Narrow backless

jwilliams · Sep 17, 2015

My near-6yo (two weeks away!) has expressed a strong preference for a backless over a HB. Her reasons are pretty good - she can see to the side without leaning forward, and she finds the vehicle seat back to be more comfortable than the HBB - and she does seem more settled in a backless. She's 49", 48lbs never sleeps in the car, has loads of head support, good belt fit, rides without reminders, etc.

I have a Harmony Youth but I was wondering if there is something narrower or without the big flares at the back? I drive a 2014 Honda Accord and she will be outboard. The seat is fairly wide except for along the back - it's sort of wedge shaped as far as usable seat goes. So that's where I need it to be narrowest. It will be next to a rear facing RXT and I help with buckling/shoulder adjuster placement.

No budget and I do not care if it has lower anchor attachments.

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bnsnyde · Sep 17, 2015

Wow, I was going to say nothing we have seems narrower than our Harmony Youth. But perhaps there is.

Bubble Bum maybe but that's a pain for an everyday seat I would think, with the straps.

aept · Sep 17, 2015

We use the harmony youth booster alongside a RF (or FF) Radian in our Prius and our kiddos were able to get them buckled themselves by age 6.5-7. The incognito is a little easier to do up than the harmony youth but I'm guessing your DD is too small for it yet. The bubble bum is more fumbly even though it is narrower and it can also be tiring to sit upon ride after ride.
A backless Turbobooster didn't have a good shape next to the radian, in my opinion.
Backless Parkway is Ok but I think the harmony youth is better. The parkway does have the "narrow at the back" type shape, though so maybe good in your vehicle.

Maybe a Harmony Cruz? It has a unique shape.

Dillipop · Sep 17, 2015

Try the Cosco topside. While it looks a lot like the harmony youth, the seat itself is just enough different that I find it works in places the harmony doesn't. And it has the shoulder belt over the arm which I think makes it a little easier to buckle.

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Carrie_R · Sep 17, 2015

I seem to recall the Monterey & RF Radian fitting together like they were made for each other. So although it's not narrower, it might be worth it to try a Santa Fe?

jwilliams · Sep 18, 2015

Good ideas, everyone! Thank you, now I've got some things to check out [emoji3]

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Athena · Sep 18, 2015

Dillipop said:
Try the Cosco topside. While it looks a lot like the harmony youth, the seat itself is just enough different that I find it works in places the harmony doesn't. And it has the shoulder belt over the arm which I think makes it a little easier to buckle.

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I was going to suggest this one too. I found it smaller and to fit better with other seats than the youth for us, so much so I returned the youth. But we mainly use the bubblebum and incognito for 3 across because it's so much easier to reach to buckle.

bnsnyde · Sep 18, 2015

Oh, I should have mentioned Topside too (as posted above) if you need another option. My 9 YO uses that. It got not so great ratings with Consumer Reports and I can see why. Belt fit is a bit different; low on the lap portion. But the Harmony Youth did not work in that spot since he had no room to slide shoulder belt through. Incognito was too wide for his spot now. I am hoping he can 5 step soon.

Harmony Youth got great ratings and I see the belt fit (on my other kid who uses that) looks awesome!

jwilliams · Sep 18, 2015

Plus the Topside comes in purple! I'm going to try it first. The Youth works but it's not the easiest.

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jwilliams · Sep 19, 2015

Meh...I see the Topside does not have a shoulder belt adjuster strap?! I'm going to try it - because at that price why not - but I think if I don't love it I'm going to try a Rodifix. Maybe she will find that to be more comfortable than the Affix.

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Dillipop · Sep 20, 2015

jwilliams said:
Meh...I see the Topside does not have a shoulder belt adjuster strap?! I'm going to try it - because at that price why not - but I think if I don't love it I'm going to try a Rodifix. Maybe she will find that to be more comfortable than the Affix.

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We've never needed a shoulder strap with it and we've used it for 40 lb 4 year olds up to 4'9" 12 year olds.

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jwilliams · Sep 25, 2015

The Top Side came today. It fits the *car* beautifully. It fits next to the RF Radian beautifully.

Sadly, it doesn't fit the child in the outboard seat. Thanks to a combination of that goofy belt routing and the very contoured seats, the shoulder belt is all up on her neck. Probably not helped by the fact that she has a shortish torso. Now, if I move her to the middle seat - which is not scooped out like the outboard ones - it fits great. But I don't want to have to deal with her ducking under RF seats every single day.

So... I don't know. We're OK for now, I guess, with the Harmony. I might buy a Rodifix using Prime. I'm going to keep the Topside because I like having spare boosters and it will work at some point.

joolsplus3 · Sep 25, 2015

Glad the Harmony works, at least.
I'm always hoping someone will come out with the 'three across' line of seats, including boosters and an infant...heck, they can take my name for it, as long as we get something that works! Imagine seats fitting perfectly RF and FF and being able to buckle boosters...

(not eyerolling, just dreaming, lol)

Mary_Ann · Sep 25, 2015

joolsplus3 said:
Glad the Harmony works, at least.
I'm always hoping someone will come out with the 'three across' line of seats, including boosters and an infant...heck, they can take my name for it, as long as we get something that works! Imagine seats fitting perfectly RF and FF and being able to buckle boosters... (not eyerolling, just dreaming, lol)

Oh my dream!!!!

jwilliams · Sep 25, 2015

It's frustrating because I was so happy with how the two RXTs fit side by side and now I just can't get the perfect booster. I guess that'll be my white whale until I get a bigger vehicle.

And I'll keep dreaming of some kind of magical modular three across solution!

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jjordan · Sep 25, 2015

Honestly, my boostered kids duck under a rear facing seat almost every time they get in and out of the car and they've never complained! I wouldn't rule out that option.

jwilliams · Sep 25, 2015

You've convinced me...I'll try her in the middle this weekend. We don't have a high pressure school dropoff so that helps.

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babyherder · Sep 26, 2015

My (then) 5 year old nanny girl sometimes choose to climb under a rf seat instead of going to the other side of the car. Another girl I watched at age 4 told me climbing under the rf seat was like going through a tunnel. Works for me.

lgenne · Sep 27, 2015

My 3 year old often chooses to crawl under our 2 side by side RF seats just so he can climb back over one of them and into the one that belongs to him. It's his "special tunnel".

aept · Sep 27, 2015

lgenne said:
My 3 year old often chooses to crawl under our 2 side by side RF seats just so he can climb back over one of them and into the one that belongs to him. It's his "special tunnel".

3 year olds and their "short cuts"- Lol.

Narrow backless

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