The great 3in1 debate

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
So I've been thinking lately, about the 3in1 seats and how we tend to not recommend them because of them being outgrown early and making a poor booster.

I tried my dd in one at BRU the other day, and she still had about 1 to 1.5" of room in it in the store. Of course I don't know what she'd have with it installed, but I was surprised to see that. I've seen someone else mention that the top usable harness height is around 16 or 16.5" now too, and that seems about right if I think about how she fits in the MA...

So I've been thinking some about this... at 16 to 16.5", kids are likely to fit it close to the same length of time as the blvd (provided they were under the weight limit,) since the blvd/MA seem to be outgrown before a kid's torso actually reaches the length of the top harness height just due to how kids sit in the seats...

Granted the seat still makes a lousy booster, and still has that potentially fatal flaw of top position of the headrest being for booster use only - coupled with it being a pain to install quite frequently...

But can we truly say that it's outgrown quickly now that they've seemingly raised the harness height? The headrest has EPS foam in it now too, so that also changes the picture a little I think...

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar thoughts...
 
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snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
That's what 3beans had posted... I didn't actually measure the slots, but dd is on the top slots of the MA and had outgrown the Titan by a good 2", so it seems about right...
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
Aiden loses about an inch going from the floor of the store to installed in the vehicle... so that would only give her about half an inch max. of growing room at 3 years old?

Still not a good option in my book... especially for the price they want for those things. Then you have to add in the fact that you pretty much have to remove the base immediately and have pool noodles on hand just to get a decent install.

They're definitely not at the top of my list (or on it, if I'm totally honest) and that's due mostly to all the parents coming into checks where I have to show them their under 3 year old has outgrown the seat or will in the next few months. :(
 

An Aurora

Senior Community Member
My DD, as well as my friend's DD who is two weeks older, were both above the top straps on their second birthdays. My friend's DD was in one on the top (booster only) slot so I gave her my Triumph, which she is using now. Did they change the strap height? I think hers is a 2005 model.
 

crunchierthanthou

New member
:yeahthat: to aiden'smom

and adding- The EFTA will last longer, is generally easier to install, costs less and doesn't have the possible major misuse of the worthless top harness slot.

There are better options. I won't recommend the 3 in 1, but will try to help parents who already own use it the best they can (and try not to berate them :p).
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Well, that's what I'm wondering... if they did change the strap height, would that make them move higher up on anyone's list?

I'm just curious is all... I personally think they are a huge pain to install and don't like the harness adjustment. Add to that the top headrest position thing and everything else, and it's still not a seat I like. But I'm just questioning if we're a little too negative about it.
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
Even if they moved the strap height up (ie. made that top slot actually useable in harness mode), it would still not be on my list for the other reasons listed. I think there are better options out there and ones that don't falsely claim to be the only seat you'll ever need. That's the statement that really gets me about this seat. :mad:
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
:yeahthat: to aiden'smom

and adding- The EFTA will last longer, is generally easier to install, costs less and doesn't have the possible major misuse of the worthless top harness slot.

There are better options. I won't recommend the 3 in 1, but will try to help parents who already own use it the best they can (and try not to berate them :p).

Yes, and as soon as the EFTA shows up here it will make life much easier... people can get the 3in1's for under $200, and the MA and Radian are both closer to $300 - well, the MA is $300. ;) And most parents won't spend over $200 on a carseat... the Triumph Advance will give a great option that's competitive with the price of the 3in1's though, so hopefully parents will buy it over the 3in1's.

But of the other less expensive seats currently available here, the 3in1's do have a taller harness height...
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I think there are better options out there and ones that don't falsely claim to be the only seat you'll ever need. That's the statement that really gets me about this seat. :mad:

That's a really good point. I've had parents get downright mad when I've told them the seat is outgrown & they have to buy a new one. They always come out with "but it's advertised as being the only seat I'll need" and I end up telling them it's basically false advertising. :rolleyes:
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
The Radian is $229. ;)

I'll also love being able to tell parents they can go straight from their SS1 to the Nautilus when it gets here as well. For those parents that refuse to RF past 18 months, this would be a great option for them. :)

The old Triumph also has a taller top harness slot height than the 3 in 1's.

