Child Car Seats That Fit

nit2

We have leather seats in our Odyssey '04 and are worried that the car seats will leave indentations. I was initially thinking of using a bath towel to protect the seats - until I read the preceding note mentioning "car seat gaskets".
Where can I get them and are any types better than others? I dont want to use something that will stick to the seats in hot weather or in the New England cold winters.
Any suggestions are welcome.

synthia92

i have 2003 honda element my son is 7 months old and i am looking for a car seat that will fit in the back seat

tidester

I can't point you to a specific vendor but the Element does have the LATCH system (Lower Anchor and Tether for CHildren) which should make it fairly easy to find a seat that fits.

Recommendations for Synthia, anyone?

tidester, host

anonymousposts

nit2: We ordered two gray rubber mats from the manufacturer of our car seat. They are basically like floormats for your seats. My son is only 2 weeks old so I have only had the car seat/mat in for a few weeks now so I can't attest for how they work long-term, but so far so good.

buddyzuniga

I have leather seats in my van. I purchase my car seat gasket at Babies R Us. My daughter is two years old and she weighs about 30lbs. I remove the car seat and gasket weekly to clean and condition all the leather seats with Meguires leather seat wipes, they work great. Withing five minutes or so the slight indentations are completely gone. Without the gasket the indentations were more sever and took about 3 days to go away. Six months with the car seat gasket with no permenant dents, rips or lines. The gasket will prove itself worthy.

stever

You're right - that registration flops up for a lot of the TV news links around the US. My sign-up is "cookied" I guess so I forgot that the link wasn't all that easy to get to.

Try this one:

The Seattle Press

Here's a blurb in case that link is flaky too:

"By failing to protect their 4- to 8-year-old children by placing them in booster seats, these parents are leaving young passengers vulnerable to injury and death in motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of mortality for children in this age group."

So maybe 10 is old enough to dispense with the booster?

Steve, Host

Sylvia

Our first two kids used the heck out of our original infant car seat. With baby #3 it was time to get a new one. We went with the Britax Companion Infant Seat. I'm amazed at how much easier installation has come in 5-6 years. The "anti-rebound bar" significantly reduces movement in the event of an accident and was key for our buying it.

stever

"NHTSA is hoping to raise the bar for manufacturers who make seats for older and heavier children."

NHTSA Proposes New Child Seat Rules (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

jc9799

I posted this on another board, but was directed here. Just wondered if anyone had any advice:

Our 2 kids have outgrown their car seats and are now riding in boosters. So now, we have 4 seats, all under 5 years old, never been in an accident. Seems a shame to throw them away, but we don't need them and Goodwill will NOT take them, due to liability issues.
Are there any other organizations that will take them as donations, or do I just dump them in next weeks trash? (As a non-car, but related follow-up, does anyone know where I can donate old playpens and high chairs as well?)

Thanks for any help, and sorry if this question has already been asked.

bluedevils

You could try Yahoo's Freecycle groups. See if there's one in your area. Basically, people post things they are offering or things they want, and you can hook up with someone who is looking for a car seat. Those seats should be pretty easy to unload that way. We tried this once with some baby bottles and had a good result.

stever

State-of-the-Art Child Safety Seat Debuts (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

jb_shin

and I thought Recaro was expensive........

buddybluz

Before we chose the Britax Boulevard as our carseat we checked to see if it could be used in the 2003 Honda CRV.
After we got the car seat we found that this baby did not enjoy riding in the sides of the back seat as her mom had her in the middle of the back seat of her car.
When we took our car for service we asked the service tech if we could have the seat installed in the center position and he said that it had to be on one side or the other, not in the center.
Is there any way to get an additional tether strap or belt to be able to use the seat in the center position or do all of you have yours on the side?

caseyprice

Hi, just purchased a 2006 Honda CRV. Will I be able to fit an infant car seat and two booster seats in the back for my grandchildren? The booster seats are 16 1/2 inches wide each, and the infant seat is about 17 or 17 1/2 inches wide. I understand it would be tight but is it possible? Has anyone had experience with this? Would love some feedback. Thanks

caseyprice

Hi, if you do find out about these space saving seats, please let me know as I'm hoping to fit two small children and an infant in the back seat of a Honda CRV. Would appreciate any information you have. Thanks in advance.

