Shopping for a friend

[Lenae]

My friend asked me to track down a deal for her. Her DD stats are;

16 months
28 lbs
short, lol. I'm not really sure on height honestly, but last I heard was she's in the 50% for height. That was at her 12 month checkup.

She's FF. I have talked to my friend, she doesn't want to turn her. Except, they are going on vacation off island to Tennessee this spring and is considering RF her for that.

She wants it to be girly, lightweight, and under $150. Is her only option a Maestro? Her DH wants to to become a booster later on, and from what I remember, the Maestro booster is much better than the Cosco clone boosters, right?

Any other options I don't know of? I can't think of a seat that does RF, FF and booster that is a decent seat, so the only thing she's willing to sacrifice is the RF capability.

 

[Jessica61624]

You could also get a nautilus for under $150. I prefer it over the maestro for the life span. Harness is good for 6 years and the booster is 9 or 10 now. The maestro expires in 6(iirc) and the booster is outgrown about the same time as the harness. Unfortunately the nautilus fits smaller kids very well also.

 

[Lenae]

You could also get a nautilus for under $150. I prefer it over the maestro for the life span. Harness is good for 6 years and the booster is 9 or 10 now. The maestro expires in 6(iirc) and the booster is outgrown about the same time as the harness. Unfortunately the nautilus fits smaller kids very well also.

I scoped out the Nautilus, but I can't seem to find a girly cover that SHIPS to AK for under $150. Walmart has a girly one for $140, but shipped here it's $182. Amazon doesn't have a girly one with free shipping under $150. And I sincerely doubt my friend will want to buy a boyish one and a girly cover for it. She's not that interested.

A little back story: She's currently using a seat that is expired. She's okay with that. I tried to explain the dangers of that, but she has 'island mentality' that nothing bad ever happens here. She's only getting a new seat because her older DS has a "nice" one (a Safety 1st three in one something or other)and her DD is riding in a seat that was passed down to them from another family. She had an aftermarket cover on it and I finally convinced her it wasn't safe because the cover didn't fit right and the top slots in the cover were halfway down the babies back. So now she wants a new seat that is "nice" like her DS seat.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is, she isn't that interested in what the seat actually does. She's interested in it looking nice and girly.

 

[Jessica61624]

I forgot that your in Alaska. Do you not have any in store?

 

[Lenae]

Haha, we don't have any stores. Literally. We live in bush AK. It's not like the rest of the world.

 

[Jessica61624]

Haha, we don't have any stores. Literally. We live in bush AK. It's not like the rest of the world.

LOL! It just seems silly to buy a maestro for the booster mode since shes 16 months. By the time she can use Tue booster it will be almost expired. Unless she plans on using it expired....

 

[Lenae]

She'll probably booster at 4. Maybe before, depending on what baby weighs. I agree, it does seem silly.

I found a deal on an Evenflo Symphony 65, but stupid Albeebaby doesn't ship to stupid ALASKA!

 

[T4K]

Can it get shipped to Tennessee?

 

[Lenae]

Yeah, shipping in the lower 48 is fine, but she wants to fly down with the seat. Baby has a ticket on the plane, because they don't want a lap baby for that long.

She likes the Maestro okay, but doesn't like how close together the straps are. Ugh. For someone who doesn't really care much, this is turning out to be difficult.

 

[T4K]

Since she's already using an expired seat, how about she flies down with it then trashes it?

Or is this trip way in the future?

 

[Jessica61624]

Since she's already using an expired seat, how about she flies down with it then trashes it?

Or is this trip way in the future?

That's what I was thinking unless the trip is months away.

 

[Lenae]

The trip is this late spring/early summer. May I think. She's not worried about the seat being expired, just that now that the aftermarket cover is off, it's not as "nice" and the one she has for her DS. So she wants to get it now. I found a Nautilus at BRU for $160. It's only slightly over budget, and I get free shipping on it with shoprunner.com, so I'll order it for her. If I can convince her to go slightly over budget.

 

[crunchierthanthou]

BRU seems to have 20% sales about once a month.

 

[An Aurora]

I'd get a convertible so if you do talk her into RF, she can't use the seat as an excuse. Do you have Freddy's?

 

[Kecia]

Just my 2 cents but I really dislike the idea of a 16 month old in a Nautilus. I just don't think of that seat as being FF toddler friendly - at all. Honestly, if you can talk her into a Symphony 65, I think that may be your best bet.

 

[Lenae]

I'd get a convertible so if you do talk her into RF, she can't use the seat as an excuse. Do you have Freddy's?

No Freddy's. I swear, I talked till I was blue in the face about RF the baby. She doesn't want to turn her. She put her FF at 10 months. There is a mentality on this island, that even if crashes happen, they aren't severe. She's going to borrow a seat from me to RF the baby in Tennessee, but I honestly and sincerely tried to talk her into it, and she is not interested.

Do you know anymore stores that offer shipping, preferable free but not a requirement, here?

Just my 2 cents but I really dislike the idea of a 16 month old in a Nautilus. I just don't think of that seat as being FF toddler friendly - at all. Honestly, if you can talk her into a Symphony 65, I think that may be your best bet.

I only found one Symphony 65 that was girly at albeebaby, but albeebaby doesn't ship to AK at all. Being girly is a deal breaker for her. She'd rather get another girly aftermarket cover for her expired seat than not get a girly seat. I'm not giving her any links until Tuesday, so I have until then to keep shopping.

 

[MommyShannon]

Can you push comfort? She's going to have bad head slump in a seat that is upright enough to become a booster, especially the nauti. Even FF a convertible would be more comfortable and then at least she will be RF in TN. That said, I stupidly, stupidly put DS in his nauti at 1 and liked it. I was a nazi about straps being right and all and it fit well. Somehow I just missed or chose to be ignorant about FF vs RF. It makes my stomach turn just thinking about it. Thank goodness they were never in an accident. Can you show her that horrible news story about the 18 month old who died on Christmas?

 

[cryswilkins]

Can you get a girly myride?

Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse my auto correct.

 

[Lenae]

I know everyone hates the idea of this baby being FF, and I totally do too. But the parents aren't willing to buy a seat that doesn't eventually become a booster. They are even okay with it being terrible belt fit. I talked to them about this. About internal injuries from the crummy Cosco clone harness to booster things. They are not willing to budge.

Friend is going to borrow a seat from me to RF on vacation, and I've resigned myself to it. There is just this crazy mentality here that car accidents don't happen, and even if one did happen, no one is ever driving fast. I am trying to talk her into a Symphony 65. Having it shipped for free to someone in the Lower 48, and then just paying shipping to get it here, but the shipping is going to be pretty expensive, so I don't think she's going to go for it.

I am very frustrated by the whole situation, and I wish I hadn't agreed to find something for her now. But I did, so I'm just doing my best.

 

[Qarin]

Can they borrow your seat from now until the trip, then get a seat down there to bring back home?