Rainier and Advanced Air

Ok, I have given up my load leg convertible dream. Definitely getting another Foonf and probably a Peg. Two other seats interest me though. Rainier and Advance 65 Air - totally different types!

Rainier - So tempted by the easy loading. DD1 rarely climbs in the Foonf quickly and half the time ends up in the front seat or third row. So I usually pick her up. Not fun or easy.

Please convince me one more time that vehicle intrusion is not an issue with the low sides by the torso and legs of the Rainier. I know her head is protected by RF and the wings/deeper shell, but the shell gets very open from shoulders down. If my car gets dented inward, does she get a door in her side? Also that youtube video of the Radian 65 and the dummy nailing it's head - Rainier is a totally different seat, right?

Is sitting very low going to put her more at risk for a direct hit in the first place? I feel like between my minivan and the Foonf height, very few cars could "reach" her. Would the side impact airbag protect her head better sitting high as well?

How hard is the Rainier to use with a non locking seat belt?

Does it install well with the seat belt in a 2014 Odyssey? For some reason I am completely intimidated by this seat.

Advanced 65 Air - I honestly believe this really does have tank like SIP between the Gx cell and the huge sides. I literally can't see my DD1 in the seat except for her toes from the side. Sometimes I think of leaving it as the permanent outboard seat. It's amazingly roomy inside - can that be a bad thing to have so much lateral movement in the body? Is the harness difficult to loosen?

Final question - DD wants a travel Tokidoki Foonf. I have no idea what Tokidoki is and honestly think it looks weird and creepy and really busy. Is it fun in person? Do you grow to like it (if you didn't to start)? Why can't they put Doc Mcstuffins or Sophia all over it instead of spooky looking people!

Probably going to order the Foonf/Peg tonight. Just thought I would have one more long post before I am done!

Hazelandlucy said:

Ok, I have given up my load leg convertible dream. Definitely getting another Foonf and probably a Peg. Two other seats interest me though. Rainier and Advance 65 Air - totally different types!

Rainier - So tempted by the easy loading. DD1 rarely climbs in the Foonf quickly and half the time ends up in the front seat or third row. So I usually pick her up. Not fun or easy.

Please convince me one more time that vehicle intrusion is not an issue with the low sides by the torso and legs of the Rainier. I know her head is ok with RF and the wings/deeper shell, but the shell gets very open from shoulders down. If my car gets dented inward, does she get a door in her side? Also that youtube video of the Radian 65 and the dummy nailing it's head - Rainier is a totally different seat, right?

Is sitting very low going to put her more at risk for a direct hit in the first place? I feel like between my minivan and the Foonf height, very few cars could "reach" her. Would the side impact airbag protect her head better sitting high as well?

How hard is the Rainier to use with a non locking seat belt?

Does it install well with the seat belt in a 2014 Odyssey? For some reason I am completely intimidated by this seat.

Advanced 65 Air - I honestly believe this really does have tank like SIP between the Gx cell and the huge sides. I literally can't see my DD1 in the seat except for her toes from the side. Sometimes I think of leaving it as the permanent RF outboard seat to get DD1 to 4 and then DD2 from 2 to 4. Now for my unusual question! It's soooo roomy inside - can that be a bad thing or is lateral movement within the padded seat no big deal? Is the harness tough like on some other Dorel seats?

Probably going to order the Foonf/Peg tonight. Just thought I would have one more long post before I am done!

Click to expand...

Side impact protection is all objective at this point, but honestly I feel better about the type of SIP in the Rainier or the Advocate than I do about any type of deeper shell or headwings. Almost all side impact crashes have a frontal aspect which very likely might throw a child's head out of the head wings anyway (an obvious exception would be pulling out onto a busy street and getting tboned or something). The sides of the Rainier or Advocate absorb the crash forces themselves, which seems better to me. It's just my gut feeling, obviously it's pure speculation as there's no data to support it.

I don't know the answer to all your questions but I can try on some of them. I think my DS is your DDs age. We got the ranier when he outgrew his britax by height.

I do have DS climb in the seat by himself regularly. It takes him more or less time depending on his mood and what toys he sees on the floor, and is in reverse proportion to how much of a hurry I am in. So I'm not convinced this is seat dependent.

