RF how long?

momto2princes · Jan 9, 2009

At what age & weight did you switch your child/ren FF?

I know it is all about the weight and of course all children grow at different rates, I am just curious.

If you care to share the seats you are using or used that would be great too!

Jennifer mom to my 7 · Jan 9, 2009

I had to flip my now 3 year old at 25 months, 32+pounds (33 pound limit), 36.5 inches, 15.5 inch torso at the time. She was on the 3rd slot rf in her decathlon, and went to the tops when I flipped her. Her torso is now about 16.5 inches, and I will have to move her out of the dc very soon.

My just about 2 year old is still rf in his boulevard at 26 pounds or so. He is my average kid, and isn't too much more torso than legs (like most of my other kids are).

Mommy0608 · Jan 9, 2009

momto2princes said:
I know it is all about the weight and of course all children grow at different rates, I am just curious.

Weight is of course an important consideration, however, torso height is equally important. To fit any seat rear-facing, a child must have at least 1" of hard shell above the top of their head (leg length doesn't matter though) AND be within the weight guidelines.

My 2.5 year old DD is still rear-facing in an Evenflo Triumph Advance (you can see her in my siggy). She's only about 25lbs and has several inches left above her head, so she has a LONG time left to remain rear-facing. :thumbsup:

emandbri · Jan 9, 2009

Jacob I turned at a year and 21 lbs which would have been considered extended rear-facing in 1997

Daniel was turned at 15 months and 23 lbs which was when he had an inch of seat above his head in his roundabout.

Benjamin I turned once at 2 years 4 months when he was 34 lbs (his marathon went to 33 lbs rear-facing. He then lost weight (Daniel and I had mono and I think he had it too but didn't get a blood test) and I turned him back rear-facing. Turned him again at 2 years 10 months and 31 lbs because I wanted to get the infant seat in for Elizabeth and it would have been really hard to have 2 rear-facing seats in my van and still drop the kids off at school.

Elizabeth is 2 years 5 months old hovers around 31-32 lbs and rear-facing in her marathon which has a 35 lbs rear-facing weight limit. Plan to keep her rear-facing until 35 lbs but I might let her use Benjamin's seat when I pick her up from preschool when she starts in July if she is still under 35 lbs 6 months from now.

fyrfightermomma · Jan 9, 2009

DD1 was turned occasionally FF at 2y1m and 23 lbs when my DH couldn't stand eating the dash anymore in his car. She rides in his car 2x a month. In the primary car she is still RFing at 3 1/2 and 25 lbs in a Signo or Marathon. I will turn her FF for good when she turns 4. She'll probably outgrow by height soon after anyways (around 39-40" now)

DD2 will be FFing soon-probably in the next 6 months. She'll probably be a little less than 2 1/2. She is now 30 lbs and in a MA and soon a Radian XT

safeinthecar · Jan 9, 2009

Becky was turned at 10 months and 16#. This was 12 years ago.

Danny was 20 months and 23# when he outgrew the RA by height, then I inherited an Elite when he was 23 months. He rfed in it until it expired when he was 26-27 months. Then turned back rfing again at almost 3 when the MA came out. He rfed in the MA until 4 yrs 5 months and outgrew it at 33#.

Hope rfed in the RA, then the MA, then an Intera until 35# at 3 yrs and a couple months.

momto2princes · Jan 9, 2009

Interesting.

Thanks for pointing out about weight and torso being equally important.

DS#1 we switched FF at 2.5yrs he wasn't quite 30lbs(probably 28lbs) but in my defense I didn't know as much about extended rear facing as I do now! I had just kept him that way because the manual said he could be and I was lazy because he didn't complain and after spending so much time installing the darn car seat I didn't want to take it out! But alas we went to disneyland and had to bring the carseat with us and on the plane and in the rental car it was just easier installing it FF so we did and left it that way when we returned home.

