Turn him or buy a new seat?

[LifeIsAZoo]

Hi all. DS1 is currently RF in a TrueFit, but at 33-ish lbs, he's approaching the weight limit. He'll be 3 in June. DH wants to turn him around, but I'm considering buying another seat that will RF longer. We'll need to buy a new seat when DS2 outgrows his OnBoard35, but that will be a while (he's 4 months old now, and nearly 19 lbs). Obviously, DS2 is a big kid, so we'll need a seat with a high RF limit to get him to at least age 2 anyway...but I'd rather not spend the money on a new seat right now unless we really need to. Thoughts?

If we do need a new seat, can you recommend a few for an '06 Sienna? Thanks!

 

[Baylor]

Hi all. DS1 is currently RF in a TrueFit, but at 33-ish lbs, he's approaching the weight limit. He'll be 3 in June. DH wants to turn him around, but I'm considering buying another seat that will RF longer. We'll need to buy a new seat when DS2 outgrows his OnBoard35, but that will be a while (he's 4 months old now, and nearly 19 lbs). Obviously, DS2 is a big kid, so we'll need a seat with a high RF limit to get him to at least age 2 anyway...but I'd rather not spend the money on a new seat right now unless we really need to. Thoughts?

If we do need a new seat, can you recommend a few for an '06 Sienna? Thanks!

I'd just turn him. If he is at the limit if the seat rfing and almost 3 that is fantastic!

auto correct hates me

 

[Carrie_R]

Is the cost going to be more palpitable in six months or so when DS2 needs a new seat? If you expect so, then I'd turn DS1. But if you'll have to scrape it up either way, then you might as well get a new seat sooner rather than later and allow DS1 to stay RF.

Maybe look at something like a MyRide, which has a higher RF limit but is less expensive than say a Radian or Foonf. You can put DS1 in the new seat and DS2 in the TF; once one of them outgrows their seat you can put DS1 FF in the TF and DS2 RF in the MR. By the time that situation is outgrown, DS1 would probably be booster ready, DS2 can move FF to the TF and you can buy an inexpensive Turbo for DS1. You wouldn't have to ever use the MR FF, then (my major complaint about the MR.)

If you didn't have a second child and an upcoming new seat purchase, my answer might be different. Just can't see the sense in turning someone when a new seat purchase is in the near future anyways

 

[Leche Mami]

I'd wait it out a little longer and see how I feel and where DS2 is at in terms of need. You might be surprised to see how long it might take DS1 to gain another pound or two. You've got a little time to figure it out.

 

[atw]

I just went through this myself (big 2nd baby, 1st nearing height and feasibility issues)

Money is not really an issue for us, so I just bought a Radian to keep DD rf longer, and that will keep DS RF at least as long as DD. Whatever you do, your seat combos with a higher RF limit will allow a lot of flexibility between your kids and your seat needs.

HTH!

ETA-I would wait until you can't wait anymore though-as previous posters said! But, the Radian was a great investment for us and I am really happy that's what we ended up doing.

 

[MaKoski]

I'd go with a graco MyRide 65 and keep him RF till #2 needs it. You have a little while so you can watch for them on sale.

 

[Phineasmama]

Is money an issue for you? If not I would get a Radian, then when the baby outgrows his infant seat you can use the true fit for him, by the time he's 35 lbs your older one will be old enough for you to comfortably forward face him, you can get him a harness to booster combo and the younger one can then still RF for a long time in the Radian.

FWIW my son was 18 lbs at 4 months old, now at over 3 years old he is only 32 lbs! I have no idea how that happened. But I know a lot of moms who had super chubby babies and then when they started walking they totally thinned out. My son was in the 95th percentile or something like that and now he is in the 16% according to his doctor.

And my 6 month old girl is 19 lbs I have a feeling she will thin out later too! But I still bought a Diono RXT for her because I think they are amazing seats.

 

[LifeIsAZoo]

Thanks, all. DS1 is 33 lbs in his jammies, so I'm guessing he's actually over 34 lbs when dressed in shoes...I'm thinking we'll need to decide one way or the other within a couple of weeks. If it's safe to turn him, I don't really have a compelling reason to get DH to agree to a new seat right now. Money is definitely an issue for us, but will likely be slightly less so this summer.

If we do buy a second seat now...is the Radian the only seat that RF's to 45 lbs? It's way out of our price range. I'm worried that the MyRide wouldn't last DS2 past age 2, though, and we'd end up buying yet another seat. My DH was also 18 lbs at 4 months, then 36 lbs at 12 months...so I wouldn't be surprised if DS2 stayed big. Thanks again.

 

[SeattleRain]

The Radian isn't the only seat the RF to 45lbs, but it's the cheapest. The others are $300+ So if a Radian is out of the question, so are the others.

At 3, I would not buy another seat to keep him RF, but that's just my humble opinion. I'd start putting aside some money now every month so that by this summer you have a nice pot to buy a seat from so it's not so much of a hardship. Then you might have the pick of whatever seat you're wanting for this next baby.