Question Combination Seats - which one?

ADS

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

That review makes it sound like it just came out last summer...WTH, was it a different Harmony seat available in 2011-2012 (can't remember exact timeframe I was looking at it)? It was new to Canada then too. Maybe I have the wrong name and it was a different seat?

You're thinking of the V7, which wasn't around long :) I was super confused when I read your post about 3.5-4 years!

My tall, long torsoed 5.5 year old has outgrown the Foonf FF :)crying:) and the Graco Dimensions, but still has at least two clicks left on the Defender. It's also her preferred seat even when others were available. I could bust out the Frontier XT I have, sad and lonely in the basement...but that sounds like work.

That was my review listed above, it really is a super seat with so many features for the price. Is it perfect? Of course not - but none are.

I don't think the pink is anywhere to be found, even direct from Harmony. Although I could be remembering that wrong. Seems to me they're out of stock until March when a new shipment arrives. I'm hoping for new colours at the same time.
 

dogmelissa

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

Have you looked at the Evenflo Securekid? The Snugli version (same seat but with more padding) is on sale on Shop.ca

http://www.shop.ca/c/snugli-harnessed-booster-seat-camo-30821162C-24349441

Yes, we looked at this seat at TRU. There's a discrepancy on the top harness slot height - the TRU website (which has almost no information on harness height on most seats) has this listed at 17" top harness, but a different source had it at 18". Either way, it didn't seem like a bad seat, but we liked the Nautilus better.

Melissa
 

dogmelissa

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I don't think the pink is anywhere to be found, even direct from Harmony. Although I could be remembering that wrong. Seems to me they're out of stock until March when a new shipment arrives. I'm hoping for new colours at the same time.

March is no longer that far away, and we probably can wait that long, I hope. The Harmony website doesn't have any other colours listed for Canada, but they do have some others for US. Seems like Canadians get shafted on colour/patterns for all seats; black or grey with *maybe* some coloured trim or piping in most seats. As if the manufacturers couldn't put the same covers on as they use on the US seat. :rolleyes:

It really does seem like a good seat, and sounds like it would fit my daughter well in harness and probably booster (and if we need to help with doing up the seatbelt, that probably won't be the end of the world). The price is definitely ideal, too. I guess we'll just hang on and hope she doesn't grow much in the next month or two. Once we can get to it, then it'll either be the one we get, or we'll get one of the Graco seats.

Melissa
 

Pixelated

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

As if the manufacturers couldn't put the same covers on as they use on the US seat. :rolleyes:

Apparently there can be quite a lot of difference in the padding between countries, and then the sewn on labels too will have variation. Some just go trilingual to make it easier I guess. I've also heard the colour choices are entirely up to the buyers. A manufacturer might offer 30 different colour swatches but then Walmart says we'll take THAT boring grey/brown/black one please to blend in with all of the other grey/brown/black seats they already have...so that's what is produced.

I have a ridiculous number of pink seats, and then my girls informed me a few weeks ago that they really don't like pink anymore. :eek:
 

featherhead

Well-known member
Britax Combination Seats - which one?

That review makes it sound like it just came out last summer...WTH, was it a different Harmony seat available in 2011-2012 (can't remember exact timeframe I was looking at it)? It was new to Canada then too. Maybe I have the wrong name and it was a different seat?


Yeah, that was a different seat. I took pics of my daughter in it as well, and it was ridiculously small. The Defender is apparently 100x better. Much higher slots, and a booster functions that actually works!

And apparently I missed that there were more comments. Sorry for the repeat info :)
 

Nisky18

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I've just realized that my almost 6 year old is probably too tall for her current FF seat (Sunshine Kids/Diono Radian) but I do not want to put her in a booster yet, so I'm looking at the Combination Seats.

Questions:
- are there any seats other than the Britax ones that have a high harness height? This is what has been the limiting factor in every move we've made and what is doing it now. (I will measure her seated shoulder height tomorrow morning.)

- can anyone confirm the measurements supplied by Britax: Pioneer 19.5 seated shoulder, Frontier & Pinnacle 20.5 - do these actually play out in real life?

