Second seat recs for non-car-owners with large kids!

Hi I'm new here and hoping for help sorting thru options for our 2 kids for an upcoming trip (and for home use as well). Here's the situation:

City dwellers without a car -- we rent or use carshare maybe once or twice a month. Need a second seat to use in grandparents' older Corolla hybrid in Chicago in a few weeks. We visit around once a year. We won't use the car all that much b/c we can't all fit in it anymore. They live in the city so we can get places via transit just like at home. They already have a Diono Radian RXT. They say they have all the pieces to turn it back rear-facing.

Kiddo
4.5 years, 46", 54 lbs
currently in forward-facing Diono Radian RXT
top of his head is just above back of shell; shoulders are above top slots but Diono says that is ok; he will probably outgrow crotch buckle and/or his shoulders will hit the head wings before his ears are above the shell)
gets carsick easily (so no toys/books/tech in car AND usually an adult rides in the back to help if he gets sick in a place we can't pull over)


Baby
4.5 months, 28.5", 19.5 lbs
currently in Chicco Keyfit 30
shoulders hit just barely below top harness slot (so he is using the second from top slot) but max height is 28.5 and at current rate of growth he may hit that before/during trip


Here's what I see as the options and concerns with each -- I'd appreciate suggestions/feedback/recommendations because I'm overwhelmed by the options -- HELP!

(1) Baby RF in Radian & Kiddo in high-back booster we ship to grandma's
* Radian is very long RF from what I remember. In-laws are super tall, so we may be limited to center seat install even if booster could go in center otherwise, and in theory he isn't he better off in the center b/c the seat is less protective than RF?
* What if they don't actually have all the right pieces when they come to pick us up?
* Kiddo has never used a booster before. No idea how he will react, though he is generally not squirmy in the car b/c of carsick issues.
* No idea if this will leave enough room for adult to sit in back if we put booster in center
* More expensive than travel booster or bringing our own seat
* Bulkier for grandma to store unless we get one that folds (Baby Trend Yumi?)

(2) Baby RF in Radian & Kiddo in travel booster (eg bubble bum)
* see above
* Kiddo does tend to fall asleep in the car and not sure how that will work out without head support on the sides, though none of the trips should be more than 30-45 minutes so maybe not too much of an issue
* not sure about center seat head restraint (assuming we can cram the Radian in RF on the passenger side)

(3) Baby RF in Radian & Kiddo in second Radian we bring from home
* Radians are HEAVY and we have to make a train connection without checked baggage; we've taken one with us before with just 1 kid but it was rough even with go-go-baby wheelie thing

(4) Baby RF in Radian & Kiddo in Frontier Clicktight
* Frontier is what I'm leaning toward for home BUT don't want to buy extras for grandparents b/c so expensive
* Not sure how long my long-torso'd Kiddo will even be able to stay harnessed in Frontier, which may make the expense pointless
* Not sure if we can fit adult in rear seat with both these installed -- almost sure we'd have to put the britax on the side?
* No idea how we'd travel on & off a train with this seat, so how would we get it there and/or home??

(5) Kiddo in Radian and Baby in Keyfit we bring from home
* Keyfit is super cumbersome (and heavy with a large baby in it) -- we were only planning to bring a small umbrella stroller which won't accommodate a carseat attachment
* Baby may well outgrow before/during trip

(6) Kiddo in Radian and Baby in inexpensive convertible seat (eg Cosco or Evenflo recommended seats)
* Won't know if the 2 seats will work together and leave enough room for an adult in the backseat
* Slightly more expensive than booster and harder for grandparents to store
* Won't know if baby will be able to use next year as toddler (he may outgrow it if he continues on current growth curve...)
* unfamiliar with installation (will be doing this on the street at pickup with luggage and kids in tow b/c inlaws not comfortable doing installs)


Thanks in advance!!!

I would avoid putting your older kiddo in a booster if you can, even if he isn't super squirmy. Definitely not a backless like the BubbleBum. If you really need something that compact, I'd go with an RSTV, make sure to tether it, and always have someone in back with him. The vest, especially tethered, will give him more feedback to sit still.

On the Radian, I think the only piece you'll need to turn it back RF is the RF boot? Maybe ask the grandparents to send you a pic of it, to prove they have it. To help with making the Radian work RF, you could have an angle adjuster shipped to them. Though at 4.5 months baby may not meet the sitting unassisted requirement - I wouldn't fault you for making the parental decision that baby can tolerate it though. Alternatively, baby WILL fit in a Scenera Next and that should leave you enough room for a Radian or an RSTV and an adult in the back.

