Regent vs. Marathon - was Which Booster for a tall 2 Year Old?

[ngraysmith]

My DS is not yet 27 months old and I measured his height today and he is 38 1/2 inches - yipes! (That's what I get for marrying someone 6 feet 4 ;). I also measured his torso length and we're at about 15 inches. He is probably about 36-38 pounds. He's in a Roundabout now - what is next? Do folks recommend going straight to a Booster type seat with a 5 Point Harness (Husky/Regent is the only one I know about - are there others?) or just a bigger car seat, like the Marathon? Thanks in advance for your answers -

Nicole

[momtoB]

Hi, I had this dilemma also and since my ds was still well under the rear-facing weight limit of most convertible car seats (27lbs) I decided to go ahead and buy a Britax Blvd so I could keep him rear-facing (which he prefers actually, and it's the safest). If he were closer to or past 35lbs I would have just gone ahead with the Regent, since it's got even taller harness slots and lasts most kids (from what I've read) anywhere up to 6-8 yrs old. When my ds outgrows the Blvd then I plan on moving him to a BPB. I suspect he will outgrow the blvd by height well before he gets close to the weight limit though. I just hope he's mature enough to sit in a booster by the time he reaches that point because I don't want to have to buy yet another harnessed car seat for him. [sigh]

The site linked below has a list of higher weight limit seats, which also typically have taller slots to accomodate bigger/older children as well. (Just so you know what's on the market currently besides the Regent). Plus since your ds is so close to 40lbs at only 27 months you have quite a while before he reaches the maturity level of being able to stay properly seated in a bpb. The minimum recommended age for that is 4yrs.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/Over40.aspx

hth!

Cheryl
ds-4/21/03
r/fing in a Britax Blvd

[duckbeav]

When it was time to move our baby from her infant seat to her big brother's Marathon, we got him a Recaro Young Sport. He was 2 and a half at the time. It's a spendy seat, $250, but what a seat. It has a 5 pt. harness until 40 pounds and then converts to a regular booster. I liked the fact it was highly rated for side impact crashes. We bought it online from Baby & Me Boutique. 1-877-BABY-335. Free Shipping. My two complaints about it are, one, it's not FAA approved, and there isn't much leeway in the harness straps for cold weather, bulky clothing.

[ngraysmith]

Thanks - it looks like from the information that the Regent and the Apex are the only seats that you can use a harness on until 65 pounds that can carry a child to 80 or 100 pounds and are under $300- is this correct? Any opinions on the differences between these seats?

Nicole

[momtoB]

The Regent harnesses to 80lbs and does NOT convert to a booster. It is a harnessed seat only. This is a great choice for kids who reach 40lbs before their third b-day (like yours sounds like he might). This is because it's recommended to keep kids in a 5-pt harness until they're at least 4yrs old and 40lbs, bare minimum. They s/b in a booster seat until they're at least 57" (or 4'9") tall, for ultimate safety.

The Apex 65 is a good economical choice but not as well built as the Regent. It harnesses to 65lbs and then converts to a BPB. The headrest on this seat isn't reinforced to withstand crash forces so it MUST be supported by a vehicle seatback or headrest, otherwise it is outgrown when the childs ears reach the top of the vehicle's seat back. So this seat might not work for you if your vehicle doesn't have very high seatbacks.

If you do a search on this board, or the Baby Bargains car seat board, you will find lots of info on both of these seats.

hth,
Cheryl
ds-4/21/03

[ngraysmith]

Does anyone have a preference for the Regent vs. Marathon in terms of installation, comfort (for the child) and weight? We will be moving the seat at least 1x per week. I'm also wondering if once he outgrows the Marathon (probably at 5 years according to his growth chart) will we have to get a Regent or something similar, or will it be safe to move up to a Booster.

Thanks,

Nicole

[momtoB]

I think the MA is probably preferred over the Regent if you will be taking it out of the car a lot and needing to reinstall it. The Regent is a much bigger seat, heavier, and takes a bit more work to install (from what I understand) than the MA does. On the other hand, one "complaint" about the MA & clones is that they are a bit narrow through the shoulders which bothers some kids. You might want to have your ds sit in one before buying to make sure he's ok with it.

The minimum recommended age & weight for moving from a harnessed car seat to a BPB is at least 4yrs and 40lbs. At your dc's current rate of growth by the time he's five then a bpb will prbly be fine. The age minimum is four because many children are not mature enough to stay seated properly in just a 3-pt harness so they really require a 5-pt harness. By five this should not be a problem. Of course if you prefer to keep him harnessed in a Regent at that point, then there is nothing wrong with that either.

hth.

[momtoB]

Another seat that is new on the market is the Safeguard Go Anywhere seat. It harnesses to 60lbs. You MUST have a top tether anchor to use this car seat. Here's a link to their site: http://www.safeguardseat.com/go/why.htm

I thought you might be interested because this seat is supposed to be designed to be incredibly easy to install (takes about 1min). hth.