What benefit from ext harnessing convertibles?

Okay. So ....here is what is bugging me.
at thsi point, NONE of the convertibles which harness to 50/65/70 have slots that are as high as the nautilus, except the como, which I am told is so narrow in the shoulders, it is impractical for a child close to the upper end of the weight/height limit anyway.

So, at this point, regardless of the convertible seat I choose for my child, it seems like they will eventually be getting a Nautilus/Regent /Frontier...

That being the case...WHY even bother with an extended harnessing convertible? Why shell out $200-300 for a Britax convertible, Radian, recaro convertible, EFTA($130), true fit, etc??

I might as well just get a cheapo convertible that only harnesses to 40, because I'm going to get another seat anyway.....

It seems to me the only benefit on the extended harnessing convertibles is going to be for a parent that will NOT be getting an extended harnessing combo/FF seat.

So, if I had a parent that I know would buy a booster after their convertible, certainly, i could feel okay recommendeing one of the EH convertibles.

But personally...I WILL be buying another EH seat (probably the nautilus if I had to choose right now,who knows what will be available in 2-3 years?) so....an EH convertible is just a waste of money, right?
i mean, I could plunk down $200-$300 for a marathon/deca/como, etc...but when my kids outgrows the top slots, I'm still going to be buying a nautilus.

It would be much more economical to just get something like a Titan, scenera, comfortsport, etc for $50-100 and then follow it up with a nauti. That gets me to a harnessed height of 19 inches/65 pounds, and for way less money than if I bought 2 EH seats.....

So..WHY on EARTH would someone buy an EH convertible seat is they intend to follow it up with an EH FF seat?

Anyway...perhaps I'm not making any sense...we're all horribly ill here, but this has been bugging me for a while now.........it just seems so...wasteful.

m
Thoughts anyone?

Extended rear facing time, and a much nicer/higher quality/easier to use seat in the mean time.

Basically, the RF. You're not going to get much RF time in a Titan (my kid was too big before he was even a year old), or CS... you might in a Scenera... but at what cost? No padding, difficult install, etc.

If I were buying new seats RIGHT NOW for my kid, I'd start with an SS1, and then, depending on how old the kid is when it's outgrown, probably buy an ETA. I had two BVs with my son and they were great RF, but when he was FF, I really disliked them, so I moved him to something else. Probably will with the next kid as well.

Some kids can go from a Marathon etc...to a booster. DD is 4 and is just even with the second slots on the MA. I think she would last 12-18 months in it and at that point (if she weighed a little more) I would have probably put her in a booster. As it stands she is only 29 pounds so I would rather not put her in a booster just yet (even in 18 months). She is average height though, 41 inches.

bobandjess99 said:

I might as well just get a... convertible that only harnesses to 40, because I'm going to get another seat anyway.....

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I've been having similar thoughts myself. Mine were more along the lines of getting a shorter shelled seat (maybe like the Roundabout) so it fit nicer in the back while RF, then graduate to something like the Nautilus/Frontier.

My only concern is whether a child can reliably last to the RF weight limit of a smaller seat before outgrowing it by height. I know my son easily made it to 30lbs in his Titan, but he was a little Butterball then - as wide as he was tall.

Joy could concievably move to a booster when she outgrows her MA later this year or early next year. She passed the minimums for booster use ages ago, and will be close to five I guess-timate before the MA is outgrown. She's also HUGE - 75th percentile for height and weight with a LONG torso (she's been in the top slots of the MA since her 3rd birthday.) Many girls do just fine in boosters full time around five, although she will only be boostered part time when the MA is outgrown. (We also have a Regent.)
For a child closer to the "average" end of the growth chart, the MA would definately last until the child is ready for a booster. yes, we say harness as long as possible, but honestly at 6-ish most kids do okay in a booster.

Mommyto2 said:

Some kids can go from a Marathon etc...to a booster. DD is 4 and is just even with the second slots on the MA. I think she would last 12-18 months in it and at that point (if she weighed a little more) I would have probably put her in a booster. As it stands she is only 29 pounds so I would rather not put her in a booster just yet (even in 18 months). She is average height though, 41 inches.

