KidFit ZipAir with incredible leg support

joolsplus3 · Dec 28, 2015

http://www.chiccoshop.com/gear/shop...siaagYW4kaaadlcP3AWCOh&start=3&cgid=BabiesRUs
They don't show the seat in use on the box, I'm like, what is this huge extra leg extension-looking thing? A huge leg extension thing!

AllieK · Dec 28, 2015

Wow, that's like a recliner!

cookie123 · Dec 28, 2015

AllieK said:
Wow, that's like a recliner!

It is! I kind of think it would encourage slouching. And broken legs. Imagine if the legs are sticking out probably feet touching the seat back in front of it.

Nedra · Dec 28, 2015

cookie123 said:
It is! I kind of think it would encourage slouching. And broken legs. Imagine if the legs are sticking out probably feet touching the seat back in front of it.

I was worried about slouching too, but being fairly clueless about boosters, I wasn't sure if that was a real concern. Doesn't the Kia Sedona or some other minivan have recliner-like leg rests in the second row? I seem to remember that from a carseatblog review.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jjordan · Dec 28, 2015

Holy smokes!

Athena · Dec 28, 2015

But did they make the shoulder height any taller? If not, who are these super long legged, very short torsoed kids they are making this seat for?

joolsplus3 · Dec 29, 2015

cookie123 said:
It is! I kind of think it would encourage slouching. And broken legs. Imagine if the legs are sticking out probably feet touching the seat back in front of it.

Broken legs for FF kids are already a huge issue... might this maybe make it less than kids having their feet constantly propped on front seatbacks?
Just speculating, I guess we'll have to wait a few years till CR gets around to testing with their realistic test bench.

joolsplus3 · Dec 29, 2015

Athena said:
But did they make the shoulder height any taller? If not, who are these super long legged, very short torsoed kids they are making this seat for?

I'm skeptical that very tall kids should be in highbacks, personally, since the head excursion (and thus the risk of head injury), is *so* much greater with big kids, I don't really want them to be an extra, what, 3-5? inches forward due to headwings that may or may not confer any safety benefit in a side impact. (Yeah, I do have a blog with my 12 yo in a Frontier, that was before the study that showed nbb's weren't safer than hbb's...)

melniemi · Dec 29, 2015

joolsplus3 said:
I'm skeptical that very tall kids should be in highbacks, personally, since the head excursion (and thus the risk of head injury), is *so* much greater with big kids, I don't really want them to be an extra, what, 3-5? inches forward due to headwings that may or may not confer any safety benefit in a side impact. (Yeah, I do have a blog with my 12 yo in a Frontier, that was before the study that showed nbb's weren't safer than hbb's...)

At what height do you consider nbbs to be safer than hbb?

Carrie_R · Dec 30, 2015

But there's the flip side whereby that study was done when our high back booster options were things like AOEs & Cosco Ventura. I'd love to see Turbo/Monterey/Parkway vs Harmony Literider and see if there was still no difference.

To be clear, I'm not sure the correct answer, I'm just hesitant to base decisions on a study that is not reflective of current options (though it does make me feel a whole lot better when I have to put a 40lb 4yo in a backless, to be sure.)

Athena · Dec 30, 2015

Interesting points, questions, and discussion

For me, I have to take into consideration the fact that my kids prefer the comfort of HBBs. When told she was moving to the top height, my PKWY kid asked nervously, "that doesn't mean I'll have to go into a NBB soon, does it?"

My oldest is 5 feet tall and I'm uncertain about the lap belt position and if she 5 steps in our car yet. And I've read it's better to keep them in a booster longer, until she's further into puberty, if possible. So if she doesn't, is keeping her in the incognito over the height limit safer than moving her to the FR85 in HBB mode?

Satcheson · Dec 31, 2015

I was about to purchase a regular KidFit Zip, and just saw the "Air" option last night. $10 difference in listed price, but with deals I've seen lately and the Air being a BRU exclusive, it equates to about a $30-40 difference. Any thoughts on the fabric? Anyone seen/touched it in person? Looks velcro-ish, and perhaps not super soft, but I have no idea. Kids mentioned that both their seats are hot (Radian and Frontier), so they liked the idea of a cooler fabric. Plus, they were super excited about the leg pad. I think it might unzip there at the base of the seat, but then wouldn't that zipper rub against legs? Looks intriguing, but I've yet to see any reviews. Still debating between this, Parkway SGL, or Monterey. Thoughts?

