Question Which Car Seat Next? - please recommend

MomWithKid

New member
We have a 2008 ml320 and two kids that travel outboard. Someone is almost always riding in the middle seat between them so we need narrow car seats.
4.5 year old is only 28-29 pounds, 40 inches and riding in a rear facing foonf.
2 year old is 26 lbs, 35 inches, riding in a rear facing combi coccoro. I need to make a change soon because 2 year old is getting close to being 1 inch away from shell of combi coccoro. That seat is probably the only rear facing seat that will fit in that location when my 6'5" husband is driving the car which is almost always. So, I am thinking of forward facing my 4.5 year old and setting him up behind the driver side.
Do I just get another Foonf? Do I go for the Clek oobr? When I look at the combination seats, most seem to have a plus 40 pound weight limit for the booster mode which feels like a long time away for my son and I have the feeling he will want to be in a booster mode like his cousins at around 5-6, and he probably wont be 40 lbs at this age. So it may make more sense to go with another convertible and then get the cleck high back booster? But do I really buy another Foonf for this short time even though I will not be using it rear facing? Can I skip ahead to the cleck oobr now since he is already taller than height limit. I'm looking for a seat with the maximum saftey features yet still narrow. Recommendations are very much appreciated.
Thank you!
 
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Nedra

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
At your son's weight and age, a booster is really not the right seat for him yet.

You might try the IMMI Go. It is very slim and has a 5-point harness. It doesn't have a lot of safety "features" but it passes all the same requirements and was designed and tested at the CAPE testing facility, if that makes you feel better.

Another slim 5-point seat to consider is the Graco Tranzitions.


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featherhead

Well-known member
Here in Canada we don't have the option of boostering under 40 lbs, so I would choose whichever combination seat you like best and not be in a rush to booster.


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lgenne

New member
Hi!

The Oobr definitely should not be on your list for immediate use. It is a belt positioning booster with a 33 pound minimum weight requirement, and no boosters have a weight limit under 30 pounds. The CDC also recommends harnessing until at least age 5.

You have two basic options:

1) Harness the 4 year old forward facing behind the driver. I would look for a narrow combination seat (forward facing harness to booster) with a 30 pound minimum for booster use. Clek doesn't make a car seat like that, but we can suggest several of you are interested.
2) Keep both kids rear facing, but get a convertible that takes up less front to back space than the Foonf. The Coccoro is small, but, for example, it barely fit in the 3rd row of my Mazda 5, while the Graco Extend2Fit that I have back there now in its most compact configuration has a full inch of space between it and the 2nd row in front of it. Enough that I'm planning to put it in a less compact/more comfortable configuration when I have a chance.

Which way would you rather go?
 

MomWithKid

New member
Thanks for the replies. I would rather go with a combination seat for the 4.5 year old. Which narrow seat do you recommend? Price isn't an issue. We don't want to go with the immi go because it's what we use in cabs and doesn't seem to be the most comfortable seat for longer trips. Since my kid is thin, we are hoping for a padded seat and possibly one that reclines so that he can sleep comfortably. 2x a week they fall asleep in their car seats and we transfer them to their beds. Also, are foot rests options as well?

Thanks
 

lgenne

New member
How do you like the Foonf? How do you like it rear facing? Would you like to use it forward facing for the 4 year old, and get something that lets you reclaim some leg room in the passenger seat?

The Graco Slimfit might be the best option for you. It's narrow (very narrow at the base, where it could interfere with an adult sitting next to it) and can be very compact front to back. It's also a 3-in-1 that could be used as a booster at 30 pounds. You could use it rear facing for now, use the Foonf forward facing (or rear facing, if, say, your 4 year old demands to turn back around) and then have a usable booster when he gains enough weight.
 

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