Car Seat Advice -- Toddler Who Is off the Charts for Height and Weight

I just got the Regent for both of my kids. LOVE THEM. The Marathon is good for more kids because it's a convertible, but if you already have a convertible, I would go with the Regent. The Regent is large and heavy, so it's not something I'd want to move from vehicle to vehicle much, or lug through an airport.

I also just heard that Cosco came out with a new seat that has a harness to 65lbs, but I don't know anyone that has it. It's brand new.

My daughter was tall also in her young age for her carseat,so we found one that(hard 2 xplain) it has a high back and looks like i think a bucket seat type(camaro 1969-70) shape seats in front.You use your cars seat belt to strap it in and across his chest like yours does,and it has a slit near the shoulder to keep your seatbelt from rubbin against his neck. If you don't like that idea,them you can allways use regilar seat-belts but(after you strap him in,the long strap that goes across his chest just put it around the head seat so it doesnt rub his neck. Thats the best i can offer you.

Hi, H.. I work at a place that sells baby products including carseats. Let me start off by saying that just because it's more expensive, that doesn't make it safer. Carseats are my department...Britax is rated higher only because they test their seats at a higher MPH than the rest of the manufacturers. And it's a 5 MPH difference. That can make a difference but most parents don't have the budget for how expensive those seats are. My first suggestion would be to bring your child into the store and put him in the seat. Buckle him in, take the display seat to your car and see how it fits (if the store will allow you to) and let him tell you if he's comfortable. My second suggestion would be to try the Alpha Omega Elite convertible seats. There's a few different colors/fabric patterns to choose from. What I think is so great about this seat is that it goes from 5 lbs to 100 lbs. And, with expecting another child, it does go rear-facing! It has a 5-point harness with an adjustable back for height, and once he reaches the state requirements for height and weight to use the car safety belt, this seat has guides the belt goes through so you can use it just like a standard booster seat.

If you have any further questions, please let me know. The store I work at has the Marathon but not the regent so I'm not positive on the differences between the two. The other Britax seats we carry vary with weight accomodations and, of course, the pattern on the fabric.

my 3 year old was also like that. She weighs 40lbs and is over 3 1/2 feet tall. We had to put her into a regular booster seat almost a year ago. We bought a Graco turbo booster, it works with your own seat belt, but only shoulder belts. It has spots to make sure the seat belt is in place. We love it and it is very easy to use and move from car to car and we have never had any safety issue for it. Hope I could help!

i would say you need to talk to your doctor both regarding car seat and see what they say regarding your babies weight. maybe there is some advice they can give you on both.
my son is almost 8 and only about 50 pounds... actually 47. i would think your child would be too small to only be in a booster. maybe they would recommend a 5 point harness booster/child seat.

We have the Britax Boulevard and love it. It's pretty high in weight ratings; 33 RF and 65 FF. It also differs from the Marathon in that it has the True Side Impact Protection.

Of course, the experts in car seat safety are CPST's. http://www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/index.html has information on how to find one in your area. Sometimes they work with the police or fire station, sometimes with a hospital or social service agency, sometimes independant. It's the certification that matters. :)

Fwiw, I believe it's actually illegal to put a child in a booster instead of a harnassed carseat until they're 4 yo.

Hi H. - about a year ago I was doing a review of car seats and the Britax Marithon was rated very high. I'd suggest if you are trying to decide between the 2 to check out consumer reports or research the 2 on the internet. It is very helpful. Things changed since I was doing research. You also want to check the weight limit. I have the Britax Decathlon and that goes up to 65lbs. I think the Marithon does also and the Regent has an even higher weight limit (I don't remember that being available last year.)

Check out consumer reports for ratings. Here is one article I just found that is actually from August of this year....

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/child-car-...

Hope that helps.

I understand where you are coming from but if your son is tall and is near 40lbs and try the booster seat and use the seat belts in the car. My son is 2 and we have been using that since he was a 1 1/2 we made sure he was right by the door so he had the full harness like protection over his body but now in some cars they have those new seat belts in the middle where they strap together like a harness in the middle.(they work wonders for booster seats). But my daughter was in a harnessed carseat until she was 6 1/2 cause of her disability. DO you feel comfortable putting him in a different kind of seat or not. if not keep him in the carseat.

I have the Britax Marathon because its convertible. I love the Britax car seats, despite how heavy they are. I feel like my daughter is very safe in their seats. The Regent is slightly cheaper than the Marathon, and has a higher weight limit, so I would just go with the Regent. All Britax carseats are currently on sale with free shipping at www.dreamtimebaby.com as an FYI. :)

B.

PS - Congratulations on your new marriage and baby on the way!