Saturday, May 17, 2014

Car Seat Blahs.

Car seat shopping...again.  Need some honest reviews from YOU.  You can either comment in the blog comments section, or leave a comment on Facebook.  This is very frustrating and never ending it seems.  I just asked back at Christmastime for advice for one for Sweetpea!  #1 (for those of you who don't normally read my blog, that's my hubby) says the whole height and weight requirement thing is being fueled by lobbyists who work for car seat companies.  Not that he's not about safety-he knows what can go wrong in an accident for kids not strapped in and wants our kids to be safe.  We have a rule that if our seats get moved either he or I install them into the next car.  This offends people.  So sorry, they're not YOUR kids.  So it isn't that he doesn't care about car seats...he just thinks it is a racket that every 2 years all the "rules" change and none of your car seats comply anymore.  A racket AND expensive.  Maybe he's right.  I'm just not willing to bet the kids' life on it.

Our boys were under the "old" system where you moved your kids at 30 lbs to a high back booster.  Oh how times have changed.  Now they're supposed to be in a 5 point harness BACKWARDS till that weight.  Rosebud's 5 point only goes to 40 inches.  She's 40 1/2".  My brilliant idea was to switch carseats with Sweet Pea because hers go to 50 inches.  Problem:  Rosebud's head, even in the "up to 50 inch" seat is only an inch and a half below the top of the headrest...the manual says her head needs to be at least an inch below it.  Another problem?  Sweet Pea isn't yet 30# and Rosebud's old car seats are "supposed" to face rear, but we can't get them tight enough that way so they only work forward facing.  Right now so that Rosebud isn't too tall for hers, Sweet Pea is turned forward and she's only 25#.  Confused yet?

Rosebud is long in the body, so even buying another seat that is up to 50" (most 5 points are now) doesn't help us because her head sits too high.  She's nowhere near 50", but too tall for those seats according to their manuals.  I took her to a store and tried some other brands, but still her head is right up at the top...even if it is a 50" seat.  I need a car seat store that has them ALL.  EVERY SINGLE ONE FOR SALE IN THE WORLD on display that I can sit her in and see how she fits.  This doesn't exist.  

So then I discovered this: http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Chase-Harnessed-Booster-Reese/dp/B00ISS2JPK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1400338754&sr=8-5&keywords=boosters+car+seats

It is a highback booster (for when she hits 40#) that ALSO has a 5 point harness.  I need to know if anyone owns one of these seats.  It is an Evenflo Chase Harnessed Booster.  It is less than $100 which is a MUST.  Seriously can't afford one more than that.  Truthfully, this one is not in the budget, but we have to get one.  It gets good reviews on Amazon and Evenflo (big shock as they made it).  I'm wondering though if the headrest adjusts really high.  Little Monkey Man has a high back booster that he still sits in and he still has more height we can add to his.  But without SEEING the car seat, I don't know how high this one we're looking at has the potential to go.

I hate car seats.  HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE them.  But I know firsthand how valuable they are.  Help please!

(Or other recommendations for highback boosters WITH 5 point harnesses)