need new car seat help

[scuby20]

Ok, so I think I'm going to have to get my daughter a new car seat soon. We are actually in the process of moving to Germany. Our van is on it's way to Germany, as is our household goods. Currently she has a Britax BLVD, she has a VERY tall torso, will be 4 years old in April, and is 38lbs. She is FF'ing (just turned her about 5 months ago)...but she is at the top harness slot, and the wings are all the way up and the harness is AT her shoulders, not below, but not really above.....so what to I get her now?
Now my son rides in a Radian XT RF'ing (I hate installing that thing but that is another thread lol)....because he is 29lbs and only 20 months. My mom has a Safety 1st Air car seat in her car that my son rides in when we are up there. We are heading up there in about 10 days (she lives in Anchorage Alaska) and we'll be there for 2 weeks, then we will head to Germany. Now I can take the Air with me to Germany but I don't remember if it has a taller harness height than the britax blvd?
What do I do now???
I can move the radian and give that to my daughter if that has a higher harness height, and I can use the Air for my son...I don't think my son will ever have issues with being to tall...my daughter has the shortest legs ever, but a LONG torso. But not sure what the heights are for all of those.

Help!

 

[NannyMom]

I think the Complete Air will have a higher harness than your Boulevard. I have a 6 year old that still fits in the CA, but has outgrown the MA/BV, even the Evenfo Triumph Advance. But if DD doesn't fit in the Complete Air, give DS the Complete Air and DD the Radian.

 

[scuby20]

ok cool..so the radian has a higher harness then huh?

yeah I'll just take the CA from my mom and take it to Germany with me...either DD or DS can use it...I'll just see which has the highest harness.....of course I'll have to have her use her travel vest in daddy's car (when we get him a car), unless the CA has a high enough harness that will last a while for her, because she won't be in daddy's car that much, but needs something.
I hope the CA is easier to install than the radian...cause I HATE that intall lol. I so LOVE the britax install!

 

[Kat_Momof3]

what I'd do is give the Radian to your mom... and take the blvd and the CA, since those are typically easier to install.

the bv would fit your son... and the CA fit your daughter.

and here is the order of harness heights for your seats... BV, Radian, CA.

 

[armywife12]

what I'd do is give the Radian to your mom... and take the blvd and the CA, since those are typically easier to install.

the bv would fit your son... and the CA fit your daughter.

and here is the order of harness heights for your seats... BV, Radian, CA.

I agree with this. I would leave the Radian because of the horrid install (lol) and take the CA and BLVD. The Ca definitely has taller slots than the BLVD, by about 2 inches. My son has outgrown the Marathon at 3 yrs 5 months old (which is a tad higher than the BLVD) but would still fit RF in the CA if he weren't already 40lbs and would have a couple of inches left to grow FF.

 

[scuby20]

I guess I should have said, that my britax blvd is a RF'ing limit of 33 lbs....my son is 30lbs naked, he is 20 months old....I have him in the radian, because of the 40 lb weight limit.

 

[An Aurora]

I'd take the Radian to FF your DD in and the CA to RF your son in

 

[mylittlet]

Is the safety 1st air an onside air or complete air? They make 2 different ones. And the inside won't last as long.

Stefanie, cpst in iowa - mom to 4 great kids

 

[scuby20]

the safety first is the Complete Air. We initially tried to get one for my daughter instead of the radian because the price was so much better (and she was still RF'ing at the time) but the RF'ing install in my 2005 dodge grand caravan w/captains chairs in the middle seats was HORRIBLE. I had to take it back because I couldn't get it tight at all!! I mean I don't love the radian's install, but mainly because I think it should be more solid, like the britax....but the CA I couldn't get installed at all because the back of the vehicle seat is so slanted. I used rolled up towels, I used 3 pool noodles. I couldn't get it, and I just took it back and shelled out the money for a radian.

Does anyone know how the radian installs FF'ing in my van? How about the CA FF'ing? I could go ahead and keep my son RF'ing in the radian, and put my daughter FF'ing in the CA...but I couldn't get the CA to install correctly RF'ing, so I have no idea how it does FF'ing, nor do I know how the radian does FF'ing......any ideas, tips, suggestions?

I basically need something for a very tall torso'd 37-38lb almost 4 year old......and something (rf'ing) for a chunky 28lb, on the shorter side 20 month old.
I already have a radian, mom has a CA, and we have 2 britax that will only be good for my son FF'ing when I switch him (which won't be for a long time I hope lol).

and all have to install fairly easily (no harder than the RF'ing install for the radian) in my van lol

 

[An Aurora]

Interesting...there are lots of people on here with that same combo of van & seats, and I haven't heard of an incompatibility. Hopefully someone with the van and a CA can give more insight.

 

[scuby20]

yeah I hope so. I had talked to someone else on here that couldn't get the CA to install RF'ing in her van either...so I hope someone has some insight lol

 

[scuby20]

So what about the Britax frontier? Is that a good choice for a tall torso 4 year old , 37 pounds?? Does it have a high harness height? If I keep my son in the radian RF'ing then I can get my daughter one that is just for FF'ing.

 

[An Aurora]

Yes, the Frontier 85 would be a good choice for her.

 

[mama d]

My 4 yr old is pretty tall and 47 lbs. I love her Frontier.