Britax & 2013 Mazda cx-9 - Canada

[amybaaby]

Hey everyone, need advice on seats for my 2013 mazda cx-9

I currently have my 3 year old FF in a Frontier XT (he's almost 43", all his height is in his torso, but skinny (only 33 lbs) so basically this is the best seat for him) behind the Passenger using LATCH, and my 5 week old in a Graco SR 30 in the center using the belt for the base, but I'm thinking ahead (as in, the next few months since i tend to wear her) and I'm thinking of a Britax Advocate 65-G4, Pavilion 65-G3, or maybe Graco MR65? Would those puzzle well? I like the patterns of the Britax which is why I chose those, but I'm open to picking others (I had boring, plain black seats for my son)

She is tall/long, but skinny, like her brother, so I'd like a seat that would ideally last RF for awhile, and I won't have to go through seat after seat like I did with him to find one that will work well.

She wears 0-3 onesies currently, but she is outgrowing them, and will soon be in 3m.. she was 95% for height at birth, but 10% for weight at birth, so I don't want to waste money on a seat that she will quickly outgrow.

Also, for my mothers car (2010 Escape), my son is in a Britax Pioneer, also behind the passenger, also installed with LATCH, and I'd like to put his old Evenflo Triumph Advance in the middle RF for her, since she fits well in it, would this be possible?

It would have to be extremely easy to put her in and out, and if possible, be no re-thread like that seat since my mom is really not good at all that.

I have also considered the Radian RXT, Evenflo Sureride, and the Peg (but I have heard it outgrown early due to standing height rules? but correct me if I misunderstood!), and I wasn't too interested in the Foonf because I don't really have heavy kids and prefer no re thread seats.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Chila88]

The Peg Convertible has very high rf'ing limits... So I would consider it. Especially over a G4 Britax because the anti rebound bar will be so much more convenient to use than Britax's new mandatory rf'ing tether rules (there is a thread in the Cdn forum....sorry I can't link it for some reason).

Has your mom used the ETA rf'ing before? Can she adjust the knobs easily in her Escape? In some vehicles they get really buried and can be hard to use rf'ing....and I know it's usually best to make things REALLY easy for grandparents

 

[amybaaby]

The Peg Convertible has very high rf'ing limits... So I would consider it. Especially over a G4 Britax because the anti rebound bar will be so much more convenient to use than Britax's new mandatory rf'ing tether rules (there is a thread in the Cdn forum....sorry I can't link it for some reason).

Has your mom used the ETA rf'ing before? Can she adjust the knobs easily in her Escape? In some vehicles they get really buried and can be hard to use rf'ing....and I know it's usually best to make things REALLY easy for grandparents

Yep, she's used it both RF and FF with my son, and the no-rethread made it easier because she was horrible adjusting the straps on the AOE that was in her car so i switched with her and kept that until i bought the Frontier and Pioneer and threw that one in the trash.

I looked at the thread re: Britax's new mandatory rf tether rules. how does that work for center installs? i've never done that before. hmm. would i have to switch her and my son? so confused lol.

I definitely need something with high harness slots because like I mentioned, most of her length so far is seeming to be in her torso, as is the case with my son.

 

[MommyShannon]

The Britax and Peg are shorter seats. I wouldn't buy a Britax (as much as I love them) for a tall child OR for any child with rf tether required. It means you have to find an acceptable tether spot (often a seat track) but it's not always possible in every car. The Radian and SureRide are good options.

 

[Keeks64]

The Britax and Peg are shorter seats. I wouldn't buy a Britax (as much as I love them) for a tall child OR for any child with rf tether required. It means you have to find an acceptable tether spot (often a seat track) but it's not always possible in every car. The Radian and SureRide are good options.

Aussie style tethering (around the car seat shell & tethered to a designated tether in the back, be it roof, floor board or seat back) is an approved Britax method, it's just tricky to get the child in/under the tether.

 

[MommyShannon]

Aussie style tethering (around the car seat shell & tethered to a designated tether in the back, be it roof, floor board or seat back) is an approved Britax method, it's just tricky to get the child in/under the tether.

Definitely, but no way I'd recommend a seat knowing that might be necessary. I do rf tether in some spots but wouldn't want to have to use Aussie style if I couldn't in a vehicle. I'd buy a different seat from the start.

