Harness car seat for the transition ages (3 - 6)?

[suejac1]

I’ll admit it... I’m panicking. My DS is 10 months and making his way out of a carrier. Up until yesterday, I was focused on getting him 2 car seats (one for each vehicle). That is until I started reading this board (which is a good thing!). My DD is 3 ½, 40 lbs, tall for her age and currently in an AO. After reading some posts on the AO, I checked hers out. ITA, there’s no way she will make it to the 80 lbs limit with this seat. I thought I had another harness level before the top, but not so. Now I’m scrambling to find 2 car seats for her and will transition my DS to the AO instead. I planned to move her into a basic booster when she was older, but I never thought I would have to purchase a seat in between. Any suggestions for a harness car seat which will get her another 2+ years?

Thanks!
Jackie

[Joolsplus2]

Since she's 40 pounds, your choices are somewhat limited...the Britax Regent, Marathon, Boulevard, or Decathlon are all great, so is the Cosco Apex (might be called "Alpha Elite" too), the Sunshine Kids Radian, or the Safeguard seat or Safeguard Go (www.safeguardseat.com)...hmm, that's actually a lot of choices! The cheapest is the Apex, though, and is actually a nice-ish harnessed seat and fine booster down the road. Then you can just use your Alpha Omegas rearfacing for the baby :)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Splash]

I just want to make sure that you are NOT using it with the harness. You said you thought there was another slot to make it to 80 pounds.
First off, you canNOT use that seat with the top slot in the harness mode. The top slot is for booster use only. You also cannot use the harness past 40 pounds. I've heard folks at BRU tell people you can use that seat with the harness to 60 pounds or even the full 80 pounds which is not true. It is forty pounds only and you cannot use the top slot. So you need to get her into something new ASAP.
I actually quite like the apex/alpha elite. It's very padded and the straps are nice and thick. It's wide, but... and it is a total pain to install with a seatbelt (simply because it is so wide and it's hard to get your arm all the way through to thread the belt). But other than that it's a pretty nice seat.
There is also the ridesafer travel vest that is a bit more difficult to use but is safe and is less expensive than another harness seat (maybe an option for your less used vehicle?)
I don't know what your finances are... but the Regent is a great seat (you also have to make sure you have room for it!) and will likely get her until she can sit in a backless booster (as little as ten bucks) or even no seat at all (some kids go directly from the regent to a seatbelt).

Approximate costs-
Apex- 130
Marathon- 250
Regent- 220

[kellyotn]

If she's at all over 40 lbs, she's already too big for the AO and needs to be in something else now.

What kind of car do you drive?

The Apex/Alpha Elite and the Regent are actually pretty close in size. I've seen a side-by-side pic somewhere and the Apex was actually larger heightwise because it had the headrest up in a high position. But both are pretty darn wide. The Apex is somewhat floppier though.

The Regent will last a long time. Its a VERY nice seat, installs well in many cars, but more expensive at $250. Over its 6 year lifespan it'll be a good choice to be handed down to the other kids too.

If money is a factor, and the Apex works, that's a good way to go. The Apex has a rule that the midpoint of the child's head needs to be at or below the VEHICLE seatback/headrest. Basically, the Apex's headrest is just for comfort but will not hold up in a crash so it needs support. Toys r Us and some Walmarts carry this seat. Its the one that harnesses to 65 lbs. Be careful and inspect the tags because a few different models have infuriatingly similar names and you could end up with another AO. (And, in general, TRU employees are of no help).

The new Safeguard GO has a similar restriction because its floppy in the back. It looks really cool though!

HTH

[suejac1]

This is why I'm scrambling to get two new seats asap... She is right at the 40 lb mark. I got her AOs 4 years ago as a present at the recommendation of a few friends and employees at TRU. I didn't think I had to worry about another seat until she was 6+.

I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna. DH has a crew cab truck. We don't have a BRU and our TRU only has a handfull of seats plus help is nonexistent, so I will hit the Walmart, Target, and K's Merchandise to see what I can find. I might look at a Britax for mine (primary), and an Apex for DH. Our local stores are very limited on high end car seats so Britax may be hard to come by. Are the Cosco Apex, Safety 1st Apex, and Alpha Elite Apex all the same except for color?

[kellyotn]

I believe they only differ in color. Amazon lists at least two of the options for reference - one's red and black, the other is a gray-blue combo.

Lots of the online vendors do ship very fast, so that's an option too. (www.babyage.com, www.babyuniverse.com, etc.)

TRU employees do love the AO and are biased against Britax for some reason. At least its what I've witnessed on at least four occasions there (in two different BRU's). I saw a mom go in dead set on a Britax from "researching online" only to have them talk up the AO and call the Britax a "knock off that just costs a lot more". (??)

In a Sienna, you souldn't have any problem with the Apex or the Regent.

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

remember, the Apex MUST have a headrest/vehicle seat behind it's headrest at all times to be used.

I'd get the Britax Regent for your car.

Kat

[kellyotn]

Oh, I missed the truck! The Apex will not work in my DH's F-350 because of the headrest issue. Its a huge truck, full second set of doors, full backseat, but no headrests at all. She'd may or may not have a tiny bit of growing room, but clearly not enough to bother.

The Apex will work in the Sienna though, right?

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

no prob... I didn't know if it would work or not, but thought better to mention it than not.

the sienna has nice flat headrests, so I would think it should work.

Kat

[suejac1]

I had to check DH's truck, and the newer F-350s do have headrests in the rear seats. Yippee! Now the frustrating news... there are no stores in a 50 mile radius which carry the Apex or Regent. There's a BRU an hour & a half away which has both in stock. I found a good deal online for the Apex (this weekend only), but I'd like to personally try buckling DD in and out to be sure we both will be happy. I guess I'll be making the drive.

I cannot be the only person in this town that is in this situation, so I have to ask, what do people do? Just move their kids straight to a seatbelt booster? Extend past the harness weight limits? I'm just amazed at how hard it is to find a seat.

[kellyotn]

That's the million dollar question. :) I'd say, in my neck of the woods, the majority get moved into a seat belt booster and the others shop online.

Good luck on your shopping trip! I didn't think the Regent's were at BRU's, its cool you found one!

It seems lots of new options are coming to the market, so hopefully in five years it'll be easier for those parents.