DS#2 is still RF at 33mths (he will be 3 in April) happily! He is getting close to 30lbs probably in about 6 months from nowish I will need to turn him around unless I buy a new seat to keep him RF until 35lbs but I don't know if I can justify the $$ for extra 5lbs (is that bad to say?).

Holly · Jan 9, 2009

My first daughter was turned the first time at 11 months old, almost 20 lbs.
I didn't know any better at the time, and I thought that almost being 1 and 20 lbs was good enough.

Then, a year later I bought the Radian because I knew I wanted her harnessed as long as possible but it was cheaper than a Britax. I found this board when looking for reviews on the Radian (after I'd already bought it).
I learned about ERF and turned her back around at 24 months and about 24 lbs.
I turned her around for good just a month before she turned 3.
I did it then because of her age, I didn't want to RF past 3 (unless I had a way tiny kid). She was 28 lbs at the time. Oh, and yeah she was in a Radian 65.

My youngest daughter I just turned around to FF about a week or 2 ago because she is close to 32 lbs now and her seat (a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe) only goes to 33 lbs. She is 26 months old.

I had to arrange my carseats to fit 3 across for my new baby due in a few weeks, so I had to put my Radian in the center to do that. I have my youngest in the Radian now, and my oldest in the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe. I hear it's better to have the least protected in the center if thats possible, and since they are both FF, the least protected is the youngest one.

My new baby I hope to RF to age 3, but if I can get to at least age 2 (by weight, I don't know how big he will be or how fast he will grow) then thats fine with me too.

April · Jan 9, 2009

I turned Riley at 16 months because he was 29lbs and over the "overall" height limit for his Radian, and I didn't know about the 1 inch of hard shell rule. (And also 1lb from the weight limit). A week later we got in an accident

I replaced his Radian with an Apex because I didn't see the point of buying a convertible for a FF child, and had no clue about top harness slots. By the time I found out, he was already 33 lbs and there were no convertibles in Canada that rf beyond 33lbs. Then when then TF came out, I bought one and turned him back around for two months until he hit 35lbs at about 25 months old and we were sadly, at the limit for rf.

I wasn't around when my step kids were small enough to rf, except Rayn. She was in an expired OHS when I came along, so I got DH to buy her a Radian, but it wouldn't install RF in his truck, so she has ff'd in that in the center seat since she was about 26 months. She's the one that worries me....She's gone from a size 18-24 months a year ago to 5T or 6 this year! I have no idea how I'm going to keep her harnessed long enough!

Melanie · Jan 9, 2009

DD1 (now age 13) went FF a few weeks shy of 1 year. She was in a Graco T shield

DD2 went FF into a Roundabout at 1, then back RF at almost 2 when I found this site & realized the importance of RF. She stayed RF in a MA until 2 yrs 9 months when outgrew the 33 lb weight limit of my older MA.

DD3 will stay RF in the Marathon until she outgrows it-probably by weight.

wendytthomas · Jan 9, 2009

The first time Piper was 2.5 and 23 pounds. I turned her back around in my car at 3y10m (or something like that) and she stayed RFing until 4y8m and 31.5 pounds naked. She rode once more for a few days RFing a week after her fifth birthday when I needed room in my backseat. In fact she went to her fifth well child checkup RFing and the ped said that Piper still had to be in a harness, at 32 pounds she wasn't big enough for a booster. I told her Piper was rear facing in the car and she loved it. LOL

Let me see, Britax Advantages, then Britax Wizards, then the last go was the Sunshine Kids Radian.

Wendy

tiggercat · Jan 9, 2009

Greg was turned embarassingly early (when he hit 22lbs, the limit for the convertible seats at my disposal). He was probably 6 months old.

I got him a FPSE to replace an expired seat, and it only RF'd to 22lbs. By the time I found about that there was actually a convertible that RF'd to 30lbs here(the Century Accel, I believe, precursor to the Graco Comfort Sport) he had exceeded 30lbs anyway.

