Car seat for slim 5 year old

[bbsc]

My son is 43" and 36 lbs at 5.5 and I just noticed that his Britax Wizard expired this month. When I bought it 5 years ago I thought that it was going to last him until he was ready for a booster seat, but it didn't work out that way.

I am looking for a car sear that will allow him to remain in a harness for awhile longer for a few reasons. He is not mature enough to stay under a regular seat belt, besides not being heavy enough. He also has some motor delays and low muscle tone. He is pretty bony, so I'd like a seat that is well padded for his comfort.

From reading through a few threads here it sounds like the Safety 1st Apex 65, Evenflo Maestro, Graco Nautilus would all work for our needs. About $150 is my price limit, but if it could be under $100 that would be great. Does anyone know which one of these seats would work best for my son?

[chickabiddy]

The Apex is a wide seat and would not be the best choice for a slender child.

Where are your son's shoulders in relation to the top strap settings on the Wizard? Knowing how he fits in a seat will help me make a good recommendation.

[bbsc]

I can see how that would be useful information! He has between 1 and 2 inches before the harness assembly is up at the top of the frame.

[chickabiddy]

Okay, he probably has a torso height in the range of 15", and he is likely to outgrow seats by height rather than weight.

The two seats I would recommend are the Graco Nautilus (18.5" harness, 65# weight capacity, $150) and the Evenflo Maestro (18" harness, 50# weight capacity, $80). Both convert to boosters and do a decent job of it: the Maestro is short as a booster and you will need an additional dedicated booster down the road, but the cost of Maestro plus booster is equal to or slightly less than the cost of a Nautilus.

I would suggest trying your son in both those seats. I *think* I'd have a very slight preference for the Maestro for a low-tone kid, but really, how HE fits is going to be the determining factor. They would both be good choices.

[bbsc]

Thanks for the recommendation!

So grandma ended up buying us the Graco Nautilus today, but I'm not sure how happy I am with it. The crotch strap is pretty tight on him, though he didn't complain, but it seemed like the wider slot was almost under his body. Another issues is he kept sliding the chest clip down, which he couldn't do on his wizard. The harness straps seemed thinner, and that made it much easier for him to slide the chest clip around.

Do you think that the crotch area is wider for the Evenflo Maestro? And how tight is the chest clip on the straps?

I might return the Nautilus, and that will increase my car seat buying budget. Do you think that the Britax Frontier would be a good fit for my son? Is there more space at the crotch for that one?

[chickabiddy]

The Frontier85 would be a good choice for your child, as would the Recaro ProSport (very supportive for a low-tone child). I didn't recommend them originally since they were way over your budget.

[bbsc]

Yes, my budget sure increased when grandma decided to buy the Graco for us! I looked at pictures of both of those more expensive car seats, and I think that it looks like he would be able to very easily slide down the chest clip on the Recaro. I think that it was the rubbery bits on his wizard that kept him from adjusting the chest clip too much, and I see that the Frontier has those.

We will likely go with the Frontier, for that reason, plus I found it online for $225, which is within my budget now that I will have ~$155 from returning the Graco!

Thanks again for the advice! It is much appreciated!

[ckberkey]

Awesome! I would totally go with the Frontier. I think you'll get a lot of use out of it. Thanks Grandma!

Originally Posted by bbsc

Yes, my budget sure increased when grandma decided to buy the Graco for us! I looked at pictures of both of those more expensive car seats, and I think that it looks like he would be able to very easily slide down the chest clip on the Recaro. I think that it was the rubbery bits on his wizard that kept him from adjusting the chest clip too much, and I see that the Frontier has those.

We will likely go with the Frontier, for that reason, plus I found it online for $225, which is within my budget now that I will have ~$155 from returning the Graco!

Thanks again for the advice! It is much appreciated!