DM considering buying a Scenera for our visit this summer

[HIU8]

I am traveling alone with DS and DD to visit my mother in august. I'm considering the Cares Harness for DS on the plane and I'm taking DD's SafeSeat for the flight. My mother suggested that she get an inexpensive carseat that she can have for DS, DD and for DN (DS is 3.5, DD is 1 and DN is 2). I suggested the Scenera. DS is currently in a MA FF. His shoulders are at the third slots. I don't know the measurement from tush to shoulders on him currently and he would not sit in the Scenera at Walmart the other day. Knowing where his shoulders are in the MA, will he fit in the Scenera FF?

Thanks :wavey:

[Wife_and_mommy]

I doubt it. DD's shoulders are just above the third slot so the harness is in the top slot. She's probably slightly taller than your DS/DN. She was 39 inches in January.

If she has the DN very often, I'd probably suggest a sale Nautilus. You/she won't have to worry about it for a long long time.

Hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion for you. I'm stuck in this same position. I want a second seat for convenience sake but don't want to spend that much $. I probably need to suck it up already.;)

[HIU8]

We see my mother at her house 1-2 times a year for about 1 or 2 weeks. Sister and BIL take DN to see her once a year for a weekend. That is why I suggested the Scenera since it is so much cheaper than everything else. I really didn't want to have two children and two carseats to take through the airport. Any other suggestions as to what I might be able to have my mother get DS that she can keep for DN and use also for DD? We are not in the position to be able to buy a frontier or Nautilus b/c DS isn't grown out of the MA yet and it is to much to spend to have it sit around and not be used often at all. I don't want to have a high back booster for DS at my mother's yet. He is not ready for that (and neither am I).

If I am going to take two carseats through the airport, any suggestions of the best way to do that? I have a backback for the MA. I may gate check it and still use the cares harness and have DD in her Safeseat on the plane. Any better way to do this?

[christiedavid3]

How about the Safety 1st Uptown. It has high top slots, I think higher than MA, nice cushy padding, and is at Big Lots right now for $65. We got one for my mom's car and DS - 10 months - is very comfy in it. It only goes up to 40lbs though so I don't know if that would work for your DS.

[Wife_and_mommy]

We see my mother at her house 1-2 times a year for about 1 or 2 weeks. Sister and BIL take DN to see her once a year for a weekend. That is why I suggested the Scenera since it is so much cheaper than everything else. I really didn't want to have two children and two carseats to take through the airport. Any other suggestions as to what I might be able to have my mother get DS that she can keep for DN and use also for DD? We are not in the position to be able to buy a frontier or Nautilus b/c DS isn't grown out of the MA yet and it is to much to spend to have it sit around and not be used often at all. I don't want to have a high back booster for DS at my mother's yet. He is not ready for that (and neither am I).

If I am going to take two carseats through the airport, any suggestions of the best way to do that? I have a backback for the MA. I may gate check it and still use the cares harness and have DD in her Safeseat on the plane. Any better way to do this?

I think your plan sounds good. I'm sorry it makes more work for you.

Could you check the MA curbside so you don't have to lug it? Or will DH be with you to carry it in the airport? I think you'll be surprised how people come out of the woodwork to help you but I understand needing to do logistics based on being on your own.

I think I'd put the safeseat w/ baby in the stroller, carryon on the stroller and MA on my back. DS can walk, right? That sounds like a lot but like I said, I'm sure you'll be offered help.

Re: the Uptown, if your DS is lightweight(my dd is 4 and 33# so this would work for us), you could have your mom get that one.

Another idea is maybe you could all go in on the Nautilus? $40 each would get you one on sale, if they're still on sale, that is.

I hope my ramblings help and that someone else will chime in.

[niccig]

The Natilus is FF only. If any of the kids are RF, it won't work. An EFTA with the 50lbs limit can be RF and FF and the slots are supposed to be high like the MA. I saw it at BRUS for $130. Another bonus, you can readjust the harness without uninstalling.

I have an Uptown and the slots are higher than the Scenera, but lower than the MA. Without knowing your son's torso height and weight, I can't say if he would fit in it.

I'd still consider taking your own seat, it's just easier to use one you know rather than one you don't. DD in stroller in safeseat, MA in backpack. Then when you're there with your mother, got to BRUS and check out a possible seat. You can get familiar with it, help her install it etc. Then for your next trip, you're set.

[Wife_and_mommy]

The Natilus is FF only. If any of the kids are RF, it won't work. An EFTA with the 50lbs limit can be RF and FF and the slots are supposed to be high like the MA. I saw it at BRUS for $130. Another bonus, you can readjust the harness without uninstalling.

I have an Uptown and the slots are higher than the Scenera, but lower than the MA. Without knowing your son's torso height and weight, I can't say if he would fit in it.

I'd still consider taking your own seat, it's just easier to use one you know rather than one you don't. DD in stroller in safeseat, MA in backpack. Then when you're there with your mother, got to BRUS and check out a possible seat. You can get familiar with it, help her install it etc. Then for your next trip, you're set.

The kiddos are 1, 2 and 4. I think a NA would give them the most longevity, no?

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, the Nautilus would be best because the 1 yo won't be using it right now, and I sort of doubt the 2 yo is RF.

...Heather...I know it seems expensive now, but it'll get a full 9 years of use (6 years with back, the last three years as a backless)....I've been going to my mom's for 10+ years now and if they'd had one of those I would have gotten full use out of it, not had to buy other seats, etc (Instead we started with a $40 cosco and have been trying to buy better things ever since :p)... If you can get it for $127, that's awesome, even full price at $149 it's a deal for how much use it'll eventually get. Plus, it's SO easy to adjust the harness on it, it'll be a real luxury for your mom to use with DN when you aren't around.
Once I really 'got it' that my kids will be in carseats till age 11 or 12, it makes seats seem cheaper, even when they are spendy. And I, for one, can not stand to bring car seats on an airplane (I've done it twice, and had *screaming* almost the entire trip in them), so I'd rather pay a little more to have a nice seat waiting for me.
Scenera's $50 now and might fit for the next 3 years till your dd ougrows it. Graco Cargo's a decent choice, but it's 100$ and only barely has 17 inch top slots and a 40 lb weight limit, so it'll fit till about age 5 (and despite popular condemnation, it's not a bad booster). Then a Turbo is about $40 and will last till age 8 or 9. Then a bigger backless booster is another $15...it could just be a long string of cheap seats or one now that's actually shockingly cheap for what you get.
Anyway, this is advice coming from a very cheap (uh, actually, pretty poor in those early days!) mama who only visits a grandma sometimes (And I'm BUMMED that the Turbo and backless boosters we bought years ago are expired now--and we still need them!--, and that Leah's such a moose she probably won't get to use the Roundabout I have sitting in the attic for her next time we go visit... I'll probably have to buy a Nautilus next time we go there to get Leah all the way out of seats!)

[Joolsplus2]

PS, I'm not saying don't buy a Scenera, it really is fine for what you are using it for as long as your DS fits in it (or bring the Marathon for dd on the plane, put DS in it at grandmas?), just trying to give you that looooooong range perspective, if that makes any sense?

(And, ok, I'm a little down on the Scenera for not having EPS foam... suddenly that's my worry du jour, that I wish all seats had it ;) )