 

[bubbaray]

If someone could check the LATCH manual, it's possible the CX9 might permit borrowing outboard anchors for a center install as it is essentially a Ford Edge.

 

[Jeanum]

Here's the note from the LATCH manual entry for 2007-2013 Mazda CX-9 models regarding using lower LATCH anchors for installing in the center:

Can use inner LAs (lower anchors) from outboard LATCH positions to install a CR (child restraint) if allowed by CR manufacturer. If LAs are used for center, LAs cannot be used for either outboard position. Spacing between center LAs is 19.7 inches (500 mm).

 

[amybaaby]

If someone could check the LATCH manual, it's possible the CX9 might permit borrowing outboard anchors for a center install as it is essentially a Ford Edge.

It will be a seat belt install in the centre, same as the base is now, my sons frontier installed on the passenger side uses the latch anchors and as far as I'm aware, latch sharing isn't allowed?

 

[bubbaray]

It will be a seat belt install in the centre, same as the base is now, my sons frontier installed on the passenger side uses the latch anchors and as far as I'm aware, latch sharing isn't allowed?

If you use LATCH for the center install and belt outboard, you might get more room between the seats.

 

[Chila88]

The Britax and Peg are shorter seats.

Sorry to backtrack, but I thought the Peg offered similar rf'ing space as a radian and is bigger than a Britax? Isn't it 17" harness height and 1" from headrest in 7th slot or something like that?

Maybe I dreamt that lol! I haven't had an opportunity to put an older kid rf'ing in one yet so no real life knowledge....just going from what I think I remember reading on the threads....

 

[TechnoGranola]

I've got a Peg and a Britax seat. I should do a comparison of height in both some time. But ya 1" from 7th click in the Peg, but the new ones have a line where the 7the click is and the one poster that posted pics at that line, her headrest was lower than mine is at 7th click. I think she returned the seat so didn't count the click holes to see if it matched up where mine was.

Anyway, I'm quite confident my Peg has more height than my Britax seat.

 

[amybaaby]

I've got a Peg and a Britax seat. I should do a comparison of height in both some time. But ya 1" from 7th click in the Peg, but the new ones have a line where the 7the click is and the one poster that posted pics at that line, her headrest was lower than mine is at 7th click. I think she returned the seat so didn't count the click holes to see if it matched up where mine was.

Anyway, I'm quite confident my Peg has more height than my Britax seat.

Could you compare the two for me if you don't mind? The store I was doing to purchase from had the britax listed as 16.75 top harness slots, and I'm not remembering for the peg but it was similar.


But either would puzzle with a frontier in my car I assume?

 

[TechnoGranola]

Could you compare the two for me if you don't mind? The store I was doing to purchase from had the britax listed as 16.75 top harness slots, and I'm not remembering for the peg but it was similar.

I got around to doing this and here's the thread with pics http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=261354

 

[amybaaby]

After seeing the height comparisons, I was already down to britax vs. peg because I absolutely want/need a no-rethread harness.. now, I'd like to ask who has rf tethered a britax pavilion in a cx-9 (or ford edge since its basically the same)?

I pushed my front passenger seat forward, and i found something that seems like it would be possible tether point, but i am not positive. I am absolutely not going to aussie-style tether, so if i can't do it swedish style, then it's a no-go.


Does anyone know which one will puzzle better next to the Frontier? On advice of the PP I moved the Frontier to the centre position and installed with LATCH, so the baby will be installed outboard with the seatbelt.

 

[carolyn_mtl]

If you find yourself a G3 you can choose to not tether it, but the G4's must be. And it would have to be Aussie style, as no Canadian car manufacture that I am aware of allows Swedish tethering.

 

[amybaaby]

If you find yourself a G3 you can choose to not tether it, but the G4's must be. And it would have to be Aussie style, as no Canadian car manufacture that I am aware of allows Swedish tethering.

I haven't been able to find a G3 in a pattern I like and I feel like if I'm spending so much, I should at least like the pattern. I guess Peg it is! Hopefully it fits well beside my sons Frontier.

 

[TechnoGranola]

There's a thread around here with questions to Britax and with Aussie style tethering, they suggest to make it easier, install it passenger side and then you can easily reach the tether adjuster to loosen the tether making it easier to get your child in. Then tighten it after.

Just throwing that out there in case you want to keep a G4 on your list.