fiticeland

Here's a new seat to the market, very safe, narrow, and less expensive than Britax! I'll definitely be getting this one. I've heard it's also great on airplane seats because of the width:

http://www.skjp.com/Pages/radian.html

fiticeland

Also wanted to add, and you'll see this on their webpage, that the seat folds for travel, though it is heavy, and there is a part that tips it back for a more reclined angle when rear-facing. They also have a travel bag for it that you can wear as a backpack- key when going through an airport! Check out the Photo Gallery link.

There's a review for it here:

http://spillingthebeans.net/?cat=202

stever

"there's a new car seat that claims to be the most advanced, safest child seat ever invented"

National Child Safety Week (The Driving Woman blog)

And Belted in back seat best for tweens. (Detroit News)

Steve, Host

cpsdarren

I finally had a chance to see the SafeGuard seat. It's very nice and has a lot of innovative features. Whether or not it is the safest in any particular situation depends on the child, vehicle and parent, of course.

lienaud

Had to pick either our seats totally pulled forward or without head rests to get our 2 Britax Roundabouts (rear-facing) into our 1996 Toyota Corolla. I chose without head rests. Is there any other way to do install these?
Or should we take our tax return and look for a new car (while I look for a job too)?

cpsdarren

Once the baby has good neck strength to support their head well, usually after 6 months or so, the seat can be installed more upright. The 45 degree recommended recline is for newborns and small infants. It's actually a bit safer in a crash to have older babies less reclined. That may give you a little more room.

Also, the Roundabout can be installed such that is it is touching or braced against the vehicle seat or headrest in front of it.

lyn3

Does anyone know if the Britax Boulevard and Subaru Forester 2005 XT are compatible.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I really prefer this car seat but had read somewhere else that it might not be compatible with my car.

Thank you,
Linda

stever

Try the Subaru XT Turbo Forester discussion too; should be some parents in there.

In the news:

"Based on national growth charts and the 2000 Census, at least 283,305 children ages 1 to 6 are too heavy for standard safety seats. That includes nearly 190,000, or almost 5 percent, of U.S. 3-year-olds, the researchers said."

Obesity epidemic hits child safety seats (MSNBC)

Steve, Host

cpsdarren

You can also try http://www.carseatdata.org to see if other parents got a good fit. If your exact year and model aren't listed, you might try similar models from the same generation of vehicle years. Also, the Boulevard is essentailly the same shell as the more common Marathon and Wizard, so those could give good information since there may not be many entries for the newer Boulevard. The Decathlon is similar, but does have some minor differences, especially when using LATCH.

An experienced child passenger safety technician can show you how to obtain an acceptable fit of most any carseat in the vast majority of vehicles. There are exceptions that don't work at all, of course, and many do take a good deal of effort to fit properly. On the plus side, I think you have a pretty good chance since those seats and your vehicle don't strike me as being generally difficult offhand. Just be sure to get a good return policy in case they just don't work well and if you have problems, consult a technician before you give up and return it. See http://www.seatcheck.net to find one near you.

bobo6

Are there any luxury sedans that will accomodate three car seats in the back row?

Sylvia

What kind of carseats? I have two Britax Marathon's and 1 Britax booster. I was able to get them into the back of a Nissan Maxima. I can't say the kids were completely comfortable, but they fit.

bobo6

Right now we have 2 Britax Roundabouts and one Graco rear facing. Thanks for the info. Is it a newer Maxima? I guess you don't need Latch for the booster, right? We haven't gotten to the booster stage yet!

Sylvia

The Roundabouts are a bit smaller than the marathons. It was a rental car 2006 Nissan Maxima. http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/nissan/maxima/100624745/prices.html?action=1

The booster does not need a latch (and I highly recommend the Britax booster).

bobo6

My husband really likes the new Lexus 350, but we have not yet tried the car seats in it. We'll compare the size to the Maxima, and I'm going to also suggest he look at the Maxima. Thanks for your help.

