Need Recommendations

[#1babysitter]

While I love the Graco Nautilus, I really think it would be too wide to comfortably fit in the center back between two older kids. It is quite a bit wider than the Marathon.

Another poster suggested the Safety First Complete Air for the baby; you could actually buy that now and use it ff for your 6 year old as it's quite a bit narrower than the Nautilus. Then when the baby outgrows the infant seat (either by reaching the weight limit or when his head comes to within 1" of the top of the shell; the stated height limit is indeed arbitrary) you could reassess her maturity with regard to booster readiness.

The Complete Air should give you about the same length of harness use as the Nautilus. My super long torsoed grandson had totally outgrown the Marathon by the time he was 4, but could still fit (barely) in the Complete Air earlier this year (he is now 6 and recently outgrew his Nautilus harness by height).

If the 6 year old has outgrown the Marathon then using the Complete Air for her will not be an option since they both have 17 inch top harness slots as do the Radians. The Nautilus and Frontier are the only options. The Frontier is overkill in my mind since her kids are tiny and the 6 year probably won't be using the harness for much longer. Not to mention the Frontier is a lot wider. The benefit of the Nautilus is that it turns into a HBB and LBB. Another option is to put the 18 month old in the Complete Air in the 3rd row middle seat and your 6 year old in a Nautilus or Frontier 80 in the captains chair. The Frontier 80 has the same top slots as the Nautilus but converts to the highest HBB out there. You'd just have to deal with climbing in the back to buckle in the 18 month old. If it was me I'd put the 6 year old in a Nautilus back there.

 

[ljh515]

We don't have any Babies R Us near us. I really miss having one close by.

Is there a website anywhere that has the dimensions, weight limits and strap heights all listed for carseats?

Specifically, I am wondering the dimensions and strap heights for the Maestro and Complete Air.

Thanks again for all of your wealth of knowledge and experience!

 

[ljh515]

If the 6 year old has outgrown the Marathon then using the Complete Air for her will not be an option since they both have 17 inch top harness slots as do the Radians. The Nautilus and Frontier are the only options. The Frontier is overkill in my mind since her kids are tiny and the 6 year probably won't be using the harness for much longer. Not to mention the Frontier is a lot wider. The benefit of the Nautilus is that it turns into a HBB and LBB. Another option is to put the 18 month old in the Complete Air in the 3rd row middle seat and your 6 year old in a Nautilus or Frontier 80 in the captains chair. The Frontier 80 has the same top slots as the Nautilus but converts to the highest HBB out there. You'd just have to deal with climbing in the back to buckle in the 18 month old. If it was me I'd put the 6 year old in a Nautilus back there.

I can't see how I could get him in and out in the back middle seat rear facing.
I think the Frontier is going to be too wide for my older children to sit next to.
What are the dimensions of the Nautilus?
I am thinking if I get a Nautilus or Frontier that at some point, my toddler will be able to use it, so I don't mind spending the money on something that works.

 

[ljh515]

Also thinking that the Maestro might be a good fit for the time being. Years ago (like 10), I had an Evenflo Triumph and a booster seat and hated the straps - they got twisted easily and they were a pain to adjust. Since then I have always stuck with Britax. Do Evenflos in general have strap adjustment and twisting problems - or was it just the seat I had?

 

[ljh515]

If you think your 10 year old needs to be in a LBB but will be next to your 6 year old in her harnessed seat, I would look at the Harmony Literider at Walmart. It is a very low profile booster so I'm sure it'd fit next to the Nautilus just fine in the third row.

Hope this helps!

I am going to go and look at these today. Thanks! One concern I have though. The seats in my van are "molded" and not flat. My concern with having a booster on the sides with another seat in the middle is that they end up tilting towards the middle because of the bump. Does this make it less safe?

 

[mommyfrog]

The Marathon and Radian measurements may look the same on paper, but kids last longer in the Radians than the Marathon. My dd is 6.5 and is just at the top slot of a Nautilus and just over the top slot of a Radian (which is allowed only in a Radian). She outgrew the Marathon over a year ago, probably close to 2 years. What do you think of getting the baby something cheaper, like a Scenera or Tribute, to rear face in for the next 18 months or so, and get a Radian for that middle third row position, putting your 6yo there? In 18 months when you turn your then 3 year old around, your then 7 year old can move to a booster.

 

[Kel]

Hi, I have 5 kids ages 12, 10 a huge almost 8yr old, 4yrs and a 17 mo old. I drive a 03 windstar with a narrow bench in back, also with center lap belt. I have my 17 mo old RF in a RN in the back center. My 10 and 12 yr old sit in the outer board seats on each side of him. They both pass the 5 step test.

It works out fine . I just flip a captains chair down and get back there with him to load and unload. I'm small and can do that, but dh is 6'4" so he loads and unloads from the hatch.

I can fit a lb lite rider back there if my 8 yr old begs to sit by baby but I have to buckle it my self.

 

[Kel]

I'm back, lol. Forgot to add if you dont want to spend money on the RN, I have had my 17 mo old rf in a MR65 in the center back. My 10 and 12 yr old still fit fine beside him. They fit under the cup holders and use the cup holders kinda like arm rest,lol. But I don't know if it would work ff.

 

[acoro]

Not sure if anyone answered this but this site has a list of available seats, dimensions & harness heights you asked about a few posts back. There is a thread on the main page that will lead you there

 

[lg's gma]

The Marathon and Radian measurements may look the same on paper, but kids last longer in the Radians than the Marathon.

The same is true of the Marathon and Complete Air; while they may have the same measurements on paper, the Complete Air is quite a bit taller in the harness. Otherwise my grandson wouldn't have still fit in it when he'd outgrown the Marathon two years previously.

For what it's worth, I've had a rearfacing seat in the center lap belt of my back bench (back when I had a daycare; the second row bench had two other rearfacing seats) and while it was a bit of a challenge to get the child into that seat it was by no means impossible. I picked the least heavy child to put in that seat to reduce the strain on my back. LOL It just took a bit of finesse, and got easier every time I did it.

 

[Kac]

If the 6 year old has outgrown the Marathon then using the Complete Air for her will not be an option since they both have 17 inch top harness slots as do the Radians. The Nautilus and Frontier are the only options.

I have a kiddo who outgrew the Marathon by height but still fits in the Radian and the CA. (Without his shoulders going over the top slots of the Radian since SK/Diono allows that).

I love my Nautilus too, but it is a bit wider than the Maestro which could make a world of a difference for your older ones next to the seat. Since you have tiny kids, I would imagine it would work great.

I'm going to be the odd one out and not recommend a CA. With the recline and angle issues, I think you'd be better off with a Graco MyRide, Combi Coccoro, Diono/Sunshine Kids Radian, Britax seat, Evenflo Triumph 65, etc.