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View Full Version : Need to replace 2nd seat - also used for travel



redhead72
07-21-2006, 04:24 PM
I'm x-posting this on the Baby Bargains board. OK, here is the situation: DD is 2.5 years, 34 inches, 25 lbs and has a long torso. We have an RA as our primary seat and a ComfortSport as our second seat, which we also use for travel (and which I hate, BTW). DD is soon to outgrow the Comfort Sport and we are planning to to move up to the last hole in the RA this weekend. I had been planning on getting a MA, but I don't know what to do about air travel in that case. Both the RA and MA are too heavy and wide. Should I get a booster seat with a 5 pt harness instead? If so, is there any one that is particularly good for travel (i.e. lightweight and narrow)?

To complicate matters, we are also having another baby in October. I was planning to put her in dd's RA when she's ready for it (probably around 9 mos, if she's similar in size to dd#1), so I'd like to take all this into account. One other question: do any of the other Britax convertable seats have higher slots than the MA?

Here are the options as I see them:
1) get a MA or other Britax for dh's car right now and then either check the RA and let dd fly without being in a carseat or buy a combo seat that is good for travel next time we fly (i.e. have three seats for the time being). Then, when dd#2 is ready for the convertible use the RA and MA as primary seats for the girls and the new combo and old ComfortSport as secondary/travel seats.

2) get a combo seat to use as secondary/travel seat now, and when dd#2 needs convertible seat, move her to the RA and get another combo seat for her primary seat.

Thanks,

Alix
dd #1 1/24/04
dd #2 due 10/18/06

Percycat
07-23-2006, 07:04 AM
Hi Alix,
Congratulations on your new arrival.

I don't have a wealth of knowledge in car seats, but I an share what I have learned from my experience.

If your baby is due in October, I assume your DD will be 2.8 years old. I understand you hope to use an infant carrier for the baby for the first 9 months. That means your DD will be around 3.5 years old when you hope to transition her into the next seat.

I assume your travel concerns are dealing with airport travel. At least for the next year, you can probably travel with the roundabout and an infant carrier.

Next summer, you will be at the stage where I am now. I have a DS who is 3.5 and a daughter who is 16 months. Both are in the 50-75% for weight and height. Our lifestyle changed with two children and we no longer fly a lot. We have several marathons, a wizard, a roundabout and just purchased a Safeguard-go. We will probably travel this fall and I think if we fly, I will bring the roundabout for my daughter and check the Safeguard-go for my son and use the airplane seat belt for him. We live in the midwest, so I don't expect the flight to be longer than 3 hours and I think he will be able to sit for three hours without squirming too much (This was not the case last year). I just can see my husband and me going through the airports with a toddler,a preschooler, a diaperbag with activities to entertain the children, a stroller, and two substantial car seats. (The days of traveling carry-on only are over!)

We liked the Safeguard go as our secondary seat for the older child because it is harnessed to 60lbs and then becomes a booster to 100lbs, is latch capable until 60lbs (not 40lbs, like most carseats), uses latch connectors like a car seatbelt or a britax instead of latch clips like many other brands; continues to use latch when it used as a lowback booster, has a torso height reported to be around 18 inches for the harness if using latch installation instead of seatbelt installation, has very easy/unique harness adjustments (you just slide very simple adjustment clips up and down on the harness to tighten or loosen the harness), was made by the company who apparently makes a lot of the components used by Britax, weighs 7 lbs and folds up into a small carry case.

We use a minivan as a primary car and will use the safeguard go in our family sedan. We think it will be a lot easier to remove and store in a trunk when we don't need the care equiped with two car seats. It will also be easier to send with our DS when he needs to ride in a friends car because it only weighs 7 pounds and is so easy to install.

For the car you will use as your primary car; I would get another marathon or marathon like carseat next summer for your new baby when she outgrows her infant carriet. It will be good harness for 6 years, until she is ready to move to a booster seat.

Long answer.... good luck in your decision.
angela

momtoB
07-23-2006, 10:31 AM
You might also consider the Sunshine Kids Radian, which is unique as it folds up for travel. It is also approved for use on an airplane. You can see this car seat at www.skjp.com. I have read that some people have trouble installing this seat w/the seatbelt so you'd want to try it out in your car first before buying it. It has nice tall harness slots like the Marathon and harnesses to 65lbs. The original Radian runs for about $200 and the new Radian80 which wb out in September harnesses to 80lbs and of course is more expensive. I have heard that they just got the original re-approved for a higher weight so if height is the major concern the original Radian will probably last you just as long as the Radian80. The Radian seats weigh about 20lbs so that is something else to consider.

Your other options in the combo seat category would be the Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch/Visions/Traditions which are good car seats and make OK bpb's, or the Evenflo Generations/Bolero which has top harness slots the same height as the Marathon and makes a nice booster since it has an adjustable headrest (will booster to 4'9") and open belt loops. We have the Bolero and while it's definitely not as nice as our Britax seat ds seems just as comfortable in it. It's pretty wide though, and I found it somewhat bulky to travel with. The one nice thing is it's much more lightweight than our Britax seat.

To answer another of your question, the only other Britax seat that has higher top harness slots than the MA/DC/BV seats is the Regent, and it is not airline approved. It will absolutely last the longest though.

hth and congrats on the pending arrival!

Cheryl
ds-4/03