Convertible Seat for Down Syndrome/Hypotonia

U

Unregistered

Guest
OK so I thought my little guy was still within the 1” from the top of shell rule till two days ago when I happened to sit in the back seat next to him and from that angle saw that his head is almost to the top so needs a bigger seat ASAP. He’s 16 months, 20 lbs, 30 inches tall. The seat he’s outgrown is a B-Safe 35 (not the Elite). The one issue I’ve had with it is that his head flops forward when he falls asleep, which he does almost every time he is in it. Because of that I want to make sure his new seat has a good recline. I’ve been researching seats like crazy the last couple of days and a couple of other points I’ve seen on here for kids with hypotonia/Down Syndrome are to keep them rear facing as long as possible and make sure the seat has plenty of support. Our vehicle is a 2008 Chrysler Aspen. It has 3 rows so space front to back is tight, especially since my husband and I are both tall. I need to be able to fit the carseat and 2 tall teenagers in the 2nd row (they’re much too tall to ride in the 3rd row) and be able to flip one seat for my 10 year old to access the the third row.

So the Extend2Fit seems to be highly recommended for high RF limit, compact front to back, multiple recline positions, and good support. The leg extension also looks like a nice feature though I don’t know if it would take up too much space in our vehicle.

I’ve also been looking at the Boulevard which I like for the anti-rebound bar but th RF limit isn’t as high.

Any other seats I should consider?
I should mention that we live in a small town and the only store close by that sells carseats is Walmart and their selection is small, so whatever I get I probably won’t be able to try out before buying.
 
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ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The Extend2Fit is a good choice though it has a headrest style that sometimes pushes the head forward.

The Safety 1st Advance EX 65 Air + has pretty much the same limits without that issue. With the caveat that it is VERY large in the car, at least at the fullest recline, I really love this seat for kids with low tone.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Thanks for the quick reply! I hadn’t heard of the Advance EX 65 Air but after looking at reviews and specs I’m not confident it would fit in my vehicle. Unfortunately it only seems to be available through Kmart or Sears who I don’t have a lot of experience ordering from. Do you know if they are good about returns online?

On the other hand, the head pushing thing is definitely a concern. I’m not sure what to do.

Maybe the best thing would be to order the Extend2Fit through Walmart. They can have it here in 3 days and if doesn’t work out at least it will be easy to return. If it comes that I could then try the Advance with the Blvd as a last resort.
 

jjordan

Moderator
With him only being 20 pounds at 16 months old, I don't know that you need to prioritize a seat with a 50# rear facing weight limit. His weight is well below the 5th percentile, so he could easily get to 6-7 years old and not yet reach 40 pounds. The Boulevard is very tall RF so I wouldn't worry about the 40# RF weight limit.
 

Kitkat

New member
Good point about his weight, although the Down Syndrome growth chart has him reaching 40 lbs at age 4 1/2-5 1/2. I did order the Extend2Fit, so I'll see how that works out and go from there.
 

Kitkat

New member
So the Extend2Fit arrived yesterday evening and I was able to try it out. His head is definitely pushed forward in it. He isn't a complainer but I'm worried it might be uncomfortable for longer drives. The good news is his head didn't flop forward when he fell asleep: maybe because his head was pushed forward already or maybe because of the side pillows, or maybe because he was only asleep for a short time. Do other kids seem bothered by this?

Maybe I'm being too picky, but he'll likely be in this seat for many years, so I don't want him forced into an unnatural position.

The other thing is the buckle seemed really high up on his stomach. Is that okay?

I'm thinking I should just order the Boulevard, try it, and then decide which seat to keep.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The buckle is fine.

The head position gets better or worse as they grow and it's very variable by kid.

If you don't have it at max recline you can try to recline a little more and see if that helps.
 

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