Tell me about the complete air please

[mom1mg]

So I think I have figured out our next seat is going to be the Complete Air.
I am ordering online and want to know if anyone can tell me a few things about installing first...
Are sloped seats with long belt stalks (no latch) an issue RF?

Does it have a very tall shell?
(I am hoping not overly tall)

Are there any harness adjustment issues?
(not buried in the seat or hard to adujst)

Does it play nice with others?
(Doing a 3 across which isn't tight but seats can't be super wide.)

Lastly does it have a deep seat? By that I mean similar to the true-fit where the bum is low in the seat and there is more supported leg room?
(DD has a circulation disorder - the deeper the seat the better for leg room without her having to bend her knees.)

FYI - DD who will be getting this seat is 19 months, 20 pounds, 31(ish) inches. Her current seat is a wal-mart 3-1 (can't remember the brand) that will be passed down to DD 6 months, 17 pounds, 25 inches. Eventually I would like to trash the 3-1 since it isn't a good seat and get another complete air for her too.

 

[smackeen]

I will try to answer for you:

1. The seat is up a bit higher than some, but if you have ridgid belt stalks, you may have a problem. If just long, you can do up to three full twists to lower the stalk.

2. The shell is quite tall. It does have two different recline lines to go be though, so it could me more upright for you.

3. I had no problems with adjustment in a 2004 Montana.

4. The seat is narrower than most, but not sure that it will play well beside a 3 in 1. Does the 3 in 1 have a removable base? What is the third seat that will be used (in three across)?

5. The seat depth shows as 12 in on the quick information page. The more upright, the less room you will have. Is she able to hang legs over the side vs bending, or is that even worse for circulation?

Last, which vehicle are you installing in? You can search the car seat plus the vehicle in the search feature on the forum and it will tell you how it installs. Also post the year and type of vehicle here and others will be able to give more information.

 

[tiggercat]

Just a note: the complete air has a 36inch rearfacing height limit, so if you observe numerical height limits it will be outgrown earlier than other seats.

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[soph's mom]

Just a note: the complete air has a 36inch rearfacing height limit, so if you observe numerical height limits it will be outgrown earlier than other seats.

Sent from my iPod touch using Car-Seat.Org

It does have this limit but my 35 in daughter had more room above her head in this seat when we sat her in it at BRU than she does in her radian... She appeared to have about 4 inches IIRC.

 

[tiggercat]

It does have this limit but my 35 in daughter had more room above her head in this seat when we sat her in it at BRU than she does in her radian... She appeared to have about 4 inches IIRC.

Yes, the shell is tall, however Dorel has stated repeatedly that the height restrictions on their product are to be followed. So using it above 36 inches in the rearfacing orientation is against the manufacturer's directions.
The Radian (for example) has a 44 inch RF height limit.

Edited to reduce confusion.
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[soph's mom]

I'm not the original poster... My child's stated height is correct. I was saying the room in the seat more as a reference to how tall the shell is fit wise not instructing her to misuse the seat... I have a radian not the complete air...

 

[tiggercat]

I'm not the original poster... My child's stated height is correct. I was saying the room in the seat more as a reference to how tall the shell is fit wise not instructing her to misuse the seat... I have a radian not the complete air...

Ah, sorry about that! The CA does have a nice tall shell, it is too bad they don't have a higher numerical height limit! Space over the head is meaningless if the manufacturer doesn't allow you to take advantage of it.

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[Lemonade]

So I think I have figured out our next seat is going to be the Complete Air.
I am ordering online and want to know if anyone can tell me a few things about installing first...
Are sloped seats with long belt stalks (no latch) an issue RF?

Does it have a very tall shell?
(I am hoping not overly tall)

It's a tall seat with a great forward facing height limit but does not sit up on a base so I find it doesn't seem as tall as some shorter seats up on bases. I own 3 of these but only have used them forward facing. 1 in DH's car and 1 in each of my in-law's cars. It's a nice, light seat (around 15 pounds, compared to 23-25 for a radian) and has the handy front adjust harness height so they can use it for any of the 3 grandchildren who are 4, 4, and 6 and not need to re-install.

