Britax g3 or g4? What would you do?

Nedra · Dec 23, 2013

I had been waiting to get a convertible for my daughter until the britax g4 seats came down in price. We want to get a Pavilion for my in-laws' car.

Just got word that my in-laws want to get the seat early so that it can be used for an out-of-town guest this holiday season. The trouble is, the britax g4 seats are still pretty expensive -- on amazon, the color we want (grid line) hasn't even come down off of MSRP.

I just realized that the two g4 features we really like (the seated shoulder height indicator and the new hugs pads) won't be used for awhile (she won't outgrow it rear-facing for another 1-3 years and we won't use the hugs pads until she's forward-facing) AND can be replaced later (the seated shoulder height thing is sewn into the cover and the hugs pads, I believe, can be bought separately).

In these circumstances, do you think we should buy a g3 and then do a new cover and hugs pads later? I really want that seated shoulder height indicator because I want to take the guesswork out of it for my in-laws. Do you think it's likely that I will be able to find a good deal on a g4 cover set if I am keeping an eye out here on the boards in the meantime?

Cnidaria · Dec 23, 2013

I guess the first question is to be sure the G4 cover will fit properly on a G3.

MommyShannon · Dec 23, 2013

When I've ordered a cheaper seat with a cover I don't like, I eventually spend money to get the one I want. I don't think I save much in the long run. The Hugs look nice but I don't think the height indicator will matter for you. I can see grandparents having the headrest too low at shorter heights. You will have a good feeling for when she's about to outgrow it complexly which is all that line indicates. Informing them that shoulders have to be below the straps will do the same. I think the line is great for uninformed users though. All that to say, get a g4 if you know you can't do without that cover. If it's full price maybe there is a store you can use coupons at.

1mommy · Dec 23, 2013

I think that you really wont save money if you order a different one then the one you want, from what I can see a seat cover will costs you around $70 from Britax, and I can't find how much the hugs are, but still between the cost and hassle of ordering and replacing I would just get the one you want now. I googled to see if I could find the seat cheaper elsewhere or somewhere you could use a coupon and found it at safety1st.com which has it for full retail price but a 5% off coupon, saving you around 17 dollars. Not sure if that's worth it to you to order from a site where you have to pay for return shipping and they have a 25% restocking fee.

joolsplus3 · Dec 23, 2013

The line on the cover looks kind of pointless to me, it's not like kids CAN get too tall in a BV/PV, the headwings won't let their shoulders get above the harness.
And someone called and got the new HUGS for their G3 seat, so that's easy to deal with when you finally need HUGS.
I'd probably go for the cheapest G3 you can find (and not even a Pavilion, the click n safe feature doesn't always work right, sometimes it clicks too loose, sometimes kids get squished in it, sometimes it stops working altogether).
Now, if the G4 had extended leg room, I'd wait. But that's another gripe for another thread

cookie123 · Dec 23, 2013

I guess I wouldn't care that much what seat cover the in laws have. They should probably choose the cover they like. You'll know when the seat is out grown so I wouldn't worry about that either. Get the G3.

YinzerMama · Dec 23, 2013

joolsplus3 said:
The line on the cover looks kind of pointless to me, it's not like kids CAN get too tall in a BV/PV, the headwings won't let their shoulders get above the harness.
And someone called and got the new HUGS for their G3 seat, so that's easy to deal with when you finally need HUGS.
I'd probably go for the cheapest G3 you can find (and not even a Pavilion, the click n safe feature doesn't always work right, sometimes it clicks too loose, sometimes kids get squished in it, sometimes it stops working altogether).
Now, if the G4 had extended leg room, I'd wait. But that's another gripe for another thread

:yeahthat:

(only I'd say taller shell more so than more legroom)

I see no compelling reason to spend more for the g4

Nedra · Dec 24, 2013

Okay, so now I am freaking out because everyone's comments seem to be that the car seat line is for outgrowing the seat overall? In the carseat blog article, it specifically said that it was an indicator for when the seat had been outgrown rear-facing. Is this not the case? Please help!

featherhead · Dec 24, 2013

Nedra said:
Okay, so now I am freaking out because everyone's comments seem to be that the car seat line is for outgrowing the seat overall? In the carseat blog article, it specifically said that it was an indicator for when the seat had been outgrown rear-facing. Is this not the case? Please help!

I understood it was for outgrowing rear-facing as well.