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but this is my point...while your child COULD go from a Ma to a booster...why NOT get a nauti and harness them the extra inches? It would be safer, right? unless your child outgrows the Ma by weight, in which case it would have outgrown the Nauti by weight as well, but my undersatanding is that this rarely happens, right?
Basically, by buying a EH convertible, the Ma for example, then at the end of it's useful life, I think parents are MORE likely to put their kid straight into a booster..because the child will be 4-6, and at that point, the thought of shelling out for a EH ff seat will seeem like a waste, since the child won't be in it that long, etc.....

but, if the child is in a Titan for example, with a height of only 16 inches/50 pounds...most kids are gonna outgrow this by 2.5-4, and therefore be MORE likely to shell out for a FF EH seat, like the nauti, because they'll be able to get several years of use out of it.....making it a better "deal", and in the end, keeping their child safer LONGER than if they got a Marathon.

so to repeat, I realize there are many scenrios, but my actual question is this...
IF it is a given that a parent WILL buy a regent/Nauti/Frontier....then is there ANY reason to get a EH convertible?


Splash made some points...less time RF..that is a big one...but the titan, at only $99, for example, RF's to 35, with a shell high enough to fit a pretty big kid.....I don't think I would be sacrificing much RF time in that seat vs a Ma, for example...
The plushness..okay, i see that...
The ease of install/use..okay I see that as well...

These are the kind of things I'm looking for......

I agree with the OP! I think (or, wish) that Recaro's time/energy/effort could've been spent modifying the Young Sport rather than re-inventing the wheel with the Como/Signo... :duck:

wow, I can't keep up, lol....each time I try to post, there are many more responses...lol..I'm just gonna read for a bit..lol..

I've sort of thought of this too and wondered. Why Don't I just move kiddo from his RA to the Regent? Really, it's the extra RF time. I wish I had known that my kid would outgrow the RA too soon RF and would need more time ahead of time then I would have gotten a 65lb limit seat from the start. I got the EFTA for more RF time, but i don't like the seat RF. . .
Couldn't a similar thing be wondered about buying an infant only seat? Why do it if a convertable could be used from birth?

Maybe my answer can be a lame "it's fun to buy carseats"

bobandjess99 said:

so to repeat, I realize there are many scenrios, but my actual question is this...
IF it is a given that a parent WILL buy a regent/Nauti/Frontier....then is there ANY reason to get a EH convertible?


Splash made some points...less time RF..that is a big one...but the titan, at only $99, for example, RF's to 35, with a shell high enough to fit a pretty big kid.....I don't think I would be sacrificing much RF time in that seat vs a Ma, for example...
The plushness..okay, i see that...
The ease of install/use..okay I see that as well...

These are the kind of things I'm looking for......

Click to expand...

bobandjess99 said:

but this is my point...while your child COULD go from a Ma to a booster...why NOT get a nauti and harness them the extra inches? It would be safer, right? unless your child outgrows the Ma by weight, in which case it would have outgrown the Nauti by weight as well, but my undersatanding is that this rarely happens, right?
Basically, by buying a EH convertible, the Ma for example, then at the end of it's useful life, I think parents are MORE likely to put their kid straight into a booster..because the child will be 4-6, and at that point, the thought of shelling out for a EH ff seat will seeem like a waste, since the child won't be in it that long, etc.....

but, if the child is in a Titan for example, with a height of only 16 inches/50 pounds...most kids are gonna outgrow this by 2.5-4, and therefore be MORE likely to shell out for a FF EH seat, like the nauti, because they'll be able to get several years of use out of it.....making it a better "deal", and in the end, keeping their child safer LONGER than if they got a Marathon.

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With most of the people I know when their child outgrows their convertible seat, whether that is the CS or a MA they move them to a booster. It isn't what *I* would do, but it is very common. Why wont they buy the Nauti? I don't know. Hopefully they will. I know most of the people I know are not at all interested in the Regent (to big, to much money, whatever....)

I understand what you are saying. I considered getting the Uptown for ds and passing that down to #3 when the time comes and getting ds a new seat then, but then chose the MA because it is possible that when he outgrows the MA (or if we decide to pass it down to a future child) that dd will be ready to move from the Regent. If not then I will buy him a Regent, Nauti, Frontier or whatever I think is best when the time comes.

AdventureMom said:

I agree with the OP! I think (or, wish) that Recaro's time/energy/effort could've been spent modifying the Young Sport rather than re-inventing the wheel with the Como/Signo... :duck:

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I think I want to kiss you.

Why, OH, WHY coudln't they have done that!!!!!!!

Or evenflo putting the 50 lb weight limit on the titan. WHY COULDN"T THEY HAVE PUT IT ON THE CHASE (as well as some EPP foam)

But yes, to the OP, I see your point.

