Salesperson tried to talk me out of a Regent and into a MA - questions???

[supersparkee]

My DD is about to outgrow her RA so I went to a local kids store to see if they had a Regent in stock. I had hoped to see it IRL before buying (ha ha, silly me!). This is a smaller family-owned boutique-type store that sells mainly furnishings and gear, not a BRU or a large chain. I didn't see a Regent on display so I asked the salesperson (who I think is also an owner) about them. The first thing she asked was if I had seen "the video" and explained they haven't been able to keep them in stock since the video was circulated. She then proceeded to ask about my child's stats - I have a 3.5 YO DD who is 39.5" and 31 lbs (she'll definitely outgrow any seat we get height-wise before weight-wise). The SA told me that I should forget about the Regent altogether and get a Marathon instead. She said the Regent was a terribly hard and uncomfortable seat and very big and heavy and doesn't fit in all cars (although I have a Saab 9-5 and DH has a Honda Pilot so I think it would fit in one of our cars). Her reasoning was that the MA will take my DD until she's at least 5 and then we can move her to a traditional BPS booster at that time. We have a Marathon in DH's car (DD splits her time between our cars 50/50) so I know how the fit and comfort is in that seat.

So my question is - is she right? Or is it salespeak to get me to buy a MA since they don't have Regent's in stock (this store carries only Britax and Graco brand seats, I think)? Would you still be inclined to buy a Regent even though they are as she says "uncomfortable and hard"? Or would you look outside of Britax at other higher-height 5-point harness seats? I will say that DD is our one and only child so we won't be handing down this seat to anyone.

Any advice appreciated!!!

[Niki_n_Abby]

I tried my DD in a Regent once when she was 3.5 and she hated it. It sat very straight and had no support for sleeping. She looked kind of lost in it since it is so huge. She did love the Recaro Young Sport(I think, the harnessed one). Very nicely padded and can be used as a booster later which made it a better buy for us. So I would either go with a MA or the Recaro.

Niki

[o_mom]

If you want to harness for a long time - say to 8-10 years old, then the Regent is the way to go. They expire in 6 years, so the seat would last to 9-9.5 years for her and then she might be able to go straight to a seatbelt, or just a backless booster.

The Marathon will only get you about 18 months - not much time for the price, but you could always sell it afterward or give it to a friend that needs one. She probably could use a booster afterward, but you may decide at that point that you want to keep her harnessed longer and you will be back to a Regent.

One alternative would be the Radian65. It usually lasts a year or so longer than a Marathon because the top slots are taller. That would be a compromise - harness for another 2.5-3 years and then to a booster. At 31 lbs, you could also look at something like the Recaro Young Sport which would harness to 40 lbs and then become a good booster. Both of these are in the same price range as what you are looking at.

I have never heard someone complain the Regent is "uncomfortable and hard" - big, yes, but it also has a recline bar that you can use if it is too upright.

[J_B Mommy]

My dd loves her regent. She is about the same size as your dd. It looked really big when she started sitting in it (after the wizard that has been passed to ds), but now it looks normal. She says it is very comfortable and prefers the extra room. She's had no problems taking naps, she doesn't have the 'wings' of the wizard, but the regent does have sides that sort of wrap around that she rests her head on when napping.

I just got an email from tinyride that they have regents in stock and 5% (TRL831) off - first come first serve on availability. We bought two regents from them this year and they were very good to deal with -- even w/ backorders.

[katiesmommy]

I have never heard anyone ever say that the Regent/Husky was "hard". Uncomfortable, maybe for a very small child because they tend to slump because there isn't support for them. But if you are worried about that, you can get this: http://www.netkidswear.com/necksupport.html . It doesn't interfere with the straps so it's still safe, and would give her the support she needs, if she needs it, try without first. When my sisters got their husky's, I wished they made them large enough for me, because they were so cushy and comfortable. I was about 18 at that point. And since you won't be handing it down at all, it doesn't make any sense for you to get a Marathon or something that will only last you that long. The Regent is going to last the longest, it has the highest harness slots available.

[mommyto4]

I have never heard anyone discribe the Regent as "hard and uncomfortable". We have two Huskys (same as Regent) and my kiddos love them. They are very padded and seem like they would be really comfy. True, there are no side wings to nap on, but we never had a problem with that. If it is a problem, use the recline bar (that would give it a slight recline) and put a small travel pillow to the side for your DD to rest her head on. Personally, I'd go with the Regent. It just makes more sense financially IMHO. HTH.

[Joolsplus2]

Sounds a bit like a sales ploy to me, honestly.

How about something in between, since she's so light? Like a Graco Safeseat 2, or Platinum Cargo, or Evenflo Generations, or Cosco Apex, or Recaro Young Sport?

The Regent will actually expire before she outgrows it, it's not really possible to travel with, and it's not so hot on sleep support, so it's not my favorite seat for a 3 yo, but not because it's hard and uncomfortable, that's for sure, lol (my 9 yo LOVES it better than any booster, of course, he never naps...)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Wife_and_mommy]

A semi hijack, please....

J, would you choose, say, the RYS over a MA for a RF 3yo? I'm replacing DS's RA in July. DD's at 29# right now. I hate the thought of her ff earlier than 33# but I have some decisions to make before the RA expires. I was going to give him her DC and buy her a new seat yet to be determined.

TIA for your thoughts.

E


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I love them most when they are sleeping.--Me
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[Joolsplus2]

I personally think the Marathon is going to be easier to use and work with, and since you can hand it down, it might be the best choice (plus, you can use it on a plane...can't say that about the Young Sport...)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[supersparkee]

Thanks everyone for your responses! They have been extremely helpful. I think I'm going to do a little more research (on this board and on other sites I found through this board) but I am glad to hear that the Regent isn't "hard and uncomfortable" and is still a recommended option. Also, I checked growth charts and if DD stays on the same growth curve (not a guarantee as she has actually changed percentiles twice in the past 2 years - going lower!), she won't hit 49" - the cutoff for most larger convertible seats, including the Marathon we already have - until she's 6. But I'm going to target car seats with a higher height limit than that so we can use them for longer.

One nice thing is that I don't have to worry too much about her ability to sleep in the seat because for longer trips (when we *want* her to sleep in the car), we can use the Marathon in DH's car. We can also use the Marathon for Air Travel.