Anyone Care To Experiment With Me? Measuring Torso Height

Defrost · Mar 15, 2008

Measuring torso heights?

I've always read to measure my kiddos' torso heights by having them sit with their backs flush against the wall, legs straight out. Well, as we all know, that tends to wind up measuring a bit lower than in the carseat.

So, I had my DD sit "criss-cross-applesauce" to see if that got a more accurate measurement. It adds about a half-inch to her measurement, and makes a more accurate assessment of how she fits in her carseats. Straight-legged, she should have a half-inch of growing room in the MA, legs crossed, she should be even with them. Well, she's even with them.

I checked this with a MA and a Radian. Anyone else have different seats and different-size kids they can check?

joolsplus3 · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

Wow, that was a good flash of insight (and if a few more people get the same result, it will make it a lot easier to tell people what to do to measure their kid!... what did you use at her shoulder? I usually use a biggish book on my kids' heads to get a straight line to the wall)

Ice Princess · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

my ds was 14 inches with legs crossed and 13.25 with legs striaght out in front.

Mama! · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

14.75 legs straight out
15.5 legs crossed!!!!

DD 4.5 yrs

Defrost · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

joolsplus3 said:
Wow, that was a good flash of insight (and if a few more people get the same result, it will make it a lot easier to tell people what to do to measure their kid!... what did you use at her shoulder? I usually use a biggish book on my kids' heads to get a straight line to the wall)

Hm, I suppose pictures would be nice, eh? I used a ruler to get the level of measurement, and a sewing measuring tape, not a tool-type metal tape measure.

Gimme a few, I'll take pics.

wildeyes · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

one inch more cross-legged!! weird!!

Ice Princess · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

Defrost, do you want pics of our kids too?

Mama! · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

You want me to take a pic of the wall where I marked on it? (LOL)

Defrost · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

To those who've posted measurement differences, how do those measurements compare with which slots they are using on their carseats, and are they RF or FF?

The big question is whether legs-crossed actually translates to more accurate measurements of where they fit in their carseats. Kids are going to cross their legs differently, after all, but if "most" of them measure more accurate to which harness slots their using, this might be a better way to measure. If "most" of them don't match up with their harness slots when measured this way, the old way is better, see?

Here's pics. Legs straight:

Legs crossed:

Defrost · Mar 15, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

No, no, I don't really need pics of other kids. I do need to know which carseat(s) they're using, and which harness slots they're using and how far below them, and what the manufacturer says is the measurement for that slot.

joolsplus3 · Mar 17, 2008

Hope you don't mind I changed the title Debbie, I wanted more people to see this

Defrost · Mar 17, 2008

joolsplus3 said:
Hope you don't mind I changed the title Debbie, I wanted more people to see this

Not at all, thank you! I was about to bump the thread up so folks would see it.

I need to know the difference in measurements between straight-legs and crossed-legs, and how that compares to the actual slot they're using in the installed carseat, please.

Mama2J · Mar 17, 2008

I'll play as soon as I get a chance to measure J. I'll put in my carseat info now.

Regent - just above second from bottom slots - 14.4
Nautilus - about even with second from bottom slots - 14.5

(Last time I measured him last year, he was 14.5, but I'll do it again. That was sitting with legs straight out.)

ETA: When I picked him up from school yesterday, he was about even with the second to bottom slots on the Regent too. I think he's a little above though when he has a jacket on. I'll try to measure him when he wakes up today.

Tara · Mar 17, 2008

I'll try to remember to do this.
Doodles is napping at the moment. She's at the 2nd from the top slots on the Radian...whatever height that is, I don't remember. I'll *try* to check this all out soon and post back.

This could prove to be a very interesting experiment. Good thinkin' Debbie

elle7715 · Mar 17, 2008

What if we can't convince our kids to cross their legs? LOL
I do notice a big difference between DDs torso height (measured sitting against a wall) and where she sits in her carseats. I had her sit in her toddler sized chair and pushed that up against the wall. Her legs bent at the knee and it was more accurate that way.
ETA: I think that's the way the Britax site prefers?

HEVY · Mar 17, 2008

Well color me confused.

I measured 14 1/2 inches on the wall, crisscross was 1/2 cm higher. I did it over and over again. Yet in the car my dd is on the 16.75 slots. In the house she had a good 3 inches to that slot, in the car she's almost level with it. On previous measurments and the most recent with the doc she measured 16 torso. So either I'm wrong or Doc is wrong, I guess I can't help ya much.

Mama2J · Mar 18, 2008

Ok I've done my homework. Here are my findings:

Model: 4 1/2 years old, 38 pounds, 39 inches tall
Torso height (legs straight out): 14 inches
Torso height (legs criss-crossed): almost 15 inches

Seats: Regent and Nautilus
Nearest Slots: Second from bottom (14.4 and 14.5)
Fit: at or sometimes just above slots

scatterbunny · Mar 18, 2008

Re: Anyone Care To Experiment With Me?

Hmm, I don't know...when I measure H's torso height with her sitting flat against the wall, legs straight in front of her, I get a hair under 19 inches, but she still has room in a Nautilus, so she's got to be more like 18-18.25 inches. So with my child, it isn't certain that measuring this way will result in a lower torso measurement than is accurate. I always tell folks to measure two ways, this way, and by sitting them in a current seat and measuring space between shoulders and top slots, and then measuring up to the top slots without the child in the seat. Torso height is SO not an exact science, it just helps give a general idea on how a child may fit various seats.

Defrost · Mar 18, 2008

Yeah, it looks like we're getting a pretty wide range of results. Keep 'em coming, though! If nothing else, it's interesting.

Mama! · Mar 18, 2008

DD is on the 2nd to bottom slots on her Regent.

If I used the legs straight out measurement, she's just under the slot.

If I used criss cross measurement, she's just above.

I think we are at that point where she is *almost* too tall for that slot and needs to be moved up, but not yet.

Anyone Care To Experiment With Me? Measuring Torso Height

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