How can I keep my DS RF as long as possible?

[mizzum]

Hi,

I have twin boys who are 14 months. One is already 28lbs and 33.5".As far as I can tell useless Transport Canada only lets convertibles rf until 30 lbs and even the US Britax convertibles only rf to 33lbs.He is putting on .5lb to .6lbs a month, so in a Canadian seat that gives him roughly 4 months and a few months longer in a US one.

That means he will be FF from 18-22 months or so?! How on earth have some of you got RF 3 and 4 year olds??????????? Or is my math wrong, lol.

Another issue is my other twin is 5lbs lighter. So obviously he can RF much longer but what do I do about the bigger one? Have one RF and one FF? They know when the other has got something different to them so I cant see that going down well-but at that same time I dont want to FF my little guy sooner than I have too.

Alternatively, should I just skip a convertible for the bigger one and get him that Recaro seat I have been reading about? Or is he too small?

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Mizzum

[Joolsplus2]

How so long? Skinny, skinny, skinny kids! I know several moms of twins who have one RF and one FF, it's not a big deal. I agree, the seatmakers lowering all their limits to 30 in Canada is utterly tragic.. .the seats are tested with the 33 pound dummy (an average 3 yo), and Cosco goes to the extra effort of weighting that dummy to 35 pounds (same seats as the US, just lableled differently). You can't get the Recaro in Canada, and it would probably only harness to 40 pounds, anyway. If you go with the Graco Platinum Cargo, it'll harness to 48 pounds, and the Evenflo Chase harnesses to 47 pounds (top tethered, in Canada ONLY).

Sooo...when you say, 'skip the convertible', what are they in now????
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Joolsplus2]

Never mind about what are they in now... UK infant seats go to 13KG, right? So for the moment you're still fine :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Hi,

They are in their European convertible (Concord Ultimax). You may remember my ongoing car seat saga. We are moving to Canada in December so am looking for car seats to replace my Concords.

So I cant get the Recaro in Canada either? What the **** can you get there? It is appalling.

What do you recommend then? Just get a Britax convertible and FF in it when he reaches the limit? I am not familiar with the other seats you mentioned and really want to stick with EPS and SIP if at all possible.


Thanks for your advice.

Mizzum

[mizzum]

They outgrew their infant seats length-wise in May so have been in the Concord since then.

Mizzum

[Joolsplus2]

Right, duh (I get all into answering and forgot who asked! lol) I knew that in the back of my mind!
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, it's awful, the lame selection up there! Small market share and expensive testing is why (who wants to spend hundreds of thousands to get a seat certified when you only might sell a few thousand? almost no one....).
The Platinum Cargo won't be the quality you're used to (which is why you'll probably want the Britax...), but it does have EPS foam, tall top slots, a nice harness adjuster and straps, and of course the 48 pound limit (top tethered, in Canada only...I have to keep saying that, because it's the same seat as the US, but the US has no top tethering law, and the seat will not pass at that weight if it's not tethered). The Marathon also has tall top slots and a 48 pound weight limit (33 RF in the US, I might make the parental decision to go a bit above 30 if it were me, knowing that the 30 was arbitrary...but that's just me...)...of course, it also has a 65 pound weight limit in the US, in case your big boy stays pretty big and you need to go a bit above 48 pounds harnessed.. again, that's against labeling in Canada, but only because of the way the law is written that car seats go to 48 pounds....

I hope the rest of the Canada experience is better for you than THIS funky little issue, lol :) (I hear it's lovely up there, even from my friends who import Wizards and Huskies and Bodyguards up there illegally)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Sorry to bug you but what do you think? Theoretically speaking if I was moving to the US :) Would the Recaro be better for him as it will last longer, or should i get the convertible and RF for a few more months??

Thanks. I never thought a decision on a car seat would be so hard!

[Joolsplus2]

I'd still go with the Marathon (or Boulevard ;) )... even without the rearfacing, you could definitely get the harnessing till age 5... if you went with a seat with a 40 pound limit, he could b 3 when that happens, and you'd be stuck buying a Marathon anyway (you want to keep them harnessed to *at least* 5 or so...maybe even consider a Husky later...but really boostering is less safe than harnessing in most crashes). So even if you are going straight to forward facing (which I wouldn't... he might hold steady under 30 (or 33) pounds for 6 months or more if you're lucky), it's probably the longest-use bang for your buck (er, $700 bucks! :P). Or, a Young Sport AND a Marathon, and switch them back and forth depending on who's over 40 pounds.. but 2 marathons is probably easiest...