- the prices I'm seeing for these 3 seats are $300 for the Pioneer, $420 for the Frontier and $480 for the Pinnacle. I'm not opposed to spending to get the best seat that can keep her harnessed the longest, but I don't see me spending an extra $60 to go to the Pinnacle (appropriately named). As for the Pioneer vs Frontier, I'm seeing one extra inch of harness height, two extra inches of overall height, click-tight installation, and something to keep the crotch buckle off the seat - is that extra inch (the only thing that I really care about) worth $120?? How fast do kids torsos grow after age 6?


We've used her current seat since 5 months (well actually 3 or 4 but replaced it after a crash when she was 5 months) and I'm actually a little sad to be done with it - it still has a few years of life left, is there anything I can do with it, like give it to someone? I wouldn't feel right selling it and I don't want to trash a seat that still has *years* left!

Thanks in advance,
Melissa
I would look at any Facebook page for your city or town's Online Garage Sale and post a picture stating it's free. Those Online Garage Sale Facebook pages are generallybused by young families in need.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I would look at any Facebook page for your city or town's Online Garage Sale and post a picture stating it's free. Those Online Garage Sale Facebook pages are generallybused by young families in need.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Actually, it's illegal for her to post it, even for free, and illegal for the FB page etc. to allow it.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

Actually, it's illegal for her to post it, even for free, and illegal for the FB page etc. to allow it.


If it isn't expired, has all the parts and instruction manuals and meets the 2012 standards, then she is able to sell or give it away. I don't know if Radians made prior to 2012 meet the standard or not; but Diono should be able to answer that.

The caveat is that many sites won't allow posting a seat with a DOM prior to Jan 1, 2012 since seats may or may not meet standards. All seats made after that theoretically should meet the new standards. Kijiji is one example where a DOM must be listed and it can't be prior to Jan 1, 2012.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I've specifically discussed Radians with Allana LOL. The SKJP ones are non-compliant due to labeling. Which is a shame since they're otherwise compliant.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I've specifically discussed Radians with Allana LOL. The SKJP ones are non-compliant due to labeling. Which is a shame since they're otherwise compliant.


Ya sorry, it wasn't clear your original comment was specific to the SK Radian. I initially thought it was just the pre-2012 thing in general. I got it now though. :)
 

dogmelissa

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

I'm sure it was questioned in this thread, so here's "official" information from Diono:
https://www.facebook.com/DionoUSA/posts/1084155878303751
"Melissa, because our seats have a full steel frame, we allow the shoulders to go above the top harness slot when forward-facing (see page 33 of your manual). For your 2010 Radian she'll be too tall when she exceeds 53" OR when the tops of her ears are above the top of the restraint, OR if her shoulders are touching the bottom of the XTSL head wings when they are raised to their highest position." (emphasis mine)

That's all fine and dandy for them to say that, because they know their *seat* can handle the forces, but what about my child? If she's 1/2" above the slot, she will travel an inch before the harness catches her. If she's 1" above, she'll move 2", and then slam into the harness. When *every* piece of information says that the harness needs to be at or above the shoulders when FF, for every manufacturer, from all the experts and crash testers.... why would I take that chance? I've done so much to keep her as safe as possible so far, this doesn't seem like a good idea. I would rather have her in a booster, with the adult seat belt and it's locking retractor, than an inch above the top harness slot!

Just thought I'd let you all know.

Still waiting for the Harmony to arrive in Calgary: Selina has been told not to grow in the torso until it gets here! :p

Melissa
 

tiggercat

New member
I'm sure it was questioned in this thread, so here's "official" information from Diono:
https://www.facebook.com/DionoUSA/posts/1084155878303751
"Melissa, because our seats have a full steel frame, we allow the shoulders to go above the top harness slot when forward-facing (see page 33 of your manual). For your 2010 Radian she'll be too tall when she exceeds 53" OR when the tops of her ears are above the top of the restraint, OR if her shoulders are touching the bottom of the XTSL head wings when they are raised to their highest position." (emphasis mine)

That's all fine and dandy for them to say that, because they know their *seat* can handle the forces, but what about my child? If she's 1/2" above the slot, she will travel an inch before the harness catches her. If she's 1" above, she'll move 2", and then slam into the harness. When *every* piece of information says that the harness needs to be at or above the shoulders when FF, for every manufacturer, from all the experts and crash testers.... why would I take that chance? I've done so much to keep her as safe as possible so far, this doesn't seem like a good idea. I would rather have her in a booster, with the adult seat belt and it's locking retractor, than an inch above the top harness slot!