Athena · Dec 31, 2015

Satcheson said:
I was about to purchase a regular KidFit Zip, and just saw the "Air" option last night. $10 difference in listed price, but with deals I've seen lately and the Air being a BRU exclusive, it equates to about a $30-40 difference. Any thoughts on the fabric? Anyone seen/touched it in person? Looks velcro-ish, and perhaps not super soft, but I have no idea. Kids mentioned that both their seats are hot (Radian and Frontier), so they liked the idea of a cooler fabric. Plus, they were super excited about the leg pad. I think it might unzip there at the base of the seat, but then wouldn't that zipper rub against legs? Looks intriguing, but I've yet to see any reviews. Still debating between this, Parkway SGL, or Monterey. Thoughts?

How tall do you need it to go? The Parkway and monterey are taller. What are your Vehicle head rests like? The monterey requires vehicle head support, without that head rest pushing the booster forward at all, as in it still needs to sit flush against the vehicle seat, ruling it out for some. These are two things to consider that might help you decide, or at least rule something out.

HTH.

Satcheson · Dec 31, 2015

Athena said:
How tall do you need it to go? The Parkway and monterey are taller. What are your Vehicle head rests like? The monterey requires vehicle head support, without that head rest pushing the booster forward at all, as in it still needs to sit flush against the vehicle seat, ruling it out for some. These are two things to consider that might help you decide, or at least rule something out. HTH.

I know the Kidfit is shorter than the others. I guess I need to go measure my kids! DD is about 6.5, average height, and just over 40 lbs. Son is 4 and not quite 40 lbs. I think this next seat may move between various cars, so I might need to rule out the Monterey. Thanks for the reminder!

joolsplus3 · Jan 1, 2016

melniemi said:
At what height do you consider nbbs to be safer than hbb?

Good question. Tough to call. 6 yo dummies look great in hbbs, 10yos fly forward so much more (in my memory of crash tests). So it's somewhere in between those. I think my personal mommy gut says size 7/8 or 8/10 shirt size, that's getting pretty tall and heavy where you don't want them farther forward. It's why I like the thin and low and flimsy Boost Air because it's comfy and good for sleeping but doesn't push very tall kids forward as much, if they still like the comfort of a high back.

joolsplus3 · Jan 1, 2016

Carrie_R said:
But there's the flip side whereby that study was done when our high back booster options were things like AOEs & Cosco Ventura. I'd love to see Turbo/Monterey/Parkway vs Harmony Literider and see if there was still no difference.

To be clear, I'm not sure the correct answer, I'm just hesitant to base decisions on a study that is not reflective of current options (though it does make me feel a whole lot better when I have to put a 40lb 4yo in a backless, to be sure.)

It was the other way around... The newer data are from the better high back era showing no difference in side impact I've never seen a 4 yo reliably sit well in a backless and recommend high backs to 6 or 7 when those wider shoulders work better for belt fit.

melniemi · Jan 1, 2016

joolsplus3 said:
Good question. Tough to call. 6 yo dummies look great in hbbs, 10yos fly forward so much more (in my memory of crash tests). So it's somewhere in between those. I think my personal mommy gut says size 7/8 or 8/10 shirt size, that's getting pretty tall and heavy where you don't want them farther forward. It's why I like the thin and low and flimsy Boost Air because it's comfy and good for sleeping but doesn't push very tall kids forward as much, if they still like the comfort of a high back.

Thanks. Interesting. My daughter is almost 9(2 weeks) but only 50" and 55#. She'd love a backless but sleeps a lot so I'm keeping her in her Recaro Performance Booster. She's a size 8 so getting close to what you're saying is big. I let her ride in a backless for short rides but I'm not ready to commit. Lol

ketchupqueen · Jan 1, 2016

But see, my 7 year old is moving into size 10 shirts because of long torso and is NOT ready for a backless full time. She is still harnessed in fact because she has epilepsy, but I've told her at 8 she can booster full time except long road trips. But it HAS to be a high back- she gets way too slumpy when she's tired without support. If this was taller I'd totally buy it for her.

She's not that heavy either. Around what the 6 year old dummy weighs IIRC.

lgenne · Jan 1, 2016

I want an algorithm. Plug in your kid's DOB, height, weight, seated height, and a squirreliness factor, and it tells you the perfect booster for your kid. (Or tells you they should still be harnessed, or RF, obviously.)

Clear answers are my reason for living.

lgenne · Jan 1, 2016

(My large, long waisted 6 year old has done remarkably well in his booster for the last 6ish months. Switching him to a backless would simplify my life right now. I suspect he's really not ready, so I'm not even suggesting it to him yet, but that's a suspicion, so maybe I'm just making more work for myself.)

KidFit ZipAir with incredible leg support

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