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Thank you very much. I think what you are saying is the Recaro is only for harnessing to 40lbs but the MA is higher (even in Canada) so I should stick with Britax so I can harness longer? Ok if I am understanding you correctly that is what i will do.

You wouldnt be able to quietly direct me in the direction of the "rebel" thread I saw you say is posted at ivillage? I cant find a thread there which covers my topic of interest? :)

Thanks again.

[Joolsplus2]

Heh, the search over there is terrible...I've just known so many canadian moms over the years who've imported seats...it'd be lots of threads ;)
You just have to balance your comfort level with 'going against the rules' in terms of the public health insurance system (try to imagine they don't treat your kid in the hospital because, horror of horrors, you have a seat without CA labels on it, versus, will my kid really even BE injured if they are in that seat? Can I afford to pay for their injuries if they aren't covered?). I don't even know if there's a legal precedent set (really? are there any kids who've gone without proper medical treatment because their seat was from another country??? I need to google that...it seems so unlikely, but gosh, I don't know!), or if it's just a government bureaucracy issue (I guess we have to have laws...but isn't there a Biblical saying about 'the SPIRIT of the law brings life, the LETTER of the law brings death'?... it sure seems to be the case in this instance!...the spirit of the law is to keep children properly restrained, the letter of the law getting in the way of our freedom of choice is the bugaboo!)

Anyway, sorry for rambling, I'm avoiding cleaning the attic, lol....right, the Recaro doesn't harness above 40 pounds in any case, so the Marathon is going to be the longest harnessing choice (the Husky or Regent, too, but honestly a 1 yo is NOT going to be comfortable in that seat!)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Thanks. Dh is really really worried about the insurance issue. Maybe ask around your boards and stuff if you ever get a chance please. I will google around. It has actually made me wonder what happens to parents whose children are injured and NOT restrained at all-wonder what insurance does then?! My neighbour drives all her kids aged 3-9 around in an SUV and none of them are in any restraints, sometimes not even belts.

Mizzum

[o_mom]

OK, we see alot of talk of Canadian parents keeping rearfacing to 33, forward to 65 in the Marathon. How about parents who keep kids in a Cargo to 48 lbs top-tethered in the US? I guess I don't understand why Graco can't label the seat to 48 lbs and require tether use from 40-48lbs - similar to the Husky where 50-80 lbs requires top tether, or MA/DC/BV require seatbelt install after 48 lbs.

Any random thoughts on this??? :-)

[Joolsplus2]

It's all about rules...rules and laws.. the way our laws are written, Canada CAN require you to use a top tether, and the way our laws our written, the US CAN'T require us to use a tether (well, not parents, but carseat makers who want their seats to pass testing requirements). Their laws max out at 48 pounds (the weight of the 6 yo dummy...coincidental? I don't think so), and our regulations max out at 50 (going to be 65 pretty soon, it's getting phased in).
So... all our US seats have to pass testing with only a labelt, but Canada seat models can pass with help of a top tether.
They just flat won't let a seat be certified past 48 pounds. The US WILL, and carseat makers can do anything they want with seats and devices over 50 pounds, with no interference from NHTSA (that's how come the Husky has to be tethered at 50, and the flipside is we get dangerous seatbelt adjusters that start at 50: NO regulation!).

I'm trying to say this all without crazy rambling again... but I think that basically covers it.. It's mainly the top tether thing...it's just WAY easier for seats to pass WITH a top tether than without one.

Which brings us to Cosco... they don't have any seats that go past 40 pounds in Canada... why? I think that's kind of scary, since there's definite market share for those products. And they can't even pass testing HERE without a top tether, which is even scarier (the older Alpha Omega and Summit... the dummy's head flies too far forward without the top tether... so...these seats aren't being recalled *WHY*? Only God and Cosco and NHTSA know, and they aren't telling! :P )



Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[jujucb]

I have nothing else to add to the car seat issue. I'm not that impressed with Transport Canada myself.

