinny inexpensive carseat options.

I currently have a Radian R120, but it was pricey and I can't realistically buy 1-2 more of those, lol. I'm pretty positive that 3 of those would fit across in the backseat, so I need something close to that in that width (17" W)

So help me compare what's out there...please give me pros and cons of both of these plus any other suggestions you may have, thanks!

*I do not need rear facing as I already have three other carseats that can rear face if need be

*I'm looking for a carseat that would last past 40lbs ff because I want all children in 5 point harnesses for safety

so...Harmony Defender 360 vs Safety 1st Guide 65 Sport vs ???

Thanks!

I have a Harmony Defender and I am very happy with it. It has a no-rethread harness which is adjusted with a button on the top of the head rest. The Guide 65 has an adjustable head shield which has to be adjusted from the back and the harness has to be rethreaded through the different slots as the child grows. The Defender's harness is very smooth to adjust. I find the installation of the Defender easy. In both my Dodge Grand Caravan and Suburban it takes a couple of twists of the seat belt buckle to get it tight. With LATCH it is super easy.

I have never used a Guide 65 but the angle of the head rest looks uncomfortable to me. It looks like it will push the kids head forward. Also, I know it is rated to 65 lbs but it does not look substantial enough to do the job.

The Defender is just about as narrow as the Radian. There is more distance from the back of the vehicle seat to the back of the Defender due to how the belt path is molded so it sits the child forward a bit more than the radian. This will probably help in puzzling. (hope that makes sense. It is hard to put into words what my mind is seeing....)

You might consider an Evenflo SureRide. It is in the same price range , has a max weight of 65 lbs and has taller top slots than the defender (which are already pretty tall). It is a convertible but has such a tall shell at a reasonable price that it is often recommended for bigger kiddos that are not ready to be boostered. Because of the design of its shell it would also puzzle well with a radian.

Another to consider is the Evenflo SecureKid 300 or 400 It is combination seat like the Defender and similar in price. It has an adjustable head rest (from the front) but you would have to rethread the harness.