| Mando |
Hey folks,
Hopefully, some of you folks have encountered what I'm about to come up against. Here we go.
As I posted awhile ago, I'm going to be a father once more. My son just turned two and weighs about 28 lbs. He currently uses a Britax Marathon for his automotive journeys.
With a new child on the way, should I...
1. Get a booster for my son (Britax Parkway Express - 30-100lbs) and give my new child (when they reach 20lbs.) the Marathon currently in use (we will use a Baby-Trend "travel" system until he/she outgrows it)
2. Get another Britax Marathon or Boulevard for my new child or my 2 year old
Any other suggestions/recommendations are welcomed.
Thx!! |
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| wmquan |
I'd recommend against putting your son in a booster for now. Unless he's tall for his age, it's a bit early to go with a booster (the weight suggestion isn't as important as the height). The Parkway goes from 38 inches to 60 inches.
Even if the height requirement is met, most safety techs recommend that kids stay in their harnesses as long as possible. Here's a good article from a tech:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx
Thus, I'd suggest another Marathon or similar seat.
Another possibility is to buy a Britax Husky or Regent, which is a huge seat that keeps kids in a five-point harness up to 80 lbs or whenever their height outgrows it. However, the Husky/Regent is massive and isn't certified for aircraft use.
I'm probably going to buy a Regent for my 2.5 year old daughter, who is outgrowing an old Roundabout. The Marathon and similar seats from Britax don't give too much more additional height, so I'll probably go to the Husky for her. We already have two Husky seats for my son, one in each vehicle.
Congratulations on your second child! |
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| SuitedPair |
My daughter is a tall 3 and she just barely makes the requirement for the booster. I would definitely not recommend spending money on something with the expectation that you will be strapping a 75 pund kid into a 5-point harness. A kid that old be very unhappy to be strapped in and very skilled at undoing the harness.
I think you're stuck buying another full out forward facing seat.
By the way, the Parkway Express is not a booster seat, it is a combo seat. A true oooster seats don't have a back and headrest. |
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| pisay87 |
quote:
Originally posted by Mando
2. Get another Britax Marathon or Boulevard for my new child or my 2 year old
Been using the Boulevard for my 8-month old for a few months now and I'm very satisfied with it. BTW, congrats! |
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| socalJD |
| What's the hurry ??? Your 2nd baby isn't here yet and you're already worried about the child seat ? You already have the infant carrier for your newborn, so just use that until he/she outgrows it and leave your son in the Marathon until then. Who knows, Britax may come out with newer products that will help make the decision easier for you at that point. I'd guess that your new baby will stay in the carrier until at least 9 months, possibly up to a year. So you have plenty of time to research and check out the next child seat for either the infant or your son. IMHO, keep your son in his Marathon until he outgrows it, and buy the next convertible child seat for your infant when the time comes (today I would buy the Wizard, but who knows what will be out 9 months from now). Good Luck. |
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| Mando |
quote:
Originally posted by socalJD
What's the hurry ??? Your 2nd baby isn't here yet and you're already worried about the child seat ? You already have the infant carrier for your newborn, so just use that until he/she outgrows it and leave your son in the Marathon until then. Who knows, Britax may come out with newer products that will help make the decision easier for you at that point. I'd guess that your new baby will stay in the carrier until at least 9 months, possibly up to a year. So you have plenty of time to research and check out the next child seat for either the infant or your son. IMHO, keep your son in his Marathon until he outgrows it, and buy the next convertible child seat for your infant when the time comes (today I would buy the Wizard, but who knows what will be out 9 months from now). Good Luck.
LOL - I know that I asking WAAAAY ahead of when the actual scenario will happen. But, I like to be prepared (I got the same reaction when asking if I should trade in my X for an Ody van :))
Thx folks and keep the thoughts coming! |
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| vlam |
First off, congrats to your family.
I would hold off on getting anything if you have an infant car seat already (the one from your 2 year old son).
Your 2 years old will be fine with the Marathon for a while.
My 3 years old is 50lbs and 40" tall and he has no trouble using the Britax Marathon or Wizard. I think he is almost ready for a booster seat but why risk it when he is perfectly happy and comfortable in the seat. I would hold off using a booster seat for a young child for as long as you can. The one main reason why he likes the Britax so much is that he could see what is in front of him because he is sitting so high. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by SuitedPair
By the way, the Parkway Express is not a booster seat, it is a combo seat. A true oooster seats don't have a back and headrest.
The definitions vary, but even Britax calls the Parkway Express a booster. Boosters usually fall into backless and high-back categories. The Parkway Express is a high-back booster.
High-back boosters have the added benefit that they usually position the seat belt in a more optimal position for the child. Backless boosters can be really hit-or-miss as vehicle belts vary.
The Parkway Express isn't a combo seat. Combo seats are forward-facing harnessed seats that can turn into high-back, belt-positioning boosters.
I agree that some older children don't want to be in a 5-point harness. However, the top slots of the Marathon (and similar Britax seats) are sufficiently low enough that some kids outgrow it in height well before they outgrow it in weight. And while they're still quite young and willing to be in a 5-point seat. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by socalJD
What's the hurry ??? Your 2nd baby isn't here yet and you're already worried about the child seat ? You already have the infant carrier for your newborn, so just use that until he/she outgrows it and leave your son in the Marathon until then. Who knows, Britax may come out with newer products that will help make the decision easier for you at that point. I'd guess that your new baby will stay in the carrier until at least 9 months, possibly up to a year. So you have plenty of time to research and check out the next child seat for either the infant or your son. IMHO, keep your son in his Marathon until he outgrows it, and buy the next convertible child seat for your infant when the time comes (today I would buy the Wizard, but who knows what will be out 9 months from now). Good Luck.
That's a good point, especially since Britax has already announced the alternatives to the Wizard and Marathon! There's a Boulevard and a Decathlon.
Britax is notorious for announcing a seat but then not shipping it for many months (even for over a year!). |
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| dj-mdx2 |
| Just my 2 cents - I have the Britax Bodyguard boosters. The width of the base is adjustable, making them perfect for that tight fit, since there are soon going to be three car seats in the second row. The Bodyguard also has side impact protectors and seatbelt clamps to ensure proper fit across the hips without transferring the force across the child's abdomen. |
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