Next seat... - Canada (merged cross posted threads)

Hi there! I have a few questions and thought I would start in this board!

I am in Canada, and I have a daughter who will be 7 in April. She is on the small side - currently 46", and about 43lbs.

I have a 2004 Chevy Express. In that vehicle we have a Radian XT. She was RFing until last fall, and is now FFing. I am assuming we will be ok with this seat for a while yet (65 FFing limit if I recall correctly).

However, I just realized that the Evenflo that is in my husband's 2007 VW Golf only goes to 47lbs... Hmmm, I was sure it was higher, but anyway, I read and reread the sticker! Anyway, we are now wondering what we should move to next.

Here are my thoughts:
I'd prefer 5 point as long as possible (see above - RF to 6 1/2 in the Radian!! I'm a little protective!) Admittedly she was only 3 1/2 when she had to FF in the Evenflo, but she rides in my van the majority of the time, so I felt ok about that. I have read the info about her age/size and assuming the seat and seatbelt fit her correctly, I might be convinced to go to booster mode... I'm hesitant as you can see!!

I have done some looking and have found the convertible Harnessed/Booster/(NBB) seats and before I start looking at them in detail, I wondered if the options available here are different than in the US? And also what do you recommend?? Our budget is not very high... If a HBB was tons cheaper than the FFing/HBB I could see it being a potential argument for my husband and I, so I am hoping there is an inexpensive option for harnessed to booster that solves the potential issue! ;-)

I also wondered about the future seat in my van. Her current seat (Radian) in my van is on a bench with no head rests. Are there any convertible harness/boosters that cannot be used on this type of seat? I could see us using the seat in booster mode in my van in the future - especially if it is an easy install - and wanted to be sure we weren't restricting it to just my husband's car. Having it available for a friend to come with us would be a possibility, so we need to know we aren't out of luck with a certain seat! Thoughts?

Sorry so long!!

Also, is it better to post in here, or on Facebook?? I see lots of posts with lots of great answers on there too, but honestly, I'd rather it wasn't available to friends and family to see (and make judgements on!!). I'll start here and see!

Thanks in advance!
Cathie

Re: Next seat...

Hi!!! WOW!!! I think you won 1st place on rfing the longest! Way to go mama!!

I'm not comfortable giving you advice on Canadian seats though.

Re: Next seat...

Ha ha! ;-P I wish people in my real life would see it as an accomplishment!! Oh well, we did what we could to protect her as long as possible! And we will continue to too!

I'd be happy to take US seat recommendations for the same situation, and then see what we have here to compare to.

Cathie

StillThankful said:

Hi!!! WOW!!! I think you won 1st place on rfing the longest! Way to go mama!!

I'm not comfortable giving you advice on Canadian seats though.

Click to expand...

Re: Next seat...

Cathie said:

Ha ha! ;-P I wish people in my real life would see it as an accomplishment!! Oh well, we did was we could to protect her as long as possible! And we continue to too!

I'd be happy to take US seat recommendations for the same situation, and then see what we have here to compare to.

Cathie

Click to expand...

You gave excellent stats in your initial post. What is your budget?

US suggestions to compare...

5 Point Harness
Graco Nautilus


Booster
Graco Turbobooster

Graco Turbobooster Safety Surround


I let DD1 booster at 7. It was a little unnerving at first but it got easier for me over time. Although you feel that she is small, her skeletal structure is the same of any other almost 7 year old. She will be safe in either a 5 point harness or booster.

I'm a Canadian technician. At 7 years and over 40 lbs she would be perfectly safe in a booster, unless she lacks impulse control. However, there is nothing wrong with continuing to harness her if that's what you decide to do. The Graco Nautilus is a great suggestion for that. My 7 year old is just a little bigger. She rides in a Diono Monterey booster. She really likes her seat, and is safe in it. Other good booster options are the Britax Parkway, and Graco TurboBooster. There are others as well, I just don't have as much experience with them.

One thought about your current Radian. The weight limit is 65 lbs, but the seat will likely be outgrown by height first. Once her shoulders are higher than the top harness slot, the seat is outgrown.

A little followup... Thoughts on the Evenflo Securekid?

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/evenflo-securekid-harnessed-booster-kohl/6000161804219

Cathie said:

A little followup... Thoughts on the Evenflo Securekid?

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/evenflo-securekid-harnessed-booster-kohl/6000161804219

Click to expand...

Hi there. I had one for DD1. I'm neutral with that seat. I don't like or dislike it (if that makes sense). It has an infinite harness which some people tend to dislike--I didn't mind so much. The harness strapes seemed to be close together (which creates discomfort in bigger kids). Here are some pics of DD1 in it--I think she was in Kindergarten at the time.

I thought it was an easy install but there was no recline at all AND the headrest kind of sticks out (not integrated with the rest of the seat), which cause major head slump (the reason I returned it). But my DD1 is a major car sleeper.

DSCN0164 by StillThankful, on Flickr

DSCN0162 by StillThankful, on Flickr

DSCN0160 by StillThankful, on Flickr

DSCN0159 by StillThankful, on Flickr

Hi!! I also have an Express (2006). I added headrests to mine. If you're interested I can walk you through it.

