What kind of seat comes after a Marathon?

[keschy]

My DS is almost ready to move out of his britax Marathon. What seat is next, a booster or a convertible? I know he should still be in a 5 point harness but that's all I know. I want to get a new seat soon but I'm not even sure what I should be looking for.Thanks!

[slworld]

No advice but if you mention the age & height of your child then folks may be able to help you better.

[jjordan]

Depending on his age and size, a good highback booster may be a very safe choice for him. How old is he and how much does he weigh?

[keschy]

He is 3 1/2 and 42 lbs. I think he is about 41 inches. Thanks!

[jjordan]

Okay, at that age you're right, you want a 5-point harness seat. What is your price range? The "usual suspects," from least to most expensive, are
*Evenflo Maestro (about $80)
*Graco Nautilus (about $150 on sale)
*Britax Regent (about $160, closeout price due to the seat being discontinued)
*Britax Frontier (about $200 on sale)

The frontier is currently being upgraded a bit. The new one will be called the "frontier 85" and is rumored to have several key improvements over the original. It should be available around the end of March or beginning of April if you can wait that long.

[codex57]

Typically, they stick them in a FF harnessed seat that may or may not convert to a booster.

Most popular choices seem to be the Britax Frontier or the Graco Nautilus. Others to consider are the Regent, Monterey, etc.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Is he outgrowing the seat? My DC about that same height (although only 36ish lbs) has a long time left and she's long in the torso. I'm guessing another year maybe...

[Joolsplus2]

Are his shoulders actually at the top slots? That's the sign the seat is outgrown, and it's fairly unusual for a kiddo so young and small to be at that point. Not impossible, of course. If I had a kiddo that big, I'd get the Britax Regent to keep him harnessed to the bare minimum of 5, even older is fine (my own kids stay harnessed to age 7-8, when they are finally mature enough to sit properly in a booster and buckle themselves in easily). If there's still an inch or so before his shoulders get to the top slots, you probably have a year left in that seat, but if you really just want something taller and more big boy-ish, the Nautilus or Frontier are excellent choices that will become a booster when the harness is outgrown (usually those fit kids to age 6-7 in the harness).

:)

[keschy]

Thanks for the replies. I checked today and his shoulders are at the top seatbelt slot. I think he must have a long torso, he has always been tall for his age. people often mistake him for a year older than he is. I think I will look into the nautilus or frontier since they convert to a booster later. Thanks for the help!

[HIU8]

Make sure it's not just the fabric you are going by. The slots in the fabric can be in a different place than the slots in the shell. You have to feel behind the fabric or remove it and your DS sit to tell. I had this issue with DS, where I thought he was coming close to outgrowing the seat, but the fabric had been pulled down and he had a good 3/4 inch to go before he actually reached the top slots in the seatshell (of course then he had a massive growth spurt is now even with the top slots--he is 5).

[boltfam]

Make sure it's not just the fabric you are going by. The slots in the fabric can be in a different place than the slots in the shell. You have to feel behind the fabric or remove it and your DS sit to tell. I had this issue with DS, where I thought he was coming close to outgrowing the seat, but the fabric had been pulled down and he had a good 3/4 inch to go before he actually reached the top slots in the seatshell (of course then he had a massive growth spurt is now even with the top slots--he is 5).
That's a really good point! I have noticed that with my MA too.

[keschy]

Thanks, I'll double check!