I honestly think the 3 in 1's get a bad rap because they are not a great seat, jmho. :)
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
The Radian is $229. ;)

I'll also love being able to tell parents they can go straight from their SS1 to the Nautilus when it gets here as well. For those parents that refuse to RF past 18 months, this would be a great option for them. :)

The old Triumph also has a taller top harness slot height than the 3 in 1's.

I honestly think the 3 in 1's get a bad rap because they are not a great seat, jmho. :)

My local baby boutiques only carry the premier Radian though and I won't recommend anybody try and search one out at a CT anymore after the short strap issues...

I think SS1 to Nautilus will be a wonderful option for many.
And adding the Triumph Advance into the mix is a great help.

If I think about it, even if they had an 18" top harness height, I still wouldn't like the 3in1 seats... I just was rethinking the main reason of telling parents they were outgrown too soon if the top usable height is indeed higher.

Maybe the more annoying thing, is that people buy the 3in1 anyways even when they know it'll be outgrown young. I have seen probably less than 10 convertible seats at checks that haven't been 3in1's - and I've worked 7 seat checks already... I've never seen a Triumph, Scenera, or Comfort Sport... (Not counting private seat checks, a high number of the people I've done private seat checks for have britax or radian seats.)
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
I've seen a few comfort sports, but the majority of the convertibles I see are all 3 in 1's. :(

If I know the Radian will fit well in the vehicle I'm recommending it for, then there are a number of websites with free shipping that parents can order the seat from for the $229 price. :)
 

tl01

New member
The Radian is $229. ;)

I'll also love being able to tell parents they can go straight from their SS1 to the Nautilus when it gets here as well. For those parents that refuse to RF past 18 months, this would be a great option for them. :)

The old Triumph also has a taller top harness slot height than the 3 in 1's.

I honestly think the 3 in 1's get a bad rap because they are not a great seat, jmho. :)

I think the recommendation that you can use a SS1 and go straight to a Nautilus will not work for everyone. My DS outgrew his SS1 at the age of 12 months. He would have outgrown it at 10 months but to lengthen the time we could use the seat, I asked Graco if I could cut out the bottom portion of the gracopedic foam to give him more torso height. Of my four friends who had babies around the time I had DS, only one would have been able to use the SS1 to 18 months.
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
I think the recommendation that you can use a SS1 and go straight to a Nautilus will not work for everyone. My DS outgrew his SS1 at the age of 12 months. He would have outgrown it at 10 months but to lengthen the time we could use the seat, I asked Graco if I could cut out the bottom portion of the gracopedic foam to give him more torso height. Of my four friends who had babies around the time I had DS, only one would have been able to use the SS1 to 18 months.

Only one SS1 in Canada currently comes with the Gracopedic foam, which gives more room automatically. However, from what I've seen 12 months is the exception to the rule.

The majority of kids I've seen will last until 18 months... it also depends on how parents measure. A lot of parents find the one inch rule confusing (myself included until I got a crash course)... often, parents feel the seat is outgrown before it truly is.

I realize the SS1 to Nautilus route won't work for everyone, but I do believe it will be a good option for many. :)
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Only one SS1 in Canada currently comes with the Gracopedic foam, which gives more room automatically. However, from what I've seen 12 months is the exception to the rule.

The majority of kids I've seen will last until 18 months... it also depends on how parents measure. A lot of parents find the one inch rule confusing (myself included until I got a crash course)... often, parents feel the seat is outgrown before it truly is.

I realize the SS1 to Nautilus route won't work for everyone, but I do believe it will be a good option for many. :)

Yep, even my very tall torso'ed guy made it to 14mos. I haven't tried him in it recently, but I bet he still fits it with a hairs growth room left. ;)
 

littleangelfire

Well-known member
The 3in1 s must be THE bestselling seat in the US - almost every time I 'peek' ....leer,ogle,crane my neck around....to see into a car's backseat, if it has car seats, its a 3in1. Its just weird - considering what it costs. Its also weird people don't realize all the clones are the same seat.
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
Its just weird - considering what it costs. Its also weird people don't realize all the clones are the same seat.

Yep, that's what I don't get... I've told parents to buy a seat that's cheaper like the Titan instead of the 3in1's because either way they're going to have to buy a combination seat...

And people pay $30 to $50 more for the Eddie Bauer branded seats... it's just crazy.
 

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