Which car seat to upgrade to?

[ammiga]

Our dd is 3, weighs 32-33 lbs, and is in a Britax Boulevard that rf until 35 lbs.

Our ds is 6 months, weighs 22-23 lbs, and in a Chicco infant carrier.

I think our plan is to upgrade dd to a new seat and move ds to the Britax. Should dd still be rf? For how long? I'm imagining that ds will outgrow the Britax in its rf position before he's 2, given his current weight gain.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what car seat kids should be in at different ages and weights. When I read recommendations, I can't tell if they are along the lines of "rf until 1 and 20 lbs" or if they are actually the way to keep your kids the safest.

We are hoping to only buy one more car seat, but given the size of ds, that may not be possible. What kind of seat should we move dd into, how long will she be in it, and will she need another one? I'm so confused! Any help  and seat recommendations would be great.

[an_aurora]

At 3, rear-facing would be safest, but FF is perfectly acceptable.  If you want only one more seat for him, I'd go with a combo seat like the Nautilus or Frontier that turns into a booster down the road.  

The ideal timeline for seats is to RF as long as possible (at least to age 2), FF harness until 5-6, and then booster until the child passes the 5-step test, usually around age 9-12.  

I wouldn't be too concerned about weight for the baby--he is up there in the weight percentiles but that normally slows down once they are crawling/walking.  He could outgrow the Blvd by 2 or he could slow down and last until 3-4.

[mama2soren]

First, make sure DD still fits in the Boulevard.  It's often outgrown by height long before weight.  Does she still have at least 1 inch of shell (NOT the movable headrest, but the actual shell) above her head?

I think most people here would be ok turning a 3 year old FF if necessary.   Evidence shows that it is safer to RF until at least 4 years of age, but the safety margin is smaller say than RF/FF a 1 year old.  If you want to keep RF her, you could get a taller, higher weight limit seat like a Complete Air (check your local Target clearance... some people are finding CA's there for $85!  They are usually around $150).  That would keep her RF a good while longer, and when you choose to turn her FF, the seat would definitely get her to a safe boostering age because the shell and harness are so tall (5-6 years).  

If you don't mind FF her, you could get a combo FF harness/booster seat like the Maestro ($80), Nautilus ($125-150), or the Frontier ($250).  All of these seats have nice tall harnesses, which will keep her safely harnessed until she's ready for full time boostering in 2 or 3 years.  All of them make good boosters, though the Maestro is often outgrown in booster mode fairly quickly- meaning that you'd have to buy her a dedicated booster down the line ($50).

Your son should be RF until 2 at the very least.  Although he is a big baby now, many children drastically slow down their growth after that first year.  The "1 and 20" is the very barest of minimums for FF (in some states, it's the legal minimum for FF).  It's 500% safer to RF until 2.  Definitely pass down the Britax and see how much time you get out of it.  

If you get a Complete Air for DD to keep RF her, when your son outgrows the Blvd, you could pass down the CA to him to keep him RF and buy DD a Maestro for FF.  That would be an investment of $180-230, depending on how cheap you can find the CA.  You wouldn't have to buy anything else except a dedicated booster in 3 years or so. 

Hope this helps.

[ammiga]

Oh geez, I can't count the movable headrest? What is it even there for? Ugh, I think dd outgrew the seat a while ago.

Ideally, we'd like to keep dd rf until 4, and same with ds.

Does this sound like a good/safe plan:

Get dd into a CA, rf until 4, then flip her ff. She stays in that seat until 6, then goes into a booster.

Ds goes into the BLVD rf, stays until he outgrows it, then into the CA. Hopefully that won't be until dd is ready for her booster.

Is the CA the best seat to implement this plan?

[ammiga]

Also, does anyone know what the difference is between the CA and the CA LX? The descriptions look the same to me.

[DahliaRW]

 The CALX has a base which can be used for reclining rfing.  The other doesn't, and sometimes requires pool noodles or rolled towels to get a good rfing recline.

[ammiga]

I'd rather have manufacturer's parts than a jimmy-rigged seat... how do I know if I need the LX?

ETA: If it matters, we have a 2009 Sienna

[DahliaRW]

I drive a 2009 Sienna.  :)  In the Captain's chairs I used 1 pool noodle to get about a 30 degree recline for the CA (this was for my ds who was 2).  But, I found without it I could get the same angle as long as I was careful installing it.  FWIW, the pool noodle/towel thing is actually recommended by Dorel (makers of the CA) - they have an install video showing how to do that.

[ammiga]

So in the Sienna, the seat needs to be reclined? Or is reclining it dependent on something else?

Apparently the CA is being replaced with a model that seats up to 65 lbs. Do you think this model will be as good as the original, or should I hunt down one of the 50 lb weight limits.

Sorry for all the questions! I didn't know I couldn't count the movable headrest in the height of the car seat, so my dd has outgrown her current seat. We need to buy a new one today or tomorrow!

[mama2soren]

All RF seats need to be at least 30* reclined in any car.  Sometimes, as DahliaRW said, the seat will need the noodle/towel to be reclined enough.  It's perfectly safe!   Some people find that the LX in RF mode is a bit more reclined than they would like, meaning that it will take up more front-to-back room.  You  might find that you can get a more compact, upright installation with the regular version.

The CA 65 is already out.  That's why there are so many good clearance deals on the old 50 pound version.  The seats are virtually identical.  If you  have a tall skinny kid, she may not need the extra 15 pounds (most kids will outgrow the seat before reaching 65 pounds anyway).  However, it might not hurt to have the option to harness past 50 pounds, just in case.  The 65 has more cute cover patterns, and it comes with harness covers, which some people like.  Do you have a Babies R Us nearby?  Most of them have the CA 65 in stock.  Search around for a 20% off coupon!

In the meantime, put DD FF in the Blvd.  It's not safe for her to ride again RF since she's outgrown the seat.