Paging Tara and others, this is not my area of expertise.

1) I thought I read/heard that seats should be replaced if involved in an impact. I was in a decent fender bender a few weeks back and wondering if I needed to replace littlest's seat (23 mths now)? The only other kiddo still in a seat if my 7 yo who's wearing a booster, which I just replaced.

2)Also, refresh my memory please... the seat is 4 years old anyhow. Is five years the absolute limit anyway?

3)Finally, could you give me maybe your top 3 recommendations for a good seat that'll keep her harnessed for several years? She's about 27lbs now and 28 inches tall. The vehicle it would be installed in is a 2006 Pontiac SV6 (so has latch).

Thank you, thank you :-)

Most seats have a 6 yr lifespan, unless otherwise noted on the seat itself. Note: that is from the date of manufacture (DOM) NOT date of purchase ;)

Did the airbags go off in the vehicle (if applicable of course)? If so, yes, replace the seat. If there was damage to the vehicle, other than mere scratching, replace the seat.

Seats:
What's your budget look like?


Sunshine Kids Radian harnesses to 80#. I have 2 of these. Nice narrow seats. I'd have to check on the vehicle install for ya.

Britax Marathon harnesses to 65, though 55 seems to be a little more realistic with this seat. It sits on a tall base which can limit rear view in some vehicles. Love the seat though. Non-twist straps. Plush covers in various styles :swoon:

Recaro Signo/Como..two seats, but same thing. The Signo has infinite adjust straps/headwings, the Como has 5 settings. (think Britax Boulevard vs Marathon, if that helps any)

The First Years TrueFit harnesses to 55#, though is a large seat. I have no personal experience with it. But other techies really like it.

Then there's the Britax Regent which harnesses to 80#. It is a big beast of a seat though, may not be what you're looking for with all the bodies you need to fit in a vehicle.

And I'll check into the Graco Nautilus on that size little one IF forward facing. She's still small enough to rear face. The longer you keep her that way the better, so if she's still rear facing...great..keep her that way and just ignore this seat :p But if you already have her forward facing and plan to stay with that...I'll look into this seat for you. I know my 34# boy fits well in it, but, those few # can make a difference. Oh, it harnesses to 65 then converts to high back booster then to backless booster.

The Britax Frontier is like the Nautilus...only add $100 !! And it has an 8 yr lifespan.


In short...I'd recommend the Radian. Economical choice. Harness to 80#. Narrow. Sufficient strap height.

HTH :) Happy shopping! And let me know if you need anything else, glad to help!

I will try my hand, but nak and Tara is THE tech...so yeah...

First thing for one and two: I would do is check your specific seat manuals. Some of them are online (I think...) if you don't have them anymore.

#2 If I remember correctly, my Radian has a 6 year life and I think that is long...so you may have to just retire the booster. But again, check your manual.

#3 I have a little notecard here with rec's for my mil and they are:
- Sunshine Kids Radian 80 - FF up to 80lbs (not sure of the height limit) Excellent seat, I have it! It's very slim and trim with no high 'base'.
- Graco Nautilus 3-in-1: harnesses up to 65lbs I believe. This converts to a high back booster and a no back booster.
- Britax Regent: only thing I written down is HUGE!

Also, approximate ages are as follows but depends on the kid:
5-point harness up to age 5 +/ish
High back booster 5-7ish
low back booster 7+

HTH and I hope I didn't say anything wrong, but I know I will be corrected if I did!

man, ya beat me to it, T! How'd I do? ;-)

Just wanted to put in another mention for the Radian....we have two here and love them! :D

Not bad Kate ;)

But I'd put more like 11 on the no back booster. Thus moving the high back booster age from 5-10+

And no adult seat belt only until they can pass the 5 step test: http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm

hmmm...just quoting a friend! :-D ;-)

The longer you can keep them harnessed, the better. I recommend waiting until at least 5 before putting a child into a belt positioning booster. They generally do not have the maturity to sit properly each time until that age. For some, that maturity comes even later.

For a taller 3 yr old...look into a Sunshine Kids Radian or a Graco Nautilus. The Nautilus can be found at WalMart (and the like) for around $150. It harnesses to 65#, has nice shoulder slot heights to accomodate big kids, then converts to a nice high back belt positioning booster. Then as child grows even more, the back can be removed and the seat only be used..as long as the vehicle has proper head support. You likely won't be at low back booster point until the child is 7 or so.

