Help us choose

[mommier]

Hi all. We are getting a Chicco KeyFit 30 for our newborn, and would like to buy two new car seats for our soon-to-be three year old and our soon-to-be five year old. What would you recommend? We aren't looking to spend a lot of money, cheap but good quality as we are buying a bigger vehicle to accommodate our growing family.

Also, we would be looking for black/grey for both seats soo it matches the KeyFit....if at all possible.

 

[Kegracin]

Tell us about the older children what are their sizes? Also what are they currently ridding in?

 

[mommier]

DD is 40 pounds currently and 4 years old. DS is about 30 pounds and will turn 3 two months after DD2 is born. I need to put DD in a high back booster, because I currently have her in a regular booster. It was this site that helped me realize the weight didn't really matter as much as age/height etc. So we are getting her into a high back. DS is currently in a Graco.

Need anymore info? I know, don't crucify me about th high back. I thought it went by weight and 40 pounds is a rEgular booster. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[Kegracin]

Personally I would put the 4 year old back in a harness. I might see if a graco nautilus and a radian would work in your car. Then when the baby out grows the keyfit move that Lo to the radian rear facing then the middle one to the GN then put the older one in a high back booster.

 

[YinzerMama]

How long until the soon-to-be middle child outgrows his seat?

If you're buying a bigger vehicle does size of seats really matter? Are we talking bigger sedan or minivan?

My oldest moved to a booster in DHs car at 4 and in my car at 5. I didn't like it but it was more common to do then. For me 5 1/2ish is the min. I'd like to move from harness to booster. Assuming your son still has some growing room in his seat (graco what?) I'd get a frontier 85 for the 4yo, keep the 2yo in whatever he is in, and move him to the frontier and the girl to a booster when he outgrows it. Then he can move to the booster and the baby can move to the frontier. You'll have more options for the baby because with a frontier to move up to you won't have to get a high-height convertable.

I am not a fan of the nautilus. I tried very hard to love it but I just can't. The frontier isn't perfect but it's pretty good. ANd keep in mind it will last you 9 years vs 6 for a nautilus which is important for passing down plans.

I wouldn't worry about color coordination. The baby will be out of the keyfit in a year, you don't want to be locked into what you can pick according to what color it is. If they match great but it wouldn't be high on my list of priorities.

 

[Keeanh]

I wouldn't worry about color coordination. The baby will be out of the keyfit in a year, you don't want to be locked into what you can pick according to what color it is. If they match great but it wouldn't be high on my list of priorities.

OTOH, I've gone back and purchased new seats &/or covers because it was driving me nuts not having them match, LOL. But the truth is you can get grey/black covers for just about any seat.

What type of vehicle are you getting?

You could get an Onyx Frontier, and a Shadow Radian. They're the same fabric, even though they're from different companies. For a less-expensive convertible for 2yo, you could look at the My Ride in Coda, Mavo, or Simpson.

 

[mommier]

We are getting a 2012 Honda Pilot. Obviously color isn't the deciding factor lol, but id like to keep them gender neutral not only to match our car, but because in order our kids are girl boy girl and I doubt my son will want a pink car seat/booster lol. "that's girl kine" he says lol

I'm really starting to rethink our decision to put DD2 in a key fit. Just because it is very convenient for me to take out the seat an put it into a stroller. I am planning on using a sling, but my two others didn't really like slings as babies so not entirely sure how that would work out.

DS still fits nicely in his seat, and won't be outgrowing it for another year or so. I do want to give the seat to my mom though and purchase a new one for the new car. Plus my mom needs another seat anyway so that works out. I just don't want to sacrifice safety for price, but I don't think we can afford a radian, i forgot the name of the high back booster from that brand, and a key fit. So I'm looking for a good high back, and a good car seat for a reasonable price.

This may be a dumb question, but the ones they sell at Walmart have to have the same standards as any other car seat correct? I've noticed Walmart, target, etc have cheaper seats there that would fit our budget a lot better but like I said earlier will not sacrifice safety for price.

Thanks for your help ladies.

 

[Jan06twinmom]

I'm glad that you are going to at least go to a highback booster for your 4yo. However, would you consider putting the 4yo in a harness for another year or so? Based on maturity and bone development, my preference is to keep children harnessed to 6yo in the main car and introducing the booster in a secondary/occasional use car after 5yo. I'm just transitioning my 7yo from the harness seats to highback boosters in our main car.

So for the affordable options, my suggestion would be to buy the Evenflo Maestro for the 4yo. It's a forward-facing seat with a 50lb limit and high harness slots. It should last your DS for another year or two. Then for the 2yo, I would look at the Evenflo Triumph or the Graco MyRide, which you should be able to find for $100-$120ish on sale. These convertibles are more affordable convertible car seats that will allow you to keep your 2yo rear-facing for another year or longer. Either of these seats would also work for the baby if you decide to skip the infant seat.

 

[soygurl]

This may be a dumb question, but the ones they sell at Walmart have to have the same standards as any other car seat correct? I've noticed Walmart, target, etc have cheaper seats there that would fit our budget a lot better but like I said earlier will not sacrifice safety for price.

No such thing as a dumb question! The answer is yes, the seats sold at Walmart, Target, etc. have all passed the same standards as more expensive seats. That's not to say that all seats are the same exactly, as more expensive ones will often have nicer fabric, padding, and features which may make the seat easier to install and/or use. Some seats have additional that the manufacturers claim increase safety, which might or might not be true, as additional features (like "side impact protection") are not currently regulated, and crash test results are rarely released to the public. The crash test that is used to determine which seats are available for sale is pass/fail, and if it's on the shelves, it passed. That said, don't listen to anyone who tells you that XYZ brand is "the safest" or "the best." The most important thing is that the seat fits your child, fits your vehicle, and fits your budget, and will be used 100% correctly, for every ride. In some cases, there are only a one or two seats which will work well for a particular family's situation, and sometimes that seat is on the pricy side. In those cases, I usually recommend searching online for sales. :thumbsup:

 

[mommier]

Thank you so very much for these responses. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me. I will probably ba taking a trip to Walmart and target to compare the seats and make a decision based on what's best for our family. Thankfully our new car will accommodate all three in whichever seats we choose for them. Thanks again