Frontier side by side? Configuration help needed please.

[eia]

Hi there, (apologies in advance for how long and wordy this is....)
I'm hoping to get some advice on configurations. I need to buy either a combination booster to use with a harness or a HBB to use with the belt (either way would prefer LATCH for install) for DD who is 5 (but very small for her age). She travels in 3 vehicles during the week and is in either a Frontier (my car), Radian (Grandma's car) or Evenflo Symphony (DH's car) - all in harness mode. DS (14 months) has outgrown his Nuna Pipa in Grandma's car and I need to put him RF in the Evenflo (he is RF in a Radian in my car and doesn't travel in DH's). I was looking at HBB options, but she is still a couple of kg under the weight limit for lots of them, so the logical option seems to be another Frontier.....but....I also need a HBB for the occasions when I have one of her friends in my car with us as well. If I get another Frontier for DH's car I am ok to take it out when needed and put it into mine, but would I get 2 Frontier's side by side? They are pretty wide (I currently have one centre and the Radian RF outboard). I can't afford a Frontier PLUS a HBB for the occasional extra kid in the car, but I could get 2x HBB for the cost of one Frontier - I like the look of the Diono Cambria and I have also seen the Parkway for sale here - but DD is under the minimum weight for both of these. I don't want to leave DD in the Symphony and get another RF seat for DS because I won't get the long term use out of it and I'm not keen on the combination Radian in booster mode, so that is out too.

Ideas or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks so much

 

[Admin]

Hello and welcome to Car-Seat.org.

Can you please provide the weights of the children, along with the make/model of vehicle(s)?

With that information, hopefully we can provide you with some good advice!

 

[aeormsby]

What country are you in (you mention kg not lbs).

One of the seats I would recommend is the Harmony Defender but I think it's not available in Canada. Another is the Evenflo Maestro or Securekid, and actually the Evenflo Sureride (or Titan65?) is a convertible but has the 2nd highest harness height available (the only taller seat is the Frontier).

 

[tiggercat]

Are you in Canada? If so, the 40lb requirement for booster is a hard and fast rule here.
I would definitely consider the Titan 65, I have one as a back up seat for my nearly 5yo and it is a simple, lightweight, fairly narrow and inexpensive seat. $99 at walmart. The Sureride is a more padded version for $140 at toys r us.

 

[eia]

Hi,
I am in New Zealand, so have limited options - although they are improving every year. DD is 15 kg and a squeak over 100cm, may 102?? DS is 12 kg and is about 82cm - they are total opposites in terms of build considering they are almost 4years apart in age.
The car to get 2 Frontiers side by side is a 2006 Santa Fe. The other cars are smaller vehicles, I'd never get a RF Radian into either of them, so it has to be the Evenflo.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Athena]

Hi,
I am in New Zealand, so have limited options - although they are improving every year. DD is 15 kg and a squeak over 100cm, may 102?? DS is 12 kg and is about 82cm - they are total opposites in terms of build considering they are almost 4years apart in age.
The car to get 2 Frontiers side by side is a 2006 Santa Fe. The other cars are smaller vehicles, I'd never get a RF Radian into either of them, so it has to be the Evenflo.

Thanks so much for your help!

Is there a reason you're looking at the Frontier? At 40" and 33 pounds (U.S. ), at least in the U.S., you'd have tons of other slimmer seat options and it'll be years until she fits the Frontier in booster mode.

 

[eia]

We have one already and I really like it for the easy install, it can be used in booster mode with the LATCH to connect it and it goes easily between cars with the click-tight. But I'm definitely open to suggestions. I want her in a harness in DH's car, as they do a long trip on the motorway (Freeway??) every morning, so any booster needs to have a harness option. It's a bit of a confusing scenario I know, I'm going through all sorts of alternative configurations between the 3 vehicles and would love to make this the last car seat purchase.......(but I said that last time too!)

 

[Athena]

We have one already and I really like it for the easy install, it can be used in booster mode with the LATCH to connect it and it goes easily between cars with the click-tight. But I'm definitely open to suggestions. I want her in a harness in DH's car, as they do a long trip on the motorway (Freeway??) every morning, so any booster needs to have a harness option. It's a bit of a confusing scenario I know, I'm going through all sorts of alternative configurations between the 3 vehicles and would love to make this the last car seat purchase.......(but I said that last time too!)

That makes sense. The 90 is a nice seat in many ways and thinking more about it, it seems like it might fit kids in booster mode sooner than the 85.

 

[eia]

I can get my hands on the following seats: Frontier, Parkway, Securekid LX or DLX (or Platinum??), Recaro (but I understand these don't have LATCH so I'm not keen on this option), Diono Cambria (but not until August - I can still get a Monteray though), Maxi-Cosi brand HBB - is it the Rodi-Fix or something similar which has LATCH? Nautilus (no LATCH?), Adventure (no LATCH). Adding to my problem is that 2 of the best suppliers for car-seats here I would need to order online, so I can't easily get to test them out in my car which is why I'd like to narrow it down as much as I can first.

I'm pretty sure I could get a Frontier/RF Radian/Frontier into my car, but I HATE moving the Radian - it does not install nicely in my car without a fight, and I prefer to have DD centre because she is FF and also gets car-sick and handles being in the car much better if she has a view of the road in front (I am still the same myself, so can totally relate). I had thought about HBB/HBB/RF Radian for my car and moving the Frontier into DH's, but I'm not sure which HBB is the best option for her, or if she is even ready for one based on weight/height?

Thanks again for suggestions and advice.