Sylvia

Anytime.

sky23213

After a week of research we are down to choosing between Recaro Young Sport and Britax Boulevard. Has anyone compared those two? The seat will go in a 05 CR-V. What makes things difficult is that we managed to find only one store that has the Boulevard in stock so we could look at it. The situation with the Recaro is even worse - Sears carries them, but online only, in the local stores they haven't even heard of it! Looks very nice and solid, but as you may know, it always looks much nicer on a picture. The "consumer ratings" form a couple of site seemed suspiciously identical (there was even a warning about bogus postings on one site regarding that). I would highly appreciate any opinions on the Recaro as well as on the comparison.
Thank You

Sylvia

This is my opinion only - so take it as that. I've always purchased Britax car seats because they are based/tested in Europe which have higher testing standards (crash tests, etc.) than in the US. I figure if my kid is going in the car seat, I want the one that passed the most stringest test out there. Britax can be more expensive, but worth every penny.

jb_shin

When my son grew out of hi Britax Roundabout (which I think is similar enough to the Boulevard), I purchased Recaro Start whle living in Germany where it was easy to "see" them at stores. It was great except for a smallish head-piece that protects from side impact. Then my younger one used the Britax and recently started using Young Sport. They are both tested in Europe as well.

I like the Young Sport because it has much better side-impact protection than anything out there. The downside is that it is not as easy to buckle in a child, and boy is it heavy. Roundabout is simple and easy to use. They are both expensive, I think the Recaro was about $300 or a bit less, and the Britax about $200 range.

I like the Recaro better as it can grow with children and be used as booster seat, as well as having more protection for side impact.

Let me know if have any specific question.

sky23213

Thank You so much for your posts! Both posts were a perfect combination for the questions I had!
I looked at the Boulevard yesterday, now the only thing to do is check out the Recaro. I found an authorized dealer for Recaro that carries child seats, the problem is that it's not a store but a dude operating out of his house. At least we'll be able to see the seat.
There was a post a few pages back regarding problems installing the Boulevard in the center of the back seat of a CR-V. If that comes out to be true, we'll go with the Recaro.
Thanks again, Sylvia, for the info regarding the origin of the Boulevard (the salesperson did not know where the seat was manufactured).
Thanks, jb_shin, for the helpful hints. The side protectors were a bit of a concern that might make the kid uncomfortable, so we'll decide when we see the seat.
Here, in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area the Boulevard retails for 299.00 and the Recaro for 249.00.

Sylvia

I'm glad that the comments helped. Those are the same prices I see online (babyuniverse.com - free shipping)

sky23213

Received the Recaro yesterday

Sylvia

Hooray!

stever

More Proof that Child Seats Save Lives (The Driving Woman)

Steve, Host

leigh4

Hi,
I was wondering which seat you ended up purchasing. I am also deciding between the Recaro and the Britax and also the Safeguard carseat. I like the Recaro as well and not being able to see it either, would like you input.

thanks!!!

sky23213

Hi there!
We purchased the Recaro Young Sport. This is the multipurpose one - we currently use it with the 5-point harness, it also converts to a booster, accommodates a child up to 80lb. We like it a lot. We looked at it at the local authorized dealer. Quite different than the other seats, very solid. Can be used only as forward-facing. The cover looks and feels very nice (it's the only part not made in the US, it's made in Mexico, still very high quality, could be removed and washed; otherwise the seat is manufactured in Michigan). Unlike the other seats it has only one additional setting for position adjustment, Recaro call it "sleeping positioning" - all it allows is to recline the seat an inch or two back. As far as height adjustment, as noted earlier, is takes the kid from 18-80lb (three height adjustments). VERY user friendly and detailed Owners Manual. It's a little on the heavy side too, but that's normal considering the steel they put in it.
I don't know in which state you are, but you may find the Authorized dealers for your state at www.recaro-nao.com - just make sure they carry the child seats too, not only the race car inventory.

