WarriorMama Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We're expecting baby #3 in a few months, and I don't want to buy a bigger vehicle until next spring...which means I need to fit an infant seat between my toddler's carseat and my daughter's booster. :eek: So I'm looking for a small, lightweight infant carseat. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 What vehicle do you have and what are the other seats? Depending on what you have and what the other seats are, will really determine if you just need one new seat or you will need two new seats. The Safety First OnBoard35 is a very narrow infant seat, can be found at Target for under $100 and fits from tiny newborns to age 2 or more :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lincap Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We have a 2006 Mazda 6 with 3 in the back. We have- Behind driver - Graco Nautilus for 2.5yr old Middle - Sunshine Kids Radian (5 pt harnes) for almost 5 yr old behind front passenger- Chico keyfit 30 rearfacing for 6 month old When the baby outgrows the chico we plan to get another Radian. They are rear and forward facing and skinny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Couldn't you go right into a Radian? They are for kids 5lbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Couldn't you go right into a Radian? They are for kids 5lbs up. The SKRs say they fit 5lbs and up, yet for smaller babies (under 7lbs) the harness doesn't adjust tight enough. Same with a lot of other convertibles, either the most bottom harness slot is too high or the straps do not adjust properly. OP-if you do not mind having a convertible straight off, and know your child will be 7lbs+ the SKR is a great investment. They rear-face to either 40 or 45lbs now, this means *a lot* of years of riding the safest way to travel :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We have a Toyota Matrix with 3 seats in the back. When #3 was an infant, we had her in a Graco Snugride, the then-3 y.o. in a Graco Comfort Sport toddler seat, and the then-6 y.o. in an Evenflo Tribute convertible harness/booster with the harness. Now #3 is in the toddler seat, the almost 5 y.o. is in the Evenflo with the harness, and the almost 8 y.o. is in a Graco Turbo high-back booster. I had to take off the arm rests in order to make everything fit, but managed to squeeze them all in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We have a Toyota Matrix with 3 seats in the back. When #3 was an infant, we had her in a Graco Snugride, the then-3 y.o. in a Graco Comfort Sport toddler seat, and the then-6 y.o. in an Evenflo Tribute convertible harness/booster with the harness. Now #3 is in the toddler seat, the almost 5 y.o. is in the Evenflo with the harness, and the almost 8 y.o. is in a Graco Turbo high-back booster. I had to take off the arm rests in order to make everything fit, but managed to squeeze them all in. You can not do this, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Graco *specifically* states in their manuals that the arm rest *must* be used AND the screws in place. The arm rests on a booster acts like false hips, without the arm rest in place, the child will suffer serious and potentionally fatal injuries in the event of an accident. Also, I would be surpised if the 5yr old fits properly into the Tribute. His/her shoulders *must* be below the most top harness slots. Also make certain that s/he has not surpased the seat limit, which it sounds like it is an older model and will have a 40lb weight limit. The ComfortSport also has a *very* low top harness slot, make certain your youngest is below that top harness slot as well. Also, all your seats have a six year life span, make certain none of them are expired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 For narrowest seat width you have: Baby Trend Flex-Loc - 16.5-16.75" (depending on which max weight version) Chicco Keyfit 22 or 30 - 16.75" Maxi Cosi - 16" Peg Perego - 17" Graco Snugride 22 (do they still make that one?) - 17" Combi Centre or Shuttle 22 - 17" *MY* preference would be with the Chicco Keyfit. Light-weight seat, easy to install, easy to use, narrow and has low lowest harness slots if you have smaller babies at birth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdDRuWS01UTk3SWFYWU5la3BTckN1YlE&hl=en#gid=0 Shows the external width of almost every infant seat on the market :) The Chicco is very narrow but the Safety First OnBoard35 I mentioned before is less expensive and will last longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 You can not do this, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Graco *specifically* states in their manuals that the arm rest *must* be used AND the screws in place. The arm rests on a booster acts like false hips, without the arm rest in place, the child will suffer serious and potentionally fatal injuries in the event of an accident. I just looked through the manual and it says nothing about the arm rests being required. I then did a Google search and was unable to find anything official from the manufacturer (as opposed to secondhand claims such as yours) stating it either. Purchasing a vehicle with 3 rows is out of the question at the moment. That leaves either moving my toddler to a narrower convertible/booster like the Triumph (and she's really too small for that) or having my oldest not be in a booster at all (which legally she could do). Those options strike me as less safe than using the Turbo without the arm rests. I can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 I just looked through the manual and it says nothing about the arm rests being required. I then did a Google search and was unable to find anything official from the manufacturer (as opposed to secondhand claims such as yours) stating it either. Purchasing a vehicle with 3 rows is out of the question at the moment. That leaves either moving my toddler to a narrower convertible/booster like the Triumph (and she's really too small for that) or having my oldest not be in a booster at all (which legally she could do). Those options strike me as less safe than using the Turbo without the arm rests. I can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good... Please contact Graco on Monday. There will be a blurb about placing the screws in the arm rest. There are zero seats on the market that do not have arm rest-they are an important safety feature. You can purchase a Cosco Scenera and rear face until 40lbs or an Evenflo Maestro and FF to 50lbs. Both of these area narrow seats and less than $80. I urge you to join car-seat.org as there are many, many, more techs on that board whom will state the same thing about your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 http://www.infant-car-seats.com/installation-guides/Graco/TurboBooster.pdf You will see where the instructions state to insert the arm rest and use the screws. Sorry OP for de-railing, but mis-use of a car seat and/or booster seat is something that I can't let go. We can all learn from others mistakes, I know I have made mistakes before and was thankful someone helped me in making my son safe once again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwenhwyfar Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 