Q for parents of OLDER RFs

NannyMom · Mar 21, 2009

My question is for parents with a child that could RF (under 35 pounds) until age 4 or 5. How old was your child when she/he moved to a booster? And how much did she/he weigh? What was their last harnessed seat?

It looks like Sofi can RF until she's 4 or 5. Then I guess she'll be harnessed until 6 or 7 (must reach 40 pounds first). I wonder if she'll still fit in the MA or BV or even the EFTA when she's 6 or 7? Who knows, maybe I'll have another baby to pass the seats to and she'll need a bunch of GNs (or whatever's out in a couple years) anyway.

Unregistered1 · Mar 21, 2009

A is just now 35 lbs and is five years old. She's been about 35 lbs since she was four... and unfortunately since I knew about ERF. She is currently in a Graco Nautilus, a month and a half shy of her 6th birthday, and will be in it until she outgrows it (you know, by height). Then she'll go into a high back turbobooster.

Last summer, A did still fit in the EFTA and MA. I didn't have a true fit to try. She's now on the top slots in the GN though so I'm guessing she's outgrown those seats and I'm still not comfortable with her being boostered full time. I'm hoping she hits 40 lbs by the time she outgrows the GN!

Qarin · Mar 21, 2009

DD1 was able to rearface (33lbs) until she was like 4.5 (she rearfaced to 2.5 in a Roundabout, went back to rearfacing at about 3.5 when her 6mo sister moved into the matching RA and DD1 wanted to rearface also, and she still could, but barely, for a couple of months; at 4.5 I got a great deal on a Wizard, which was taller and went to 33lbs and she still wasn't that, so she rearfaced again (because she wanted to) for a couple of months.

She is now 7.25, harnessed in a Nautilus, is 42lbs, 45.5" tall, just moved to the top slots so has ~1.5"-2" of torso growth. She has the option now to switch to a booster fulltime if she wants, but she does not want to.

She runs 3rd-6th percentile for height and ~10the percentile for weight.

Don't know if this helps you predict the future.

NannyMom · Mar 21, 2009

Thanks. Sofi has been 10th percentile for height and 20th for weight. So far it sounds like she won't make it to a booster straight from her current seats (bummer). I guess the next one I buy will be the Radian for the torso height to last her through FF harnessing.

emars002 · Mar 21, 2009

DD is almost 6 and while she meets the weight requirement still, she outgrew the seats by torso height around 4 years old - Unfortunately - She was already forward facing at one and by the time I found this board she was too big (height wise) She has a nautilus, frontier and a safeguard - she has the most room in the safeguard - i swear she could fit in that thing until she was 10! The seatbelt does not fit her right in a HB booster - I won't consider a booster until age 7 or 8 and that is only if she fits properly and is getting really embarresed by the car seat

She just barely fits in the MA - maybe has a 1/4" so i passed all her seats down to DD2 and DD1 got new ones

Peony · Mar 21, 2009

DD1 could of RF until age 5, she wasn't though. On her 5th B-Day she was 32 lbs, she isn't petite, just very thin. She had outgrown the MA by the time she was 5.5, but she was very rarely riding in one by then, she preferred her regent so she could fold her legs up in the seat. She is 6 and 40lbs now, she has boosters she rides in once in a while but is mostly harnessed in a regent. She really isn't mature enough to ride in a booster for more then a quick trip here and there.

urchin_grey · Mar 21, 2009

Yeah, I don't expect DS to be able to go straight from the TF to a booster either... I can't even tell you what percentile he is though because he's below the charts for both weight and height.

I'm pretty sure we'll be getting something like the GN or similar down the road too.

christineka · Mar 21, 2009

My 4 year old should be able to rf till age 5.5. I plan to put her in the nautilus after that (so ds has a reason to move to a booster at 7.) Then dd will be in the nautilus until the next younger child turns ffing or till 40 pounds or till she's mature enough to sit in a booster. Probably sometime between age 6.5 and 7.

musicmaj · Mar 22, 2009

My ds is small too. He could still rearface as he is only 30lbs clothed - but since my older daughter requires the parkway in the corolla I had to turn him and use the radian forward facing. My husband can not drive with it rearfacing and the car is so small that the parkway barely fits even with the radian.

Ds has around 4-4.5 inches to grow until he is even with the top slots in the radian. I am sure it will get him to booster age at around 7 years old. I also think that the fpsv will get him to 6 years old. He has about 3 inches to grow in that seat. At that point I would be okay with him in a booster assuming he is 40lbs or close to it. He has a 13 inch torso at 3.5 years old and that makes all the difference. If he was a long torsoed kid I would have to buy him a gn.

joolsplus3 · Mar 22, 2009

NannyMom said:
Thanks. Sofi has been 10th percentile for height and 20th for weight. So far it sounds like she won't make it to a booster straight from her current seats (bummer). I guess the next one I buy will be the Radian for the torso height to last her through FF harnessing.

