ERF 32 month old boy 75% height, 90% weight HELP!

d0ubtfire

New member
Those are my sons' stats, again: 32 months old, 75% height at 38" and 90% weight at 35 lbs... I need a new carseat for rear facing him.

His seated height is 21.5" (from the bottom of his bum to the top of his head).

What seat would you get in order for him to rear face until his 4th birthday (another year and 4 months)? Would buying a seat with a 40lb limit be a dumb idea? Which seats offer higher limits in weight that he won't outgrow in height?

In a Radian, how much taller could he get before he outgrows the seat? I'm trying to find the height of the shell and the rule of whether or not to be 1" or 1.5" below the shell but I can't seem to get clarification on that.

What about the NextFit or MySize or Foonf? Could he make it to 4 years old rear facing in any of those?

This is too much stress.
 
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bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
Those are my sons' stats, again: 32 months old, 75% height at 38" and 90% weight at 35 lbs... I need a new carseat for rear facing him.

His seated height is 21.5" (from the bottom of his bum to the top of his head).

What seat would you get in order for him to rear face until his 4th birthday (another year and 4 months)? Would buying a seat with a 40lb limit be a dumb idea? Which seats offer higher limits in weight that he won't outgrow in height?

In a Radian, how much taller could he get before he outgrows the seat? I'm trying to find the height of the shell and the rule of whether or not to be 1" or 1.5" below the shell but I can't seem to get clarification on that.

What about the NextFit or MySize or Foonf? Could he make it to 4 years old rear facing in any of those?

This is too much stress.

You can find the height of the shell for all car seats in this database here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdFZ0c0pkbkRlV1hfeklSWmpZY0kweEE&hl=en#gid=0), but keep in mind that many kids can gain or lose room in seats once they are installed, so it's more of a general idea and is very dependent on both the install in a vehicle and the individual child. For instance, my son with a long torso lasted until over 3.5 years old in his Graco My Ride, but I've seen younger kids with shorter torsos outgrow it sooner just based on how the seat fit in the car and how the child fit in the seat. :)

The My Size/Headwise/Size4Me is the tallest seat, and I'd imagine he'd be able to rear-face until 4 in that or the NextFit, Foonf, or Radian. I've seen it stated here that most kids grow about an inch of torso height per year, so he likely won't need too many inches of growing room.

Please don't stress too much about it. :) My suggestion is to find a relatively tall seat (and any of the seats you mentioned in your post are among the seats recommended for tall kids). If the seat you like fits your vehicle, your son, and your budget, I would buy it and rear-face for as long as you can, then forward-face once he's outgrown it rear-facing (whether by height or weight), even if you don't quite make it until 4 years old. :)
 
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d0ubtfire

New member
You can find the height of the shell for all car seats in this database here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdFZ0c0pkbkRlV1hfeklSWmpZY0kweEE&hl=en#gid=0), but keep in mind that many kids can gain or lose room in seats once they are installed, so it's more of a general idea and is very dependent on both the install in a vehicle and the individual child. For instance, my son with a long torso lasted until over 3.5 years old in his Graco My Ride, but I've seen younger kids with shorter torsos outgrow it sooner just based on how the seat fit in the car and how the child fit in the seat. :)

The My Size/Headwise/Size4Me is the tallest seat, and I'd imagine he'd be able to rear-face until 4 in that or the NextFit, Foonf, or Radian. I've seen it stated here that most kids grow about an inch of torso height per year, so he likely won't need too many inches of growing room.

Please don't stress too much about it. :) My suggestion is to find a relatively tall seat (and any of the seats you mentioned in your post are among the seats recommended for tall kids). If the seat you like fits your vehicle, your son, and your budget, I would buy it and rear-face for as long as you can, then forward-face once he's outgrown it rear-facing (whether by height or weight), even if you don't quite make it until 4 years old. :)

Hmmm...thing is, he is in the Britax Boulevard right now and hasn't outgrown it yet for rear facing (he's got about 1.5" left to grow, and 5 lbs in weight to gain) but I have to get a new seat for my youngest because the infant seat is going to expire...someone recommended I give my BLVD to the youngest and get a new different seat for the toddler for ERF. If I hadn't gone on here I probably would have just bought another BLVD for the second child, but now seeing that he might outgrow it before 4 years old anyway I'm trying to see if there is a better option.
 

