IF there were a US seat that went to 40 lbs or more rear-facing would you buy it?....

[skaterbabs]

I don't RF all along matter a whit. My younger neice RF in mar car literally YEARS after she'd stopped using ANY kind of seat in her parents' cars. Didn't bother her a bit.

 

[Nisha]

Only if it had lots of leg room - I know it's not a safety issue but DH would totally not go for RF that long otherwise! (And didn't cost over $200.00)

 

[Nisha]

I have a child that would fit (42 lbs) but I wouldn't buy it. Before I get flamed, I would buy one IF she had been RF all along since birth and didn't know any different.

My DD was FF at 1 year and 17 lbs but after I started reading more about ERF and talking about it, she begged to go "backwards" and sat that way on occasion until she was 33 lbs. She loved it! (DH on the other hand - not so much!)

ETA... not flaming, I wasn't willing to turn DD back RF full time anyway even though she would have fit weight wise until she was 3 1/2.

 

[abacus2]

None of the answers really fit me. I currently have a very large 4 year old and a tiny 23lb 26 month old. My 4 year old wouldn't fit and my 2 year old doesn't need it. If I had a very large child who needed a 40lb seat to get to age 2 RFing, I would seriously consider it even at extra cost. If it could get my child to 3 RFing while other seats wouldn't, I would consider it if it would provide good long term use by converting to a FFing HWH and wasn't outrageously expensive.

 

[nmb]

I
I totally agree with the pp about the higher limit seats needing to be designed like the Swedish ones- with the leg room and sitting up straighter. It would be very difficult to rf much past say, age 3 in a US style seat. Come on manufacturers! You already make these seats! Just test them, label them and bring 'em on over already!!!

My thoughts exactly!! I would love to have DS rf to 40, 50 lbs if there were a seat here that would let him do that....both legally and practically!

 

[sparkyd]

Voted yes but count me as another Canadian. Wouldn't do me any good in the US.

I have a 17 month 28 pounder so I would absolutely love to have a 40 lb seat. I'd like to be able to get him to 3yrs RF, but I don't think it'll happen with a 35 lb seat.

I also agree with some other posters that it would be nice to see some of those Swedish seats here. Maybe seeing those on the shelves would help with education about ERF too.

 

[carseatcoach]

I have a child that would fit (42 lbs) but I wouldn't buy it. Before I get flamed, I would buy one IF she had been RF all along since birth and didn't know any different.

Agreed. My child was 40 pounds when she started kindergarten. She was (And still is) harnessed, but I don't think I would have invested in a RF seat for her at that age.

 

[Unregistered]

Absolutely, yes. In fact, that's how I found this thread -- I was looking for a carseat for extended rear-facing.

My reason is that it's the only way to get three 4-year-olds in the backseat of my carpool's partners Lexus SUV. Unfortunately, we haven't found any, as the smallest child is 35.6 lbs, or 2.5 over the maximum weight limit.

There is a lot of discussion on car seat boards about putting three children across a backseat. I would think a rear-facing seat that could accommodate children up to 40+ or more would be quite popular.

 

[ginny4]

i think i changed my mind.....i 1st said no i prolly wouldn't but now after having been rear ended not a terrible accident but my RF son never even woke from his nap in the seat----yes i think i would buy a 40lb RF limit seat. my kids tend to be big-ish my RF is now 28mo & 33lbs. he prolly won't make it to 3yo before he is 35lbs

 

[Defrost]

Heehee - I've been wanting to install the Radian RF and see how Macha fits in it. She's somewhere between 40-45 lbs. I just think it'd be funny to see an 8yo in a RF seat (just sitting in the driveway, of course - NOT going anywhere!)

 

[emandbri]

Heehee - I've been wanting to install the Radian RF and see how Macha fits in it. She's somewhere between 40-45 lbs. I just think it'd be funny to see an 8yo in a RF seat (just sitting in the driveway, of course - NOT going anywhere!)

I've seen it! It is funny looking! A friend of mine has an apex and I've been trying to get her buy something else since she has no headrests. She was curious and wanted to try her dd in the radian and I just happened to have Brian's car that day and had the radian installed rear-facing. Her daughter was just a bit over the top slots so it would work for a bit since sunshine kids says it is okay to be over the top slots but still wouldn't work for very long.

 

[mykidsmylife]

I voted I wouldnt b/c well Seth is 25m and only 23lbs so he would probably fit rf to 4 or 5 anyways in his seat he has now. LOL.
Now if Johnathon was 3 I would buy it. But he is 6 so no...

 

[ZephyrBlue]

Absolutely. If it offered decent legroom, I'd buy one for DD2, who will be 6 in January and weighs 30lbs, and for DS, who will be 4 in April and is 28lbs.

 

[tarynsmum]

I probably wouldn't, and here's why:

DD's Radian is the tallest RFing seat that we have, and goes to 33-35 pounds (ours goes to 33, but I'll pretend it goes to 35 for the conversation). She weighs 27 lbs right now, and I can't imagine her outgrowing the seat by weight versus height - and she has a good 2.5-3 inches above her head in the Radian. So for us, it would be moot - for a seat to be of actual use to a parent of a child like mine, it would have to be an exceedingly tall seat - and that exceeding tall seat wouldn't fit RFing in most vehicles. I have a small SUV and the Radian only barely fits, I wouldn't be able to install it outboard.

BUT, if I had a kid with the opposite issue - if she was heavier versus taller, then it would be a different conversation.

 

[Momof4Girls]

I voted I would buy it...but not if it were made in China. So a 40lb RF limit radian would be out for us, unless I had a child under 18mos or so that was over 30lbs...then, safety would trump ideology.

Raechel

 

[loufrando]

I probably wouldn't, and here's why:

DD's Radian is the tallest RFing seat that we have, and goes to 33-35 pounds (ours goes to 33, but I'll pretend it goes to 35 for the conversation). She weighs 27 lbs right now, and I can't imagine her outgrowing the seat by weight versus height - and she has a good 2.5-3 inches above her head in the Radian. So for us, it would be moot - for a seat to be of actual use to a parent of a child like mine, it would have to be an exceedingly tall seat - and that exceeding tall seat wouldn't fit RFing in most vehicles. I have a small SUV and the Radian only barely fits, I wouldn't be able to install it outboard.

BUT, if I had a kid with the opposite issue - if she was heavier versus taller, then it would be a different conversation.

This is why I think they would have to install/work the way the big Swedish rfing seats do. They sit up much straighter and do fit in compact cars. That's what most people drive over there!

 

[all together ooky]

Yes, if it's like the Swedish seats with the nice leg room. My 4-year-old is 40lbs and I think she'd like being RF again, if her knees weren't at her chin.

 

[Adventuredad]

It's true that leg room gets or at least looks a bit cramped on the Swedish seats over here. But I've never heard a child complain, it's usually the parents who are worried. We get around this somewhat by using the front seat in a high percentage of installs (airbag disabled!!!). It gives much more leg space, is still as safe, and usually makes parents rear face much longer.

I really like how most Swedish seats install, it's very easy and virtually any care can be used:twocents:

 

[livesinthecar]

It would have to be a tall seat too as my kids are all torso!

 

[christineka]

I would have to have a normal sized child to buy one. My dd will rf in the scenera to age 5 and my ds will make it to age 4 at least.

If I have another child who takes after dh I'd buy one even though dh would think I was nuts. He thought I was nuts for selling a seat that only rfes to 30 pounds. Almost 4 year old dd weighs 28 pounds.