What comes after a Scenera?

[Belia]

Grandma and grandpa have a Scenera in their van for the very occasional times that they take DS anywhere... too bad I just realized TODAY that the Scenera has a 40 lb weight limit.

And DS is 45 - 46 POUNDS!      

Good thing I don't even remember the last time he was in their car, eh? I am the worst. mother. ever. 

DS will be 4 in two months... approx 45 lbs.... 43 inches tall.  What would you recommend for a dirt cheap car seat for occasional use at Grandma and Grandpa's?  Price is my main consideration.

Thank you, car seat gurus!

[brigala]

For a child that age, the lowest priced appropriate option is probably the Safety 1st Guide 65 Sport, which is available at Walmart for $79. But you'd get a better value if you went with an Evenflo Secure Kid 300, because it will last longer (it is taller) and converts to a booster seat later. The cheapest price I know of at the moment is at Overstock.com for $112 (+ shipping). http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Evenflo-Securekid-300-Combination-Booster-Car-Seat-in-Loy/6620137/product.html . You may be able to find an Evenflo Maestro on sale for less than either of these seats, and it would work also but has a weight limit of 50 lbs so it's probably not worth getting for a 45 lb child unless you can get a really killer deal on it.

If those seats are too expensive for you then you probably just need to move her main car seat to the grandparents' car as necessary. Unfortunately, there aren't any really cheap choices right now for children who are big for their age. She is not really old enough to use a belt positioning booster, although if you can scrape by sharing her main car seat for another year you may be able to move her into a booster seat then. Good high back boosters can often be found under $50.

Make sure you are aware of a car seat's height limit as well as its weight limit. A car seat is outgrown by height when the child's shoulders are above the top harness position (straps must come from at or above the child's shoulders). Most children will outgrow most seats by height long before reaching the weight limit. There may be a few slightly cheaper car seats with higher weight limits other than the ones I mentioned above, however they will have shorter harnesses and are probably already outgrown even if she hasn't reached their weight limits.

[chel]

I have a scenera and plan on going to a nautilus
My dd is very tall and will most likely outgrow by height by 3yrs and the seat will be used weekly.

Depending on your child, a cheap option could be going straight to a high back booster like a turbo booster.
I did that with my oldest (harness to turbo booster) when she was 4yrs, but that was also a decade ago when options were more limited. It was her full time seat and she did great.
You would need to assess if your child could sit properly during those times and/or if the grandparents will reinforce good booster behavior.

[MarineWife]

That's not correct about the weight limit for the Evenflo Maestro. Here's what it says on the Evenflo website:

The Maestro Booster car seat is for use:

Forward Facing with 5-Point Harness 22 - 50 lbs.
Forward Facing with Vehicle Seat Belts 40-110 lbs

http://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=315&pfid=3452

I was just pricing these. The go for around $80. The Graco Nautilus goes a little higher in the 5-point harness, up to 65 lbs., and is about $130. I haven't seen anything that uses a 5-point harness past 65 lbs. So, I guess it depends on how important it is to you to keep him in the 5-point harness for as long as possible. Longer is better according to everything I've read.

[chickabiddy]

The Maestro is outgrown by height as a booster shortly after it is outgrown as a harnessed seat.  The harness limit (what really matters for a 3yo) is indeed 50#, and it will absolutely be unusable long before 110#.

There are plenty of seats that harness beyond 65#, including the Britax Frontier and Recaro ProSport.

[brigala]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

That's not correct about the weight limit for the Evenflo Maestro. Here's what it says on the Evenflo website:
The Maestro Booster car seat is for use:
Forward Facing with 5-Point Harness 22 - 50 lbs.
Forward Facing with Vehicle Seat Belts 40-110 lbs
http://www.evenflo.com/product.aspx?id=315&pfid=3452
I was just pricing these. The go for around $80. The Graco Nautilus goes a little higher in the 5-point harness, up to 65 lbs., and is about $130. I haven't seen anything that uses a 5-point harness past 65 lbs. So, I guess it depends on how important it is to you to keep him in the 5-point harness for as long as possible. Longer is better according to everything I've read.

Yup. that's what I said. 50 lb limit. We're not talking about boosters here. The child is not yet 4 years old, and even 4 years is not a good age to put children in boosters. Most kids are not ready to sit still yet in a belt positioning booster at only 4 years old. Depending on the temperament of the child, 5 or 6 are more typical ages when a child is ready to use a booster correctly. 

