Car Seat Selection for Tall Toddler

[Unregistered]

I currently own a Graco MyRide 65, but my 2.5 year old is about to be too tall for it. I am looking to get a new carseat with a 5 point harness that can also be a booster later on, but need something that will accomodate a tall toddler. She is 37in and 35lbs, so big in all aspects. Any suggestions for a good seat that is under $250-$300?

 

[bree]

I currently own a Graco MyRide 65, but my 2.5 year old is about to be too tall for it. I am looking to get a new carseat with a 5 point harness that can also be a booster later on, but need something that will accomodate a tall toddler. She is 37in and 35lbs, so big in all aspects. Any suggestions for a good seat that is under $250-$300?

I think you'll have good selection of seats to pick from in that price range or even lower. In order to get some more specific recommendations for your situation, it might be helpful to know in what way your kiddo is outgrowing the My Ride. Is she outgrowing it rear-facing because she has less than 1 inch above her head? Is she outgrowing it forward-facing because she's already outgrown it rear-facing and now her shoulders are about to be above the top harness slots forward-facing? I'm assuming she has a super-long torso, because many 37" kids will have room left to rear-face in the My Ride and also a decent amount of room left to forward-face. My son has a long torso, and if I am remembering correctly, he was still rear-facing in the My Ride at 40" so that's why I'm making the assumption that she has a super-long torso.

Going with the assumption that she has a very long torso, one of my top suggestions would be the Graco Size4Me. It is a new, very tall rear-facing seat, and it seems to be a good forward-facing seat, too. It has a 40 pound RF weight limit like your My Ride, but a taller shell. The Diono Radians are also tall seats that are great for rear-facing (40 or 45 pound RF weight limit depending on the model) and forward-facing. While the Radians have a booster mode, between the height of the belt guides and the 50 pound minimum, they are not as useful in booster mode as they are as RF and FF seats.

A combination seat (forward-facing harness that later becomes a booster) might be an option. The Britax Frontier 85 is a combination seat that has the tallest top harness slots (around 19.5" or so) and converts to a tall booster, so that might be a good seat to consider, either now if you definitely need the harness height at this point or maybe to keep in mind for the future as a seat. I moved my son to a Frontier in my husband's car at around 3.5 years old when he outgrew his My Ride rear-facing and then to a Frontier in my car at almost 4 years old.

The Graco Nautilus is another combination seat to consider, as well as the Evenflo Securekid 300 and Securekid 400. They have 65 pound harness weight limits and about 18/18.5 inch top slots (I think the Nautilus's top slots are more on the 18.5 inch end). The Nautilus converts to both a highback and backless boooster. I think the Securekids just become highback boosters like the Frontier.

I would recommend that a 2.5 year old be rear-facing for at least another year or so, so that's why I'd suggest the Size4Me, the Radians, or perhaps another convertible to be able to rear-face as my top suggestion over a combination seat at this point in time. Good luck seat-shopping and please post back with more info about your daughter's fit in the My Ride if you get a chance so you can get some more specific recommendations for your situation!