Fisher Price Safe Voyage Boosters are GONE, now what?!

[Farm_Mama]

I placed my order last week with Albee Baby for a FPSV, the only booster I've come across that will fit in my Civic w/2 Radians. When I never received a shipping notification, I emailed today. They are GONE!!! All gone!! Now what?? We HAVE to make the three across work and this was our last hope. Is there anywhere else out there that still has these available?? I'd even take a used one as DS is already 7.5yrs/53" and won't fit in a HBB for a whole lot longer.

 

[Evolily]

Another option, if you can't find a booster that will fit, is the safe rider vest http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...&field-keywords=ride+safe+travel+vest&x=0&y=0

Have you tried out some boosters at babies r us? Some boosters "puzzle" with car seats better than other boosters.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

It looks like babysupermarket still has them, though I can't vouch for the site. Will a Parkway fit? Are you using LATCH or seatbelt for the radians?

 

[Gypsy]

How about a Baby Trend Flex Loc - it's a very narrow infant seat.

What is your ds's torso height? would he fit in a Radian for another 6+ months?

Do you have head rests in your car that are at least to the tips of your son's ears when he is in the booster? going backless might be an option.

 

[safeinthecar]

You could probably fit an Evenflo Confidence booster with 2 RNs in a Civic. I can do it in a Corolla. The Confidence is a little taller than the FPSV booster as a high back and can still be used as a no back. It has no armrests and is super easy to buckle next to a RN.

 

[Farm_Mama]

Another option, if you can't find a booster that will fit, is the safe rider vest http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...&field-keywords=ride+safe+travel+vest&x=0&y=0

Have you tried out some boosters at babies r us? Some boosters "puzzle" with car seats better than other boosters.

I'm not familiar with the Safe Rider Vest, but it looks like a hassle and I think he'd die of embarrassment at having to wear a harness when his friends don't even use boosters.
It's not so much an issue of puzzling, as sheer lack of seat width in a Civic. With the TurboBooster he has now, it's absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for him to buckle up next to the Radians and even if he could, his booster would be falling over because it wouldn't be all the way on the vehicle seat. Not cool.

It looks like babysupermarket still has them, though I can't vouch for the site. Will a Parkway fit? Are you using LATCH or seatbelt for the radians?

I got all excited that you'd found one, but I tried to add to cart and it says Sold Out. darn.
I've never tried a Parkway. They are just as hard to find as the FPSV though.
The Radians are seatbelted because the baby is in the middle(only position we can RF) and there is no latch there and other DD is over 40lbs so latch can't be used. I've scootched them over as far as I can too.

How about a Baby Trend Flex Loc - it's a very narrow infant seat.

What is your ds's torso height? would he fit in a Radian for another 6+ months?

Do you have head rests in your car that are at least to the tips of your son's ears when he is in the booster? going backless might be an option.

We do not really want/need to purchase an infant seat, but regardless I believe the Flex Loc is as wide if not wider than a Radian so we wouldn't be gaining anything.
I don't remember off-hand what DS's torso height is, but last I checked he was an inch or less from the belt guide in his current booster(Turbobooster) at the highest setting. He definitely wouldn't fit in a Radian, he's very tall. Given his height, backless will be our only choice very very soon, but even then they are all so darn wide.



Too bad the Monterey isn't available in a backless version. It seems crazy to buy the whole thing with no intention of using the back. That'd be an awful spendy backless booster.

I'm almost embarrassed to be asking, but are the Sure Fit belt positioners put out by Sunshine Kids really really bad?? They say they are "thoroughly crash tested" but are they really? I just don't know what else to do.
http://www.skjp.com/products/index.php?v=detail&cid=19&name=Sure_Fit9752&id=16

Too bad the Clek Oto isn't available in the US. That would probably work great.

Thanks everyone for trying to help!

 

[Gypsy]

No, those belt positioners are terrible.

So he doesn't pass the 5 step test? often, tall kids in small cars pass earlier than expected.

I missed the part in your post that you had 2 Radian's - I read some of your past posts that said you had a Snugride, so... sorry.

Do you have the RF Radian in the center? that will buy the most booster room.

Sometimes one outboard seating position is bigger than the other - have you tried switching sides to see if you can get a bit more room on the other side for the booster?

 

[ketchupqueen]

I've measured a FlexLoc and it is narrower than the Radian at widest and narrowest points. Including the base the FlexLoc measures 16.25 inches at the widest point, which is only at the handles, 12.5 inches at the narrowest, and 14 across the most of the front of the seat (toward the seat of the car.) The Radian measures 17 at the widest point, 13.5 at the narrowest, and about 14 to 15 across most of the base.

If you don't want an infant seat, though, the point is moot.

 

[sopapia]

there was one for sale on ebay for $69.99 with free shipping. the auction ended but the seller had 5 available and no one bought one. so maybe you can email the seller and ask if you can still get one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fisher-Price-SA...-Car-Seat_W0QQitemZ360109329234QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Farm_Mama]

Thanks guys!

No, DS doesn't pass the 5-step test quite yet. He won't be 8 until April and I'd really rather not consider not using a booster for quite a while if at all possible. He's tall, but quite slender and we do a lot of driving so everyone does quite a bit of sleeping in the car making it hard to stay upright without sidewings. I sure don't want him leaning on the door.

I hadn't thought about one of the outboard sides being bigger than the other. The reason I have him where he is is because I didn't want to risk him unbuckling the center seatbelt on accident. If we had center latch it wouldn't matter, but we don't.

I will email that ebay seller and see if those FPSVs are still available. Thanks!

 

[Gypsy]

If the female end of your buckles are on webbing, you could twist the center one 1/2 turn so that the release button is "hidden" and he won't be able to unbuckle it.

Another option is to put the prickly velcro tabs on the center release button so he has a tactile reminder to not touch it.

 

[groovymom2000]

Something to consider--if he is almost too tall for the turbo, he may already bee too tall for the back portion of the FP seat.
Here's Defrost's picture comparison of the two seats.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=31355&highlight=booster+comparison+pictures

My kiddo was too tall at 7 for the back portion of the FP, but we do still use it backless for 3 across situations.

Good luck!

 

[Farm_Mama]

Something to consider--if he is almost too tall for the turbo, he may already be too tall for the back portion of the FP seat.

I figured that backless was inevitable pretty quick here, but at least the FP booster has that option unlike a Parkway which would also maybe work width wise. HOWEVER, I emailed the eBay seller who had FPSVs and she said that her stock is completely gone as well. So they've vanished.

Anybody have any narrow backless ideas?? You think that Sunshine Kids would sell me a backless Monterey?? Probably not, ay?

 

[scatterbunny]

You could try an Evenflo Big Kid. They're pretty flimsy, but really, no more so than the FPSV booster, and it adjusts taller, and IME, it's pretty narrow. The shape of it may not work, but overall widthwise, it's not too bad. The flip-up armrests could be in the way, but they could also be helpful, depending on how your other seats puzzle with it. It's worth trying, if no other highbacks will work, and the other option is going backless.

 

[Kecia]

I really don't think a BigKid will work - it's so wide that it often doesn't fit in any small car seating position even when there's nothing next to it.

You could try a Cosco HighRise backless booster (available at Walmart and Target). If that doesn't work, look around for a discontinued Evenflo Right Fit (call any local SafeKids coalitions to see if they still have any). The RF had a tendency to fit in spots that no other seat could fit in. It's been discontinued for about 2 years now but they don't expire according to Evenflo, so if you can find one - don't worry about when it was made.

Good luck!

Kecia

 

[sopapia]

i found a few. check your PM.