New seats needed, and soon!

[mamoomorgan]

Please help me figure out the best way to keep my littlest two girls safe in the car. We have an 8 passenger Toyota Sequoia and four daughters. Currently we have Enna (6.5yo) in a TrueFit, second row drivers side. Imogen (5 yo) is 3rd row in a MA, outboard passenger side.

The MA expires in December and she's almost too tall for it. The TrueFit is good for a bit longer but Enna is pretty much too tall (when I put her in her shoulders seem to be above the slots, when she's getting out they seem below).

Enna is over 40 lbs by some but not a lot, maybe 45 lbs (she's currently in a leg cast so I can't weigh her). IS the safest/best option at this point a booster for her? Can we ratchet the belt?

It seems like I should give the TrueFit to Imogen but she hates it. It used to be her seat and she complained constantly of a sore bum. She never complains in the MA. Should I get a Frontier for her?

Sorry to be being dense about this but I just want to do the right/best thing.

TIA,

 

[snowbird25ca]

Please help me figure out the best way to keep my littlest two girls safe in the car. We have an 8 passenger Toyota Sequoia and four daughters. Currently we have Enna (6.5yo) in a TrueFit, second row drivers side. Imogen (5 yo) is 3rd row in a MA, outboard passenger side.

The MA expires in December and she's almost too tall for it. The TrueFit is good for a bit longer but Enna is pretty much too tall (when I put her in her shoulders seem to be above the slots, when she's getting out they seem below).

Enna is over 40 lbs by some but not a lot, maybe 45 lbs (she's currently in a leg cast so I can't weigh her). IS the safest/best option at this point a booster for her? Can we ratchet the belt?

It seems like I should give the TrueFit to Imogen but she hates it. It used to be her seat and she complained constantly of a sore bum. She never complains in the MA. Should I get a Frontier for her?

Sorry to be being dense about this but I just want to do the right/best thing.

TIA,

At 45lbs and 6.5yrs old I would put Enna in to a high back booster. Some vehicles prohibit locking the seatbelt on a seatbelt passenger. I'm not sure what your vehicle's policy is, but I wouldn't do it with a child Enna's age unless there were special needs involved - and if there were special needs involved I'd recommend a taller harnessed seat. Most kids are able to sit well in a booster at 6.5yrs old, so that would be the direction I'd go. My daughter has been in a booster full time from a bit younger than your dd. She went in to a booster part time at just a bit more than 5.5yrs old and we never had any issues at all. At 6.5 yrs old I wouldn't even blink an eye at putting her in a booster.

For your youngest, I'd try her in the TF again just in case she's grown in a way that means it's comfortable for her now. She'll likely have enough growing room in it to get her to booster age/size as well if she still fits the Marathon.

If not, then you could consider a Frontier, but the growing room by height in it would be overkill for a 5yr old who still fits in a Marathon. You'd probably be fine with a Nautilus if you can find one on sale, or even the Evenflo Maestro would likely have room.

Do you have a store near you where you could try out seats?

 

[mamoomorgan]

Unfortunately no, there are no stores near that carry any of these seats.

When you say that the growing room in a Frontier would be overkill... why is that? Wouldn't it be OK to keep her in it until she's 7 or something, as long she's not too tall or heavy? We travel a fair bit and I just feel terrible when her bum and back get so sore. Enna (who's in the TF now) has the same issues.
Thank you for reassuring me about Enna in a booster. I think it's the way to go. And no, there are no special needs issues (except with me, I'm a bit overprotective!) so I guess I'll let her ride with seat belt not locked.

 

[canadiangie]

Unfortunately no, there are no stores near that carry any of these seats.

When you say that the growing room in a Frontier would be overkill... why is that? Wouldn't it be OK to keep her in it until she's 7 or something, as long she's not too tall or heavy? We travel a fair bit and I just feel terrible when her bum and back get so sore. Enna (who's in the TF now) has the same issues.
Thank you for reassuring me about Enna in a booster. I think it's the way to go. And no, there are no special needs issues (except with me, I'm a bit overprotective!) so I guess I'll let her ride with seat belt not locked.

Just overkill in the sense that a child the size of yours wouldn't likely need 20" top harness slots. However, if you want to keep Imogen harnessed for the same length of time you have Enna (over age 6, closer to 7 or beyond) the FrontierXT is great choice. It's all about your personal preferences when it comes to harnessing versus booster, if that makes sense.

Is there UAS/latch in the seating position where Imogen sits? Do you have any must-haves when it comes to boosters?

