Complete Air shell height is 27"

[Stretchy Glue]

Thats great to hear!! Thanks for finding out that info I think that $250 is a little hight but then again; its made in the usa, 8year life span (right?), 40lbs. rf and tall top harness slot w/50lb ff, side impact....I'm so excited

I don't find it odd at all. People drop more than that on a Britax without hesitating, and a Britax doesn't last as long ff/rf/expiry, etc. Made in the USA is a big deal to me. I'm glad that Dorel has turned things up a notch, and has finally joined the market, with a seat that is a real rival to all other manufacturers out there.

 

[Avery'sMama]

This seat was crash tested at Kettering, Jenny, where you did your CPST class. I would really like to talk to their engineers, they often volunteer at Lew's events. I'm hoping to bug them at his next check! They might have more info on this "firm 40 inch" rule.

 

[AtTheSouthDam]

Wow! DD1 could have RF until 3 y 5 month! She hit 40" and 39.5# at the same time.
DD2 could make it 6 years weight wise but she'll be 45" with a torso of about 15" with current growth trends. Hmm.. do I need a new seat?

 

[DahliaRW]

I don't see how the rfing 40" could make it dangerous at 41". It all is going to depend on torso height. And if it's approved to the top of the headrest, really it makes no sense how a 44" child with long legs would be in more danger at that position then the 39" child with a super long torso.

 

[ketchupqueen]

*begins to figure out ways to convince her husband that she needs 2 of these seats*

 

[bobandjess99]

27"!!! Wow! Now, to go back and look at those videos and see how it fits in cars rf... How much room do you supose it takes up front to back, being so tall?

YAY!! 27 inches is exactly what I got with my aoe on the top slots, and the bottom and top slots are 10-17 inches, so it seems pretty ceertain that IS the shell they are using. AWESOME!

Front to back..honestly not a huge amount..I have my aoe RFing behind my drivers seat, and both i and dh can fit in to drive, at 5 foot and 5 foot 8. That's at a recline for an 18 month old..for a newborn, it takes up a little more room, obviously.
I'm just in love.....I can't wait to get one....sadly, it doesn't help dd rf again...she is between 40-42, but never under 40 anymore...
Although...she is sick with a fever right now, so maybe she'll lose a few pounds...

 

[Maedze]

Great news :thumbsup:

 

[kandamom]

My best guess is that it wasn't tested with a taller child, so they can't say for sure that it's okay. Knowing what we know about how children fit in seats and that all children are different size-wise, my personal decision is to go ahead and use it until the physical limits are reached (weight limit or top of head rule).

That is what they told me - that it had not been tested for a taller child. Even though I think 40" is totally ridiculous, I will probably follow the manufacturer's limit (and therefore not buy this seat). I hope some of the folks here can find out more information about dorel's reasoning. It seems silly that they would only test it to 40", given the height of the shell.

Rebecca

 

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

As far as other companies and absolute height rules, they do. I remember Peg called all the infant seat companies to find out, and specifically remember graco saying if the child is over either the 29 or 32 inch height limit, to discontinue use of the seat, whether they have room above their head or not. I know britax does not have a standing height limit for rear facing. I do think that they are the only ones though. And I do think many use this fact in a double standard sort of way. Dorel also has a minimum height limit to forward face, and we are all over that one (to keep kids rear facing).

 

[ketchupqueen]

A minimum, IMO, is very different from a maximum, in this particular measurement, given that different children are shaped very differently.

One of my instructors was very all over strict about stated height maximums. One kind of skirted the issue but I only ever heard her directly teach the seat-fit maximums. I took away from the tech class that some techs/instructors go by the stated height limits because the companies WON'T back down on them, but some of us don't, and both have our reasons.

 

[NannyMom]

Thats great :thumbsup:
I wonder how easy it will be to install? For some reason I just think that $250+ for a Dorel seat is crazy (not that they don't make a good seat)....am I the only one?

me too.



But.... If all this info is true, SOfi could probably RF until she's 6 or 7

 

[bobandjess99]

Thats great :thumbsup:
I wonder how easy it will be to install? For some reason I just think that $250+ for a Dorel seat is crazy (not that they don't make a good seat)....am I the only one?

I think that's just prejudice talking. You admit they make a good seat.. and right now that seat has rearfacing and forward facing limits above and beyond ANY other convertible on the market, plus a brand new technology that might very well help protect kids beter in dangerous side impact crashes, and yet you think paying as much for it (or less) than most people plunk down for marathons is crazy??
I think that given the side impact wings, the main competitors are probably supposed to be the boulevard and radian XT, and it has the blvd blown out of the water in terms of rfing and ffing limits height and weight wise, for less money. the radian XT is very similar..the shell heights are similar, the air protect has the higher Rfing weight limit, and the radian xt has top slots a bit higher for FFing, with a higher weight limit. so it's about a draw, and the price point is very close, with the AP being less.
I'd say the truefit, with the similar rfing and ffing limits and slots and deep shell which certainly provides SIP even without "wings", is probably the best competitor for a substantially lower price, so it would be the value recommendation at this point.

 

[Maedze]

I think, all things considered, 250 is a very reasonable price point.

I also think that if Britax made the exact same seat and charged 250 for it, everyone would be exclaiming about how cheap it is :ROTFLMAO:

 

[4boysmom]

so where on the thin to wide scale is the AOE? any chance of a realistic 3 across in the "average" vehicle? Paired with radians most likely to achieve this. Off to find three across thread

 

[joolsplus3]

I kinda wish for that money it would have a pretty good anti-rebound design or added feature (tether or ARB) of some sort, though. And hopefully it has some ease-of-threading the LATCH/belt features, because the current AOE's fall far short of the SK/Britaxes when it comes to ease of belt routing.

Maybe it will? Maybe that higher Avenue-esque front leg path is sort of ARB and the covers have slits or velcro? We shall see (oh, there are pre-order cards at BRU for these... slap down your $20 and you can get one of the first ones :thumbsup

 

[ketchupqueen]

A baseless AOE is not super-skinny but it's not super-wide, either. Narrower than the TrueFit, for sure. Almost as narrow as the Avenue and Scenera, IIRC.

 

[ketchupqueen]

(oh, there are pre-order cards at BRU for these... slap down your $20 and you can get one of the first ones :thumbsup

Will they have both colors? 'Cause I'm not paying $250 for a grey seat. I want the orange one!

 

[Maedze]

Both colors are on the site available for pre-order right now.

 

[Mommy0608]

This seat was crash tested at Kettering, Jenny, where you did your CPST class. I would really like to talk to their engineers, they often volunteer at Lew's events. I'm hoping to bug them at his next check! They might have more info on this "firm 40 inch" rule.

Yes indeed! That's one reason I'm so excited about this seat! Is the next check that you're referring to the July 18th event? If so, I should be there, so I'd be very interested in talking to them as well!

 

[Anstar]

Will they have both colors? 'Cause I'm not paying $250 for a grey seat. I want the orange one!

Agreed! :thumbsup: