In a perfect world....

U

Unregistered

Guest
where money isn't an issue, what car seats would you have for the following kiddos?
DC1 (9.5yo) 73lbs. 55 inches (currently britax pw)
DC2 (6yo) 55lbs 47 inches (currently regent)
DC3 (3.5yo) 35lbs 39inches (currently DC)
DC4 (1yo) 19lbs 29 inches (currently graco ss1)

This spring I would like to move DC4 out of ss1. I am thinking about buying one of the BLVDs that are on sale, or I could just move everyone up one, and either buy another booster or maybe DC1 is old/big enough to sit in a seat (which he is eagerly awaiting)?
I am not too crazy about the heaviness of the regent and have been wanting to replace it (maybe with a frontier) it just takes up soooo much room! We currently have a 2005 Grand Caravan. I haven't been keeping good taps on carseats like I was, and I was hoping for some advice on the newest and best seats out there. We don't have side curtain airbags so I like the idea of having the SIP on their seats so that is why I was considering the blvd. Thank you so much for any advice!!
 
ADS

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Sunshine Kids Montereys for the eldest 2, Frontier for the 3rd, and DC for the baby.

I doubt your 9 yo is ready to be out of a booster (feet flat on the floor, bum all the way back, seatbelt low on thighs and on shoulder), and you wouldn't want to give up the head protection a booster offers till the very last minute, unless your car has good head restraints and side curtain airbags. On the flipside, I wouldn't worry about a seat with SIP for a harnessed kid, since the side wings and harness do an excellent job by themselves.

Just my two cents, of course! I'm sure you'll get lots of other excellent ideas! :)
 

scatterbunny

New member
Edited to add-Julie was WAY faster, and more succinct; I tend to ramble on and on... :eek:

I wouldn't consider moving your 9yo to just the adult seatbelt yet; it's doubtful he truly passes the five step test, and there is also evidence that shows kids are safest in boosters (at least a backless) until they enter puberty, because until that time, hip bones are not developed enough to keep the lap portion of the seatbelt low in a crash. The booster armrests (or, in the case of the Parkway, the bottom of the torso wings) act as hip bones, keeping the lapbelt low, preventing the child from submarining under the belt.

I can think of a few different ways to go about this, depending on your priorities. Your 9yo could move to a different highback booster (since side impact protection is a concern of yours, it's necessary to point out that highback boosters provide a level of side impact protection, while backless boosters do not). Highbacks I would consider for a child that age and size are the Sunshine Kids Monterey and Recaro Vivo. Others probably don't adjust tall enough to make it worthwhile, unless your 9yo is all legs. The Monterey becomes a backless, the Vivo does not, so I'd lean toward the Monterey; it also is more roomy.

You could also make the switch to a backless at this point, as long as the vehicle has head support at least up to the tips of his ears. Good backless boosters to consider are the Clek Olli and Ozzi, Combi Dakota, Graco TurboBooster, and Cosco Ambassador/Auto Booster.

If you still want to keep the 6yo harnessed, I'd probably stick with the Regent. The 6yo should still have room in the Frontier's harness (or comparable-at least harnessed-Graco Nautilus), but not a ton. If you are super-tired of the Regent and really just want to retire it, and want to keep the 6yo harnessed, the Frontier and Nautilus are the seats to look at. They will both last pretty much the same amount of time as harnessed seats, but the Frontier makes a better long-term booster.

If you think your 6yo is mature enough to sit properly in a booster, I'd pass the Parkway down, or consider a Monterey or Vivo for this child, as well. Both the Vivo and Monterey are better in the leg support department than the Parkway, if you've noticed leg support to be an issue.

If you decide to keep the Regent in circulation, I'd keep the 6yo in it, not pass it down to the 3yo, and get the 3yo the Nautilus or Frontier. If you do decide to retire the Regent, I'd still go with the Nautilus or Frontier for the 3yo (and as I mentioned in the earlier paragraph, choose either a Nautilus, Frontier, Monterey, Vivo or handed-down Parkway for the 6yo).

Decathlon goes to baby (that was easy, wasn't it? :p

Also, you mentioned not liking the Regent's heaviness...unfortunately, the Nautilus and Frontier are not lightweight seats. They are a bit easier to maneuver than the Regent, though, because their dimensions are a bit smaller (a bit; not a lot), and the Nautilus is definitely easier to install.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
Just want to throw this out there, moving baby to dc is a great idea, but the newer marathon and boulevards have a 35 pound rf limit, the dc is still only 33 pounds. How does the 3.5 year old fit in the dc?
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Just want to throw this out there, moving baby to dc is a great idea, but the newer marathon and boulevards have a 35 pound rf limit, the dc is still only 33 pounds. How does the 3.5 year old fit in the dc?

Thank you so much for all the replies!!! I knew I could count on this group! My 3.5 yo seems to have quite a bit of room let in the dc. He has one more harness level, and I just moved the harness not too long ago. I considered keeping him in there and getting the bvld for the 1 yo, replacing the regent with a new booster, and keeping my 9yo in the parkway. I have been reading many recommendations for the Montereys so I will definitly check those out! Thanks again!!

Does anyone know if the Albee baby's blvd they have on sale (madison?) is the one with the new "wings"? Thanks!
 

scatterbunny

New member
I, personally, wouldn't buy a new convertible for the extra 2# RF, when your 3yo doesn't need the RF capability of the DC, unless you really plan to keep the baby RF to the max weight limit, and you absolutely want the extra 2# RF. As for the added SIP from the BV's wings, well, as Julie said, a harnessed kiddo has added SIP simply because they're harnessed, and on top of that, a RF child has added SIP simply because they're RF. I don't personally worry about seats with specific SIP features until booster stage, and I wouldn 't worry about the extra 2# RF limit on a new Britax convertible, not when baby's the only one who needs a seat that can RF. :twocents:
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
Just wanted to throw it out there because I would have really liked the extra 2 pounds when i had to move my dd ff at 25 months;)

dc 3 seems to have alot of room left in the dc though.

You could do 9 year old monterey (a bit taller than the parkway)
6 year old parkway (seems to fit smaller kids well)
a nautilus or frontier for 3.5 year old
and the baby in the dc. You could try to find a tiffany cover if you want girlie for her:whistle:
 

Blondie87

New member
Does anyone know if the Albee baby's blvd they have on sale (madison?) is the one with the new "wings"? Thanks!

Yes, the Madison Boulevard on albee baby is the new style, you can tell by the wings in the pic. Plus someone from here bought one and it was the new style. It says it only rear faces to 33 lbs, but the new style rear faces to 35 lbs.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Just wanted to throw it out there because I would have really liked the extra 2 pounds when i had to move my dd ff at 25 months;)

dc 3 seems to have alot of room left in the dc though.

You could do 9 year old monterey (a bit taller than the parkway)
6 year old parkway (seems to fit smaller kids well)
a nautilus or frontier for 3.5 year old
and the baby in the dc. You could try to find a tiffany cover if you want girlie for her:whistle:

Ok you got me....the madison print is a little more femine than our current odyssey :) lol...
I was concerned about the SIP and was even regretting buying the dc instead of the blvd....but I think you all have convinced me it is not that important in the convertibles. I do LOVE it with the boosters though. My oldest loves the wings! I do know that with my 3.5 year old he hovered around the 33lb mark for months...I think we flipped him last year around this time and he still is right at 35 lbs, so the extra 2 lbs can by more rf time... decisions decisions... thank you all!!!
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,896
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