Question Carseat for Mazda 3 - Lightweight, Easy Installing Convertible or All-in-One Carseat?

U

Unregistered

Guest
My parents want to buy a lightweight rear-facing convertible or all-in-one car seat for a Mazda 3 for my daughter. We currently have an Evenflo SureRide for ourselves, but it takes up a lot of space rear-facing, so they want to buy their own.

My daughter's "specs":
Age: almost 3 years old
Weight: about 25 pounds, maybe a more
Height: about 35 or 36 inches, at least
She was born early and quite small and is still very underweight but her height has caught up nicely with her peers. She is very thin and much of her height is in her legs.

We want a seat that will rear face for a while, until age 4 at least (and she's already at the height limit for some rear-facing car seats). Preferably, one she could stay in forward facing until age 5 at least would be good too.

It's also very important the car seat is lightweight (under 15 pounds I guess) and also easy to install - my mother has mild arthritis and they don't want to keep it in the car all the time so she needs to be able to install it and take it out.

Any suggestions appreciated!
 
ADS

Keeanh

Well-known member
The Britax clicktight seats might fit the bill. Although releasing the clicktight mechanism might be a little finicky for your mom. The Graco size4me, headwise, etc should work. Here's a guide to all the Graco seats. I haven't tried installing one, but gracos are generally very easy installs. And they would be a lot lighter than the Britax seats.
770e5caecc42f04ea81febf4379eac15.jpg
 

lgenne

New member
Britax seats also don't qualify as lightweight.

Also, while that image of the Graco convertibles is generally AWESOME there are a few details that are out of date. Some of the prices have come down, and the Contender is not a Walmart exclusive anymore.
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Britax seats also don't qualify as lightweight.

Also, while that image of the Graco convertibles is generally AWESOME there are a few details that are out of date. Some of the prices have come down, and the Contender is not a Walmart exclusive anymore.

LOL, yeah, I missed the lightweight part. Sorry.
 

rin2809

Active member
I was just looking at the specs on the Scenera NEXT, and that might actually be a good option for you. It fits most of the requirements: RF to 40lb and 40", so you would have another 4-5 inches of growth which would hopefully get you another year. It is also super light. It's not going to get you super far forward-facing (43"), but for $45, you can afford to get a combination seat when the time comes for that.

The only downside is that, while I have heard it is easy to install, I think it has the standard LATCH hooks, so not ideal for someone with Arthritis. A Seatbelt install might be easier.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Carseat for Mazda 3 - Lightweight, Easy Installing Convertible or All-in-One ...

I would get a Scenera NEXT and install it with a seatbelt. I think it fits the bill pretty well.

How often does your daughter ride with your parents? If it isn't all that frequently, you might consider having her forward-face in their vehicle. An Evenflo Securekid is a lightweight, easy-to-install forward-facing seat that would turn into a booster later on. It has "Surelatch" connectors which make it very easy for someone with limited strength to get a tight install.

I have struggled to find good seats for my children's grandparents too -- for us, the best solution seems to be the Britax G4.1 seats. They are easy to install and not all that heavy (they are not "light" but they are lighter than a lot of other seats). The NEXT was one of their favorites, but it would over recline in their vehicle for some reason and so it wasn't the best solution.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Whether or not the Next is a viable option would depend on her exact height. It has a 40" height limit.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Thanks for all the suggestions! Sorry for my delayed reply, we went away for the weekend :)

Their Mazda 3 is a sedan.

I do want to keep my daughter rear-facing all the time until age 4 at least, even on infrequent or short trips - she has some joint problems and low muscle tone, so I feel that rear-facing her is extra important in the even of a crash, since her joints are so unstable already.

The Scenera Next might be a good option - it wasn't out yet when we bought our SureRide so I didn't even know about it! I agree that the seat belt would be an easier install with arthritis, especially if they want to to take it out - latch hooks are a real pain to remove IMO.

Graco is good to check out too - that chart was helpful, they have so many options it is overwhelming. Do you think that, rear-facing, any of them would last longer than s car seat with a 40" rear-facing limit, since I read that now they don't have a rear-facing standing height limit, but a seated one (and most of my daughter's height is in her legs)? Anyone have experience on this?

Thanks again!
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Graco is good to check out too - that chart was helpful, they have so many options it is overwhelming. Do you think that, rear-facing, any of them would last longer than s car seat with a 40" rear-facing limit, since I read that now they don't have a rear-facing standing height limit, but a seated one (and most of my daughter's height is in her legs)? Anyone have experience on this?



Thanks again!


The Contender and all of the Graco "clones" (in other words, all of them except the MyRide) will last significantly longer RF -- it's basically impossible to outgrow them by height before reaching the 40 lbs weight limit. They are great for children who carry more height in their legs. If you are at all concerned that she might get too tall for the NEXT, I'd probably opt for a Contender.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Keeanh

Well-known member
Another plus to the Gracos is that they'll also last a while forward-facing. The Next is outgrown forward facing before it's outgrown rear-facing, so it's basically a rear-facing-only seat.
 

Cnidaria

New member
One thing about the Graco "clones" (Size4Me, Fit4Me, MySize and Headwise) and the Contender, is that the headrest goes "back" as it goes up as the child gets taller. So it takes up progressively more front to back space as time goes on. If you test-install one in their car to try it out, be sure to try the higher headrest settings in addition to the one currently appropriate for her.

The Graco Extend2Fit, Milestone and 4Ever are also very very tall, but their headrests go "up" rather than "back." Their respective RF weight limits are 50 lbs, 40 lbs, 40 lbs. You could rear-face her probably til she's 6 or 7 in the Extend2Fit.

The Contender weighs 14.7 lbs but it has the basic hook-style LATCH connectors. All of the other seats I've mentioned have the premium push-on connectors. The Extend2Fit weighs 18.4 lbs. The Milestone and 4Ever weigh more and turn into boosters down the line.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,655
Messages
2,196,895
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