 

[snowbird25ca]

Just overkill in the sense that a child the size of yours wouldn't likely need 20" top harness slots. However, if you want to keep Imogen harnessed for the same length of time you have Enna (over age 6, closer to 7 or beyond) the FrontierXT is great choice. It's all about your personal preferences when it comes to harnessing versus booster, if that makes sense.

That's exactly what I meant. If she's around a 16" torso, then she's unlikely to pass 18" in the next year and a half unless she's due for a growth spurt. The Marathon slots measure around 17" (old style ones anyways,) but they tended to be outgrown when kids had around a 16 to 16.5" torso depending on the vehicle and how naturally reclined they installed in the vehicle.

So if she hasn't quite outgrown it yet, then she's probably pretty close to a 16" torso.

The Maestro may not be a good choice if the padding was a problem in the TF because I think that it's less padded. But the TF could also have been relative in terms of just the angle of the seat and how she sat in it - it may not have been just strictly a padding thing. :shrug-shoulders: The Nautilus has 18.5" top harness height so it would definitely get her to at least 6.5yrs. She'd most likely only be using the 2nd highest slots in it.

There's nothing wrong with the Frontier XT if that's the way you want to go - she's just not going to need the harness height it has.

 

[mamoomorgan]

I guess I always thought of five point harness kinda like Rf'ing... do it as long as you possibly can. Is that not really the case?
As for latch, we have it in the position she's in now and where Enna is, and she could be moved to that spot. The trouble is that the TF, MA and our car all say to defer to eachothers manuals for latch weight limits. So I think we have to belt it in at 40 lbs anyway... correct? As for booster must-haves, High back, side impact, latch.... that's all I can think of. I had Britax boosterss(what the heck were those called?) for my older girls, I was thinking of an Oobr for Enna.
I have a very silly reason for considering the Frontier, aside from her comfort. Imogen and Enna are 18 months apart in age and Imo wants EVERYTHING Enna has. I know if I get Enna a booster and not Imogen a new seat there will be holy tantrums in this house. I wouldn't do it based solely on that, but considering how much it hurts her... I'm tempted.
Also, so far she is taller at every age than Enna, so I doubt she'll get to 6.5 years old in the TF, would 6 be ok?
Sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of not boostering as long as possible.
Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[canadiangie]

I completely understand your reasoning. My big girls are 16mos apart. Emma covets anything Sophia has or does.

I think a Frontier XT is a fine choice, honestly. It would be her last seat, you could harness her for as long as you wanted (within reason, obviously the seat has upper harnessing limits), and it converts to a great booster.

Along those lines, you could, since you're willing to spend $300-$330 on an Oobr, just buy Enna a Frontier XT for $299 and just use it in booster mode (or continue harnessing her for now -- up to you). That way they could have *gasp!* matching seats.

But if you decide matching seats isn't a good idea and prefer the Oobr I would also consider the Monterey by Sunshine Kids/Diono. It's a very nice booster and tends to provide excellent belt fit.

www.snugglebugz.ca is the forum sponsor and most of us are buying our seats from there now. Ben is fantastic, and shipping is fast and free. Just FYI...

 

[mamoomorgan]

Thank you! I'll try to decide ASAP!

 

[bubbaray]

I guess I always thought of five point harness kinda like Rf'ing... do it as long as you possibly can. Is that not really the case?

The difference is that there is science/physics to support ERF -- but not so much for extended harnessing vs booster for a child over age 5/40lbs. For example, in Sweden where they have stellar child-vehicle safety stats, the societal norm is to ERF until age 4 or 5 and then go straight to a HBB. They don't use FFg harnessed seats there, from what I understand.

You'll find techs somewhat split on *when* to move a child to a HBB. For a compliant, non-special needs child who is over age 5-ish and over 40lbs, I am personally fine with that child using a booster. That is when I moved my DD#1. She was very compliant and we've never had problems with her sitting properly in the booster.

Now, her younger sister -- she might not get to switch to a booster until she's driving. LOL. So, it really depends.

Personally, unless there were SN's involved, I would not buy a FR for a 6.5yo who was over 40lbs. I'd buy a booster and not think twice about it. FWIW, we have the Monterey and DD#1 loves it. We also have the PW and its just OK, she d/n like it as much. I will say that its much easier to move around than the Monterey, which is a beast of a seat. We also have a LBB for airplane trips (not to use on the plane, but in rental cars at our destination).

 

[mamoomorgan]

I made the move! Enna (6.5 yo) is now in a HBB Parkway (for now, it was her sitster's) and Imogen (5yo) is in the TrueFit. She hates, it but tough.

Question, to destroy an expired seat, is cutting the straps out enough?

Thanks everyone!