Britax Diplomat?

[AnnieW625]

A June, 2009 DOM is a good one, esp. for $149! We got our Evenflo seat on clearance from Albee Baby in 2006 and when it arrived at our doorstep it was litterally a month (if that) old. The height limits for the seat are going to me less than 1" from the top of the shell or her ears above the top of the shell. This is standard for all seats, I believe.

Also FWIW I would just buy another RA 50 for DH's car if you are happy for it. I wouldn't spend the extra money on the Marathon just for the 15lbs in extra weight as she'll most likely outgrow it by height first. Both the RA 50 and the Marathon rear face until 35lbs. DD was an odd duck and spent 18 mos. (from a year until 2/1/2) complaining about her Marathon. I ended up really not liking the seat much and would not buy another for #2 esp. since the RA 50 is out and is almost the same exact seat.

[09Mom]

Also FWIW I would just buy another RA 50 for DH's car if you are happy for it. I wouldn't spend the extra money on the Marathon just for the 15lbs in extra weight as she'll most likely outgrow it by height first.

We ended up getting a great deal on our RA50 (136 after tax). We were thinking of getting the Crimson Red MA for 199 which would be 180 after the coupon. So the MA would be less than the RA50.

[AnnieW625]

Yeah that would be a good deal (anything is better than having to pay full price on that seat), but if it were me and it were getting close to the $200 mark again I'd start looking at the BLVD over the Marathon. Gotta love those headwings and the no rethread harness! I know zero help here!

[Joolsplus2]

Height limits... when the head is one inch from the top of the seatback rearfacing (or weight limit, whichever comes first). And forward facing, when the shoulders go just barely above the top slots or the weight limit is reached, whichever comes first.
Weight limits are 100% carved in stone, do NOT exceed them, height limits are kind of vague... a leggy 31 inch kid might fit the same in the seat as a long torsoed 27 inch kid, that's why it's best to just go by how they fit in the seat.
The shell height of the Diplomat or Roundabout is only 21 inches. The height of the Roundabout 50 is 25 inches, that's years of extra torso growth, which is why I sort of discourage the shorter backed seats. My own kiddo is leggy and made it to 27months and about 26 pounds rearfacing in the Roundabout, but to a full 35 pounds and almost age 4 in the Roundabout 50 (rearfacing... forward facing she's too tall for the Roundabout now at almost 4, and has a good 2 years to go in the Roundabout 50 till her shoulders are above the top slots).
Whew, what a novel, sorry!