Megan rearfaced to the limits of her MA (Canadian model), 30lbs and right around 2 yrs old. I'd have liked to keep her RF a bit longer, but all Canadian seats were 30lb limits at that time. I debated getting her a TF when they came out here with the 35lb limit, but when I weighed her she was 34/35lbs.

bobandjess99 · Jan 9, 2009

BEFORE I knew anything, I had a seat with a 30 lb rfing limit for dd, and she was 31 pounds at 8 months, so we turned her - I didn't know there were any other options.

Ds is 20 lbs at 1 year, and very short..I can see him
RFing to age 4+

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue* · Jan 9, 2009

Ds #1(before I knew better): FF 8 months old, turned back around at 10 months RF, then FF on 12 month birthday

Ds #2(before I knew better): FF around 15 months(when he hit 20 pounds) and then when I found out turned back RF at 26 pounds, 28ish pounds.

He turned back FF at 44 months. He used the Cosco Scenera and FPSVD.

All my daycare kiddos RF to the limits of my seats(Cosco Scenera/FPSVD/Safeseat)

firemomof3 · Jan 9, 2009

DD1 turned ff at 1yr. before I knew better but currently in signo ff
DD2 still rf at 35mo. and she's only 27lbs! Wizard, Uptown, signo, now avenue
DS still rf at 20mo. Wizard, now signo

Mama! · Jan 9, 2009

momto2princes said:
At what age & weight did you switch your child/ren FF?

I know it is all about the weight and of course all children grow at different rates, I am just curious.

If you care to share the seats you are using or used that would be great too!

First child..no education about carseat safety, terrible crappy seats, turned FF at 1 year birthday, 18 lbs

Second child...RF'd to 3 years in Recaro Signo / Safety 1st uptown and was 34 lbs clothed / seat had a 35 lb limit. He loved RF . I loved him RF too.

flutie128 · Jan 9, 2009

DS was turned ffing when he turn 1 at 25 pounds I believe. I didn't know the benefits of erfing. He is currently 4.5, 45.5 pounds, 43" tall and in a hbb.

DD is rfing and will be for as long as I can. She is currently 8 months, 17.5 pounds, 27-28" tall.

MustangMama · Jan 9, 2009

DD was turned FF around 10 months and 20lbs.......

thepeach80 · Jan 9, 2009

AJ was 11 mos and 23# and then went back rfing at 27 mos and stayed that way till he hit 34# at 34 mos.

Evan was rfing in the van (he rode ffing w/ DH sometimes) till he was 47.5 mos. He was 35# then w/ all his clothes, but he's down to 33# now. I told he could go ffing at 4 though since the baby is coming.

Ilana is still rfing at 26 mos and about 27#.

SPJ&E · Jan 10, 2009

Age is the most important factor for us and we like to stick with 3 yrs. as our minimum.

Pacey was rear-facing in his Marathons until 3 yrs, 8 days old, about 30 lbs, and 37-38" tall. He never rode FF at all until then. He still had RF room in the Marathon and wasn't complaining, we just decided it was time. I am very proud that we made it as long as we did, considering my car is a 2-door. He wouldn't have actually outgrown it RF until right around now, at 4 yrs. old (he's about 33 lbs. fully clothed).

Joshua is still rear-facing at 33 months old, 28 lbs, and about 36". He's got tons of RF height room (he's still on the 2nd from bottom slots) and plenty of weight room (my kids gain slowly once they hit 2 yrs.). He would probably easily make it to 4 yrs. old RF, but we will turn him at 3. I'm fighting myself to keep him RF until then, but I'll do it because it's the right thing to do. I find myself getting really irritated though when we go anywhere in my car. Having to climb in/out of the middle of the backseat everytime we get some where AND when we leave there, gets old after 4+ years. Unlike Pacey RF, he does complain about his legs/feet (especially with shoes on) and has for a long time. We just keep shoes off and tell him to wiggle his toes (mainly to distract him). He has been FF 3 times though, all in Alisha's car (first was at Thanksgiving and we didn't have another option with an extra kiddo in the car)...so we've gotten a little less strict about it than we were with Pacey.

RF how long?

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