Alpha Elite Apex Ok for 2 year old?

audreymom · Oct 5, 2007

My daughter meets the height & weight requirements for this convertible-to-booster seat; however she is only 26 months. The manufacturer recommends this seat for 4 years and up. Just wanted to double check that the age of 4 years is not a safety requirement???? She currently has a Britax Roundabout and has not outgrown it; however, we are handing it down to her 8 month old brother. I would like to get her the safest, most practical thing on the market. Would like to avoid having to buy both another convertible seat and then a booster seat in the next few years. Any advice is appreciated! thanks

UlrikeDG · Oct 5, 2007

Moved from reviews forum.

skaterbabs · Oct 5, 2007

How much does she weigh?

UlrikeDG · Oct 5, 2007

Are you looking at the description on BabiesRUs.com?

The only mention of age that Cosco makes is that the seat is only for children who are at least 1 year old. However, most 2 year olds can still ride rear facing, which is much safer, so I'd go with a rear facing convertible if the child is under 35 lb.

joolsplus3 · Oct 6, 2007

I'd go with a seat that doesn't convert to a booster at this point, or at least not worry about that feature. Go for a nice harness system, good sleep support, and of course a good fit to your child and car. The Apex is fine, but I don't think the quality is there for it to be a great seat for the next six years (when it expires), and you'll still need to buy booster(s) after it's expired (kids should be harnessed to at least age 5, then in boosters till about age 10-12, when the adult seatbelt finally fits properly). You'd probably be much happier with a good quality convertible, like the Marathon, Radian, or Evenflo Triumph Advance...all of which are comfortable, have high top slots and high height limits, and that you can pass down to the baby in three or four years when you put your DD into a booster or larger harnessed seat.

StarrNanny · Oct 6, 2007

joolsplus3 said:
I'd go with a seat that doesn't convert to a booster at this point, or at least not worry about that feature. Go for a nice harness system, good sleep support, and of course a good fit to your child and car. The Apex is fine, but I don't think the quality is there for it to be a great seat for the next six years (when it expires), and you'll still need to buy booster(s) after it's expired (kids should be harnessed to at least age 5, then in boosters till about age 10-12, when the adult seatbelt finally fits properly). You'd probably be much happier with a good quality convertible, like the Marathon, Radian, or Evenflo Triumph Advance...all of which are comfortable, have high top slots and high height limits, and that you can pass down to the baby in three or four years when you put your DD into a booster or larger harnessed seat.

:yeahthat: I wouldn't worry about the booster portion for now, at two she's still got 3 or 4 years before you even need to think about that. Then when the time comes you can get HBB for 40 or 50 bucks. There are more and more high weight harness seats out there that would allow you to keep your little one RF for a while and then stay harnessed just as long as Apex would.

wendytthomas · Oct 6, 2007

How much does she weigh? At 26 months if she's under 33 pounds (or 35 pounds) she should still be rearfacing, and the Apex is a forward facing only seat. Even if she is over 33 pounds I'd probably recommend something with a bit more support closer to her body, something that is made for a two year old. The age recommendations on the boxes aren't set in stone, and in fact quite the opposite, we often hate them. The Apex from four years up is fine. It's the boosters that say three and 30 that get us, or even nice seats like the Regent which say from one year and 22 pounds. No three year old should be in a booster and no one year old should be in a Regent.

Wendy

daycaremom2002 · Oct 6, 2007

If she is on the small side still, I agree with other posters. This is a wide seat. It doesn't offer much side support and if she is small enough she could still be rear facing. There are some great higher harness weight seats out there that you could use for 3 or more years until she is mature enough for a booster. At that time, you can buy a dedicated booster that fits her well.

If she is on the large side, and is approaching 40 pounds, it might be fine for her. I just put one in for my friends 39 pound 17mo. He is to wide and to heavy for most seats, but he fits this seat fine and it gives him a lot of room to grow.

So while it isn't ideal, it will fit some younger kids. You do have to have adjustable headrests or very tall seat backs as this seat requires the vehicle seat to reach up to the child eye level.

It all comes down to the size of your DD and what your budget is. I use a Marathon and I love it. I can still fit my 3yo rear facing. It is a little pricier, but you could pass it down to the baby in a few years when she is old enough to be in a booster.

Alpha Elite Apex Ok for 2 year old?

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