True fit issues?

[MelodyoftheForest]

I know the seat has been discontinued, but the iAlert version on Amazon is very tempting! I mean, an ARB and lockoffs on a seat under $200? I know it only has a 35 lb RF weight limit and the iAlert is glitchy, but wondering if there are other issues I should be aware of. I really want to try one, and I can order it with Prime and free returns. Thanks!

 

[jess71903]

I don't know about the iAlert version, but I the True Fit. I still have one that Evie (my 5 year old) uses in DH's truck. It's sitting out now, and I have been contemplating selling it, but it makes me sad.

I guess some things to know:
1. It has a continuous harness. Some people hate that, some don't care, and some love it. With the TF, I feel like it's a benefit because of the next issue/
2. The harness adjuster gets buried . It's down low. Not really an issue on the ARB version, because there's a cut-out, but it's still not super easy. Since the harness slides under the kiddo's bottom, though, I never felt the need to tighten and loosen every time.
3) the lock-offs can be a little annoying. IF you have seatbelts with a fold in them to keep the latch plate from falling down, it might be incompatible, or at least, you may have to fiddle with sliding the seat in the "Sweet spot" to get it out of the lock-off. The ones with buttons aren't bad because you can pop them off, or just slide the seat a tiny bit to get them out of the way.

 

[ketchupqueen]

I have an SI (same as what you're looking at except the ialert) and it's great in many ways. The lockoffs are not always easy. But I love the ARB. Remember to push down rather than in and loosening the harness is easier.

 

[LISmama810]

My "negatives" are the same as what jess listed. And the iAlert was inconsistent to the point of being useless. But other than that, it was fine, especially if you get a good deal.

 

[MelodyoftheForest]

I pulled the trigger! It'll be here Saturday! I've never ordered a car seat to try before, but I paid $20 more to get it through Prime so I wouldn't have to pay return shipping, so it'll be ok, I hope!

I have buttons on my seat belts, so hopefully they won't get in the way. Thanks for your quick answers!

 

[bella_1818]

I pulled the trigger! It'll be here Saturday! I've never ordered a car seat to try before, but I paid $20 more to get it through Prime so I wouldn't have to pay return shipping, so it'll be ok, I hope! I have buttons on my seat belts, so hopefully they won't get in the way. Thanks for your quick answers!

I had to pop the button off my Jeep Liberty to use the lockoff. The seat was in a total loss collision, and while it was unoccupied, it did great and looked beautiful after the crash.

The single thing that kept me from getting another was the 35lb weight limit.

 

[CMeMeC]

I pulled the trigger! It'll be here Saturday! I've never ordered a car seat to try before, but I paid $20 more to get it through Prime so I wouldn't have to pay return shipping, so it'll be ok, I hope!

I have buttons on my seat belts, so hopefully they won't get in the way. Thanks for your quick answers!

I also had to pop off the button. I really liked the seat. It got my daughter to 4.5 or so, rear facing and my son rear faced until 3 in it. He could have made it to 4, but he was around 33 lbs, so I thought he was too close. He was the same a year later, so I should have continued rear facing him. I also like it as a forward facing seat.

 

[rachelandtyke]

I used our rfing some, but mostly ffing. I have loved them as low profile high weight harnessing seats. Sadly all of ours are expiring this summer.

 

[Dorothy]

I hope you love it! I had an original TF that both kids used ring and ffing. I adored it! It was a sad, sad day when it expired.

 

[meljc]

The best day of my carseat life was the day that I sold the TFP. Installation was a huge PITA -- you have to use the lock-offs (which were very hard to manage) for both seatbelt AND LATCH. What's the point of that? The harness adjuster was also really poorly positioned for RF and we needed rolled towels to get an acceptable recline. Adding the headrest once we hit 22lbs made the seat huge, though our son still needed decent recline. We have been much happier with the Nextfit, which also has a higher weight limit, many built in recline options, a better functioning harness design, 1000x easier install and isn't a space hog.

 

[MelodyoftheForest]

Got an email that it will be here tomorrow instead of the day after. Cool!