The Radian isn't any taller than the Marathon, it's just more upright so it lasts 6-12 months longer FF. And she'll fit till at least age 6 in the Marathon, plenty old enough to go to a booster. But the Radian would be a waste of money for just one kid like that. My dd1 fit in the MA till 4.5 and 33 lbs RF, till 6 and 42 lbs FF, and a booster would have been fine for her at that point...Sofi should be the same way

Momof4Girls · Mar 22, 2009

NannyMom said:
My question is for parents with a child that could RF (under 35 pounds) until age 4 or 5. How old was your child when she/he moved to a booster? And how much did she/he weigh? What was their last harnessed seat?

Dd1 *could* have RF probably to 4-ish...she wasn't 35lbs until 5. However, I didn't know any better. Now, at 6.5, I am still not comfy with her boostered full-time (she only just this week made it to 40lbs, and it is debatable whether she'll maintain that weight or not). That said, my seats only RF to 33lbs (older Britax seats, not expired, don't worry).

Dd2 was 35lbs around 3, maybe 3.5. She is now 4.5 and also "made it" to 40lbs this week. She also is not ready to be boostered full-time, although at this point, she might be ready (maturity-wise) before dd1...

DD3 is the one I learned about ERF and actually practice it. She is now 3 (as of Feb), and at a mere 26lbs (on a heavy day) and only 35.5" tall, she'll likely RF until I make the parental decision to turn her around. She is asking to FF, ride in a big-girl seat, etc, and we are trying to explain her that she is so much safer sitting like this, and she still falls asleep in the car quite frequently, and she sleeps *much* better RF than she would FF. I am not sure when I will be comfy boostering her even part-time. Her head is 95%+ for her age, and so I would rather keep her RF.

Dd4 is only just now 20lbs at 20mos, almost 21mos. She's looking to be more like dd3, growth-wise. She may, however, wind up FF "younger" than dd3, just b/c she might get bigger faster.

Raechel

Pixels · Mar 22, 2009

joolsplus3 said:
The Radian isn't any taller than the Marathon, it's just more upright so it lasts 6-12 months longer FF. And she'll fit till at least age 6 in the Marathon, plenty old enough to go to a booster. But the Radian would be a waste of money for just one kid like that. My dd1 fit in the MA till 4.5 and 33 lbs RF, till 6 and 42 lbs FF, and a booster would have been fine for her at that point...Sofi should be the same way

Really? It sure looks like the RN is a lot taller than the MA to me.

joolsplus3 · Mar 22, 2009

It's got a lot of empty shell above the top slots, but the top slots are the same <shrug>

fyrfightermomma · Mar 22, 2009

DD1 could RF till the cows come home, however I made the decision to turn her FFing a week ago. She'll be 4 this summer and is 25 lbs and 40". She just doesn't fit anymore. Way too tall and leggy.

I expect to put her in a booster before 40 lbs though. She has severe failure to thrive and the chances of her hitting 40 lbs before age 8 or 9 are slim to none. (same with hitting 35 lbs which is why I am not waiting). That being said, I am not one to harness their child much past age 6 or so. If they can sit correctly, she'll go in a booster, and it won't be related to weight, just age. She'll be well under 40 lbs which is illegal in my state but I am making the parental decision to do it. I hardly doubt a cop will fault me when my 8 year old is in a booster

Not to mention, she's so tall she probably would outgrow the Regent before 40 lbs anyways. I think she only has one or two slots left on the Regent.

So that's my story. If you truly want to wait until 40 lbs and she's that lightweight, chances are you won't go straight from a convertible to a booster. She'll probably outgrow it by height. She should last in the EFTA until 6 or so I'd think, but she may not be 40 lbs

strollerfreak · Mar 22, 2009

DD could technically still be RF at 4+yo, but she doesn't want to, and I'm not gonna make her. She's so leggy/long torso that I don't think it would be comfortable for her, and she says she's not comfortable like that anymore either. She hovers between 30-35lbs, so I'd have to be constantly checking her weight anyway.

She's in a WZ right now, and the headrest is all the way up. She's got about 1" of growth until she's even with the harness slots.

She rides in a PW very, very rarely, but when she outgrows the WZ she'll move into our Regent, and DS#2 will move into a booster.

An Aurora · Mar 22, 2009

The Radian definitely has higher top slots than the Marathon, IME anyway. DD outgrew the MA but still had about an inch in the Radian.

joolsplus3 · Mar 22, 2009

Because it sits more upright and the kid sinks down. Yes, even my kid fit one year longer in the Radian, than the Marathon, too. Is that really enough to recommend it for one child to FF harness longer than the Marathon?

An Aurora · Mar 22, 2009

Gotcha, that makes sense

Pixels · Mar 22, 2009

joolsplus3 said:
It's got a lot of empty shell above the top slots, but the top slots are the same <shrug>

Britax's website lists the top slots of the MA at 16.75". I've measured the top slots of my RN at 17.75-18", plus you're allowed to go over in the Radian. And then there's the magic-ness of the Radian's slots. :scratcheshead: Do kids tend to outgrow them at the same time?

ETA: OK, I'm slow.

joolsplus3 · Mar 22, 2009

hehe, it's the magicness of the radian being bolt-upright

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