need help choosing new car/booster seats

[kjs]

i'm a newbie here and it seems like some of you have a good handle on the many car seat choices. here's my dilemma:

DS is 2 1/2 years old, 36#, 38", now in Marathon & Roundabout
DD is 7 mo old, 15#, 27", now in SnugRide

i was hoping to move both kiddies to new seats. the belts/straps on ds's seats are getting snug. he does NOT like the wide wings on the britax bodyguard (our 1st choice) wrap around headrest and is a few lbs shy of the starting weight. dd is approaching the length limit for her snugride. we're hoping to move her to the marathon & roundabout. we've got an '02 subaru outback and an '01 accord. any suggestions? TIA!

[Joolsplus2]

How about 2 more Marathons, or Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxes? (www.albeebaby.com has the best price). Your DS is too young for a booster, and is probably most comfortable in the Marathon he has, and will fit in it for at least another 2 years or so (though some kids fit till age 6, he might slow down his growth a bit).
The Cosco or Safety 1st Apex, or Sunshine Kids Radian or Britax Regent are all other good choices, too, you might want to try a search here, or on the baby car seat board for heaps of posts about them.
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[kellyotn]

Yes, 2.5 is way too young. In a booster, a kid bears a great deal of responsibility for their own safety. They need to sit properly, not mess with belts or buckles, not lean forward, sleep upright and not slouch out of the shoulder strap, etc. If they drop a toy, they have to leave it on the floor, my DD is 4 and I don't trust her to just leave it there. She'd bend over and get it, and that's not safe. :)

If he still fits good in the MA, I'd go that route. The current MA and RA you have will likely expire (6 years from their date of manufacture) when the baby can still ride in them. So, when that happens, you can pass down the new MA and look into a booster for your son at that point.

At his age his legs are really gonna start growing, but his torso is gonna hold pretty steady.

The Apex would also be good, its a "combo booster" that goes to 65 lbs in the harness, then can be used as a booster. Its fairly inexpensive, and does become a nice booster in the future. The other combo boosters (Graco Cargo, Evenflo Generations) are out for you, because they max out at 40 lbs in the harness and you've only got 4 lbs to go. They wouldn't work for my DD either, she was 37-ish lbs at 3.5, and I want her harnessed until at least 5 or 6 years old.

Do search over on the "baby" car seat board too for lots of reviews, lots more traffic over there.

[kjs]

Thanks for the suggestions! DS is already in a Marathon and the straps are getting snug. I don't want to get 2 more Marathons only to have to turn around and get him another seat later this year. We thought he was going to slow down, but his pants just keep getting shorter. Any feedback about the Cosco Summit? Last I read, there was some less than favorable feedback (was it about their safety record?) TIA!

~kym
mom to ellis (2 1/2 yrs.) & delilah (8 mo.)

[kellyotn]

The Cosco Summit only has a 40 lb limit for the harness. All those seats are out because he wouldn't be able to remain harnessed for enough time. AND, according to http://www.carseatdata.org/measurements.php?tun=home the Summit is 2.5 inches SHORTER in the top slot than your MA anyways. That's why they are rather unpopular.

The only "combo booster / harnessed booster" that would work for you is the Apex 65, aka Cosco Alpha Elite, etc. Many names, but look for a FF only seat with a 65 lb harness limit. (Seats that have 40 lb limit - Graco Cargo, Evenflo Bolero/Generations.)

Most kids last in the MA until they are 5 or 6. Outgrowing at three (even four) is rare, is he exceptionally long-torso'd? How much room does he have before becoming equal with the top slot? (Make sure you stick your finger thru and verify where the actual slot is, not just the cover.)

If his legs are getting longer, that's not really affecting how he fits in the MA is it? My DD has been in an MA since she was 2, she's only moved a tiny bit in relation to the slots in over 2 years, but she's outgrown several sizes of pants by length in that same amount of time!

If he's exceptionally long torso'd for 2.5, you really should look into the Britax Regent so you can be assured of keeping him safely harnessed until he's at LEAST 4, hopefully 5.

The Apex 65 / Alpha Elite (there's a new tan one at BRU) is also an option.

For reference, my 4 year old is 43.5" around 40 lbs and still has a quite a long time to last in her MA.

The Radian has a similar top slot measurement to the MA, maybe an inch more? But seems to magically buy kids more time because of how it sits, I guess. It is also more "big kid" looking, if that is a big deal to him.

edited for typo