Need recs for a big two year old for FF--please help!

[McGucks]

Our 28 month old is 35 pounds and three feet tall.  We currently have him in a Britax Marathon but need a second carseat.  I have seen ones that only go to 40 pounds.  Can anybody steer me in the right direction so I never need to buy another seat?  We plan to keep him in a car seat, not a booster, as long as he fits.

Should I buy from a website?  We can also do Target online.  I don't want to spend $200 or have him outgrown an expensive carseat when he puts on 5 more pounds or has a growth spurt!

TIA for anyone's guidance.

[Maedze]

Happy to offer some suggestions.  I'm compelled to mention the the ideal position for a two year old is rear facing convertible.   There are many suitably sized convertibles that will keep your child rear facing for another year-year and a half and then make great forward facing seats after.  Would you be interested in hearing about those options?

[McGucks]

I appreciate your input.  The front passenger seat rider is 6'2" and has been riding with his seat all the way forward, literally with his knees pulled up against the dashboard to make room for the RF carseat in the back (we drive a Toyota Scion--it is very, very small).  He is 16 years old and still growing.  We kept up with RF for a longer time than the height or weight requirements, but I evenually had to balance the safety of both of my sons.

With that in mind, I would love your recommendations for a FF for our toddler. 

[chel]

I also have a big 2yr old, 31lb and 38".
Once she outgrows her scenera I'm looking at a graco nautilus.

[Maedze]

You are absolutely correct that a seat in the rear should not impact the safety of a front seat rider.   :-)   

Good forward facing options that will keep your son harnessed until he is ready for a belt positioning booster (and then work as decent boosters, not all combination seats do!)  are the following

1.  Evenflo SecureKid 300/400
2.  Graco Nautilus or Graco Argos
3.  Recaro Prosport
4.  Britax Frontier 85

The first three will work in harnessed mode about the same length of time (kids will get to around six).  The last one will last harnessed quite a bit longer.  It's important to note that that's not necessarily *safer*, it's just an option if you have a kid with delays, or a serious case of the wiggles who won't sit properly in a booster.  


All that being said, it is possible to install convertibles rear facing in a Scion in such a way that the front passenger seat can still be pushed all the way back :-)  Let me know if you'd like more information.   

Your big boy is quite tall.  Is his head rest raised to at least the tops of his ears?

[marsupial-mom]

I'm in a similar situation. We have a Diono rear-facing in the car our tall toddler rides most often. It means whoever is in the passenger seat is uncomfortable because there's virtually no leg room. But we're keeping it that way.

However in the other car we have three carseats in a row in the back seat. The infant bucket seats are rear-facing of course but the middle car seat for our toddler is forward facing because it's a convertible that my son has outgrown the rear-facing height and weight limit. Also, it's already a difficult task for him to get in and out, I honestly don't know how he would do it if it were rear-facing. Soon I'll have to get him a new forward-facing car seat, one that's taller.

[mama2soren]

Originally Posted by marsupial-mom 

I'm in a similar situation. We have a Diono rear-facing in the car our tall toddler rides most often. It means whoever is in the passenger seat is uncomfortable because there's virtually no leg room. But we're keeping it that way.
However in the other car we have three carseats in a row in the back seat. The infant bucket seats are rear-facing of course but the middle car seat for our toddler is forward facing because it's a convertible that my son has outgrown the rear-facing height and weight limit. Also, it's already a difficult task for him to get in and out, I honestly don't know how he would do it if it were rear-facing. Soon I'll have to get him a new forward-facing car seat, one that's taller.

Have you tried the angle adjuster from Diono?  It helps get a much more upright installation with a RF Radian.  It could buy you several more inches of room for the passenger!  It costs about $10.  

[sere234]

Originally Posted by mama2soren 

Have you tried the angle adjuster from Diono?  It helps get a much more upright installation with a RF Radian.  It could buy you several more inches of room for the passenger!  It costs about $10.  

I'm really glad you mentioned this! Our Radian RXT is installed RF in a 2005 Honda Civic which is probably just as small as a Scion. The front seat passenger isn't always comfortable due to the RFing situation so I'm going to buy the angle adjuster and see if it helps!!

BTW OP, I know how it is to have a big toddler you try to keep as safe as possible in the car. DS is 23 months and 34 lbs, 36 inches. Hope you find a carseat that works for you and your kids!

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by McGucks 

I appreciate your input.  The front passenger seat rider is 6'2" and has been riding with his seat all the way forward, literally with his knees pulled up against the dashboard to make room for the RF carseat in the back (we drive a Toyota Scion--it is very, very small).  He is 16 years old and still growing.  We kept up with RF for a longer time than the height or weight requirements, but I evenually had to balance the safety of both of my sons.

