XC90 owners, what car seats/boosters do you have in your car?

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

What are you happy with? What seats have NOT worked? How do you have your child/children set up in the car (where)?

Thanks!

I live in Germany and we need a car seat solution for my 3.5 year old DS. He's in a Britax Expressway, but about to max it out and he looks horribly uncomfortable in it, especially in his snowsuit. We are Americans (military) living here and car seat options for toddler/preschoolers are quite different here. Here, Germans do not harness after 18 KG (almost 40 lbs). I went to a reputable baby store yesterday and among the 100+ car seats they had in stock they had ONE seat for children over 40lbs with a 5 pt. harness. This is the seat I found: http://www.storchenmuehle.de/index.php?id=30&L=4

The sales associates could not understand why on Earth I wanted a 5 pt. harness for my "bigger child." They simply do NOT do that here. Roemer, which is the same as Britax, is the big seat here, but Roemer does NOT make the same seat options as Britax does for its' American market. So while Roemer offers the same exact great quality in Britax seats (again, same company) they do not offer the same choices here. You can see Roemers choices here.
http://www.britax-roemer.de/frames.php?sprache=en

I am so hesitant to order a Britax from the States and have it not fit properly in my car. Other pertinant info to my situation. My DS (5.5 yrs. old) is in a Roemer "Kid" (http://www.britax-roemer.de/frames.php?sprache=en) and my 1.5 year old is in a Britax Roundabout. My DH wants to put my DS (3.5) in the same Roemer "Kid" booster (which IS a great booster) instead of going to another 5 pt. harness seat.

Any tipps?

[Joolsplus2]

That first seat you link to seems to only harness to 18kg, though
:( It's the same as our Recaro Young Sport, just with different labeling. It has higher top harness slots than the expressway/roundabout, so if your ds is under 18 kg, then it's probably a good choice, IF it fits in your car (you can see others are having problems with the same car...those headrests are a bummer!). The Marathon and it's clones DO fit, BUT, the headrest makes them sit SO upright, I don't think a kid would really be very comfortable in it, so it's probably not worth buying it.
Snowsuits are rather dangerous in car seats, because the harness is not ON the body very well, and the harness doesn't clamp up and tighten on the body in a crash, like a seatbelt does on an adult...so if there's any way to avoid it (keep blankets in the car, use only a polar fleece jacket, or put a heavy jacket on backwards over the tightened harness), I would definitely do so (he'll be more comfortable, too).

How heavy IS your son, btw? If he's well under 40 pounds, say, 35, he'd get lots of harnessing time in a seat that just has taller top slots than his current one... so take your tape measure shopping and see if any do :).
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

Thanks for a great reply, Julie. Thanks for the tip on the snowsuit. I feel like we are living in snow gear here lately. It's snowing right now!

I'm going to get my son's weight reverified today or tomorrow and then go shopping again. Rumo has it there is a Toys R Us (german style) about 40 minutes away and that they carry Britax. At least I could try out the seats in my car if I check it out.

The headrests in our car actually haven't given me any problems so far. I guess the Marathon is bigger than the Roundabout though, so I can see how that might happen. We were sold on the Volvo because of all around safety (for all passengers) so it kind of stinks that the head rests proove to be a problem with some car seats.

Julie, have you heard of the brand Concorde?

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, the Roundabout comes in just below the headrest, right? The MA is a couple inches taller...

I hate to mention the snowsuit issue, because I don't live where it's really cold and truly can't understand, so I hope you didn't feel I was harping too much!

Yes, I've heard of Concorde...one of our moms here, Mizzum (screenname) had some in Scotland, and bought Britaxes when she moved to North America, and she said she definitely preferred the Concordes! So there's hope, if it fits fine in your car, of course...

Tell us if you find that TRU and what it has there, we're always curious about new seats (if you google "OEAMTC Kindersitze" there are Austrian reviews of seats, they might have some of the same ones...well, that's how I knew storkenmuhle was the same seat as the recaro)

:)

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

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

No, I didn't feel like you were harping. In fact, you made a VERY valid point and I'm glad you brought it up to me. My kids have spent alot of time in their snowsuits the last few months, but it's no biggie to switch them to a lighter coat for the car seat ride. They primarily wear their snowsuits to and from Kindergarten and we walk there daily.

Okay, so I went back to the store with DH and they pulled out the Storchenmuehle (http://www.storchenmuehle.de/index.php?id=30&L=4) seat for us to play around with. There were a few features on the seat that were great, but there were a few features that seemed either flimsy or not to our liking.

DH pressed on about putting DS2 in a Roemer (Britax) booster, but I asked the store if they had a scale and thank goodness they did!! DS2 with shoes, clothes AND a snowsuit on weighed 17 kilos. The sales associate told me to go with him weighing 15 kilos, which is only . . . 33 lbs!!!!!!!!! I've had to explain to DH over and over and over that even though the boosters SAY for kids 30 lbs and up that it's not the BEST choice. ARRGGHHH! Luckily, he said he supports my concerns and that if I want a harness seat then that's what we'll get.

I want the Marathon. DS2 can use it from now until he's 4.5/5'ish and then I'll hand it over to my DD who will NEED a new seat as it will be getting close to her Roundabout expiring.

My ONLY concern is the Marthon not fitting in our XC90. It HAS to go in an outboard position and I keep searching and searching Volvo forums and it's so 50/50. Some people are saying that the Marathon fits with no problem and others are saying it's a problem. ???

Oh, and as for the Concordes, the ladies in the store I went to talked me out of them and said they weren't the best seats. Which is really funny considering they were STOCKED with them and there were ads all over the car seat section about them. Hmmm.

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

Oh and do you like your Recaro Young Sport? Considering that 18kg is a bit more than 15 kg (which my son was weighed at today), that might last him till he's at least 4.5 years.