http://www.infant-car-seats.com/installation-guides/Graco/TurboBooster.pdf You will see where the instructions state to insert the arm rest and use the screws. Sorry OP for de-railing, but mis-use of a car seat and/or booster seat is something that I can't let go. We can all learn from others mistakes, I know I have made mistakes before and was thankful someone helped me in making my son safe once again. bolding mine ~ i've noticed that you are very active in car seat safety..and that's great... but you do know that sometimes people are doing the very best that they can with what they have available to them, right? (vehicles, seats, space, etc) i'm just mentioning this because sometimes, when a person is passionate about certain things, it can almost come across as jumping on the way someone else is doing something/their choices/etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 bolding mine ~ i've noticed that you are very active in car seat safety..and that's great... but you do know that sometimes people are doing the very best that they can with what they have available to them, right? (vehicles, seats, space, etc) i'm just mentioning this because sometimes, when a person is passionate about certain things, it can almost come across as jumping on the way someone else is doing something/their choices/etc. When a child is in danger, it is only human to do whatever it takes to protect them. A lot of people do not realize they are using their seats wrong, nine out of ten are not used correctly. That is HUGE. I am a co-admin for a car seat safety group, so yes, I do take this seriously. You don't have to spend a fortune on seats, it may not be what you want, but there are ways to safely transport your children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwenhwyfar Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 When a child is in danger, it is only human to do whatever it takes to protect them. A lot of people do not realize they are using their seats wrong, nine out of ten are not used correctly. That is HUGE. I am a co-admin for a car seat safety group, so yes, I do take this seriously. You don't have to spend a fortune on seats, it may not be what you want, but there are ways to safely transport your children. of course it is. i'm just saying that sometimes it can be a little 'in your face'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineW Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We love the Chicco Keyfit. I have two Radians (3.5 and almost 5 year old) and the keyfit in the back of my tiny Dodge Neon. At the time my 15 month old was born, it was the only combination that would work. Christine W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 We love the Chicco Keyfit. I have two Radians (3.5 and almost 5 year old) and the keyfit in the back of my tiny Dodge Neon. At the time my 15 month old was born, it was the only combination that would work. Christine W You have a nice 3-across :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 (edited) https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdDRuWS01UTk3SWFYWU5la3BTckN1YlE&hl=en#gid=0 Shows the external width of almost every infant seat on the market :) The Chicco is very narrow but the Safety First OnBoard35 I mentioned before is less expensive and will last longer. Actually that site lists the Chicco has having a narrow exterior seat width than the Safety First. And the Chicco Keyfit 30 has a slightly higher highest harness slot, again, according to that site. And...I'm not seeing a price difference. The Safety First also comes up around $180 which is what I have been pricing the Keyfit at lately for most covers. (though some deals can be found on either, I'm sure) Just noticed the Keyfit beats out the Onboard in interior seat height as well. Not trying to be a pain here or anything, I was just pointing some things out. I know the Chicco isn't the cheapest option out there. But the OP just asked for narrow seat options. If there's a preferred (lower) price range, then I'll look for the narrowest option within that range. But it IS one of the slimmest infant seats out there and I've heard no complaints about babies outgrowing it by height too soon. Oh...the Onboard DOES go to 35# as opposed to Keyfit's 30#. So, Onboard has an advantage on that point. :) Edited October 2, 2010 by ~Tara~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 The Safety First OnBoard35 is $99 at Target :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 ooo well cool then! That's definitely a score! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2J112903 Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Yeah, I LOVE the Chicco but the OB35 is a total score at Target :D I have seen comparisions of the two and they both are VERY long lasting, but the OB35 is shaped a little different, so that is the only reason it last a bit longer than the Chicco. I want to know where all these nice seats were when J was born. It isn't fair :tongue_smilie: OP-depending on what seats you have now, you may have to get a new convertible for your middle child. The Graco Turbo is a very narrow booster seat and depending if your middle child is rear or foward facing, the Cosco Scenera or the Evenflo Momentum would be great, in-expensive, narrow seats. No need to fret about a new car, it just takes the right seats ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Tara~ Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 I want to know where all these nice seats were when J was born. It isn't fair :tongue_smilie: I know! I needed those higher weight infant seats/rf limit convertibles for my Eldest (24# @ 4 mo) :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbrother Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 I was interested in the comment about the Graco Turbo Booster because I have two in my car. If you look on page 8 of the instructions it does state that you should never use the seats without the arm rests attached. Thankfully it reminded me that I needed to go attach the screws. (These two are new.) I am sure that the poster who is doing this is doing what they thought best. I'm not a professional but there is a reason that armrests are on all seats. I believe the arm rests are there so that the seat belt remains correctly positioned across the lap, without the arm rest the seat belt cannot maintain the correct positioning. My understanding is that is one important function of a booster seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Just a thought... when you have three in carseats..... (or two in boosters... and add a third seat...).... it's much safer to have all three in carseats rather than any boosters in the set up. I'm not sure if you've ever tried to latch up boosters with a carseat in the middle... but it's a pain...no room for your hands in there... And, if it's a pain to do... it's more likely not to happen well every time. Once I watched the video about the little boy who was in a booster... in a wreck... (where he died, because he was thrown from it)... my son went into a carseat full time again.... Yes it's expensive.... but.... sometimes "almost good enough" is false confidence.... Just a thought... not trying to be mean :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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