YinzerMama · Dec 24, 2013

My understanding is the line is for forward facing growth as it is in line with the top harness slot . It's a reminder in that aspect but doesn't tell you anything you can't figure out on your own, provided you know what to look for.

They're really been promoting the importance of torso height in terms of car seat fit, which is good BUT... For rear facing their rule is still the seat is outgrown when there is one inch of shell, not headrest, above the child's head. And whenever people on facebook comment that they wish Britax would come out with a taller rearfacing seat, or reinforce the shell so it could be extended for use while rearfacing, they never respond. I find it a very odd little gimmick. Def. not something I would pay more for.

You can see pics of the line on britax's site. http://www.britaxusa.com/whats-new?hpbr=new

featherhead · Dec 24, 2013

From carseatblog:

On the inside of the cover, there’s a new label indicating maximum shoulder height for rear-facing children. This eliminates guesswork for parents for when their child has outgrown the seat rear-facing. When the child’s shoulders reach the line on the label, it’s time to turn the child forward (height-wise).

Keeyamah · Dec 24, 2013

I wonder about this a little bit. On every seat I've had, the cover shifts as the child gets in and out. Some are better at staying put than others (my Scenera is the worst, I've lost my wallet between the cover and shell) but they've all moved some, shifting where it looks like the harness is coming out at, etc. Just how reliable to "we" think it's going to be?

Nedra · Dec 24, 2013

Okay, so now I am freaking out because everyone's comments seem to be that the car seat line is for outgrowing the seat overall? In the carseat blog article, it specifically said that it was an indicator for when the seat had been outgrown rear-facing. Is this not the case? Please help!

ETA: sorry, I don't know why this posted again. Weird.

Nedra · Dec 24, 2013

Thanks featherhead, that was the info I had remembered from carseat blog too. This info from britax is making me think that it must mean forward-facing, though:

"To help you monitor your child’s fit in their car seat, BRITAX convertible car seats now include a Seated Shoulder Height Label. This label acts as a guide to let you know how much room your child has left to grow and when it’s time to look for their next child restraint. Once your child outgrows his convertible car seat, get to know your Booster Basics before making your next car seat purchase. While some children might be the right size, age and maturity for a belt-positioning booster seat, NHTSA recommends riding in a 5-point harness as long as possible and, therefore, a Combination/Harness-2-Booster seat might be your best option."

Argh. I agree with others that it is a useless feature if it's for forward-facing. The whole difficulty with rear-facing and Britaxes is figuring out when your kid has one inch above the head to the SHELL, since the headrest is in the way. I was so excited that Britax had this new feature, since this is something I had really wanted a manufacturer to come out with.

Argh. I will call britax to make sure, but if it's for forward-facing then I think we're just going to get a g3.

TechnoGranola · Dec 24, 2013

Well Britax's has a web page about seated shoulder height and the indicator. The first paragraph talks about FF seats and how important seated shoulder height is when FF and how they developed an indicator to help. And they show the indicator at the bottom of the page.

http://www.britaxusa.com/learning-center/more-to-measure

tiggercat · Dec 24, 2013

Seated shoulder height is irrelevant when RF, no?

TechnoGranola · Dec 24, 2013

tiggercat said:
Seated shoulder height is irrelevant when RF, no?

You'd think as there is neck and head height to consider as well.

Then again, doesn't that need to be considered FF as well? Couldn't you have a kid with a long neck that ears were over the top of the seat but was still under top slots? In which case the shoulder height indicator would keep the kid in the seat too long.

featherhead · Dec 24, 2013

I guess maybe carseatblog got it wrong this time.

YinzerMama · Dec 24, 2013

Keeyamah said:
I wonder about this a little bit. On every seat I've had, the cover shifts as the child gets in and out. Some are better at staying put than others (my Scenera is the worst, I've lost my wallet between the cover and shell) but they've all moved some, shifting where it looks like the harness is coming out at, etc. Just how reliable to "we" think it's going to be?

It really looks like it is about level with the top harness slots on the cover, which does not always line up with the harness slots on the shell. You're still going to have to stick your finger in to double check.

Keeyamah · Dec 24, 2013

YinzerMama said:
It really looks like it is about level with the top harness slots on the cover, which does not always line up with the harness slots on the shell. You're still going to have to stick your finger in to double check.

Or a ruler

Britax g3 or g4? What would you do?

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