Car Seats for 2+ Year Olds

Hi E., My son has been in a Marathon since he was 10 months old. He will be 4 at the end of the summer and is average size. Now that he is older, he is not putting on weight as fast as he used to. He still has more than enough room height wise. I have an 8 month old daughter and purchased a Marathon for her too. I had considered putting her in his Marathon and buying him a booster. However, after watching my friend's 4 and a half year old in a booster, it's just not as safe. Eventhough he is a well minded and complient child, he would still pull himself out of the seatbelt a bit to grab something he wanted, etc. Too much freedom. This boy is VERY, VERY tall for his age (4 and a half)!!!! He was in his Marathon until recently and still met the weight and height requirements. I doubt if your daughter will grow out of the Marathon all that quickly. I know the weight limit on the Marathon is 65 lbs and up to 49" tall. Anyway, because he's not riding in the Marathon Monarch (booster) safely, she just bought him the brand new Britax Frontier. You might check it out if you really think she needs something larger. It is new and you might have to wait about a month for one. When she purchased, they were on backorder. She bought this, not because he was too big for the Marathon but because she felt he would be more comfortable with his long legs. Lastly, if you decide to buy another Marathon watch them on Ebay (new ones) and babyage.com has them on sale for $210 with $8 shipping. I think I read today is the last day, however. I decided to buy a brand new Marathon for my daughter because the expiration date on my son's Marathon is 2010. That will make my daughter 2 and a half yrs old and I'd have to buy a new seat at that time anyway. Also, by the time my son is out of his Marathon, there will be something bigger and better on the market by then. Lots to think about but at least you have many options. Good luck to you!

Stick with Britax, the next size up "Regent". I can't remember the model, but it works really well for taller children and will work until they are big enough for booster seats. (She will need to be at least 80 lbs and over 38" for a booster, but I don't think you use one until she is at least 4 years old.)

I got some really good advice one time from someone who had lost their son in a car accident. He was in a booster when the car flipped and his seat belt came undone. She recommended keeping your children in a 5 point harness as long as possible. I purchased the Britax Regent for children in a 5 point harness up to 80lbs. I have a 6 year old and a 4 year old and they both are still in a 5 point harness. Just make sure to use a second line of safety in case the seat belts fail. Use the LATCH system which most cars are equiped with now. If you need more info about this carseat let me know. I will be happy to help you more. It is a little pricy but well worth it. Take care and good luck.

Definitely stick with Britax. Our middle child is bigger than children his own age, he is 3 but almost as big as some 5 year olds. While he is right at 40lbs and technically big enough to do a booster, I was in no way comfortable with that. After talking with the TX DPS they suggested he stay in a 5 point harness for as long as we can manage it, as it is just safer. So we purchased the Boulevard, which also provides side impace protection and we could get it locally at Babies R Us. It's really large, so make sure it fits. But he loves it and we really feel good knowing he is comfortable and as safe as possible.

B.
www.bellaamadis.com

My son's been in Britax Decathlon since he was 9 months old. He is 3 1/2 now and he is in 92% in height and he still fits in it really well. This carseat goes up to 60lbs that's why I got it. But I suggest you buy it locally and install it in your car. I've seen lot of people complain that this carseat is so big that they can't see out of their rearview mirror. Hope this helps!

my little one is 19 months and we have a evenflo titan dlx convertible car seat..its is 99.99 it is green you can get it at target it is great she loves her seat it is nice and padded and it has a 5 point harness so she is really safe and you can tighten and loosen as need with a little button on the front

Convertible Car Seat
• Features 5-Point Harness
• LATCH Anchor System
• High-Back Seat
• Buckle Closure
• Cupholders
• Front- or Rear-Facing Seat
• Removable Accessories
• Energy Absorbent Foam Fill
• Compatible with Shoulder Seat Belt
• Recommended Ages: Newborn to 5 yrs.
• For Children 5-35 lbs. Rear-Facing, 20-50 lbs. Forward-Facing; For Heights 19-47"
• 27.5" x 19.5" x 18.75 "
• Do Not Exceed Recommended Weight Limit

I personally like the Britax Boulevard. My son is 3 1/2 and still has room to grow in it.