Do you have any other children? Where is the Radian installed right now? Just a heads-up that it is incompatible with the outboard seatbelts in that vehicle. Where will you want the new seat? Asking because there are a lot of incompatibilities with those outboard seatbelts. The Nautilus & Securekid are both great suggestions

Keeanh said:

Hi!! I also have an Express (2006). I added headrests to mine. If you're interested I can walk you through it.

Do you have any other children? Where is the Radian installed right now? Just a heads-up that it is incompatible with the outboard seatbelts in that vehicle. Where will you want the new seat? Asking because there are a lot of incompatibilities with those outboard seatbelts. The Nautilus & Securekid are both great suggestions

Click to expand...

Hi! Thanks for the info!

What do you mean about the seatbelt incompatibility? I didn't find any info about that when we moved from RFing. Hopefully I haven't missed something important! Do you mean the seats on the passenger side that use the seat belts from across the walkway?

Her Radian is behind the driver on the bench seat.

I just had a look at the Harmony Defender. Looks promising! Any feedback??

Are you wanting to keep the seat behind the driver's seat? I think the Evenflo has a better chance of installing with the outboard seatbelt. The Harmony is supposed to be flush with the seatback, and I think that will be impossible to accomplish in the Express. But I haven't tried either seat, so can't say for sure. The Harmony should be easy in a middle seat, especially one of the lap belts.

Cathie said:

Hi! Thanks for the info!

What do you mean about the seatbelt incompatibility? I didn't find any info about that when we moved from RFing. Hopefully I haven't missed something important! Do you mean the seats on the passenger side that use the seat belts from across the walkway?

Her Radian is behind the driver on the bench seat.

Click to expand...

I mean the outboard seatbelts (both driver & passenger side) are anchored WAY forward of the seat bight and it's impossible to get a Radian in tight. Try pulling forwards on the seat. Try twisting it to face the middle of the van. If you're using LATCH, I believe the new LATCH limit of 65lbs total is retroactive for GM, which means the LATCH limit for the RXT is 38lbs.

This is what I mean by the Radian twisting and sliding forward because of the seatbelt anchor location:

Keeanh said:

This is what I mean by the Radian twisting and sliding forward because of the seatbelt anchor location:

Click to expand...

Oh crap... I didn't realize that it would twist and move!!! I have it really tight, and I mean REALLY tight, and it doesn't move side to side and did move forward when I was first tightening it, but thought I fixed that... I didn't however yank on that one corner to make it twist... I just went and checked, and YIKES!! Ok, well, now I know, and I will probably switch the Radian to my husband's VW, and get a new one for mine. Do you know if we can return car seats here in Canada the same as the US people seem to?? I'd maybe like to try the Harmony Defender as it has a lot of the features and length of use that I like, but is still a reasonable price. I saw it for $159 today.

Thanks for letting me know!!

Oh, and I do think the driver side is where her seat has to be installed. I need to be able to put a dog crate beside her on the seat (fastened in!). The middle seat wouldn't give me enough space to do so. I didn't actually realize that the Radian could be installed with just a lap belt - not that I researched it, it just never occurred to me as I didn't see that as an option for our situation. Until last fall, her seat was on the passenger side while she was RFing, but it was using Latch, and when I found out about the weight limit, she was right at that limit, so we had to switch to the seatbelt. The passenger side seatbelt is crazily in the way (as you can attest I'm sure!), and I wouldn't be able to get dogs in and out of their crates because of it. I would rather have her on the passenger side as I hate getting her in and out of the driver side!! (We have barn doors on both sides.) We switched to FFing when we stopped using Latch as well. I was hoping to go longer just to be stubborn about reaching the weight limit (it's 45 and she wasn't quite there yet!), but I figured 6 1/2 was ok! ;-)

Thanks!
Cathie

Yep, those belts are not fun with car seats LOL.

I forgot we were in the Canadian forum when I mentioned LATCH limits (and I should have said UAS, haha). I don't think we're using the 65lb total weight limit here. The limit for Chevy is 48lbs unless the restraint says less (Radian is fine), so you might be able to use UAS for a few more pounds.

Can you put her in the 3rd row? That one has a lap belt in the middle. Lap belts are by far the easiest for car seat installs.

Yes, you can return car seats in Canada, although different stores have different policies. Make sure you ask before you buy to clarify. I've returned seats to Walmart before. I haven't asked anywhere else that I can think of, sorry.

If you're trying a seat with those outboard seatbelts, go to the trouble of putting a locking clip on it. It can be the difference between an install being compatible or not.

Can you guide me on the use of the locking clip? I'll do the research too, but thought I'd see if you have thoughts specific to my situation.

Also, should I assume the Defender would have the same issue? And possibly the locking clip would be the solution if it was? It just occurred to me that I might be out of luck with most seats!

Oh, and the third row hasn't been in except for one weekend since we bought the van seven years ago! ;-) Dog crates fill the back!! ;-P And goodness, that would be so far away! We'd have to have an intercom to chat! LOL! I checked my the second row bench - it has a lap/shoulder belt with a normal anchor in the centre. If we are struggling with this setup, we might be able to arrange that extra crate elsewhere, and install in the centre.

