CAn we list the seats in harness height order?

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
so I was just browsing the thread where the shell height for Rfing is listed, and the tallest shells were truefit, recaros, radian, ..etc..etc

Can we line up the seats by top harness height,please?

Regent is still highest, right? Then is it safeguard or the recaros? Then nauti, frontier, apex and britax convertibles?, EFTA...where does the TF go? are those in the right order?

I just want these straight in my mind.
 
ADS

scatterbunny

New member
Regent (20ish inches)
Safeguard Child Seat (19 inches)
Some folks will say Recaro Como/Signo have 19 inch top slots as well, but H's torso is just now 19 inches, it was 18 inches about six months ago when I sat her in a Signo and she was a good inch over the top slots at that point; the tops of her ears were also over the shell at that point. :shrug-shoulders:
Graco Nautilus (18 inches)
Britax Frontier (18 inches)

Not sure if the Radian or True Fit have higher top slots, but I believe both are a bit higher than the Triumph Advance.

Sunshine Kids Radian
Compass True Fit
Evenflo Triumph Advance
Cosco Apex
Britax Marathon
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
My daughter is about a half an inch over the new Regent top slots, but is just dead even with the SafeGuard top slots... now in the Husky she has about another 3/4 inch or so. The new Regent is shorter, they say 19.1 on their website.
 

scatterbunny

New member
There are photos here on this board comparing pre and post advisory Regents, and they are the same. The general consensus is that the requirement of the recline bar makes kids fit with less growing room than a pre-advisory seat installed without the recline bar.

I own a post-advisory Regent, and I measure right around 20 inches for the top slots. H has a 19 inch torso measured against the wall as of two weeks ago, and has an inch before getting too tall for our Regent, installed in my Focus. She is an inch over the Frontier and Nautilus top slots, which measure 18-18.25, depending on who measures. (See this thread for comparison pics of her in all three seats)

This is how much growing room H had in the Safeguard a full year, 3.5 inches of total height and a little over an inch of torso height ago. I wish I'd tried her in the Safeguard again on the day I took the Nautilus and Frontier and Regent comparison photos, but I didn't. Knowing how she grew, though, My guess is she is exactly even with the Safeguard's top slots, while being an inch over the Nauti and Frontier's, and having an inch to go in the Regent. :shrug-shoulders:

There is such a varying degree to the recline of the Regent, depending on how the recline bar fits in the vehicle, so I can see a child having less than 20 inches of torso grow room in certain situations. In ours, though, the 20 inch measurement holds true, compared to my daughter's seated torso height against the wall, and compared to how she fits other 18-inch top slot seats.

Britax's top slot height measurements and their seated shoulder height allowances have had discrepancies for awhile now, and not just for the Regent. They say 19.1 for the tallest harness height, yet they say 20 inches for the maximum seated shoulder height allowance, yet they don't allow shoulders over top slots. :rolleyes: Something is obviously wrong there. All I know is, I measure 20 inches, give or take half an inch due to the massive huge harness slot holes on that seat, and my daughter's torso height is 19 inches, and she has an inch to go in the Regent, and she's an inch over seats that measure 18 inches. :)
 

MomToEliEm

Moderator
Here is a list I had made up earlier showing the harness heights of each seat. They are sorted tallest to shortest within each category.

Convertible Seats (installs both rearfacing and forward facing harnessed seat):

Recaro Como/Signo (~$249-$290 depending on model) - top harness height is around 19 inches (Signo is 18 inches, Como is 19 inches) and harnesses up to 70 pounds (5-35lb rearfacing).

Sunshine Kids Radian (~$199-$278 depending on model) - top harness height of 18 inches. Can hold a child up to 65/80 pounds (depending on the model you buy) (5-33lb rearfacing). This seat folds so it can be carried easily (though it is still a heavy seat to carry, especially around the airports). These seats can use the tether rearfacing. This seat is also pretty narrow when compared to other seats so often a good choice when trying to fit multiple seats next to each other in the car. This seat can be tricky to install in some cars so it might be best to try it out in your car prior to buying it.

Evenflo Triumph Advance (~$129) (don't confuse with the original triumph which is actually a very short harnessed seat)- top harness height of 17.5 inches. Can hold a child up to 50 pounds (5-35lb rearfacing).

Compass TrueFit (~$179) - top harness height is 17.25 inches. Can hold children up to 65 pounds (5-35lbs rearfacing). This seat has a removable headrest for babies 5-22lbs rearfacing which might make this seat easier to fit into smaller cars rearfacing. The headrest is required forward facing and when rearfacing above 22lbs.

Britax Marathon, Boulevard, Decathlon (~$229-$289 depending on model) - top harness height is 17 inches. Can hold children up to 65 pounds (5-33 pounds rearfacing, though seats manufactured in 2008 should go to 35lb rearfacing). These seats can tether rearfacing.

Fisher Price Safe Voyage (~$149) - based on the Britax Marathon shell)- top harness height is 17 inches. Can hold children up to 55 pounds (5-33lb rearfacing). This seat is being discontinued so it is hard to find and might have older manufacturing dates (seat expires 6 years from when it was made).

Youth Seats (installs forward facing with harness):


Britax Regent (~$249) - top harness height is 20 inches. Can hold children from 22-80 pounds. Requires a top tether after 50 pounds. Very big and cannot be taken on an airplane This seat really doesn't work for young children (under 2 who really should be rearfacing anyway) since it is so large.

Safeguard Child Seat (~$429) - harnesses from 22-65 pounds. Top harness slot is 19" high. Very expensive, but a great seat.

SafeGuard Go Child Restraint (~$199) - harnesses from 30-60 pounds. It's harness is a little different and it depends on the seat back. Requires a top tether for installation of seat. Not really the best choice for an everyday seat, but might be good for traveling.

Combination Seats (installs forward facing with harness and then converts to a booster):

Graco Nautilus (~$149) - top harness height of 18.5 inches. Can hold children up to 65 pounds. This seat is forward facing only and converts from a harnessed seat to a highback booster to a lowback booster. Can use latch to secure the seat while using the seat in booster mode.

Britax Frontier (~$279) - top harness height of 18.25 inches. Can hold children up to 80 pounds. This seat is forward facing only and converts from a harnessed seat to a highback booster. Can use latch to secure the seat while using the seat in booster mode.

Cosco Apex 65 (~$80-$129 depending on model) (also referenced as Safety First Apex, Safety First Biltmore and a few other names) - top harness height is at 17.5 inches and can harness from 22-65 pounds. After the child outgrows the harness, the seat does convert to a highback booster. This seat does require a headrest behind the seat so it will not work in cars without headrests or tall seatbacks.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
WTH??? i posted a reply to this earlier..why is it gone?
We went to target, so we were able to try out physically an EFTA, Ma, TF and GN.
The efta, ma, and tf all had virtually identical top slots....I had dd sit in them and took pics, btu they were all basically the same. The major difference was that the Ma was much narrower, she was totally squished in it but had plenty of room in the efta and tf.

BUT..it still seems to me that the most cost effective solution is to get a 40 lb convertible and then follow it up with a nauti.
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,898
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