I would probably go Splash's route with the next baby. I already have a SS1 and a EFTA.

arly1983 said:

Or evenflo putting the 50 lb weight limit on the titan. WHY COULDN"T THEY HAVE PUT IT ON THE CHASE (as well as some EPP foam)

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LOL! This is what DD is in!!!!! And it makes NO sense!! The titan, with 16 inch slots, has a 50 pound limit...the chase, with 17 inch slots, has a 40 pound limit...??..?? IF this seat had a 50 pound limit, it would be SO useful! She has almost 1.5 torso inches left, but only 5 pounds! If it went to 50, it would actually be useful for so much longer!!
And dd has a LONG torso...I think most kids who are little shorter and a little heavier would outgrow this seat before ever even getting to the top slots!!!!

bobandjess99 said:

...but the titan, at only $99, for example, RF's to 35, with a shell high enough to fit a pretty big kid........

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Um, no. The new Titan is the same height as the old Titan, and is much to short for most kids to make it to the RF weight limit. And the seat itself is a pretty poor design as well.

I think there are two different problems with buying seats with shorter shells, that affect different categories of parents:

* for us car seat nuts, RF time is a big deal. I bought dd the RA being fully aware that I might have to buy yet another convertible, and I will 100% do that to keep her RF if she outgrowsn it by height before weight, which is very likely

* for the avarage parent, the RF thing doesn't matter much. But I think the problem is they WILL put their 3yo in a booster. I've seen way too many and that's why whenever I feel the parent is looking forward to booster time I recommed an EH seat in the hopes they'll at least use it til it's outgrown.

I suppose I could add buying seats is fun!!!

I got Boulevards because I needed to use them RF until the seat limits and then I can use them FF for quite a few years before I will need more harnessed seats. I am hoping that by then there might even be higher weight harnessed seats than 80 on the market since my boys are quite big and heavy.

bobandjess99 said:

Splash made some points...less time RF..that is a big one...but the titan, at only $99, for example, RF's to 35, with a shell high enough to fit a pretty big kid.....I don't think I would be sacrificing much RF time in that seat vs a Ma, for example...
The plushness..okay, i see that...
The ease of install/use..okay I see that as well...

These are the kind of things I'm looking for......

Click to expand...

My son would have outgrown the RA RF a year ago. He has at least another year from now to fit RF in his MA. So he will get at least 2 extra years RF in a MA than in a RA.

In fact, I barely even think of a Marathon as a forward facing seat.

Also, remember, the Nautilus just came out. So, up until a month or so ago, it wasn't even an option.

And, it would be hard to get the top harness height any higher in a convertible seat, and still have it fit RF in most cars.

skaterbabscpst said:

Um, no. The new Titan is the same height as the old Titan, and is much to short for most kids to make it to the RF weight limit. And the seat itself is a pretty poor design as well.

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Well, I can't speak as to the design, I've never tried it, but I don't think the shell is that low. As we all know, my dd is/has always been BIG for her age, and has a LONG torso. This is the pic I took of her to compare when the EFTA came out. This pic is of her in the new Titan. She is less than 2 months shy of being 3 yo, with a torso height of 15 inches, and could have been RF in this seat (she's sitting forward a bit in the pic, but there is over 1 inch of shell above her head when sitting correctly. her hair also is puffy, making her look taller than she is..lol)
and most kids at 2 y 10 months do NOT have a fricken 15 inch torso height, so I'm thinking that an average kid could make it to 3+ in this seat RF??? now, possibly not to the absolute limit....dd was only about 32 pounds at that point, and would have needed to be RF a bit prior to 35, but honestly? If my kid can make it to 3 in a seat RFing...that's okay with me. I understand it would not be acceptable to some, and that is fine, but I feel comfortable FF my 3 yo.
Now..perhaps you could tell me more about how the seat is poorly designed? Are we talking installation? adjusters?

OP I see your point. In fact, I just recommended the Nautilus today to a friend whose 2.5 yo is outgrowing an older convertible rf at 30 lbs. Sure, she could buy several seats that would give her 3-5 lbs more rf, but she'd have to buy another seat to keep the child harnessed as long as she'd like.

That being said, I'd rather spend the money for an ERF/EH convertible that is easy to install and comfortable, even though I'll almost certainly need another harnessed seat. In fact, I bought a MA when my son was 2.5 just to keep him rf (it won out over the FPSVD for rf tether, Radian for fit to my vehicle and the EFTA wasn't out yet). He had already outgrown his RA rf and I couldn't stand the Scenera for everyday use, and he still would have outgrown it rf by height before weight.