1mommy

New member
According to his growth chart when should he hit 40 inches, 40 pounds, and 65 pounds (I ask about 65 because that's a limit for a lot of convertible harnesses). Keep in mind that the 40 pound limit is with clothes/shoes and a good breakfast in his stomach, so that could take away a pound or two.

If he wont hit 40 pounds before hes 4 then go for another tall convertible like the Graco Size4me/mysize etc

The radian and the Foonf both have higher weight limits I'm not 100% sure but the radian has a 45 pounds limit and the Foonf a 50 pound limit. The foonf has a standing height limit of 43" and the Radian has a 2" from the top of the seat rule.

Also do you have a budget? Of the ones I listed the Graco is the least expensive, then the Radian, then the Foonf. Also if you ever plan on having another child and will need 3 across both the Radian and the Foonf are very narrow and will fit 3 across very well.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
According to his growth chart when should he hit 40 inches, 40 pounds, and 65 pounds (I ask about 65 because that's a limit for a lot of convertible harnesses). Keep in mind that the 40 pound limit is with clothes/shoes and a good breakfast in his stomach, so that could take away a pound or two.

If he wont hit 40 pounds before hes 4 then go for another tall convertible like the Graco Size4me/mysize etc

The radian and the Foonf both have higher weight limits I'm not 100% sure but the radian has a 45 pounds limit and the Foonf a 50 pound limit. The foonf has a standing height limit of 43" and the Radian has a 2" from the top of the seat rule.

Also do you have a budget? Of the ones I listed the Graco is the least expensive, then the Radian, then the Foonf. Also if you ever plan on having another child and will need 3 across both the Radian and the Foonf are very narrow and will fit 3 across very well.

I think it looks like he'll hit 40" and 40lbs somewhere in between age 3.5 to 3.7?? If that's the case, it looks like he will last in a Britax BLVD until he's 3.5..................unless some crazy growing happens....
 

1mommy

New member
I think it looks like he'll hit 40" and 40lbs somewhere in between age 3.5 to 3.7?? If that's the case, it looks like he will last in a Britax BLVD until he's 3.5..................unless some crazy growing happens....



Well if you really want him to last till 4 then I would invest in a radian or a foonf, if your ok with buying another car seat that will only last him rf a few more months (keep in mind winter boots can add another pound too) then you can buy another convertible seat with a 40lbs limit (like the majority of them are).

Its up to you how long you want to rear face him and what kind of money you willing to spend in order to do so. The good news is that we can help you buy a convertible seat that will last him until hes ready to go into a dedicated booster seat (which are fairly inexpensive). There is nothing wrong with buying a seat that will only rear face him till 40 pounds then turning him around even if he is not 4 yet, you rear faced him to the limits of the seat. At 3.5 - 3.75 in a properly installed and tethered seat he will still be safe forward facing, just not quite as safe.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
I think it looks like he'll hit 40" and 40lbs somewhere in between age 3.5 to 3.7?? If that's the case, it looks like he will last in a Britax BLVD until he's 3.5..................unless some crazy growing happens....

This is more for me - I need to talk out loud LOL

If he has 1.5" of torso height left in his BLVD, and he has 1 year and 4 months until he is 4 years old, and kids grow about an inch of torso a year, then I think he might make it to 4 years old rear facing by height. But I think he'll outgrow it by weight by 3.7 years old....That's only a few months before age 4... is it worth it to get a car seat that rear faces to 45 lbs if I don't really care to rear face past age 4? But what if he has huge growth spurts before then?!? I'm eventually going to put him in a Britax combination seat as soon as he's ready to forward face, so whatever seat I get I'm not interested in using it as forward facing for the time being (maybe for the youngest child when the time comes)....
 

d0ubtfire

New member
Well if you really want him to last till 4 then I would invest in a radian or a foonf, if your ok with buying another car seat that will only last him rf a few more months (keep in mind winter boots can add another pound too) then you can buy another convertible seat with a 40lbs limit (like the majority of them are).

Its up to you how long you want to rear face him and what kind of money you willing to spend in order to do so. The good news is that we can help you buy a convertible seat that will last him until hes ready to go into a dedicated booster seat (which are fairly inexpensive). There is nothing wrong with buying a seat that will only rear face him till 40 pounds then turning him around even if he is not 4 yet, you rear faced him to the limits of the seat. At 3.5 - 3.75 in a properly installed and tethered seat he will still be safe forward facing, just not quite as safe.

