Seat for huge baby: 9 months, 34 lbs 11 oz?!?

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Platy

Guest
Help! I am the dad of a big and tall baby who is going way way off the growth charts--at 9 months he is 34 lbs. 11oz.! Is there any way he can ride in the car safely before he turns 1 year old? Right now he is in a rear-facing Evenflo Triumph DLX, which is no good with the 30 pound rear-facing limit. I am considering buying maybe a Triumph Advance or an Alpha Omega Elite, but those will last about a week before he goes over the 35 pound rear-facing limit.

Am I just going to have to take a calculated risk in this unusual situation? Which is worse: to turn a child front-facing before 1 year or to exceed the rear-facing weight limit of a car seat?
 
ADS

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
I'm aware of at least one instance in the past where Cosco has approved using one of their convertible seats past 35 lb for a child who was under a year old.

Another option would be to import a seat from Sweden with a higher rear facing weight limit (55 lb). That's a lot more complicated (and expensive), but I'd actually consider it for a child that young.
 

ZephyrBlue

New member
I would NOT turn a 9mo baby FF. If importing a foreign seat was the only option, that's what we would do. Have you called Evenflo and explained the situation to them? I'm curious about how Dorel could endorse using a seat past the max. weight limit without incurring serious liability if that child were injured/killed? :confused:
 

Morganthe

New member
Another option would be to import a seat from Sweden with a higher rear facing weight limit (55 lb). That's a lot more complicated (and expensive), but I'd actually consider it for a child that young.

I completely agree! Look into doing this as soon as you are able to do so.
Even if he's still around 36lbs at 1 year old, as far as I'm concerned, his weight makes it more dangerous to forward face than the average 21lb baby. His bones are nowhere near mature enough to safely support his weight.

Have you asked your doctor for any suggestions for your above average child for the car seat situation? S/He might be able to expedite a special car seat through customs based on medical needs.

good luck.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I'm voting to use a seat forward facing and tightly tethered.

Just my 2 cents, but kids in top tethered seats have very low head and neck injury rates, despite being turned well before a year in other countries.

:)
 

canadianmom2three

Active member
I would say maybe the Radian, with all the debate about it passing high rf testing, maybe contacting SK directly and speaking to someone VERY knowledgable (not just CS who will tell you whatever you want to hear) might result in 'permission' to use the Radian rf past 35lbs??? In any case, isn't it supposed to have extrodinarily low head excursion values ffing - esp when tethered? That might be a good choice.
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
No way in heck would I put a 9 month old FF. I would try everything I could to get a Swedish seat that RF's to 55lbs.
 

kaylee18

New member
In this case, it should be straightforward to get a doctor's note to file the paperwork with the NHTSA to get a higher-weight-RF carseat imported. I'd go for the Maxi-Cosi Mobi:

870

Description in English
Manual in English

With NHTSA "special needs" approval, you can import and use the seat legally in the U.S. It's good till 55lbs. so it should last you quite a while.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
This isn't official, but there was a mom on Delphi that contacted NHTSA about importing a seat and they basically said they didn't care what she did. :eek: I personally don't think I'd contact them anyways in this case, what are the chances that the cop who pulls you over will even know what kind of seat you have and that it's not American? The hard part will be getting ahold of that seat and covering the $ to buy it and then shipping it. I would probably get a Radian and use it ffing w/ the tether. It's supposed to have great head excursion numbers and the tether will help even more.
 

tarynsmum

Senior Community Member
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around a 35 pound 9 month old :jaw:. That's double what DD was at that age (and she's only about 20 now).

I disagree with Julie though. I really couldn't put a 9 month old FFing. It's a really tough situation... What are the odds that he'll become mobile soon and slim down/ slow his growth? I in no way feel like 1 year old is the "magic age" where you can turn FFing, but 9 months is just way too young in my book. However, by the time you get all you need to even try to get a Swedish CR, and ship it here, and actually receive it in the mail, he'll be over that weight limit regardless.

This is really, really tough. I would rather get a Britax Diplomat (goes to 35 pounds), and have it braced and tethered, than go FFing. But I really don't like either situation.
 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member
I think I'd be calling every manufacturer and using everything in my power to find out what exactly happens to their seats when used past the RF weight limits.

