Apex65 vs Platinum CarGo?

[chays]

Hello all!

I think I am narrowing down my car seat search for my DH's car. DS really only rides in it on weekends and we will never have both kids in it -- its a TINY 3 series BMW.

I will have 2 Marathons in my car for the kids (we already own them). DS is 3YO, 37"& 35 lbs and DD is 7mos, 17 lbs and getting close to too tall for her snugride. I am looking for a FF seat for DS that hopefully will last a while.

I am thinking the new seat should be an easy, safe & light seat to travel with. I know the CarGo only goes to 40lbs, but if it is a much better, comfier, easier seat then I can pass it along to DD when DS hits 40 lbs and put him back in the marathon. OR I can just look at other options next year when he hits 40lbs.

I don't really care how good of a booster it is, because when I am ready for one of those there should be much better seats available so I'll get a good booster then.

I'd ideally like a seat to harness beyond 40lbs that isn't HUGE so we can travel with it, etc. Regent isn't an option beacuse its just too big. Radian isn't an option since it is impossible to get a good seat belt install (or so I hear) and its too heavy to travel with.

Its just such a bummer that so many of the good FF seats only go to 40 pounds!

So, how cushy/nice is the Apex65 vs the Platinum CarGo? What would you do? I've heard so many good things about the CarGo but not much about the Apex. Cost isn't really an issue, but it doesn't seem to make sense to get another expensive Marathon if he'll only get to use it for a year. I just moved him to the top slots in his.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

Were you planning on harnessing your ds once he outgrows his MA? If yes why not buy a Regent for your car and put the MA in your DH's?

The thing about the Apex is that some have top slots of only 17" while some have 19". If you get one with 17 it may or may not last you for a while because that is the same as your slots in the MA. The same problem applies to the 17" slots of the CarGo.

What about the Safeguard GO? It folds up for travel. I have heard there are some things about it that might take getting used to but for occasional use and travel it might work.

HTH

Ilana, aka Nana to my sweet nephew Avi

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[chays]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I really want to put the seats side-by-side in my car, at least until I *have* to seperate the kids! I have a Volvo XC70 wagon and the Marathon & the snugride are side-by-side and it has worked well so far. The Regent is just TOO big to commit to now. If he outgrows the Marathon by age 4 (next September), I feel like I'll have no choice but to get the regent...but I'm not ready to make that decision now.

At 35 lbs at age 3 he is 80th% for weight but only 30th or so for height so I think height is going to be more of an issue for my 90th% height 7 month old -- but that's a LOT of years away! The 40 pound weight limit on the CarGo is what scares me because based on his curve that puts him at 40 pounds around age 4. That's whay I was thinking Apex (I can look for one with tall slots) but I'm not sure how it compares to my current fave the CarGo. I LOVE the Recaro, but with the same 40# limit, it is a much larger investment and can't be used on a plane.

[kellyotn]

I've seen a picture somewhere of a Regent next to an Apex - they are very, very similar in overall size. The Apex was actually taller b/c the head rest was positioned in a high position. The Apex however is much lighter and "flimsier". Actually, someone here also posted a Regent and a MA, overall they were surprisingly similar too. The MA is up high, while the Regent is very low. Both were very wide. But, yeah, it may be wider where it sits on the seat, I'm not sure. I, too, bypassed a Regent just because I wasn't ready to go with one yet! But, just wanted to let you know that they maybe aren't as big as they seem to be on first glance.

When will your current MA's expire? If they'll expire BEFORE the youngest is 5-6 years old, I'd just go ahead with another MA since both kids can use it and therefore "use it up".

Or, try a Radian from www.target.com. If it doesn't work, you could return it to any Target.

[o_mom]

I think, given all this, I would go with the Cargo. It's only an $80 investment, but much more transportable. The Apex requires a vehicle seatback or headrest to be behind the child's head. It would really suck to get somewhere and find that the Apex doesn't fit in the rental car.

The Apex is a big seat, where the Cargo is one of the narrowest around. If he does get to 40 lbs in a year, then you can assess at that time how much more height you would need. If the height is fine, but he just needs more weight, there may be some new options out by then.

[american_mama]

My DD has ridden in an Apex 65 for many months now. I am not knowledgable about car seats, so I can't provide much comparison between the Apex and other seats; with that disclaimer, I can tell you about the Apex.

It's an OK seat. On the plus side, I liked being able to harness my daughter longer without paying the price of a Britax. I like the looks of the seat (blue cover), and my daughter seems to like it. We have flown with it twice and considered it light and easy to transport. I am not an expert in the headrest issue with the Apex, but my impression is that this is only an issue as the child gets older and taller and/or if your seatbacks are short. When my child grows or my vehicle changes, I may be willing to switch to a regular belt positioning booster.

On the downside, it is kind of wide and tall, which has made it a tad harder to install and it takes up more room if you have an unexpected third child or adult with you. The light blue part of the seat cover (which is most of it) gets dirty easily and has not cleaned up well, even with pre-treatment and a wash in the washing machine. It is not as padded as I would like (although DD does not complain). The crotch buckle is too hard for my 4.5 year old DD to unlatch, although her identically aged cousin learned to do it in a day or two when he stayed with us. And finally, there is a side-to-side sway in the seat as you lean on an armrest that makes it feel flimsy.

To me, I can live with these downsides, but if you are used to a Britax, it may feel too darn cheap.