Britax Parkway

[kirstenrdh]

I am considering ordering a Britax Parkway, but none of the stores near us carry them so I can not try it in my car. I had a few questions about them. Do they have a harness system or do they use the car seat belt? My daughter is really tall and will be turning three in March. I also have a 8 month old who has nearly outgrown her Peg perego car seat. I am hoping to buy something that will be a final car seat for the older one and then put the younger one in the Roundabout. She is tiny and I am sure will stay in the roundabout for a long time. Car seats are important to us, but man I figure by the time we buy Britax for two cars and two kids we'll go broke.

[Joolsplus2]

Your older dd isn't old enough for a booster like the Parkway, which, no, has no harness system.
Look for the Evenflo Chase or Traditions or the Graco Platinum Cargo...those are really nice seats...especially the Cargo, which has EPS foam and a push button adjster just like your Roundabout, but is only $99 at Toys R Us.

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

[kirstenrdh]

After reading allot of reviews. I think we have decided to get a Husky. My husband drives and F350 crew cab and I drive a Lincoln Navigator. The problem is that my mom babysits once a week and has a little Toyota Tercel? I think that is the model. Anyhow, it is an older model without the Latch or tethers. We will be soon be moving our 8 month old from the Peg Perego into the Roundabout and the 3 year old into ????? The problem is that I think the way we got the Roundabout in the car last time was with the passenger seat all the way up and her seat still smashed in the middle. We can barely get the infant car seat next to the Roundabout now. You have to like tip them to install them and then leave the carrier in once it is installed to get them to fit. How am I going to fit a bigger toddler seat next to the rear facing Roundabout? The other thing is that I don't want to have to buy another seat for a car we only have them in once a week, but that is a possiblity. Would a good solution be a Husky for my car and then the Graco Cargo for the car we don't drive as much? Is it significantly smaller? It also kind of irritates me to have to buy an extra carseat just because it won't fit in someone elses car, but then they are my kids. Also does the Graco Platinum Carog have good safety ratings? I personally think that my parents should buy a new car that our carseats will fit in.... just kidding.

[Joolsplus2]

LOL, yeah, they should get a new car! I had a woman come in the other day with a Honda Pilot expressly to haul grandbabies and grandmothers around, lol.

The Husky WOULD fit, but it would be such an enormous pain to reinstall even weekly, you'd rather just spend the hundred bucks on the Cargo. I like the Cargo a lot...it has the EPS foam, non-twist straps, and push button harness adjuster just like the Roundabout, and it's been for sale for years without a recall, so that's a good sign. It's MUCH narrower than the Husky...like only 16 inches wide, I'm *pretty sure* it would work next to your other seat (you can try it out at toys r us or babies r us).

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

[kirstenrdh]

OK, I need another solution. I went ahaead and got the Graco because I know that I am not going to be wanting to tranfer the Husky back and forth. The thing is... it doesn't install tightly like our Roundabout... and Kylie is already on the top spot on the harness. It says that the harness is only for upto 43 in. She already is 40. With this one she is going to have to be in just the SBP part in a couple of months. Help!!!!! The other thing is that my moms car requires locking Clips @#$%^$@@! and this doesn't have lock offs like the Britax. Is there anything besides the Husky that will keep her in a harness longer? If not, shouldn't I just get the Parkway if she has to be in a SBP carseat? I don't see the Marathon being a good solution for a child this tall. She is well behaved and mature... most people think she is four because of her size and behavior... but she is just turning three.

[Joolsplus2]

Oh argh! Locking clips..no fun..what year is her Tercel?. As for the top height limit, it's only a guideline, it really should last longer than it says (it can take at least three inches of overall height gain to get one inch of torso growth, so even if she's in the top slot now, she's also at the age where legs start sprouting, so you probably have longer than it looks like)...
So...the Graco won't work in the middle with the lapbelt and the Roundabout outboard with the built in lockoffs? (ugh, I could be babbling, sorry, I just know I've left out a detail, it's bathtime and I have naked kiddos running and screeching with joy, lol...a leeeeetle distracting...let me get back to a bit later ;) )
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[madelinesmom]

My daughter had surgery in November and was in a body cast for 6 weeks. I needed serious car seat help, I found this website and I found the technicians to be very helpful with all types of questions... Good Luck

http://www.car-seat.org

Jane
Madeline's Mom
1/20/03

[kirstenrdh]

I bought the Graco Platinum Cargo. In the store, it appeared that it would work great and that Kylie would be able to use two levels of the harness before going to the SBP method. Once installed in the car, she had to use the top one. I don't know if it is just the seat, but in the owner's manual, it puts the max heighth at 43in and Ky is already 40 in tall. With my roundabouts one seems to have higher harness slots than the other. They were bought at different times... so who knows. Kylie loved the new big girl seat, but I was unimpressed with the straps which aren't the same quality as I am used to and also with how well it installed. I couldn't get it tight like I can with my roundabout or the peg perego. The cusshy memory foam in the toosh area was kind of fun though and she could reach the cup holder. Those two features didn't win me over, and we returned it to the store. I went ahead and ordered the Parkway. My thinking is that if it works well with her, I'll buy another.... if not, I can use it in the truck and for the babysitter. Obviously, I need something that I can move back and forth between cars. I can't afford to buy three Huskies. We already have figured that by the time the kids are out of carseats.... If the Parkways work for us ... it will run us about 1K otherwise with Huskies we'll be close to around $1500. Our kid's safety is utmost in importance to us, but that is outrageous.

[Joolsplus2]

Did you get my email?
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kirstenrdh]

yep... I'll let you guys know how it works out.