Just wanted to add my two cents about having things different for each twin. My twins are 3.5yo, the girl is 33lbs and 40" and the boy is 28lbs and maybe 37" (don't know, he won't stand still). Even if I have two identical toys, they always want the one the other is holding.

Anyway, the girl is over (or at) the rf limit of all our seats. She has been ff since April IIRC. He is still rf in his RA. He was NOT happy about it, but he eventually gave up the protest. After the 2yrs of car seat H##L my oldest put me through, I can pretty much outlast any tantrum now lol! Just have them wear slippers in the car. A rf/ff side by side set-up makes it a little too easy to kick each other.

[mizzum]

Lol, thanks for the advice. Never thought about the kicking! I also stopped buying 2 things the same because as you said, one always wants what the other has, even if they are the same.

Do you know any easy way of me finding out if any 2002/2003 minivans in Canada came with curtain air bags? Have told dh the only way i am being a good girl and gettng the MA is if we get curtain air bags. He doesnt want a 2005 model because of depreciation. I told him i dont care about the cost, just the safety.

[Joolsplus2]

I *think* Siennas had airbags optional in those years...but not Odysseys....
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Thanks.

Do you knwo where i can see a pic of a child in a BV? And how do little ones heads do in the MA when they are sleeping? My boys are used to the wings in the Concord (fab seat but as doesnt have tethers would be very obviously illegal :)).

[Joolsplus2]

Here's a good pic, scroll down...the wings are roomy, but good for sleeping http://uccomama-ivil.tripod.com/id8.html
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Great!

Have you seen the MA in Cascade? How ugly is it? They are on sale on a store o Toronto. I wondered if i could get a replacement Cowmooflage cover? Sales assistant said it was a rusty brown orange??? It just look´s ugly on the website!

[Joolsplus2]

Ah yes, Cascade... that is proof that Britax hates Canadians, I think (no, I'm just kidding...it was such a poorly selling cover here, they probably had miles of fabric left over, so they tossed it on Canadian Marathons to save money!)... It is...how you say... baby**** brown... with sort of a wicker pattern in it... it's not horrible in a tan car, probably ok in a grey car, definitely hides stains well! Yeah, you can just get another cover later if you can't STAND it... :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

ROFL! I think they do hate Canadians otherwise they would release the BV there. I have to say I could never understand North Americans who went on about the pattern and colour choices in Europe but looking at the Britax seats I see what they mean! I saw a great post on here which the described some of the Britax colour choices as "different shades of ugly", lol.

Do you have any idea of prices for replacment covers. Then again it's probably against Transport Canada regulations to buy them...

How is the MA for sleeping? I would hate their heads to fall forward from nothing to lean on at the side.

I am trying to convince myself they will be as safe in a MA as a BV. I am terrible arent I. Make a decision already i hear you say!

[Joolsplus2]

Different shades of Ugly! ROFL, try looking at the Evenflo or Graco seats, THOSE are ugly :D :D :D.

Anyway, pretty good sleep support on the MA...never a flopping-forward problem, and side-flopping isn't really dangerous or uncomfortable at all...the seats are fairly reclined, even when FF, so quite comfy.

Replacement covers are like $50 (I know someone who gets them direct cheaper... email me when the time comes and I'll hook you up ;) )
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[mizzum]

Ooh how much cheaper? The seats are C$70 off each so I maybe as cheap paying full price for the Cow. According to the Britax site you can only get Denim as a replacment cover?? Surely they dont regulate those too.

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, they don't have a lot of choices on the website for replacement, I think they are like $44US including a belly pad? I haven't really looked at her prices, she can get anything that's currently manufactured :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[o_mom]

Do you know if the US Marathon covers will fit the CA Marathon?

You could just order one of the "US" covers - including CowMoo. If they won't ship directly to Canada, you might be able to find a relay person in the states.

[Joolsplus2]

Yep, they are the *exact* same seat, with different labels, and yup, if they won't mail a cover to you, have it go to someone in the states ;) (I'm sure my cover selling contact would send to canada, it only costs a little more, really)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx