Eddie Bauer 3 in 1?

ADS
U

Unregistered

Guest
I believe it is just the eddie bauer version of the Alpha Omega Elite.(like we have a designer 22 that was the 'eddie bauer designer 22'). Anyway it was ok. But be forwarned, it is not the last seat you will need. I really can't think of a 3 in 1 that does all 3 jobs very well.

DS liked that it was coushy(the fabric version) but at 2.5yo is already outgrown the harness slots as most do because they are just low. They do this thing that the top position of the slots can NOT be used as harness slots, but just as moving the headrest up to belt positioning booster mode. If the top position could be used as a harness position it would last a little longer.

If it were me, I would skip it and get another seat(or set of seats). If budget is an issue the cosco scenera 5point convertible is a nice seat, then you could get a combination seat like the Bolera that had slightly higher harness slots and made an actually decent booster.

If budget wasnt so much an issue Id look into one of the convertible seats that harnessed until 65lbs, like the britax convertibles or the new sunshine kids radian.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
ohh I see you are in canada. Silly me for not looking. That does change a few things.

The canadian version of the scenera is a good seat though as well, if only I could remember the name. Im very envious of the graco cargos that go to 48lbs! The ones here go to 40lbs and have higher harness slots than most other 40lbs limit seats.

Ive not had experience with the canadian 3 in 1, so I cant comment(assuming it is a bit different than the US version).
 

Chadsgirl

New member
Even a car seat that goes up to 65 lbs isn't enough since they have changed the laws last September. The child has to either be 80 lbs, 8 years old or 4'9" to be out of a car seat. So I would still need one after that.

Thanks for the info.
 

j4m4d8

New member
Yes, either way you'll need another car seat. The 3-in-1's are only good as boosters until 52 inches (4' 4") and they expire in 7 years.

ETA: The Elites may be different but you definitely want to check the instruction manual or the label on the side of the seat to make sure. Most stores only advertise the weight which is the most misleading measurement. (Most kids will only be 50 pounds or so when they outgrow the 65 pound Britaxes; many kids outgrow the 40 pound seats before they're 35 pounds.)

By the way, my friend has had the old Alpha Omega which required removing the base and unthreading the harness to wash the cover. As my friend couldn't figure out how to do this, she never washed the cover until she converted her son's seat to a booster. (He was very short and able to use the seat with the harness for 3 years.) The cover smelled BAD and even now that it's been washed it doesn't smell good. Most seats do require harness unthreading, but since one of the sales points of the 3-in-1's is that the harness never needs to be rethreaded, I thought I'd let you know.
 
Last edited:
U

Unregistered

Guest
Your child will most likely outgrow the 3 in 1 before they are ready to be in a booster seat.
The Cargos and Evenflo combo seats go to a higher harness weight, and then turn into boosters.
The Cargos go to 48 pounds, and the Evenflo Chase/Vision/Traditions go to 47 pounds.
I have a Vision for my dayhome kiddos, and it's a pretty good seat.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
The harness on this seat is the lowest on the market -- my tall skinny kiddo outgrew this harness height by 2 years old ... WAY too young to use a booster correctly :eek: :( Plus, as far as boosters go it's not that great because it offers no side impact protection or sleeping support.

In Canada, I think you should look into the Marathon & maybe try to rearrange your finances if it's out of your budget -- I wish I had another idea for you, but I'm not sure what's available in Canada.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
It can be used as a booster till 80#, not used w/ a harness. I think the 65# seats in Canada only go to 48# though, but still, that's another 8# you'll get before having to remove the straps. We have an Alpha Omega, same seat that we bought in 2003. I have no yet washed it b/c it's such a pain to do. It involves screw drivers and everything (I know I'm gross, lol). As a seat in and of itself, I like it. Both my kids enjoy riding in it and it's worked well for us. My oldest outgrew it at 2 (ffing) b/c of his cloth diapers and now the straps are right at his shoulders at 2.5 in pull ups. If you are plan on keeping baby rfing for the full 35#, it'll last you a few years at least (unless your child ends up being bigger). You may have to ditch it after that though, so IMO, you might as well splurge for the Marathon and then get a nice booster after that.
 

scatterbunny

New member
The 3-in-1 only harnesses to 40 pounds; after that it must be used as a belt positioning booster.

The 3-in-1 has very low top harness slots, so most kids won't even make it to 40 pounds before getting too tall for the harness. The top harness slot position is the second-to-top headrest position. The top headrest position is only to raise the headrest higher in booster mode. Therefore, the top useable harness slot position is very low. Once the child's shoulders go over that slot, they are too tall for the harness and have outgrown the harnessed mode of that seat. Since kids MUST be harnessed to at least 40 pounds in Canada, another harnessed seat with taller top harness slots and possibly a higher harnessed weight limit will be needed before the child can move to a belt positioning booster.

The 3-in-1 in booster mode will not last as long as a dedicated booster, nor will it provide the side impact protection that some dedicated boosters (like the Graco Turbo Booster and Britax Parkway, both of which have EPS foam headwings and adjust tall enough to accommodate most kids to 5 feet tall).

My dd outgrew the 3-in-1 by height at just 2.5 years old and 33 pounds. We then had to find another harnessed seat with taller top slots or switch her prematurely to booster mode (NO WAY).

In Canada, a better choice for a convertible seat would be the Cosco Touriva/Scenera or the Safety 1st ComfortRide (same as Touriva but with more padding). These will still probably be outgrown by height before 40 pounds, but the top slots are a smidge taller than the 3-in-1's top slots and they are much more affordable.

Once the convertible seat is outgrown, good combination seats to consider are the Graco Ultra/Platinum CarGo (NOT the Treasured CarGo or MyCarGo; these do not have a front harness adjuster) and the Evenflo Express/Vision/Chase. The CarGo harnesses to 48 pounds, the Evenflos to 47 pounds (only in Canada, because top-tethering seats is required; in the US, where top-tethering is not required, these seats only harness to 40 pounds). Both the CarGos and Evenflos have top harness slots at least two inches taller than the 3-in-1. Both turn into belt positioning boosters once the child has outgrown the harness, but the belt positioners on combination seats sometimes do not work well with all vehicle seatbelts. Sometimes a dedicated booster (like the Parkway or Turbo) is a better fit for the vehicle, belts and child.

HTH!
 

Chadsgirl

New member
Thanks for all the very valuable info, I guess I'm not going to buy the 3-in-1 and the Britax, is just way too expensive for us. I will have to look at something else.

Thank you again.
 

scatterbunny

New member
How is the child, how heavy and how tall?

In Canada, I honestly rarely recommend the Britax convertibles--they are just too expensive for what you get (a 48 pound harnessed weight limit, same as Graco CarGos). There are other, more budget-friendly options. Knowing your child's age and size would help a lot.
 

Chadsgirl

New member
Jenny, she is still in her infant car seat, but will need the next step very shortly. Last time she got weighed she was only 12.5 lbs, that was two weeks ago, but she is already 24 inches long and my infant car seat is only good until 26, so I'm looking to see what is best out there.

Thanks for the help.
 

scatterbunny

New member
I responded to your other threads. :)

One thing you may not know about infant carseats that may buy you some more time: as long as she stays below the weight limit (probably 20 pounds) and has at least an inch of hard plastic seat shell above her head, she can stay in the infant seat.

Stated height limit is not strict the way stated harnessed weight limits are; this is because kids are all built so differently. Some carry height all in the torso, while others carry height in the legs. Still others are pretty evenly proportioned. Stated height limits are based on the "average" child.

When a child is rear-facing, the straps should be in the harness slots at-or-below the child's shoulders. When a child is forward-facing, the straps should be in the harness slots at-or-above the child's shoulders. This means that a seat is outgrown forward-facing by height if the child's shoulders go above the top harness slots.

This is why top harness slot height matters so much in carseat recommendations (and bottom slot height matters, too--if the bottom slots aren't low enough, lots of small babies may not be long enough in the torso to be above the lowest set of slots), and why the 3-in-1 seats aren't worth the price (still another seat with taller top harness slots and possibly a higher weight limit will be needed to get most kids to a minimum of 40 pounds).
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
My 2 cents' worth on the 3-in-1
They're actually not 3-in-1 because the harness slots are the among the lowest (if not the lowest) in the convertible category. You'll probably have to buy another seat before you child can graduate to a booster. And it's expensive.

I have 2 Cosco Alpha Omegas, in Canada they're available everywhere and salespeople are quick to sell them as the greatest thing ever invented. I wish I'd have bought a Britax but 2 years ago they were not available at all in Canada because of a recall.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,897
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top