With that in mind, I would love your recommendations for a FF for our toddler. 

Just out of curiosity, not judging your decision, why cant toddler ride behind the driver's seat? That is where we always put DD- am I supposed to be putting her behind the passenger seat?

[brigala]

Originally Posted by sere234 

I'm really glad you mentioned this! Our Radian RXT is installed RF in a 2005 Honda Civic which is probably just as small as a Scion. The front seat passenger isn't always comfortable due to the RFing situation so I'm going to buy the angle adjuster and see if it helps!!

BTW OP, I know how it is to have a big toddler you try to keep as safe as possible in the car. DS is 23 months and 34 lbs, 36 inches. Hope you find a carseat that works for you and your kids!

I also have a Radian in my 2005 Civic. An angle adjuster DOES help. But in my car, the solution I use is to install the Radian in the center position and put both the driver and passenger seats all the way back (but in their most upright positions). I do this to help prop the Radian up, because the way the seat is shaped in the center it over-reclines unless it's held up with the front seats OR I use the angle adjuster. The 2005 Civic and the Radian both allow for this; most car seats do not, and many cars do not either, so this isn't a solution for everyone but it works great for me. I used an angle adjuster for a while, but found that with the Radian in the center position it blocked my visibility too much. Since my legs are long enough to reach the pedals with the seat all the way back, that's a better solution for me. I could install behind the driver with the angle adjuster, but I also have two teenagers I need to fit in the back seat sometimes so the center is the most advantageous position for our family.

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

Just out of curiosity, not judging your decision, why cant toddler ride behind the driver's seat? That is where we always put DD- am I supposed to be putting her behind the passenger seat?

No. You put the car seat in whatever position works best for you and your family. Statistically, the center seat is the safest spot in the whole car so if nobody else is sitting there it's a good place for the car seat. But it's most important to place the seat in the position where the child and all other passengers fit comfortably, correctly, and safely. Many times a seat behind the driver is problematic because the driver needs to sit far enough back to comfortably operate the car, but if it is working for you, then that's what matters.

[McGucks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

Just out of curiosity, not judging your decision, why cant toddler ride behind the driver's seat? That is where we always put DD- am I supposed to be putting her behind the passenger seat?

Maedze, please weigh in on this...our insurance agent told me that for most in-town driving, the right rear seat was safest.  For highway driving, I'd heard the left rear seat was safest.  Any truth to this?

Good question, Holly.

[Adaline'sMama]

I was told NOT to put in on the passenger side, because most injuries occur from t-boning , which occurs most often on the passengers side of the car and that the driver was more aware of what happens on their side of the car. I also would like Madeze to weigh in :)

[McGucks]

Personally, I feel safest in the basement.  This carseat stuff can drive you bananas. Hmmm...groceries or carseats? 

[Maedze]

Originally Posted by McGucks 

Quote:

Maedze, please weigh in on this...our insurance agent told me that for most in-town driving, the right rear seat was safest.  For highway driving, I'd heard the left rear seat was safest.  Any truth to this?

Good question, Holly.

No truth, LOL.   There have been surveys of which side side-impact accidents happen more often and there's no legitimate statistical difference.  If you can't put them in the middle for whatever reason, at that point it really doesn't matter.   

I prefer the passenger side for the reason that my butt isn't hanging out in traffic when I'm parked on the side of the road and attempting to remove the child, but even that becomes a moot point if you have more than 1 kid. 

[Adaline'sMama]

Good to know! Maybe as my belly grows, Ill switch dd over to the passenger side so I can scoot back a bit. (and wear blocks on my feet to reach the pedals, I suppose )

[EmbraceLife]

We just turned our boys to front facing from rear facing because they were getting too crowded and the vehicle is small!

We like the Graco Nautilus.  Hopefully, it'll last a while!
 

[McGucks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maedze 

All that being said, it is possible to install convertibles rear facing in a Scion in such a way that the front passenger seat can still be pushed all the way back :-)  Let me know if you'd like more information.   

Your big boy is quite tall.  Is his head rest raised to at least the tops of his ears?

It took me to just now to realize that you meant my older son when you said "big boy."  Duh.  I will check about his head rest tonight.  He is sometimes a passenger in my Scion and also has his own car, so I will check in both.  I would have never thought about his head rest height, so a BIG thank you for calling that to my attention.  He is sooo tall.  My husband (his step-father) is a smidge over 5'7" and it's really funny to look at the two of them next to each other.