Trying to find the right car seat for DS...

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #1

Does anyone want to know how reading something can affect the way a person changes their minds? This is what has been happening to me in the past couple of weeks:
My DS is so close to growing out of his car seat he has now (which is a Cosco Scenera), height wise anyways, he still has about 15-20 lbs to go to reach the max amount of the harness weight limit. But the main point is he needs a new car seat and quick. So I have been looking at two car seats: Graco Nautilus and the Britax Frontier. My DH and I were set on the GN, but now reading posts from others on this site and seeing picture comparisons ( thanks to The Bjorns) I am now thinking about getting the BF. I just want a seat that I know my DS will be comfortable in and most important safe in. I am willing to pay a good price for my DS' safety.

Why is it so hard to choose a car seat?:crying:

 

Namegirl

Senior Community Member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #2

What is your son's weight?

 

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #3

Namegirl said:

What is your son's weight?

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Last time I checked he weighed 25 lbs, and that was about a week ago.

 

mominabigtruck

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #4

So he's 25lbsish and 2yo?? At that size and age I wouldn't be looking at either one of those seats because he's just going to be swimming in them. Do you have any pics of him in his current seat so we can see how he's fitting in it? To be tall enough to outgrow the scenera but be that small weight wise he has to be super skinny and all torso.

 

zeo2ski

Well-known member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #5

So your son is 20-25 lbs? The Frontier is not allowed until age 2, so you couldn't use that just yet. At that age and weight, I'd really suggest the First Years True Fit which is a convertible so you could put your DS back RFing--he's a peanut an would be much safer RFing. Plus, it has a really tall shell so you would have a lot more height room in it than the scenera, an a 35 lb RFing limit an 65 lb FFing harness. :twocents:

 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #6

i second what the P's have said, if you are truly looking for the safets option, a convertible seat, that you can use Rearfacing for another year or 2, is going to be the much safer choice (proven 500% safer).
The truefit would be abn excellent choice, as would a marathon, evenflo triumph advance or new 50-lb alpha omega seat. all of these will keep your child Rfing to 35 pounds, and the forward face to 50-65, and at taht point, you won't need something like a GN or BF, because your child will be booster age!

 

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #7

I have been looking at the True Fit also, but DH wants one that turns into a booster so we don't have to go buy another seat. But if he is going to swim in those seats then I won't even think about them anymore. How tall is the shell compared to the Scenera? I have been looking at pictures, but it doesn't say how tall it is or if it does I am just missing it? Yeah, I get to but a true fit. Those look like really good seats. I am willing to buy a booster seat after he grows out of the TF. I will get a picture of him in the seat and post it up as soon as I can. I have one but it isn't a recent picture, it is dated back in August. He is tall for his age, but real skinny. Thank you all.

 

mominabigtruck

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #8

Freedom_Pixie said:

I have been looking at the True Fit also, but DH wants one that turns into a booster so we don't have to go buy another seat. But if he is going to swim in those seats then I won't even think about them anymore. How tall is the shell compared to the Scenera? I have been looking at pictures, but it doesn't say how tall it is or if it does I am just missing it? Yeah, I get to but a true fit. Those look like really good seats. I am willing to buy a booster seat after he grows out of the TF. I will get a picture of him in the seat and post it up as soon as I can. I have one but it isn't a recent picture, it is dated back in August. He is tall for his age, but real skinny. Thank you all.

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My ds is also tall and skinny but he's got about 15lbs on your ds and he looks so little in his husky.

A radian might work really well for you. It has one of the tallest shells available and he could still rf for another 10lbs. Plus, once he's ffing he should be able to make it in that seat until he's booster age.

 

Sceason1972

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #9

He must be really tall and skinny to be outgrowing the scenera by height at that weight.

Just for clarity sake: For rear facing a seat is outgrown by height once the head is one inch from the top of the shell. Forward facing, it is outgrown by height when the shoulders go over the top harness slot and/or the ears are even with the top of the shell.

 

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #10

Sceason1972 said:

He must be really tall and skinny to be outgrowing the scenera by height at that weight.

Just for clarity sake: For rear facing a seat is outgrown by height once the head is one inch from the top of the shell. Forward facing, it is outgrown by height when the shoulders go over the top harness slot and/or the ears are even with the top of the shell.

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He is taller then his cousin (his cousin is 4 1/2 months older). But his cousin has plenty of room to grow in his own car seat. DS goes in for a check up on March 10th, so I will findout for sure how tall he is. Right, now the top of DS head is at my hip, and I am 5ft 6in. I will also find an official weight for DS, because I weigh myself first then while holding him weigh myself again and subtract the two numbers. He can just be a really tall 2 yo and really skinny. Is that ok? Now I'm worried about him.

 

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #11

Just out of curiosity I did that whole weigh myself and weight myself with him again, and the difference is 29 lbs. Is that an accurate measurment of weight? or would it be better to wait to go to the Docs? Because it is saying he weighs 29 lbs.

 

F

flutie128

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #12

That is how I weigh my DD (only 9 months) but I make my 4.5 DS get on the scale himself.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #13

That's actually a way of weighing that eliminates problems with different weights on different scales, I like to do it that way.

I totally agree that he should be rear-facing still. The True Fit will fit a tall kid really well rear-facing. And he can stay that way until he is 35 lbs. or outgrows the shell by height rear-facing. He would be five times safer rear- than forward-facing, and the True Fit is tall enough that once he outgrows it forward facing, he may even be ready for a dedicated booster.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Feb 4, 2009

• #14

I agree... the truefit will be the seat for you... tall top slots (taller than most convertible seats... almost 18".... almost as tall as those of the Nautilus), TALL seatback (seriously, no ff kid could outgrow this with just the ears... it is TALL), nice and roomy, and about the same cost.

I would get it, put him rearfacing in it till 35lbs, and then ff till he outgrows it, at which time he SHOULD be ready for a booster.

 

Freedom_Pixie

New member

• Feb 8, 2009

• #15

How do I put the pictures on here?

 

Pixels

New member

• Feb 8, 2009

• #16

Go into your user control panel by clicking "User CP," then "Pictures and Albums" under Networking on the left side.