Need advice on combo toddler carseat/booster

U

Unregistered

Guest
I have two boys, ages 7 1/2 mo and almost 3 yrs. My 7 1/2 mo old has outgrown his bucket seat, so I moved him into big bro's Marathon, rear facing. I've been very happy with the Marathon, it feels very secure and safe and comfortable.

I purchased a Graco CarGo Deluxe for DS1, and I am not a fan. He is about 36" tall and looks like he will outgrow the harness in the next year. I would like to keep him in a 5pt harness as long as I can. Also we use LATCH (without the tethers - my car doesn't have them), and I do not like the Graco one-sided adjustment for the LATCH anchors. It was hard to tighten and does not feel overly secure. He likes the comfort of the seat and the cup holder/toy holders but the cons on this seat far outweigh those minor pros.

I plan to return the CarGo and get another seat for DS1, but I need a suggestion. Consumer Reports was not overly helpful. I was thinking of the Eddie Bauer High Back or the Eddie Bauer Summit, but didn't know how their LATCH attachments were. Plus they don't seem to go much higher in height than what we've got.

I looked at the Evenflo but it felt flimsy and was not well padded (we do long car trips so comfort is an issue). I would prefer a seat that could use seat belts if needed so if he goes in a rental car or friend's car without LATCH, we are ok.

HELP! We are going away on vacation in a week and I need to get his new seat on Tuesday.
 
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joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Any car with lower LATCH anchors absolutely does have top tether anchors (LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Top tethers for CHildren)...except for a convertible Beetle ;)...so check your manual, dive behind and under your seats, you'll find them.
The Cargo slots are slightly lower than the Marathon, the Cosco/Eddie Bauer seats are about 2 inches lower than the Marathon. Why not just keep using the Cargo (I assume it's a model with a front harness adjuster?) till your 3 yo is too tall for it harnessed, then switch the seats back, put him back in the Marathon, and put the baby in the Cargo next year or so?

All seats can be installed with seatbelts and latch, which is probably why you didn't find any specific info on that.

:)
 

mominabigtruck

New member
Are you looking for a higher harnessing seat? The apex would work unless you don't have headrests, its a combo seat that goes to bpb. Cosco/eddie bauer has a new one that I saw at target last week, I'm pretty sure it only goes to 40lbs but it looked like a nice comfy seat. I'm not a big fan of the graco cargo seats either, I don't like how they adjust. I know you said that you want a seat in case you ride with someone else, but all seats as far as I know can be installed without latch, some are more difficult then others, like the radian but they can be installed without latch. What's the weight on your 3yo?
 

mominabigtruck

New member
http://www.djgusa.com/product.asp?productID=2605

This is the seat I was talking about, it looks pretty nice even though it only goes up to 40lbs. Cosco seats are known for being really easy to install so that's why I would suggest this seat. I don't know what your money situation is but have you considered a regent? They are a really nice big comfy seat, they can be a pain to install but once you understand how it's done it's not that hard to get a good install.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
http://www.djgusa.com/product.asp?productID=2605

This is the seat I was talking about, it looks pretty nice even though it only goes up to 40lbs. Cosco seats are known for being really easy to install so that's why I would suggest this seat. I don't know what your money situation is but have you considered a regent? They are a really nice big comfy seat, they can be a pain to install but once you understand how it's done it's not that hard to get a good install.


The problem with most of the Cosco combo seats is that the top harness slots are approximately the same height as their convertibles' top slots- at approximately 15" or so. Seats such as the Marathon/Decathlon have top harness slots around 17." The Apex has top slots between 17" and 19", depending on the model you find. I believe the Graco CarGo has top slots around 16.5" or so. So, while the Cosco *might* be easier to install, it is possible that your son will either already be too tall for the harness or will soon be too tall. I would avoid buying a Cosco combo seat sight-unseen.


Look hard for those tether anchors. If your car has lower LATCH anchors, it absolutely should have top tether anchors as well. It is all part of the LATCH system- lower anchors AND tethers for children.

Some of the earlier suggestions are good ones. If you have headrests, the APex might be a good option for you. But Julie's suggestion of switching the seats back and forth is also a good one.

Best of luck!!!
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
That model of Cosco has pretty tall slots, like 17 inches...but some kids find the headrest to be prohibitive to comfort (ie, it sticks their head forward :p )
 

griffinmom

Moderator - CPST Instructor
What kind of car do you drive? What model year? If you have latch anchors, you have tethers unless you have certain convertibles.
 

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