Lots to think about!!
Cathie

Keeanh said:

Yep, those belts are not fun with car seats LOL.

I forgot we were in the Canadian forum when I mentioned LATCH limits (and I should have said UAS, haha). I don't think we're using the 65lb total weight limit here. The limit for Chevy is 48lbs unless the restraint says less (Radian is fine), so you might be able to use UAS for a few more pounds.

Can you put her in the 3rd row? That one has a lap belt in the middle. Lap belts are by far the easiest for car seat installs.

Yes, you can return car seats in Canada, although different stores have different policies. Make sure you ask before you buy to clarify. I've returned seats to Walmart before. I haven't asked anywhere else that I can think of, sorry.

If you're trying a seat with those outboard seatbelts, go to the trouble of putting a locking clip on it. It can be the difference between an install being compatible or not.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that reminder about the harness slots in her Radian! I checked her carefully, and she is still good for a while (I assume!!). She is on the top slot, but it is above her shoulder for now.

I'm considering the Harmony Defender to at least replace the Evenflo. We will play around with both vehicles though to see how things fit. I see a few sweaty installs in my future! ;-) Actually, better to do it now than in the summer!!

Thanks again!
Cathie

featherhead said:

I'm a Canadian technician. At 7 years and over 40 lbs she would be perfectly safe in a booster, unless she lacks impulse control. However, there is nothing wrong with continuing to harness her if that's what you decide to do. The Graco Nautilus is a great suggestion for that. My 7 year old is just a little bigger. She rides in a Diono Monterey booster. She really likes her seat, and is safe in it. Other good booster options are the Britax Parkway, and Graco TurboBooster. There are others as well, I just don't have as much experience with them.

One thought about your current Radian. The weight limit is 65 lbs, but the seat will likely be outgrown by height first. Once her shoulders are higher than the top harness slot, the seat is outgrown.

Click to expand...

Are you set on keeping her harnessed? Or do you think she might be ready for a booster? Do you do long road trips?

If you're considering a booster, here's what I would do in your place. I would reinstall the Radian with UAS as long as she's under 48lbs. I would replace the Evenflo with a Turbo booster or maybe a Dreamtime for the deeper headwings, and see how she does with it. If she sits properly and is able to sleep upright in it, I'd get a Parkway for the van when she hit 48lbs.

Looking at pictures, I wouldn't hold out much hope for the Defender outboard in the Express. I can't say about the Securekid. Possibly? Another harnessed seat you could look at is the Sureride. It goes in FF with a locking clip. It's a convertible but you could easily sell it when she was done with the harness.

Keeanh said:

I forgot we were in the Canadian forum when I mentioned LATCH limits (and I should have said UAS, haha). I don't think we're using the 65lb total weight limit here. The limit for Chevy is 48lbs unless the restraint says less (Radian is fine), so you might be able to use UAS for a few more pounds.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately for this situation we are in fact using the brand-wide 65lbs combined weight of child+seat and also very unfortunately Chevy is also applying that to the tether anchor. Most brands don't when installed with the seat belt, but Chevy does

They've said your approved options re tethering in that situation are to 1) rear-face the child and install with the belt, 2) use a lighter weight seat to remain under the 65lb cap, 3) booster the child. Many people choose 4) tether over the weight limit because often 1, 2, or 3 are not possible.

Hi Jen! Thanks for the info! I'm confused by the tether anchor info. Do you mean the top tether? Do you mean they impose a limit even when installed with the seatbelt? Top tethers are mandatory so I don't get how they can limit their use when the seat allows it. So confused!!

Pixelated said:

Unfortunately for this situation we are in fact using the brand-wide 65lbs combined weight of child+seat and also very unfortunately Chevy is also applying that to the tether anchor. Most brands don't when installed with the seat belt, but Chevy does

They've said your approved options re tethering in that situation are to 1) rear-face the child and install with the belt, 2) use a lighter weight seat to remain under the 65lb cap, 3) booster the child. Many people choose 4) tether over the weight limit because often 1, 2, or 3 are not possible.

Click to expand...

Pixelated said:

Unfortunately for this situation we are in fact using the brand-wide 65lbs combined weight of child+seat and also very unfortunately Chevy is also applying that to the tether anchor. Most brands don't when installed with the seat belt, but Chevy does

They've said your approved options re tethering in that situation are to 1) rear-face the child and install with the belt, 2) use a lighter weight seat to remain under the 65lb cap, 3) booster the child. Many people choose 4) tether over the weight limit because often 1, 2, or 3 are not possible.

Click to expand...

Ugh! I googled all sorts of stuff looking for any change to Canadian rules. Didn't find anything. Do you happen to have a link, Jen? Any idea what the heck Chevy wants us to do with a kid over 45-ish lbs? Ridiculous.

Particularly in the case of the Express, I would tether without a 2nd thought. Those tether anchors are not normal anchor hardware. They use seatbelt parts on the seatbelt anchor. I have no doubt they are just as strong as the seatbelts themselves.