It seems to me that my issue is weight (he's 90%!!!), because I like the Graco seats that rear face to 40lbs and height isn't an issue there it seems...but he'll get to 40lbs before 4 years old probably.

So I'm left to look at the higher weight limit seats...that's Radian, Foonf and ...Peg Perego? I'm worried about the Peg Perego because of height issues (he's still kinda tall at 75%), I hate the price tag on the Foonf and the Radians don't thrill me either...

As for the Radians, how tall can his seated height be before he's outgrown it??? I'm reading that the internal seat height is 25"... how far below that does he have to be in order for it to be used rear facing 1", 1.5" or 2"...? I can't seem to get a straight answer on that LOL and I don't know anyone in real life with a Radian.
 

1mommy

New member
Not to throw a wrench in all your planning but maybe you can borrow a trusted seat for the baby for a few months or buy a cheap scenera until your son outgrows his boulevard and then you can get your son a britax combination seat and pass the boulevard to the baby?
 

d0ubtfire

New member
Not to throw a wrench in all your planning but maybe you can borrow a trusted seat for the baby for a few months or buy a cheap scenera until your son outgrows his boulevard and then you can get your son a britax combination seat and pass the boulevard to the baby?

Well, that's an idea to consider. Although I'd probably go with something not quite as cheap, so that I'm comfortable...like finding a deal on a Graco...(I have issues with expensive = safe LOL Except for Graco, I generally trust them...a little bit, atleast.)
 

1mommy

New member
Lol the whole point of my suggestion was to save you money from buying an expensive car seat for only a years worth of riding in it, but if you want to spend more money feel free :p
 

carolyn_mtl

New member
When DD1 was 3.25 she reached the max rf height for the Complete Air (36" in Canada). I was not ready to ff her. So, I bought a Radian, and gave dd2 the CA (for now..). My minimum was rf to age 4. Now DD1 is 4+2 months, and I am happy to keep her rf in the radian until she outgrows it. Once her 4th bday came, I wasn't comfortable turning her unless I HAD to, which I don't. She's 40" and 33lbs. She'll outgrow it by height first, but I'm hoping to get her to age 5... She's happy rf, and she's safer. So since I don't have to turn her, I'm not.
My point is, he is 32 months, and you say you want to get to age 4. When he is 4, you might wish you had a seat that got him a little longer.. I'd go with the foonf or the radian, because he's 90% for weight.
Oh, and the Radian limit is 44" and 1.5" of hard shell, whichever is reached first.
 

d0ubtfire

New member
When DD1 was 3.25 she reached the max rf height for the Complete Air (36" in Canada). I was not ready to ff her. So, I bought a Radian, and gave dd2 the CA (for now..). My minimum was rf to age 4. Now DD1 is 4+2 months, and I am happy to keep her rf in the radian until she outgrows it. Once her 4th bday came, I wasn't comfortable turning her unless I HAD to, which I don't. She's 40" and 33lbs. She'll outgrow it by height first, but I'm hoping to get her to age 5... She's happy rf, and she's safer. So since I don't have to turn her, I'm not.
My point is, he is 32 months, and you say you want to get to age 4. When he is 4, you might wish you had a seat that got him a little longer.. I'd go with the foonf or the radian, because he's 90% for weight.
Oh, and the Radian limit is 44" and 1.5" of hard shell, whichever is reached first.

I saw that the Radian seat back is 25" so... if he's 21.5" seated height now, then he would have about 2" left to grow in the Radian? That's only .5" more than he has left in the Britax BLVD... I thought it would be more....
 

d0ubtfire

New member
Lol the whole point of my suggestion was to save you money from buying an expensive car seat for only a years worth of riding in it, but if you want to spend more money feel free :p

LOL I'd love to save money, but something in me was trying to avoid deciding on a Radian...I just don't want to have to get their chair, I'm bothered by their company and the whole SuperLatch ordeal that took place...
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
I saw that the Radian seat back is 25" so... if he's 21.5" seated height now, then he would have about 2" left to grow in the Radian? That's only .5" more than he has left in the Britax BLVD... I thought it would be more....

It is more for most kids, because while on paper the measurements are similar, once the kid is in the seat in the vehicle, kids tend to have more growing room in the Radian, maybe because of the differences in the shape of the seat. I wish it were as easy as knowing the child's torso height and the measurements and requirements of the seat, though; it would make it a lot easier for parents to shop! :)
 

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