best seat for almost 5-yr old

toddlertime · Feb 9, 2008

Hi
I am looking for a new seat for my almost 5 year old daughter. I posted earlier but made a mistake with her torso height measurement; it is only 15 1/2". I would like to keep her in a 5-pt harness so have been looking at the Regent and the Recaro Como. She has outgrown her Boulevard already even though she is well below the height and weight limits and I am worried that the same would happen with the Como. Does the Regent have sufficient side impact protection? Are there other seats I should be looking at?
Nancy

solmama · Feb 9, 2008

You may want to check out the Graco Nautilus (at some WalMarts and walmart.com, buybuybaby.com (I think), and babiesrus soon). It's harness height is 18" and 65lbs, and will convert to a booster when your daughter outgrows the harness. The GN costs $150 and is a good seat at a good price.

gwenvet · Feb 9, 2008

With a 15 1/2 inch torso, she should still have room in her BV. If she has truly outgrown it, I don't think I would go with the Como or even the Radian although it would be good to sit her in that to see for sure. The Regent has a fairly deep shell (more than thr Radian) but no EPS foam or headwings. It is so wide that it may provide more side impact protection than some other seats but nothing official. I would go with the Regent or the Graco Nautilus if you like it.

sfeitler · Feb 9, 2008

gwenvet said:
With a 15 1/2 inch torso, she should still have room in her BV. If she has truly outgrown it, I don't think I would go with the Como or even the Radian although it would be good to sit her in that to see for sure. The Regent has a fairly deep shell (more than thr Radian) but no EPS foam or headwings. It is so wide that it may provide more side impact protection than some other seats but nothing official. I would go with the Regent or the Graco Nautilus if you like it.

I can believe she's out of space at 15 1/2 inches. My DD1 has a 16 inch torso and has outgrown the MA by height--isn't the BV just a touch shorter than the MA for torso height? DD1 still has an inch or so left in the Radian, but we've passed it down to DD2 and are getting a Nautilus for DD1.

-Sarah

NZ Child Restraints · Feb 9, 2008

Radian, Graco Nautilus, Regent, Apex are just a few that harness then convert to a booster (or harness long enough beyond booster stage (regent)) when she is bigger.

twom · Feb 11, 2008

gwenvet said:
The Regent has a fairly deep shell (more than thr Radian) but no EPS foam or headwings.

The Regent does have EPS foam. I even just checked on the Britax site to be sure.

wendytthomas · Feb 11, 2008

NZ Child Restraints said:
Radian, Graco Nautilus, Regent, Apex are just a few that harness then convert to a booster (or harness long enough beyond booster stage (regent)) when she is bigger.

The Radian neither converts to a booster or lasts out of the booster stage. It has 18" top slots. The Apex has 17.5" top slots, the Nautilus 19" (all three of these with 65 pound harnesses) and then the Regent has 20" top slots.

Wendy

best seat for almost 5-yr old

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