Recaro Signo G2 or Safety 1st Air Protect? Or, combo seat?

Unregistered · Jul 18, 2009

My son has outgrown his Evenflo Triumph (old version w/40 limit). He has a 16" shoulder height and weighs 39.5 lbs. He isn't over weight - just a big kid (95%). He will be 4 in September. I want him to stay in a harness. I have a Britax Frontier which we like, but it doesn't fit in my truck. I tried all the tricks and even had a CPS tech try to get it to fit - no luck. I ordered a Britax Boulevard and had to return it, because it's harness height didn't leave room for growth. Now I'm considering getting the new Recaro Signo G2 or the Safety 1st Air Protect.

I would like to get the Air Protect, but the base looks huge! I'm afraid the big base would make for a difficult fit, and I'd end up having to ship it back. It looks better made than the Signo G2 and the harness height is 18" which would be great for my son. The only reason I like the Recaro over the AP is because the base looks like it would fit similar to my Evenflo Triumph.

Has anyone had the chance to try an Air Protect or Signo G2 yet?

My other option is to look at combo (harness - booster) seats. I haven't spent much time researching those. What are some good combo seats that would fit a truck with a tall seat belt stalk and also fit a 95% boy? What ever seat it is I want it to have SIP.

Thanks!

Maedze · Jul 18, 2009

Neither of those seats would be ideal for your child. They are both convertibles and your child is too heavy to rear face. The Safety First Complete Air has a rearfacing limit of 40 lbs and a forward facing limit of 50 lbs. There would be absolutely no point for you to buy it.

The Signo has a rearfacing limit of 35 lbs and a forward facing limit of 70 lbs, however, it's really not designed to fit older heavier children comfortably due to its somewhat narrow interior.

Because your child is all ready 40 lbs at 3 years old, you need something that can accomodate his weight and larger size. My first recommendation would have been the Frontier, however, you said that didn't work.

Have you tried the Graco Nautilus? That should keep you safely harnessed for several years to come and installs easily in most vehicles.

Any seat with a five point harness is going to have side impact protection. The Nautilus also has substantial headwings with large amounts of EPS foam.

jess71903 · Jul 18, 2009

I agree. Try a Nautilus. It tends to have fewer install issues than the Frontier, but it's got about the same top harness slots and also converts to a booster. It will give you significantly more harness room than a BLVD or CA.

Unregistered · Jul 18, 2009

I tried him in a Nautilus at the store, but the crotch strap is too close to his body (practically underneith him).

I was considering a convertable seat, because I have a baby due in August. I thought I could use the convertible for the new baby when she out grows her infant seat, and see about moving my son to a booster then. We will more than likely by a new truck within the next year too, so I was hoping the Frontier we have would fit in the new truck to where I could by another Frontier.

carseatcoach · Jul 18, 2009

Never mind!

wendytthomas · Jul 18, 2009

Unregistered said:
I tried him in a Nautilus at the store, but the crotch strap is too close to his body (practically underneith him).

I was considering a convertable seat, because I have a baby due in August. I thought I could use the convertible for the new baby when she out grows her infant seat, and see about moving my son to a booster then. We will more than likely by a new truck within the next year too, so I was hoping the Frontier we have would fit in the new truck to where I could by another Frontier.

At barely four he may very well not be ready for a booster in a year.

The crotch strap can be under him. That's fine. You don't want him sitting on the strap with his bones, but it's fine if it's angled outward. In fact most carseats don't allow the crotch strap to angle in. They want it to go straight up or angle out.

Wendy

barnmama25 · Jul 18, 2009

Doesn't the Nautilus have multiple crotch strap adjustments? The one at Wal-mart was probably set in the slot closest to the child.

Unregistered · Jul 18, 2009

I read a ton of reviews on the Nautilus, and a lot of them commented on how tight the crotch strap was. One (or more) of the reviewers had called the company about the strap being underneath the child and the company said not to use the seat if that is the case. I found a local store that had one and went there just for the purpose of checking the fit of the crotch strap on my son. I made sure to put the crotch strap in the outer most slot, but it was slightly underneath him. I made sure he was sitting up straight too.

If it is okay to have it slightly underneath him, the Nautilus would work right now, but with the crotch strap the way it is, it doesn't seem like there would be room to grow to last him another 2 years. Has anyone run into that problem with the Nautilus?

wendytthomas · Jul 18, 2009

One person at Graco said that, and the rumor blew out from there. They've since make sure officially that we know that that's not the case. It can come out slightly from under the child.

You may be surprised at how he fits in a couple of years. It may fit him really well. It may not. But that's a gamble you play with any seat you buy.

My daughter is seven next week, petite, and fits just fine in her Nautilus harness.

Wendy

firemomof3 · Jul 19, 2009

If your not sure about the Nautilus then I would try the Frontier. I had a Nautilus but sold it for the Frontier which I love

I had long belt stalks in my old van and the Frontier installed easily using the long belt path method. What is the year/make of your truck?

Maedze · Jul 19, 2009

As Wendy said, it's perfectly safe to have the crotch strap under the child.

Jeanum · Jul 19, 2009

This was the reassuring post from Graco regarding the Nautilus buckle brouhaha: http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=797034&postcount=171

Unregistered · Jul 19, 2009

Thanks Jeanum for the link. That makes me feel better about the Nautilus.

Firemomof3, I drive a '96 F350 crew cab (no tether/LATCH). I want it installed in the middle of the back seat which has a lap belt. We have a Frontier and love it, but even with a tech's help we couldn't get it to fit at all. We plan on replacing my truck later this year, so I was hoping my son wouldn't out grow his seat by then but no such luck.

Now, I'm considering the Nautilus or Radian XT. What does everyone think of the Radian XT? With the way it sits so low, I may not be able to get a good fit in my truck since the low belt path is the problem with my Frontier in my truck.

joolsplus3 · Jul 19, 2009

Did you try the reverse/long belt path installation with the Frontier? That's usually the best way to get a good install. This page has a couple of videos showing how to do that... http://carseatblog.com/?p=2386

firemomof3 · Jul 19, 2009

The XT is great, love

mine but it does not install with long belt stalks

Unregistered · Jul 19, 2009

The long belt path on the Frontier has to be done with a shoulder-lap belt. The middle of the back seat of my truck is just a lap belt.

I have a long belt stalk, so the Radian XT might not work. Darn! I've been reading up on that seat and was really getting to like that one!

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