I'd look at the Ride Safer Travel Vest for your older kid. Version 2 comes with a top tether for a more secure seat. It will easily fit in a bag so you could bring it back and forth from home when you need it. You could also use it at home depending on what you are doing. We have 2 and love them from travel and 3 across.

Or I'd look at an Evenflo Sureride. It has higher top slots than the radian and is lightweight for travel. You could use it for either kid.

Thanks for these suggestions - I hadn't considered the RSTV. Also i realized the grandparent car is an accord, not a corolla, so maybe that means more width? I would guess RSTV would be better bet in center than backless anyway by less issue with height of head restraint? Do the head pillows for the RSTV really work?

We've never used the head pillows. We have version 2 and when buckled and then tethered, my kids sleep ok in the vest. The tether keeps them upright.

And yes, sitting on the seat with the RSTV will give the kids more time before having to worry about head restraints because the kid is lower on the seat than in a booster.

Dillipop said:

Or I'd look at an Evenflo Sureride. It has higher top slots than the radian and is lightweight for travel. You could use it for either kid.

Click to expand...

The Sureride puzzles well with the Radian too, FYI. So those would sit next to one another well, one RF, one FF.

Thanks - I am looking at both the scenera next and the sureride. Is one preferable for outboard behind a tall driver or passenger (we often have to seat 2 very tall adults)?

enbcfsobe said:

Thanks - I am looking at both the scenera next and the sureride. Is one preferable for outboard behind a tall driver or passenger (we often have to seat 2 very tall adults)?

Click to expand...

The Next is more compact.

However, depending on how long you want to harness the older one. Dip I does allow the shoulders to go above the top slots but isn't it only an inch? The Sureride will allow your older child to use a harness longer than the Diono, I believe. And you can hand down the Diono to the smaller child.

If you plan on moving to a booster soon for the older child, the Next would be a great lightweight seat for the smaller child.

I think your best puzzling option is forward facing Sureride next to rear facing Radian. Does the baby have good head control? If so, I'd get an angle adjuster for leg room in the front seat.

Thanks -- I think we need to measure and/or try the sureride. I'm not sure how far above the slots kiddo is on the radian but after further reading on their justification I don't want to go more than the 1.5" they tested. But if he's over that he is also prob to tall at the shoulder for the sure ride (I'm seeing 19" as the height for the sureride slots and 17-18" for the radian). If that's the case we may be left with RSTV or a frontier as the best options? Kiddo also told me today that being strapped into his seat makes his insides hurt like a stomach ache and that he had a nightmare about flying out of a speeding car. my in laws are out of the country so I can't do anything about them confirming they have the boot for the radian until they get back at the end of next week. That only leaves us a few days to have another seat delivered to them. We are traveling by train, including a regional train without baggage service that we have to transfer from/to, which is one of the reasons we don't want to drag a seat with us.

Apparently no one near me has the sure ride in store to try so we'd have to order it then return it?

Would the frontier even puzzle well with the RF radian? Maybe it's worthwhile to get one for grandparents if we think he will get another two more years at least harnessed. And if those 2 seats don't work together at all maybe we just use the RSTV for travel and home or else we have to buy a frontier and a new convertible for baby. I'd prefer to keep baby in the radian until he outgrows it RF or until it expires (likely he will outgrow RF by weight first).

Ugh why is this so hard?

A Frontier is not what you need for cramped quarters. It's a great seat and would harness the longest.... but if you need space the other suggestions are much better.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I think after looking at all the options, given that an adult needs to sit in the back anyway most of the time that we will try the RSTV for Kiddo. This will get a lot more use given our city lifestyle (we could actually take a taxi with him without a seat!) and his size/age. It should be easier for aging grandparents to use, especially not having to learn installs for two different seats which would be easier to confuse (they can't leave the seats installed all the time b/c they have only 1 car and we aren't there frequently). We may still get a sureride or frontier for longer car trips if he has trouble with sitting still for longer rides.
If inlaws cant find the boot or lower tether anchor for their radian we will bring ours -- a lot easier than taking a whole carseat. Shortest adult will just have to sit in the passenger seat in front of the RF radian.
Thanks everyone!!