Question What would you do? (Japan--4.5 year old child)

U

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I am a long term resident of Japan. My kids were born here. So, my situation is not new, but I continue to feel puzzled about the best way to have them in car seats. My 4.5 year old is tiny--almost falling off the growth charts at around 30 pounds. He's currently RFing in a Diono Radian. I had planned to put him in a Japanese forward facing car seat around when he turned four. Then I learned that he is two centimeters short of the height limits for all Japanese forward facing car seats. I thought I might just flip his Diono forward facing. But, our car also has no forward facing tethers (they aren't common until much newer cars in Japan)--so it SEEMED like what was best was to try to keep him rear facing as long as possible. He'll never cross the weight limits for his Diono rear facing until he's in like college or something it seems. But he'll be 1.5" from the top of the seat (Diono's limit) after he grows around 1".

Anyway, I just read the new questions about rear facing safety (how it may not be 5x safer and how head injuries for kids near the upper height limits of their seats may be more likely) and it's making me rethink this whole situation again. What frustrates me about the Japanese car seats is that the height limits listed on the boxes seem to be the height they THINK you should switch, not necessarily based on the seat. So, if you measure, there's around a five inch difference in the measurement between the seat and the upper straps on different forward facing seats--yet they all have the same upper height limit listed. I'm really curious what you all would do. By Japanese laws he can use a booster seat when he is 15kg (33 pounds)--which I think he will be next year when he's five. I had hoped to hold on until 18kg (40 pounds)--but that shouldn't be until he's between 6-7. There is a chance that he won't outgrow the height of his seat by the time he's 15kg. I don't think there's any chance he'll be 18kg when he is too tall to RF in the Diono.

Would you...
1) Buy a Japanese forward facing car seat where his ears are below the shell and his shoulders below the harness height, and use it despite him being taller than the written height limit?
2) Use a Diono Radian or Chicco Nextfit (his little sister's current seat) Forward Facing without a tether?
3) Continue to rear face until he is around 15kg and then switch him to a high back booster seat?

I know that in the States it is perhaps easy to retrofit the tethers. They are so uncommon here I don't think that is an answer for me. We may end up getting a van in the near future, and I will be looking out for ones with a tether. But I'm very curious what others would do out of the three choices here, assuming that tethers end up impossible.
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Hi!

I would probably try to rear face (possibly in a European seat, with a compact footprint and load leg) to booster readiness if this were my situation. If I couldn't for some reason, I might try a Ride Safer Delight vest to bridge the gap, or check the feasibility of adding a heavy duty tether anchor from Ez-On.

Good luck in your decision!
 

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