Are there any harness adjustment issues?
(not buried in the seat or hard to adujst)
It doesn't have the velcro to anything but I've never found it particularly difficult.

Does it play nice with others?
(Doing a 3 across which isn't tight but seats can't be super wide.)
It's not terribly wide.

Lastly does it have a deep seat? By that I mean similar to the true-fit where the bum is low in the seat and there is more supported leg room?
(DD has a circulation disorder - the deeper the seat the better for leg room without her having to bend her knees.)

Deep enough to support the legs of my 45.5" 6 yr old with bending right at the knee. There is a section on the main board with measurements and data you can check out.

FYI - DD who will be getting this seat is 19 months, 20 pounds, 31(ish) inches. Her current seat is a wal-mart 3-1 (can't remember the brand) that will be passed down to DD 6 months, 17 pounds, 25 inches. Eventually I would like to trash the 3-1 since it isn't a good seat and get another complete air for her too.

 

[biddyk8]

Safety 1st answered a question on their Facebook wall yesterday saying the rfing height limit was 40inches now. But still no 1inch rule

 

[tiggercat]

Safety 1st answered a question on their Facebook wall yesterday saying the rfing height limit was 40inches now. But still no 1inch rule

On Canadian seats?? Retroactively?

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[biddyk8]

was on canadian seats but no mention of if it was retroactive

 

[mom2juliarose]

Just a note: the complete air has a 36inch rearfacing height limit, so if you observe numerical height limits it will be outgrown earlier than other seats.

Oh man I am SO glad I read this thread! I was SO close to getting a Complete Air to replace our MR for DS, but he's already over the RFing height limit!

 

[tiggercat]

was on canadian seats but no mention of if it was retroactive

Do you have a reference? Thanks!

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[biddyk8]

cant link from facebook but heres a copy

Safety 1st Hello Bridget- Thanks for your patience! The maximum height limit for a child riding rear facing in a Complete Air 65 LX-SE is 40". Thanks for your post!

 

[tiggercat]

cant link from facebook but heres a copy

Safety 1st Hello Bridget- Thanks for your patience! The maximum height limit for a child riding rear facing in a Complete Air 65 LX-SE is 40". Thanks for your post!

And what is the name if the Facebook page? Thanks

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[biddyk8]

Safety 1st's own facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/safety1st?fref=ts

 

[tiggercat]

Wow, their page is a mess. I found the post you are referring to and commented asking for clarification. It looks like whoever was answering just replied based on US information, but I will check labels on the next few seats I see.

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[snowbird25ca]

was on canadian seats but no mention of if it was retroactive

The last conversation I had with Dorel regarding retroactive stuff was that they don't allow anything retroactively because they can't re-test and relabel seats which have already been sold.

That same conversation though, I asked where the 36" came from since the dummy that they use is 37" - I know that my question was getting referred beyond management, so perhaps they actually have changed the Canadian limit to match the 40" that the US goes by? My conversation with them was nearly 2 months ago and I haven't had any follow-up, but maybe they are changing their seats and information? Perhaps this is something they actually could allow retroactively given the size of the crash test dummy?

 

[mom1mg]

OP here - Thanks everyone.
Sounds like it may work well for me. I have short kids who grow slowly. DD is already 19 months and still hovering at 20 pounds. I had only been aiming to RF to 2 with her but that is only 5 months away! So it looks like I will be able to go RF a LONG time in a CA - I wouldn't be shocked if I get to 4 before she hits 36 inches. She is just starting to have to bend her knees slightly in the 3-1 BUT instead she twists her bum and angles her legs sideways more across bust still cries after more then 30 min. I can't use my true-fit the lock offs won't close because our stalks are in the way even with three twists (no they aren't hard ones BTW) so a deeper seat it is.