Appropriate age for Regent?

[quinnsmom]

I am researching car seats to get for DH's car. I will be starting full time work in the fall and need to get DH's car set up for transporting both kids if need be.

In my car we have a Marathon for DS and a Boulevard for DD. I just bought a Frontier for DS who will be 4 in August as DS's second car seat for DH's car.

I am wondering which seat to get for DD who is petite (20th percentile in height and weight) for her second seat. At first I thought I would get a 2nd Frontier to replace DS's Marathon in my car and put the Marathon in DH's car for DD. We bought it in 2004 so I guess I only have 2 years left with it if we were to use it with DD and don't know if that is the best option.

Should I just keep the Marathon in my car for DS and get a new Marathon for DD for DH's car.

Or should I forgo the Marathon for DD and just get a Regent? DD is pretty tiny and I don't know if she is ready for a Regent.

I do have to admit I am being a bit of a snob. I really like the Marathon covers so I am leaning towards that. I actually like one of the Roundabout covers the best and I was going to get that for DD's second car seat - but that just wouldn't be practical. :rolleye0014: I was bummed after I bought DS's Frontier that they didn't have a Cowmooflage option. :(

Any advice?

[o_mom]

How old is your DD and how does she fit in the current Marathon?

[quinnsmom]

She's 21 months. She's 23 lbs and I don't remember her height from her last doc appt but it was 20th %tile. She fits the Marathon fine - although she seems so tiny it it compared to her brother. And it's not that she seems too short - it's she seems so narrow in it (if that makes sense). She is usually in the Boulevard and that seems to hug her more than the Marathon.

[o_mom]

At that age and weight, she is still very tiny and the Regent would be huge on her. I know the minimum on it says 22 lbs and one year, but a child that size should really still be rear-facing. That is why Britax has moved to 25 lbs and 2 years as a minimum for the Frontier.

I think I would look at a Regent or Frontier for your DS in your car and move the Marathon to your DH's car for DD. When the Marathon expires in two years, you can look at a bigger seat for her or pass one of DS's seats down.

[quinnsmom]

Thanks for the advice o_mom. :) I went with the Frontier for DS and put the Marathon is DHs car. He really likes the Regent (although he seems so skinny it it compared to the Marathon) which is good - I thought he would miss his cowmooflage.

Although I have to say I am disappointed with the straps. They are so thin and too slippery - like the straps on the cheapo car seat in the grandparents car. After only a week I have had enough of trying to find the buckles (usually DS is sitting on them). And the straps keep getting all twisted by the buckles. With the Marathon and Boulevard - the straps are nice and thick and they stay where they are supposed to (if that makes sense). At that price point - the straps should be of higher quality. I miss the Marathon!

Does anyone know if its possible to get thicker replacement straps for the Frontier? Would replacing the straps (with thicker Britax straps) compromise the integrity of the car seat?

ETA - I initially typed Regent - but I meant Frontier!

[Joolsplus2]

Call them and complain about the straps, we're hoping a boatload of unhappy consumers calling them (we ALL hate them, I think!) will spur them into changing to better straps. In the meantime, you'll figure out a trick to keep them from twisting (I'm not sure what that'll be but most of us have SOME way of doing it!).

[quinnsmom]

Well I just got off the phone with Britax. I asked them if I could buy replacement straps for the Frontier that were the same thicker textured straps like on the Marathon and Boulevard. She said the only way she could send me replacement straps were to be if they were ripped or damaged in some way and that they would be exactly the same straps (thin and slippery) that are on their right now.

So then I asked about the Regent thinking that I could just exchange the Frontier for the Regent since I love Britax seats so much. The customer service rep walked out to the floor to feel the straps herself to see if the Regent straps were the same as the thicker Marathon/Boulevard straps and she said that they were not. That the "tier" (she called it) that the Regent and the Frontier are in re different that the tier that the Boulevard and Marathon are in. And that once you get beyond the Boulevard/Marathon tier the straps change. :(

So what are my options? I am really not happy with this seat and would like to return it. We got it from baby Universe and have had it a little under 2 weeks. So I think I am still good to return or exchange.

Should I just keep DS in the Marathon and get another Marathon for DHs car even though DS won't get much more use out of it? (He's 4 yrs old, 42" and 35 lbs) I want a seat just like the Marathon - a 5 point harness that will accommodate DS as he grows. Any advice?

I figured since we needed to get 2 seats for DH's car that we should get one that will last the longest. But I want the quality I have been satisfied with in the Marathon/Boulevard. Now I am stumped.