Question Which car seats for my infant and toddler?

[twotimesblue]

My boys are 3.5 and 11 months old, and we are looking at getting new car seats for one or both of them. They currently ride in a Britax Boulevard and a Britax B-Safe, but when the baby moves to a convertible there will be no room in our back seat - we drive a Mazda CX-5 and often need to accommodate an adult back there in addition to the 2 car seats. DS1 is FF, DS2 will most likely RF for at least another year.

I like the Boulevard but won't buy another as it is too wide at the top to accommodate 3 across. We may have another bub in a year or too, and will likely keep the same vehicle, so I have to take that into consideration.

An issue we have is my DS1's size - he is only 3.5 but crazy tall - over 43", with a long torso - and he is already too big, height-wise, for some convertibles. He weighs around 42lbs. A slimmer car seat would be great, but they can't be so tall that they will restrict rear visibility. Any seats I should look into? Thanks so much in advance

 

[Mary_Ann]

Hi!
I would pass down the boulevard to your baby and buy a narrow combination seat for your 3.5yo. The harmony Defender is a narrow combination seat (forward facing harness, high back and no back booster), that might fit your son harnessed for a while. I don't know how it puzzles with a rear facing boulevard, but it's worth a try. You can also look at the Evenflo Sureride wich is a convertible with tall harness slots.

I would install the boulevard in the center to leave more space for an another passenger.

Hope that helps!

 

[1mommy]

For a tall and skinny seat I would suggest looking into a Radian with an angle adjuster or a Foonf but I have heard the Foonf restricts your rear view. You could also look into the Sureride, which has the tallest top slots for a convertible but I've heard some people have troubles with it fitting in their car. You could also look into the Safety First Guide 65 which is more compact then the Sureride, but does not have quite as high slots. And the Graco Size 4 me is also recommended for tall children.

I'm not very knowledgeable about combination seats (harness to booster) but I am sure someone else can chime in and give your recommendations for a good seat for your older child.

Just re-read your post and for getting three across in the future your best bet really will be a Radian or a Foonf for your youngest. Do some research on your car before you have #3 because I read that that middle seat is basically unusable for any car seat.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=242257
In case you didn't know, a bubble bum is a no back booster that is the narrowest booster currently on the market at 13 inches wide, where the narrowest convertible, the Foonf, is 17 inches wide.

 

[jordansmom]

You said your 3.5 year old has a long torso and is tall...can you have him sit cross cross on the floor and measure from the floor to where his shoulders are? This will give you his seated torso height. If you can post that back on here, we can give you better suggestions based on that and how much growing room he would have in a particular seat.

 

[twotimesblue]

Thanks for the replies so far. I measured my DS1 sitting down and his bottom-top of shoulder measurement is 16", and his bottom to top of his head is 26". He is above the 100th percentile for height and wears age 5-6T already!

I tried DS1 in a Foonf and the saleswoman thought he would only get another year out of the seat, height wise. I'm concerned I won't be able to find a seat that will accommodate him for longer than that that won't be huge or impact my car's rear visibility. DS2 is smaller (on the 70th percentile) so perhaps he'll get to use his seats for longer!

 

[1mommy]

In that case look into the sureride. It apparently has magical abilities, no really, lol read the thread, specifically post #12.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=254419

 

[Keeyamah]

I second looking at the Sureride. My son is just turned 4, has an approx 15-15.5 inch torso (bum to shoulder, seated) and is on the fifth slot with our Sureride. Magically, outside of the vehicle, he is even with the fifth, installed, he has about an inch or possible more to go before he is even with the same slot. Just something about the way that seat is built and installs gives kids more room than the numbers say.

 

[twotimesblue]

Thanks so much for the advice - I will definitely look into the Sureride! Please excuse my ignorance (I will try to find a local retailer to try it, not having much luck as of yet) but does the seat's 'magic' ability to accommodate a taller child mean that it sits higher in the car, potentially obstructing the rear window more than my Boulevard does? I am in Southern California and we all know about the drivers in this part of the world... visibility is key!

 

[Keeyamah]

Nope, it actually sits quite low, it has to do with the interior of the seat, and how the tail bone is angled, I think.

 

[Cnidaria]

SureRides should be at Target.

 

[1mommy]

You can always order off amazon They have free returns if it ends up not fitting in your car.