My daughter will be 3 in 3 weeks but we are having car seat trouble. She is like a twig, she is really skinny and light but extremely tall for her age. I don't want to switch her to a booster seat (even with a back), I like the safety that the 5-point harness gives but the ones she has now are down below her shoulders (which it is suppose to be even or above). I looked around and found some that would work but they are all in the $200+ range. I have 3 different vehicles we use during the week and switching the carseat daily isn't an option. Any ideas where I can find car seats to fit what she needs and not have to pay $600 for them? Thanks.
Edit: I want to point out that I said I DON'T WANT her in a booster seat, as for her being to small for a booster seat she isn't to small, she is in the size range for one with a back and will be in the age range but it doesn't matter cause I don't think she is ready for that. As for the car seats she has, she has normal toddler car seats, I'm not sure the brands off the top of my head. No the harness can not be highered it is up on the top slots. I don't want to sound rude but I know how to adjust my daughters car seat, the point is that she is to small for the regular toddler car seats. On the car seats it says "harness should be even or slightly above the kids shoulder not below shoulder level, which is the problem we have.
I love the Britax Frontier 85-a harnesses booster that can be used to 85 lbs. and is easily height adjustable. They're not cheap, but the really good carseats rarely are. Try amazon.com for a good deal. I've gotten all of mine from there for much cheaper than in stores. Good luck!
Another vote for the Graco Nautilus. Nice high slots (18") at a reasonable price, and it converts to a good high-back and then backless booster when you need it to.
You are a smart momma to not put a 3-year-old in a booster seat. Those are best for ages 6 and up. How about the Evenflo Maestro? It has one of the highest top slots on the market (18") and is under $70 or $80 usually. It only goes to 50 lbs., but it sounds like she is light. The carseat is light. Easy to install with seatbelt! Or you can use latch to its limit, but I find seatbelt easier.
My toddler's carseat (Orbit toddler) DID cost $600 exactly, actually (with the base), so I hear you on wanting a seat that doesn't break the bank! But it saved my back since it rotates for rear-facing.
My kids are VERY tall and all have been able to rear-face in the Diono carseat until age 4 or 5. Now, those are over $200 too and heavy, so they stay put in the car. Top-notch safety with extended rear-facing, but I am sure the Maestro would meet your needs. If you want the seat with a higher weight limit, try Evenflo Secure-kid. It's affordable too.
If the straps are below her shoulders, I would recommend getting the new seat today! Good luck!
I have this problem too. My 3 year old was too big for her convertible carseat by the time she was 18 months. I ended up buying the Sunshine Kids/Diono Radian xst and it is great. I also bought one for my 19 month old son because he is 35 pounds already. Anyway, I know these are super expensive, and super heavy, so you dont' want to switch it around all the time. But, in my research, I did see some pretty things about the Graco Myride 65. It was running about $169 or so I think. There is also one that runs about $120 that was compatible for the height also, but I don't remember the name. It was at walmart online though. Good luck! She HAS to be in a 5 point harness until she is 4 per the booster guidelines.
What we did was we used a couple of sales and such to get the 2 seats we wanted without paying full price. For example: http://www.albeebaby.com/cocarse1.html
We bought both our seats from them at different times, at different sales. If you are willing to get a different pattern or a slightly older model (say last year's model vs this one - with an older child who is likely to outgrow it in less than the life of the seat a slightly older seat is not as big a deal), you can save money without endangering your child.
You can also see if any baby store is having a trade in event and take an old seat to them (maybe a friend has one that's expired) and get a % off.
When you say she is too small, could this be resolved by having a convertible seat that can be RF and FF and putting her RF longer? My DD is 4 and is RF because she's a skinny minnie and not yet 35 lbs.
I got the Safety First Alpha Omega Elite from Buy Buy Baby for $99, and you can use the 20% off coupon from either Buy Buy Baby or Bed Bath and Beyond. My daughter is tall for her age and we have no trouble with harness height and still have room to go, and my daughter will be 4 in March. I would definitely take your daughter with you shopping and have her try them out in the store to make sure she fits. We like it a lot and it eventuallly converts to a high back booster, but it has the 5 point harness until then.
She is too young and too small for a booster. You cannot do it. It will not be safe for a child her age and her size. She definitely needs to be harnessed.
What seat is she in now and why can't she keep using it? Are you sure you can't adjust the harness to a higher level? Most of those seats have a pretty high height limit and a three year old should fit into almost any convertible car seat.
She would fit into a Graco Nautilus, which is a five point harness that later converts to a high back, then a low back booster. Minimum weight is, I think, 20 lbs. We didn't put my son in that until he was four, and he's a big kid. Your daughter will meet the requirements, but will probably look really small in the seat.
In general, brands like Graco and Evenflo are cheaper than Britax. Albeebaby.com sometimes has good deals and might also have coupons on retailmenot.com We often buy car seats there.
Graco Nautilus. They are great and around $125.
I second or third the Graco Nautilus. It fits 20-65 lb for 5 point harness. My 7 yr old is still in the 5 point harness. You can also use it later as a highback belt booster, and eventually to a backless booster. They are priced around $130.
Good luck!
I would suggest going to Babies R Us or similar to try out car seats. You can have your daughter sit in them, adjust the straps, etc. Many car seats go up to 80lbs to encourage keeping children in them longer. Our 7 year old still fits comfortably in a Britax Frontier (5 point harness).
Alpha Omega Elite. It's uber padded, and even my skinny boy at his skinniest toddler size fits well in it. Five point harness, The straps have sliding shoulder padding also, and is adjustable from rear facing carseat to an adjustable strap and seat booster. They've gotten way cheaper then when my father first got us one. My second one(after Greyhound lost it). was $99 at Sam's.
My son is super skinny, even at seven almost eight. He technically is tall enough to get out of this booster, but he says he feels safer than when he sits in my friends car with a backless booster. I don't know what I am going to do when he turns eight next month, as they don't require them anymore after then in our state. He just likes the feel of a highbacked chair in the car...:P That's how he describes sitting in his carseat.
Hope this helps.
I know you don't want her in a booster seat, but have you looked at the convertible ones with the 5 point harnesses, or are those what you have? My kids were also all slender and tall and we had the same problem. We ended up with one of the convertible seats, a Graco I think, and were able to use the 5 point system with it until they were about 6, then used it as a regular high back booster seat. I think ours cost about $70 each, which still isn't cheap, but is better than $200....
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I know you don't want her in a booster seat, but have you looked at the convertible ones with the 5 point harnesses, or are those what you have? My kids were also all slender and tall and we had the same problem. We ended up with one of the convertible seats, a Graco I think, and were able to use the 5 point system with it until they were about 6, then used it as a regular high back booster seat. I think ours cost about $70 each, which still isn't cheap, but is better than $200....
