Tell me what to buy next!

[jh75]

We currently have two Britax Marathons for my 4 year DD. My 7mo DD is outgrowing her Graco snugride because she's almost at the 20lb mark (wow!), so I want to move her into the Marathon. My 4 yo is 33lbs and 50% in height (can't remember the exact numbers).

What carseat should I buy for my 4 yo? I was thinking about the Frontier, but I am open to suggestions. The girls mainly ride in my Toyota Sienna (bucket seating in middle row, not bench) but sometimes are in my husband's Acura TL.

Suggestions please!

[ahrimie]

my sis in law recently took her 4 yr old out of a carseat altogether. i was a bit shocked bc all the parents on this board seem to have them in even while they go to school... but she said Michigan law doesn't require 4 year olds to be in seats. not sure if that is true for other states or if you'd even want to consider taking your child out of a seat.

obviously a ftm, when do you have to keep them in a seat until? i've seen "booster seats" too.. when do you graduate to those?

[ahrimie]

sorry for "hijacking".. i didn't know what that meant until i just read another post.... and now, i think i just did that to you!

[mom2binsd]

I would definitely look at the Frontier for your 4 year old...you will want to keep her in the 5pt harness for another couple of years if you can....then it turns into a very good booster....it sounds like you'd like to give the little one both of the Marathons so you need two new seats for the 4 year old...you could get 2 Frontiers (I think there is a sale on amazon that if you're buying 2 seats you get a price break....check the bargain alert thread maybe)....you could also get a Graco Nautilus for the 4 year old...so maybe get the more plush Frontier for the main car and the Nautilus for the Acura or two Frontiers or two Nautiluses (sp?)....your budget might dictate which you choose.....though the fact that you already enjoy the Britax seat features may influence your decision.

As for the poster that said her SIL took a 4 year old out a carseat completely...sorry but that's just crazy...most folks on this board have their 4, 5, and some 6 year olds in harnessed seats and then most move to good quality high back boosters and most states have laws now that make that illegal (sorry but I don't know all the specific state laws).

[Neatfreak]

When do your 4 year-old's Marathons expire?

If it's in the next year or two and she has some growing room left in the seat, it might make more sense to buy a new convertible for your infant and let your older child use the Marathons until they expire. I say this because sometimes seats that are handed down to younger siblings expire before their occupants have reached the max rear-facing limits, and then parents need to go and purchase a new convertible seat for them anyway ...

Yeah. While it may be legal to be in a booster at four, the kids aren't protected nearly as much in them.

[ahrimie]

Originally Posted by mom2binsd

As for the poster that said her SIL took a 4 year old out a carseat completely...sorry but that's just crazy...most folks on this board have their 4, 5, and some 6 year olds in harnessed seats and then most move to good quality high back boosters and most states have laws now that make that illegal (sorry but I don't know all the specific state laws).

that's what i thought!! it seemed like all the parents here used a seat and at least booster for older children... but never even knowing anything about carseats, let alone convertible and booster seats, i thought maybe i had it all wrong.

glad i know now!

[Joolsplus2]

Originally Posted by ahrimie

my sis in law recently took her 4 yr old out of a carseat altogether. i was a bit shocked bc all the parents on this board seem to have them in even while they go to school... but she said Michigan law doesn't require 4 year olds to be in seats. not sure if that is true for other states or if you'd even want to consider taking your child out of a seat.

obviously a ftm, when do you have to keep them in a seat until? i've seen "booster seats" too.. when do you graduate to those?

According to death and injury statistics, here's what you want to do:

Rearface to the maximum limits of a large convertible seat...that means up to 33/35 pounds, depending on the seat (so, yes, some kids can and should rearface to age 4...the latest study that just came out only measured kids up to age 2 rearfacing, and they are about 5 times safer than kids forward facing).

Then you want to harness to a minimum of age 5, that's when injury statistics show kids are relatively safe in boosters. 5 pt harnesses are always safest, though (look at stunt pilots and racecar drivers!), so a good harnessed seat with at least 17 inch tall top slots should be used to the maximum.

Then kids need to be boostered, preferably in a highback booster, which protects their head from injury in side impacts, till about 4' 9"-5 feet tall (yes, age 10-12 for most kids in most cars).

And then? Kids should really be in the back seat until they are learning to drive. Airbags are dangerous to kids up until about age 15, and everyone is about 40% safer in the back seat.

You can see how laws are drastically ineffective, to the point of criminal, by not insisting that kids not be in seats till adult seatbelts fit correctly

www.cpsafety.com is an easy to read site with all this info (not mine, I just love it!), maybe your SIL can be pursuaded to put her kiddo back in a seat, at least a backless booster is 59% safer than a seatbelt alone, and kids love having armrests and cupholders

[Joolsplus2]

And yeah, I love the Frontier...and DO make sure your Marathons won't expire too soon...though matching frontiers a couple years down the line might be pretty darn cute

[jh75]

I didn't realize car seats expire! How do I figure out when they expire? I definitely want to keep both girls in the best / safest car seats possible.

Will the Frontier fit in the Acura? I assume if the Marathon does then the Frontier will, but I was hoping someone could tell me that.

[Joolsplus2]

Marathons are 6 years from Date of Manufacture (should be on the sticker which is either on the seat shel next to the adjuster under the cover, or under the elastic on the outside edge of the shell at head height). I don't know for sure how the Frontier will install, but they have two options for the seatbelt to run through it (the regular way through the back belt path, or a really super solid way that wraps all around the seat), and one of those probably will work great.