The EFTA would be okay from birth, rf longer as long as any other seat available and get an average sized child ff to age 5 or 6 (which is about when it would expire anyway). Then the GN would harness to age 7 or 8 and be a booster that lasts to seatbelt age. I think $300 total investment is a reasonable expense per child ($400 if you feel you need an infant seat, but that could be passed down). I don't see any reason for a cheap seat to bridge the gap.

I'll keep recommending EH convertibles and don't see a reason to buy a potentially lousy seat that will be outgrown around age 3. The minimal savings isn't worth it to me.

and like mini said, there's no point introducing the temptation to go straight to a booster at that point.

for skinny kids, it's rearfacing time.

those bigger seats are taller and thereby will last you rf a lot longer.

Ruthie, for instance, hit 35lbs in the Scenera, but we got the Husky for her brother, so she got her MA back from him.... then she DROPPED down to 30lbs... she was already too tall to rf in the Scenera (she'd been just below the head height limit when she hit 35lbs), but still had plenty of height room for rf in the Marathon.

She rearfaced another few months, until she hit 33lbs again.

She'd outgrown every 40lb limit seat for rf at that point.

Only one 40lb limit seat would have given her room... it came out later... the Safety 1st Uptown!

Now obviously I like the Uptown because it has EPP foam and is well padded.

But there are still more advantages.

For instance... LIFESPAN... the Nautilus only lasts for 6yrs... so by getting your child to about 4-6yrs old, you run your best chance of not having to buy another booster after it.

then we also have...OTHER KIDS... if you are on your first child, by buying a seat such as a Marathon, then, when you have your second child (we'll say 2yrs later), you woud reuse your infant seat (we'll say SS1... so it would last at least a year), then put baby rearfacing in the Marathon and get a Nautilus.

By the time baby has outgrown the Marathon, the older one is probably ready for just a booster and you can move seats and buy a simple highback or no back booster for the older child.

If you used a 40lb limit convertible, you'd end up with two Nautiluses, and then two boosters to get you till your child is ready for a seatbelt after the Nautilus has expired.


It can be very daunting and I've certainly pondered this one. If you're looking to get the biggest bang for your buck, my best recommendations are to get the EFTA, Radian65, or Safety 1st uptown, then follow that with a Nautilus


I really like the EFTA because, like the old Triumph (and as the pp stated above me) it has low bottom harness positions that make it useable for most newborns. So you really could get away with spending only about 300 dollars on a child in seats, which is not bad at all.

Now if someone really has such a tight budget that they need to go with the Scenera and then Nautilus... that's fine and I understand... but I'd really like to see the EPP/EPS foam for absorbtion of forces and of course also a seat that will give a little more of a buffer zone (just in case they get a big baby)

bobandjess99 said:

Well, I can't speak as to the design, I've never tried it, but I don't think the shell is that low. As we all know, my dd is/has always been BIG for her age, and has a LONG torso. This is the pic I took of her to compare when the EFTA came out. This pic is of her in the new Titan. She is less than 2 months shy of being 3 yo, with a torso height of 15 inches, and could have been RF in this seat (she's sitting forward a bit in the pic, but there is over 1 inch of shell above her head when sitting correctly. her hair also is puffy, making her look taller than she is..lol)
and most kids at 2 y 10 months do NOT have a fricken 15 inch torso height, so I'm thinking that an average kid could make it to 3+ in this seat RF??? now, possibly not to the absolute limit....dd was only about 32 pounds at that point, and would have needed to be RF a bit prior to 35, but honestly? If my kid can make it to 3 in a seat RFing...that's okay with me. I understand it would not be acceptable to some, and that is fine, but I feel comfortable FF my 3 yo.
Now..perhaps you could tell me more about how the seat is poorly designed? Are we talking installation? adjusters?

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Maybe they are finally raising those top slots?? Maybe enough people have complained?

I've seen and tried the Titan Elite and my daughter was already 2" past the top slots... she has a 17" torso.

It can indeed be hard to install and the adjuster (especially rearfacing) is quite difficult.

The old titan it was also more of a question of comparing it to the scenera, which was taller, but with same top slots, had a higher rf weight, and was also cheaper... kind of... why buy this when you get more for your money with that... scenario.

As for torso height at age... most kids do outgrow 15" top slot seats at about 2-3yrs old.

Mine was 2.5yrs old.

So... it can be speculative.

I would just make sure to take a tape measure... and also install it before getting rid of the box... you sometimes lose harness height in installing.