Question Diono Monterey for 5YO, 40 pounds?

[CarriereFamily]

Hi! We have been shopping around for a few weeks (incentivized by the Babies R Us trade-in sale) and realized we really have been needing some new car seats. I have 3 kids and am due in March 2017. Kids ages and weights:

F - 8YR, 55 pounds, on the tall side (feel good about Diono Monterey, got today)
F - 5YR, 40 pounds, medium height (???????????)
M- 28M, 30 pounds, medium-tall (awaiting Chicco Nextfit in mail)
??? Due in March (planning to get a Chicco Keyfit in the Spring)

I ordered a Chicco Nextfit from BRU after seeing them at Target. I've gotten a few things from Amazon and sent back, I really don't like the quality of the Graco seats. We've had the Turbobooster and the elastic fell apart after a year or so. With having another due in March I feel like we will use whatever seat we get for the 5yo for the full life of the seat, so I wanted a higher quality.

I got the 2 Diono Montereys today in the mail. It's Amazon so I can send it back, but I really do like the seat for the 5YO. It's pink and pretty, I am just worried that she looks a little small in it. She's at the bottom of the weight limit. If I don't put her in it, I'm not sure what options I have for a 5-point. I feel like I haven't really found a 5 point I love, and another Nextfit or a Diono 5-point will be another 250 at least. Any thoughts or suggestions?

How can I know she has a good fit and is safe in the Monterey? Advice on deciding? Any other ideas for a 5-point? THANKS!!!

 

[wendytthomas]

If you put her in the seat and the lap belt goes across her hips, and the shoulder belt across her collarbone, she's fine.

Will she sit properly 100% of the time?

None of the seats you've mentioned have a five year lifespan. They're all six to eight years.

Wendy

 

[bubbaray]

My DD1 moved to the older Monterey when she was 5/40. She loved the seat and had excellent fit (I was a tech at the time, and my former instructor checked the fit on her). DD1 also switched to a Parkway in DHs vehicle with excellent fit at the same time

DD2 moved to a Graco Turbobooster at 5/40 in DHs truck. I kept her in a Frontier in my car just because DD1 didn't want to give up the Monterey.

 

[CarriereFamily]

Thanks! I don't why I said 5 years, I think I just meant however long they last for, but thanks for clarifying, I've been looking at too many carseat things lately!!!

I didn't have time to take the seat out of the car and we have a long drive on Tuesdays. She sat the entire time. I saw a couple of times she was leaning to the side and the shoulder belt was slightly off her shoulder, but on the whole she did really well for her first long ride in a seat belt. She had no trouble buckling or unbuckling, so now I think my major concern with the Diono is care and maintenance of the fabric on the seat, which is supposed to be hard to remove and it is MESH which will trap crumbs. I know that's superficial but if I'm going to have the seat for a long time I like easy maintenance! But I do like the softness of the fabric as a whole... any thoughts on fabric care long-term?

 

[CarriereFamily]

Thanks for posting!! I think your experiences can really help me at this point. SO.....I ordered a couple of Britax seats from Amazon to try out. I ordered the Frontier and am really worried about the belt guides!! After my 5YO used the Diono on Tuesday, which she did really well with, I feel like the guides on the Diono work pretty well, actually. Especially compared to the Britax. :-/ I tried it in a couple of different places in the car and it took a few long seconds to slowly retract. Really annoying! The ClickTight is AMAZING so it will work great with the harness, although after the freedom of the Monterey I don't know how well I will succeed with getting her back into a harness.

(I also got a Boulevard to test against the NextFit Zip I'm testing (should I certify in some kind of carseat thing???!!) and I absolutely love the Boulevard. The materials seem so nice and the ClickTight is so amazing and lovely.)

I will be receiving my Britax Parkway SGL (for my 8YO) on Friday, so I'll see how that fits the 8YO and the 5YO, and look at it against the Frontier. Like I said, I love the Frontier for the 5pt and ClickTight, but I'm wanting to be able to leave this seat for my 5YO all the way up and I don't think I can do that if I don't feel good about the belt guides...

 

[CarriereFamily]

My DD1 moved to the older Monterey when she was 5/40. She loved the seat and had excellent fit (I was a tech at the time, and my former instructor checked the fit on her). DD1 also switched to a Parkway in DHs vehicle with excellent fit at the same time

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More data! I was able to lift the headrest up higher on the Frontier so the belt is clearing the fabric on the back, but it is still dragging against the fabric from the front of the seat. BUT the Frontier harnesses to 90 pounds and 58 inches. 5YO DD is currently 40 pounds and 41 inches, so really I could just leave her in the harness until she's in the seat belt and just not do the booster. Not sure how well that would go over.

ALSO, I had ordered these seat pads in case I liked the Monterey better and that would help with keeping crumbs out of the mesh. The pads fit great.

So I guess I'll sit and think on all of this a bit, but I'd love y'all's professional opinions on the whole situation...And then begin The Great Carseat Return!