The booster function. of the Maestro is of limited usefulness. If the child is chubby and hits 50 lbs before outgrowing the seat by height, the booster will be usable for a short period of time. No 110 lb kid will actually physically fit in that car seat. Very few 50-65 lb kids will fit. If the OP's child only weighed 35 lbs I'd recommend it in a heartbeat, but 45 lbs is too close to the end of the seat's usefulness in my opinion. 

The Secure Kid is the next least expensive harness-to-booster combination seat, and it would be a much better fit for her child. The harness limit is 65 lbs, is as tall as the harness on the Maestro, and the booster head rest adjusts so it will last longer in booster mode as well. 

There are other car seats that are rated for higher than 65 lbs (Graco Argos, Britax Frontier 85, Maxi-Cosi Pria, Peg Perego convertible, Diono Radian, and several others) but with the exception of the Frontier 85 most of these seats will be outgrown by height by an average-build child at around 55 lbs anyway. The Frontier 85 is usually outgrown (in the harness) at around 65 lbs, although it's "rated" to 85 - which is useful for chunkier children and it makes a super tall high back booster. But NONE of these seats fit the OP's criteria of "as cheap as possible" (they range in price from about $175 to about $350).

[MarineWife]

Ok, it wasn't clear (to me, at least) that you were talking about the weight limit for the 5-point harness. The Evenflo Maestro is recommended on both Carseats.org and carseatblog.com. and the OP was asking for something that doesn't cost much.

[chickabiddy]

It's recommended when it's appropriate.  It wouldn't be recommended for a 46# 3yo.

[brigala]

Originally Posted by chickabiddy 

It's recommended when it's appropriate.  It wouldn't be recommended for a 46# 3yo.

^^ This.

I love the Maestro and it's a great, economical seat. I'd recommend it for a 36 lb 3 year old in a heartbeat. I'd probably recommend it for a 46 lb 5 year old that just needs another 6 months of maturing or so before moving to a booster. But I wouldn't recommend it to the OP because her child is likely to outgrow the harness's weight limit before she is old enough to use the seat (or any seat) as a booster. So it's not economical for her situation.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by brigala 

I love the Maestro and it's a great, economical seat. I'd recommend it for a 36 lb 3 year old in a heartbeat. I'd probably recommend it for a 46 lb 5 year old that just needs another 6 months of maturing or so before moving to a booster. But I wouldn't recommend it to the OP because her child is likely to outgrow the harness's weight limit before she is old enough to use the seat (or any seat) as a booster. So it's not economical for her situation.

Ah, ok. I understand now.

[Belia]

Thank you so much for the feedback....

Yeah, I had already ruled out the Maestro due to the 50 lb limit.  DS is currently in a seat with a 50 lb limit in our main vehicle (Complete Air early model) that we're going to go ahead and replace in the next month or so, just because we're getting so close to the limit.  We're going to get an Argos for everyday use.

I was going to go look at the Guide 65 tomorrow- didn't think much about the height issue, though.  Darn- didn't want to drag DS to Wally World with me....

P.S.  Thanks also for not flaming me for worrying about the cost and the fact that DS has probably used an outgrown seat.  This has been a tough pregnancy, and we're freaking out about money with the new baby.  

[brigala]

Originally Posted by Belia 

Thank you so much for the feedback....

Yeah, I had already ruled out the Maestro due to the 50 lb limit.  DS is currently in a seat with a 50 lb limit in our main vehicle (Complete Air early model) that we're going to go ahead and replace in the next month or so, just because we're getting so close to the limit.  We're going to get an Argos for everyday use.

I was going to go look at the Guide 65 tomorrow- didn't think much about the height issue, though.  Darn- didn't want to drag DS to Wally World with me....

P.S.  Thanks also for not flaming me for worrying about the cost and the fact that DS has probably used an outgrown seat.  This has been a tough pregnancy, and we're freaking out about money with the new baby.  

Here's a thought - You might move the Complete Air to Grandma's car and that will buy you some time before you have to buy another seat for that vehicle. You never know, he could gain another 4 lbs in the next 4 months, or he could take a year or longer. I wouldn't *buy* a car seat with a 50 lb weight limit, but I would use one I already had right up until it was outgrown (although keep in mind that the child should be weighed with clothes and shoes, as the weight limit is for the whole child including clothes). 

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by brigala 

Here's a thought - You might move the Complete Air to Grandma's car and that will buy you some time before you have to buy another seat for that vehicle. You never know, he could gain another 4 lbs in the next 4 months, or he could take a year or longer. I wouldn't *buy* a car seat with a 50 lb weight limit, but I would use one I already had right up until it was outgrown (although keep in mind that the child should be weighed with clothes and shoes, as the weight limit is for the whole child including clothes). 

Great idea!