Question Rfing convertible for long torso/tall 4 mo old

brelza

Member
If you had to buy a convertible seat for your 4 mo old, 14lb 28" son who has a long torso and it would be installed in your 2011 toyota minivan what would you get and why? His seat will be behind the driver in a captain's chair.

I need to start looking at new seats for my little guy. I was going to put him in his brother's true fit because that doesn't expire til 4/18. But he is still using it. I could use our evenflo big kid HBB with big brother and take him out of it but I don't like that idea. He rides in a HBB in Grammy's car and also in his dad's car but both of those are out of necessity. I tried him in the hbb about 2-3 mo ago and he doesn't sit still, fidgets AND leans front so I put him back in the harness. (I wanted to move the little guy into a convertible seat rather than the bucket)

I also have an evenflo sureride (I think it's called) that the 6y/o has outgrown too. I'm not a big fan of the sureride rfing in my van though because of the seats. It's the same issue I have with the cosco scenera we have.
 
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mamah

New member
What is the problem with the sure ride and scenera? Those are both great seats. Could you put the sure ride FF for your older child and give the baby the true fit?
 

brelza

Member
What is the problem with the sure ride and scenera? Those are both great seats. Could you put the sure ride FF for your older child and give the baby the true fit?

I couldn't get a good rfing install in my van with the captain's chairs---it was almost always tipped way too far upright with nothing used OR I had to have A LOT of stuff(not just a pool noodle) under where the back meets the seat to make it the right recline which I don't like--and I don't think that install is even allowed. So when my other son was younger, we ended up using them as the spare seats--the scenera went on a plane with us, even though it was gate checked I don't really trust using it as a daily seat and the surefit went front facing in my husband's car for my now almost 6yo(when he was 2-5.5ish) but now he's too tall for it. He apparently has a long torso too, because he's 48" and it should last til 54" according to the book.
 

lgenne

New member
How is it outgrown? My very tall long waisted almost-7-year-old still has growing room in the Sureride.
 

Aurezalia

Well-known member
Double check what that other seat is? The sureride has 19" top slots, which is about 2" taller than the Truefit. He'd he exceptionally tall to have outgrown it already and if he has, the Truefit is VERY outgrown.

What budget we you looking at for a seat for the little guy?
 

brelza

Member
Double check what that other seat is? The sureride has 19" top slots, which is about 2" taller than the Truefit. He'd he exceptionally tall to have outgrown it already and if he has, the Truefit is VERY outgrown.

What budget we you looking at for a seat for the little guy?

I'll double check the sureride. maybe it was just how it sat in my husband's car? I don't know. I just know when I last checked him in my husband's car his shoulders seemed to be above the slot but it did recline some in his seat. So maybe a more upright install would solve that?

I need something comfortable but as affordable as it can be. The little guy and I spend a lot of time carting siblings to practices (school is off the highway) and I know it's no fun for him. I wish they still had the true fit because even with the headrest it was compact enough to fit behind the driver's seat with my 6'5" husband in our sienna. I know some other seats were an issue. I want to RF until at least 3.

I contemplated the radian in the past for my last son when he was little but was afraid of a horrid install and the fact that it does take up a lot of space. I need the seat that I get to have a good solid recline because my little guy was born with an airway birth defect. He's only 4 mo and I forsee his sleeping in the car for a very long time in our future.
 

1mommy

New member
They do have a new true fit out, it's made by Baby Trend I think but I can't remember the name. You could also check out the Scenera next, it's an awesome redesign and does not require pool noodles, it is so compact that you can recline it a lot without impeding the front passenger. It will not last you very long front facing, but if you think of it as a rear facing only seat it's awesome.
 

cookie123

New member
I don't think the Next would last you that long rfing either if your guy is long torsoed. But it could buy you time to get another seat later. My grandson out grew if rfing before his 3rd birthday and he has never been super tall, but does have a longer torso. Look at the Graco Extend to fit or the Contender or the Milestone. All of them are long lasting rear facing which sounds like what you want to go with long term. They are also fairly compact front to back.
 

Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador

bnsnyde

New member
For ours (also tall), I use the Extend to Fit and the Clek for RF.

As for the Sure Ride, my 5 YO is on the top slot of the Sure Ride and he technically fits. But I wasn't super happy with it, as his head is way up there and no longer has as much protection. His ears are fine to ride in it, based on where they are. He is as tall as most kids much older than he is. We used it for a road trip but he is in a HBB normally.
 

brelza

Member
Ok, so here is where we stand. I had my almost 6y/o try out his true fit. We really haven't gone out as a family and he hasnt' been in my van more than a half dozen times probably all summer. I hadn't really thought he'd outgrown the truefit because he isn't 50" yet(he's 48"). BUT......last night I had him sit in the seat and sure enough, his shoulders are a full inch over the slots :eek:

So I took him out and he has a spare evenflo hbb that he uses when he goes with Grammy and that's going in my van for him. Now the true fit was being a BEAR for me to RF install--I barely had enough LATCH strap to install! I remember having issues with it when we got it too. But that is now installed for the little guy. I guess I'll be waiting until April 2018 for a new seat for him. I'll keep all the recommendations as he'll be just turning 2 and I'll want to still keep him RFing. :)
 

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