I do like the lockoff install on the NextFit. I thought it was really narrow inside, though. I've tried so many seats, and I want to give the TF a Chance. We will see!

 

[rachelandtyke]

TF is definitely not narrow on the inside! Hope you enjoy it!

 

[ketchupqueen]

FYI, they allow up to 35 degrees from vertical upright, which is more upright than the indicator shows.

 

[ketchupqueen]

And yeah, one of the negatives is actually that the harness is too wide on very narrow infants. So not narrow.

 

[Keeyamah]

Haha, yeah, not narrow on the inside. I half fell in my oldest's TF while about 38 weeks pregnant with his little bro. I was putting up cling sunshades. And my preggo hips and bum fit in just fine

 

[jess71903]

Yeah, when it's as upright as it can be, I found that adding the headrest only added an inch or 2 to front to back space, because of how its angled. When it came out, people talked about how little space it took up RF. Seems the tide has changed and people call it a space hog now. Not sure why that is.

 

[meljc]

Yeah, when it's as upright as it can be, I found that adding the headrest only added an inch or 2 to front to back space, because of how its angled. When it came out, people talked about how little space it took up RF. Seems the tide has changed and people call it a space hog now. Not sure why that is.

My son is average weight but very short and he is a car sleeper. So when he needed the headrest put on at 1yo, despite still being well below the "short shell" I kept it pretty well reclined for his comfort. He's now 3.5yo and in the Nextfit he has the headrest just one click above the shell -- still very low -- and decent recline in the 2 or 3 setting. It take up very little space. Width hasn't been an issue at all though obviously it's not as spacious as the TF was. But thankfully, the Nextfit works side by side with both the Keyfit and the Coccoro in our CR-V -- no way the TF would have worked next to anything! I think the TF outlived it's usefulness in light of the newer and better seats that have come to market in just the last few years

 

[Mom2Connor]

I love our TF! My almost 2 yr old ds2 is still using it to RF, it's nice and wide and super comfy. I don't care for narrow compact seats, I want the kids to have room to be comfortable. But we don't have space issues in our vehicles so that isn't a consideration.

 

[MelodyoftheForest]

I think I like it! It fits in the center position. I like it in the center because there is no head rest there, so I can actually fit people in all seating positions. It doesn't block my rear view with the headrest on. The only other seats with ARBs and lockoffs blocked my rear view significantly with the headrest raised even part of the way. It leaves a gap that lets me check my blind spot on the passenger side. The lockoffs are compatible with my car, not even the button got in the way. I can fit the neighbor kid's booster on one side. If I use it FF, it would still not block my view. V will fit with the headrest off for a while longer, and in that mode not even my side view is obstructed. V fits in the harness well. Seems to have good legroom.

The downsides are: I can't snap the cover back down once it is installed. It is two years old already, so will have to buy a different FF harnessed seat. The crotch strap seems to be kind of short. The cover is hand wash only, but I figure I might be able to get away with a gentle machine cycle in my HE washer.

 

[jess71903]

I think I like it! It fits in the center position. I like it in the center because there is no head rest there, so I can actually fit people in all seating positions. It doesn't block my rear view with the headrest on. The only other seats with ARBs and lockoffs blocked my rear view significantly with the headrest raised even part of the way. It leaves a gap that lets me check my blind spot on the passenger side. The lockoffs are compatible with my car, not even the button got in the way. I can fit the neighbor kid's booster on one side. If I use it FF, it would still not block my view. V will fit with the headrest off for a while longer, and in that mode not even my side view is obstructed. V fits in the harness well. Seems to have good legroom.

The downsides are: I can't snap the cover back down once it is installed. It is two years old already, so will have to buy a different FF harnessed seat. The crotch strap seems to be kind of short. The cover is hand wash only, but I figure I might be able to get away with a gentle machine cycle in my HE washer.

I didn't think the iAlert ones had been out for 2 years!! Or is it just an ARB one?

You don't have to unsnap the cover to install. Use the little slits in the cover, over the lock-offs to see.

I have washed my covers several times, on gentle, and hang dry. They wash up fine.