Question Advice on carseats - Maxi Cosi Pria vs Chicco Next Fit vs Clek Oobr

My son turned 4 in June, he is 44" tall and 44 pounds. He has consistently been 95%+ in height and 90%ish in weight. We had a Chicco Key Fit 30 that was awesome, a Combi Corroco that was great, then a Safety First Advanced Air 70 that broke.

They are replacing it right now, but I needed a carseat for a trip, so they told me to go buy it and they would refund the money. The only Safety First seat was the Advanced Air 80. We bought it, but my son missed his old seat, the new one wasn't comfortable. In fact, the new one's straps jammed. We stopped by a babies-r-us on the road and they looked at it and there was a sting or something broken, they replaced it...

Anyway, I am sitting waiting for safety first to send the refund. I am definitely NOT keeping the seat we have. 2 broken seats in less than a year?

I want to get my son something comfortable that will last. I have looked at forward facing seats, but nothing looks that comfortable. I don't need a convertible seat, but they seem much more comfortable. The Oobr is in the mix because a friend is selling the one that was in Grandma's car for $200 and it was barely used since it was bought a year ago.

I want him to be comfortable and safe, but I don't want to blow money on a seat that won't last. Thank you for any help or advice you have. If it helps, I drive a Subaru Legacy from 2006.

Can I ask exactly what looks uncomfortable to you about the seats? The cleck oobr is probably not a safe choice right now as it does not have a harness, and in order for your son to be ready for a booster he has to sit still and in place 100% of the time, including while sleeping.

I would look at the Britax Frontier or Pinnacle 90. They are the tallest harness available. They are comfy and easy to install too.

None of your current options would be optimal for a child his age and size. I agree the suggestion for a Britax Frontier 90 would be a great choice.

I would definitely recommend the Recaro Performance Pro or the Britax Frontier 90. Safest, longest lasting, and comfortable for growing kids who can start doing things on their own. My kids found the Recaro easier to manage on their own over the Britax, but that's a personal preference of my children.

I think with your size child, you will have a longer life out of a good hybrid seat (they can stay harnessed for a long time and then switch to a High back booster for seat belt positioning and safer for the child.

The Prias top slots are 18" I believe, that's pretty tall. Plus it has a built in cup holder. It's also super plush! I think the newer ones have an easier to remove cover.

You are all great. Your advice has been invaluable.

First off, why my son didn't like the safety first Complete Air 90. Not comfy like his old seat, the fabric was rough, the cup holder fell out (on day five - from the second one), the straps irritated his neck. It certainly wasn't as nice as the complete air 70, but it did turn to a booster and it looked pretty nice and was easy to install.

Next, what we just got! The Britex Frontier 90! You were all right, it is great. They are on sale all over the place (something to do with a new design since they were not a best bet from the NHSI). So, we went to Babies-R-Us for price matching... They had one Onyx left, they price matched Blinq.com for $203!!! and and and... It turned out to be the ultimate comfort series one!!! My son loves it!!! Yeah! Thank you! If anyone needs a seat, it is on Blinq.com for $203, what a deal!

Lots of love!