I didn't find it difficult to install. The raised seat bight of my Subaru basically gives me 2 different places where I can put the rear facing boot in to get a different angle. He is pretty reclined and likes it that way and he has a lot of legroom. It is easy to buckle him in without untightening and tighten in the straps everytime.

It is more challenging to install than a britax. I would say it's not jarder than a sureride. It tends to tilt a little with the seat belt install which I know isn't dangerous but I find highly annoying. It only goes to 35 lbs with latch. I imagine you'd need to use a locking clip to install without a locking belt. I've never tried that, but I'm considering it due to my tilt angst.

Eta I have a tokidoki lunch bag for dd and like it but don't necessarily want it on a car seat!

cottonpenny said:

I don't know the answer to all your questions but I can try on some of them. I think my DS is your DDs age. We got the ranier when he outgrew his britax by height.

I do have DS climb in the seat by himself regularly. It takes him more or less time depending on his mood and what toys he sees on the floor, and is in reverse proportion to how much of a hurry I am in. So I'm not convinced this is seat dependent.

I didn't find it difficult to install. The raised seat bight of my Subaru basically gives me 2 different places where I can put the rear facing boot in to get a different angle. He is pretty reclined and likes it that way and he has a lot of legroom. It is easy to buckle him in without untightening and tighten in the straps everytime.

It is more challenging to install than a britax. I would say it's not jarder than a sureride. It tends to tilt a little with the seat belt install which I know isn't dangerous but I find highly annoying. It only goes to 35 lbs with latch. I imagine you'd need to use a locking clip to install without a locking belt. I've never tried that, but I'm considering it due to my tilt angst.

Eta I have a tokidoki lunch bag for dd and like it but don't necessarily want it on a car seat!

Click to expand...

I totally agree that as far as my 2 yr old climbing in, the seat doesn't matter. When I bribe with a lollipop she can be in that seat in 30 seconds! It's the other 99% of the time that it takes so long or she is so naughty that I have to pick her up - that's when I am hoping a lower seat is easier! Also I think I have blown preschool carline lady's mind by still RF and RF in a seat that is nose level with her, lol.

Do you worry about the side door hitting his sides? I don't know the amount of normal intrusion in a side impact accident and keep envisioning what is probably a worst case catastrophic accident. That's probably my whole problem. I keep imagining some awful scenario and trying to figure out what seat saves my kid.

Is the FF seat belt install easier? I think I might get to 4 and not over 35 lbs.

Have you tried the back pack method of carrying it?

For some reason, the seatbelt install of my Radian was better than the LATCH in my Ody. Even just locking the belt never made my old one tip (and I had the one that's like the video...and no airbags... wasn't my favorite FF seat, a Rainier is totally different ), but a locking clip isn't the worst thing to learn to do, especially in that seat where the belt path is close to the buckle.

Hazelandlucy said:

I totally agree that as far as my 2 yr old climbing in, the seat doesn't matter. When I bribe with a lollipop she can be in that seat in 30 seconds! It's the other 99% of the time that it takes so long or she is so naughty that I have to pick her up - that's when I am hoping a lower seat is easier! Also I think I have blown preschool carline lady's mind by still RF and RF in a seat that is nose level with her, lol.

Do you worry about the side door hitting his sides? I don't know the amount of normal intrusion in a side impact accident and keep envisioning what is probably a worst case catastrophic accident. That's probably my whole problem. I keep imagining some awful scenario and trying to figure out what seat saves my kid.

Is the FF seat belt install easier? I think I might get to 4 and not over 35 lbs.

Have you tried the back pack method of carrying it?

Click to expand...

I don't have a foonf or a minivan so not sure how much easier the ranier would be to force her in. I can tell you it's a lot easier than the britax which was a struggle from 2-2.9, especially last winter with sweaters and thicker pants, etc.

I haven't installed it FF yet! And I haven't traveled with it since er took our spare sureride last time we flew. It's a heavy sucker but I think it should be easier to manage than the click tights since it folds, and it's about the same weight. Those look heavy + awkward.

I dunno about the side impact. It sort if seems unlikely to me that such a small area would indent to hit the child but not displace the seat. Heads are different I think cause they can fly around and hit things but bodies can't. Complete guess though!!!