Just thought I'd let you all know.

Still waiting for the Harmony to arrive in Calgary: Selina has been told not to grow in the torso until it gets here! :p

Melissa

Out of curiosity, what does p.33 of your manual say?
 

dogmelissa

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

Out of curiosity, what does p.33 of your manual say?


Page 33 says that the harness must be AT OR ABOVE the shoulders.
Photos of the "how to use the harness" section and page 33 in english and french: https://goo.gl/photos/Wtwqkw9XWfmSeZAQ7

I'm so disappointed that they would tell me it's ok for her to go above the top harness slot. Every manufacturer, every authority (government, health, transportation, etc) and every tech I've ever heard from has said not to go above the top slots. I know enough about physics to know that forward-facing harness below the shoulders is NOT going to hold the child in, that it's going to be the same result as if the harness had slack in it and her upper body will be thrown forward with no restraint until it slams into the harness well away from the seat back. An inch above the slot = two inches of "unrestrained" movement. Sure, the *seat* can handle the forces of my 50# daughter being slammed against the harness but I'm not interested in finding out what kind of damage that will do to my child! I've switched between being angry that they would suggest this to being incredibly sad - for the kids that could be hurt if their parents read this and do it. I think I've settled on pure disappointment. I really like their products, but since they don't make any seats with higher harness slots and I only have one child, they don't have anything to offer me anymore - except boosters. With this suggestion, they've lost any possibility of me considering their boosters.

Melissa
 

dogmelissa

New member
Re: Britax Combination Seats - which one?

Just got this response on facebook (link above if you want to read it directly):
"Melissa, we appreciate your concern. In one of the crash tests we perform, our engineers use a properly harnessed, FF instrumented test dummy whose shoulders are above the 5th harness slot. All of the data derived from the dummy falls within the limits for HIC (head injury criteria), chest acceleration and head excursion. Vertical G-forces are also within testing limits. The Radian has been tested over a thousand times during the last 10 years and our engineers have used all the data we’ve acquired to determine that a FF child whose shoulders are above the 5th harness slot is still safe.
While no other car seat allows a forward-facing child’s shoulders to be above the top harness slot, Diono convertible seats are built like no other car seat. Our unique structural design and lowered center of gravity seating position allow for the top harness slot to be slightly below the child’s shoulders."

"SLIGHTLY"? What does that mean?? Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with 1/8" of an inch, maybe even 1/2" - but they're telling me that my daughter can grow an additional 5" of total height or something like 3" in upper body height before she's outgrown her current seat. Not a chance I'm willing to take. Even when I showed them the pages in my manual - which does NOT allow shoulders above the top harness slot - they're still telling me to do it. No. Just no.
 

dogmelissa

New member
We braved the store we hate yesterday to see if they had the Harmony Defender in stock and found 2 in the black & gold. Their display model was strapped to the top shelf, and we had a bugger of a time trying to figure it out, and then lifted Selina up to the shelf for her to try it. There will be oodles (more than an inch & a half) of harness height and though it was impossible to check what booster fit may be like, I think we'll take a chance. I can see how doing up the seatbelt may pose a challenge for many kids because there isn't much space below the arm rests.

There was a Nautilus there also, not secured to the shelf, so we had Selina try that one and she said she liked the Harmony better. It may be because she knows there's a pink version, or maybe it's actually more comfortable, I'm not sure, but since the Nautilus is $100 more, I'm pretty OK with it. Just need to wait for the pink to come in.

Melissa
Posted via Mobile Device
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,896
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top