fundad

We found out that my wife and I will be having baby number 3 . That will be 3 kids under 3 and a half. Currently we have a 2003 GMC Yukon Denali XL which we will keep as it has a bench seat in the middle row, and a 2004 Ford Expedition with the "quad" seating that we will get rid of. I tried to get all 3 carseats in the Expy and it is a pain in the butt wiggling through the second row to get a child buckled in the back row. Then there is no room for strollers and stuff with the third row up. What vehicles are large enough to fit 3 car seats across and still have room for a double stroller and all the gear that goes along with having 3 kids? I looked at a minivan and there is not enough room behind the third row for a stroller and misc. stuff. Would LOVE to get something better on gas but as I'm finding out, minivans only get a couple MPG better than what we currently get. ANY Ideas anyone? I dont really want 2 suburban looking trucks, but cant think of any other vehicle.

cpsdarren

Have you looked at the Sienna CE or LE 8-passenger version? Plenty of room for 3-across in the second row and the middle seat even moves forward for convenient reach to a baby. You can do 3-across in the third row, too, but it can be a tight fit depending on the child seats. Even with the third row in use, the cargo area is pretty reasonable and definitely better than the Expedition. There isn't much that has more cargo and passenger room than the Sienna 8-passenger except for a Suburban or a full size van. For those, the Dodge Sprinter is a good choice as it has stability control and lap/shoulder belts and head restraints in every seating position.

We took our Odyssey with 3 kids and both rows in use on a 1 week trip and had plenty of room for all our luggage behind the third row. The Sienna has a bit more room than the Odyssey back there. Granted, a double stroller takes up a bit more room than our single does. On the other hand, you could always fold one section of the third row seat, too. Depending on your stroller, you might find one that has a more compact fold and will open up more space.

The 2WD Sienna is rated at 19/26 compared to 14/19 for the 2WD Suburban, about a 33% increase. The Dodge Sprinter has a nice diesel rated for something like 21/24 I think.

rockylee

The 2WD Surburban get's 21 HWY if your talking 07'

friends claim to get 22 HWY in there 4x4 Tahoes

The Ody has a recall out on it so be sure if ya have one to get it fixed.

Rocky

cpsdarren

I didn't have numbers for the 2007 Sienna, so those were 2006 numbers. People claim to get all sorts of numbers above and below EPA estimates for a variety of vehicles. If comparing one vehicle to another is a major factor in a purchase, I'd compare test results from the EPA, Consumer Reports, Motor Trend or MotorWeek before using isolated accounts from owners. Driving habits, A/C use, tire inflation and weather conditions can make substantial differences among such reports.

I'm pretty sure my 2006 Odyssey has had no recalls. What years were affected?

rockylee

That is true. However I put more faith into actual numbers by owners since they typically drive like normal people and not lead footed journalist from Motor Trend.

Rocky

P.S. I'm not positive. I think but I'm not positive your 06' is affected

cpsdarren

The point is that the test results are done driving each car the same. The EPA requirements are pretty conservative, perhaps Motor Trend is more aggressive. If they all essentially agree that one model is more efficient than another, you can be reasonably sure that will apply for just about any type of driving you would do, also. That's not to say you would get the same numbers as these tests, but that you would also get better mileage on a model that tested better. On the other hand, "normal people" drive a lot differently from each other, in different conditions and with different vehicle maintenance. If you can find people in your area that drive the exact same way you do and compared the same model/year of vehicles at the same time, then perhaps your faith is well founded.

I can't find anything for '06. If you have a link I'd greatly appreciate it.

Back to car seats?

rockylee

All I know is the Ody was being recalled. Exact years I'm not sure of as I stated.

Neways great points of view.

Rocky

cpsdarren

There was a recall that made headlines last month, but it affected first generation Odysseys from the mid 90s. Also, if I recall correctly, the vast majority of vehicles involved were sold in Japan.

rockylee

Okay....I was just concerned for your safety.

Rocky

odie6l

Congrats on the news, my wife an I just had our 2nd on 6/24/06.
One of the vehicle my wife an I are looking at to replace my '01 Escape is a Freestyle. You can get it with a 3 person 2nd row and still have the 3rd 50/50 split seat. Other nice thing is Ford added LATCH to the 3rd row for the 2006 model (not avail in the '05). So in theory you could in fact have 5 car seats if needed. If you get a FWD model over the AWD you are looking at pretty good mileage.

Odie
Odie's Carspace