Do they fail ?
Are they just not tested that way ?
Are they tested and pass, but not labelled because of politics ?

I don't know what I would do, honestly. I would be hard-pressed to turn a 9-month old forward facing, but the fear of seat failure when used past the RF weight limit scares me.

And I'm not just talking out my arse - I've thought this through a LOT, as I have a 27-lb 10-month old, and a seat that maxes out at 30-lbs rear-facing.
 

Wineaux

New member
It's not that hard to get European car seats. I mean a quick trip to Amazon UK will allow you to buy what you want. Just keep in mind exchange rates and shipping costs. Who knows, you might even get free shipping like we do when buying something from them here in the States.
 

UlrikeDG

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
It's not that hard to get European car seats. I mean a quick trip to Amazon UK will allow you to buy what you want.

Am I missing something? I don't see any seats on there that can be used RF past 13 kg (28 lb). It's not just "European" seats. It's Scandinavian seats with high rear facing weight limits, and those are much more complicated to get. Not only are they expensive, but the websites that sell them are in Swedish or Norwegian, which most of us can't read.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Theoretically a seat would fail rfing past 35# b/c of overrotation, which can be fixed w/ it being close to a front seat in most cases. We know the straps will hold till 65# (in the case of high weight seat which op will definitely need) so that's not a concern. As a tech though I have a hard time telling anyone to use a seat past the specified terms and I bet you'll be hard pressed to find a manufactuere that will allow it. Of course using it ffing before 1 isn't allowed either, but I bet the weight guidelines are more important to them (max weights) than age.
 

tarynsmum

Senior Community Member
It's not that hard to get European car seats. I mean a quick trip to Amazon UK will allow you to buy what you want. Just keep in mind exchange rates and shipping costs. Who knows, you might even get free shipping like we do when buying something from them here in the States.

But what about getting through customs? Since it's technically an illegal item (I just know this was mentioned on other threads, that you could somehow finagle a seat from Sweden and pay for it to be shipped and all, only for customs to seize it as contraband).

I'm a stickler for rules, don't get me wrong. I would NEVER recommend going half a pound over the weight limit FFing, EVER. I don't think I would be comfortable going over the weight limit in, say, a Scenera either (because it feels flimsier, and because it only harnesses up to 40 pounds total). I don't know. If I were in this position, I think I would install the seat more upright RFing (like 35 degrees), tether it, preferably brace it, and break the weight limit. MHO.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
In this case, it should be straightforward to get a doctor's note to file the paperwork with the NHTSA to get a higher-weight-RF carseat imported. I'd go for the Maxi-Cosi Mobi:

870

Description in English
Manual in English

With NHTSA "special needs" approval, you can import and use the seat legally in the U.S. It's good till 55lbs. so it should last you quite a while.

NHTSA doesn't consider 'high weight' a special need, unfortunately....
 

Wineaux

New member
Am I missing something? I don't see any seats on there that can be used RF past 13 kg (28 lb). It's not just "European" seats. It's Scandinavian seats with high rear facing weight limits, and those are much more complicated to get. Not only are they expensive, but the websites that sell them are in Swedish or Norwegian, which most of us can't read.

Search for Maxi Cosi, or whatever brand you are looking for. Their new baby section does not have them all listed. ;)
 

Wineaux

New member
You can also go to Amazon Germany if you speak German. If not, then use www.altavista.com to search for the site. The Altavista search engine has a built-in translation service so you can pretty much get the site, and any other foreign language site for that matter, in English.
 

thepote

New member
I just saw somewhere it said the approx. price for a Maxi Cosi Mobi is 2500kr, which online currency exchange says $383. Wow.

I'd buy it, though, if it were here (HEAR THAT ALL YOU CR MANUFACTURERS??!! :p)

To the OP... good luck with your big bundle of joy :love: I'm not a tech or a fortune teller, but I would have no problem with a braced and tethered RF seat over the weight limit by a few lbs in this case.
 

jdchic3

New member
You might be able to get someone to purchase one for you in one of those countries and then ship it to you... Or maybe on ebay someone would be willing to ship it here.
 

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