HTH


good to know though...especially with both sets of grandparents wondering if they can put ds in a low back booster now! ugh! [flagsurrender]

hehe true true....
The original statement was more of a 'minimum'. Ideally they would stay in a high back even longer.

Sorry for the confusion. :blush:

Great info ladies, thanks. I'm going to look at the Radian, should I head to Babies 'R Us? Anyone know if Target or another store has them. I'm not a window shopper so I'm not in any stores other than Walmart or the grocery store on a regular basis. TIA

Gotcha! [clapping] JK...Glad to know more of the safety standards rather than minimums...thanks for all your help! I really like having you and your expertise around here. :-D ((hugs))

Great info ladies, thanks. I'm going to look at the Radian, should I head to Babies 'R Us? Anyone know if Target or another store has them. I'm not a window shopper so I'm not in any stores other than Walmart or the grocery store on a regular basis. TIA

I found in on Amazon. I dont' think they sell it in stores...

Okay, well I can handle that. Thanks Kate, that was instant gratification :-).

Some specialty baby stores may carry the Radian. Go to the Sunshine Kids site and do a search for local retailers to see if there is one nearby, if you'd like to see it first.

Otherwise, yeah, Amazon could probably get you a deal. Or Albeebaby or Elitecarseats. Babyage is another popular site. I, personally, would recommend Elitecarseats out of those 3 options. I had a good experience with them. Albeebaby was slow, to my standards :p

Are you getting a pretty pink one Beth? :D

Just for reference...on the high back booster thing...my 11yr old was in a high back up until a year ago. And my 9 and 7 yr olds are both still in high back boosters. My 9 yr old is the same size as my 7 and 5 yr old..so he's likely to be there for a while yet. He will easily make it to 10 as his brother, and likely 11 as well. Maybe by then he'll start growing. hehehe

Eldest would have probably been in a booster this past year if we had one that fit him well. His was too short in the seat depth, his legs were falling asleep on even the short rides. And at that point, I wasn't going to spend another $100 or whatever for a booster...high- or no back..for just one year's use, when he fit passably in the seat belt.

Ok, thus ends my random car seat rambling. :p

Ok, thus ends my random car seat rambling. :p

for now.... [clapping] [halo]

LOL

yep....'until next time'

*snort*

you're so fun kate! :D

Okay, so I'm looking at these further now- do I want the Radian 65 or the Radian 80? I'm trying to decide between these two...

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian65-Convertible-Seat/dp/B000G7YM0Q/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1238437776&sr=8-1

and this one

http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Kids-Radian80-Convertible-Princess-Pink/dp/B000R7L0HI/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1238437776&sr=8-4

Should I spring for the 80? And yes, lol, we lean towards all things pink in this house. Three out of four of mine are very girly, girls. They did not get that from their plane-jane momma though.

if you can find out the dom on the 65..maybe...but i lean more toward the 80 because i am not sure how new any 65 is going to be right now

if i am remembering correctly, the 65 was stopped a year or so ago..now there is the 80 and xt ?? i don't know anything about the xt, i admit i've not kept up with that...all i know is it was the update in which a couple things were changed, like adding removable harness straps (other versions you cannot completely remove the straps...yes the shoulder straps move but they do not disconnect from the seat at the seat bottom (hope that made sense))

shoot yeah, i'd spring for the pink 80 in your position beth :D

I kept our first one neutral because of how old she was when I bought it..and I was pg...I knew there would be more seat swapping going on, so it was best to keep it neutral. Sure enough, here we are, Boo has that seat. If I had gotten a pink seat then I would have had to buy another harnessed seat last week for Boo's expired Marathon...then still a booster in a year or two for Doodles...and THEN another booster in another 4 yr for Boo. Instead, I kept hers neutral, Boo now has it. Got another neutral Radian for Warrior...he's good for the 8 yr lifespan in that seat...just get him a booster whenever ready.

And, well, I'm rambling again aren't I? LOL Kate called that one didn't she? LMHO

Ok, going to surf now. I still haven't completed my usual morning rounds today. Busy busy.

And, well, I'm rambling again aren't I? LOL Kate called that one didn't she? LMHO


:mrgreen: hehe!!!