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View Full Version : larger toddlers/britax seats/car seat laws



kusicm
04-04-2003, 01:43 PM
I just had to write in after my ordeal and reading many other postings that were similar to my dilemma. I have a 2.5 year old son who is 42 inches tall and 35 pounds. I'd had a Britax Roundabout for him the last year and a half. The Britax Marathan either was not out yet or I didn't know-- in hindsight if you think your kid might get tall or big the Marathan would be so much better (last longer). Either way our son is way too tall for any combo booster, none that are available will accomodate a child with the 5 point harness past 43 inches tall. Our local childrens hospital and our pediatrician both told us our son should be in a 5 point harness until 40 pounds AND four years of age. We live in Ohio, car seat laws differ, but we keep getting the opinion that a lap/shoulder booster is not the same thing as a "car seat" ??? Anyway we did go ahead and get the Britax Husky for him, and while yes it is large it does fit in our Chevy Tracker and our Grand AM (neither are a big car). The new belt routing works great with the tether. If you get the Husky and your car doesn't have tether anchors just get them put in- you may need them anyway. We got them put in my mother's 1997 car for free at the dealer, it only took them an hour and a half to do it.
sorry this is so long-- one more point: there are a lot of kids out there that don't fit nicely in every category and I feel car seat manufacturers need to keep up with child seat laws and recommendations to fit all kids. If the Husky wasn't on the market (or we couldn't afford it) our son would have had to go into a booster early. Thanks for listening!!!!

momathome
04-06-2003, 04:52 PM
Glad to hear the Huskey is working for you - we have an RA for our two year-old and I love it - I'm dreading the day she outgrows it! Good luck - it sounds like your son will be good to go for a long time!
-Lauren

Melanie
04-15-2003, 03:08 AM
Since you've had the RA & Husky - can you compare the two? We're thinking of getting a Husky instead of RA for our second car, but after reading the Marathon troubles, I am wondering if I am just naive for thinking that all Britax are as nicely designed as the RA.
Thanks

sarsah
04-18-2003, 10:36 PM
I totally understand where you are coming from. My DS grew out of his RA last summer at age 2 & 3 months. He was very close to being too tall for any of the combo boosters and I didn't want to waste the money if I couldn't use it with the harness for very long.

We ended up getting a Britax Super Elite because neither the Marathon or the Husky were available yet (SE is very similar to the Husky, but without LATCH).

We have a Honda Odyssey and the SE fits nicely in one of the captians chairs. We've also used it in our Ford Taurus and it fits ok, but it takes up a lot of room in the back seat.

Car seat manuf. need to be listening here -- there are lots of tall & heavy 2 & 3 year olds who are not ready for booster seats, but are too tall/heavy for combo seats and there are not many choices for parents in this siutation except to shell out a lot of money for a Britax seat or use another seat incorrectly.

I have a friend who happened to luck out at a recent car seat check. Her DS is 2 and too tall & heavy for his convertable car seat. The car seat check people happened to have a stock of Fisher Price seats (I was very surprised when she told me this as I had been searcing for that seat for months and could not find it). They gave her the seat and only asked for a donation, which she gladly gave.

Sarah....