Car seat question - WWYD?

[Arimeh]

For some reason I thought the H Harnesses were only tested to 18kg - is that not true?

[LimeSlice]

No idea Mel, but you have 4kgs before you need to worry about it, then he can use the real seatbelt anyhow.

[Arimeh]

No idea Mel, but you have 4kgs before you need to worry about it, then he can use the real seatbelt anyhow.

You mean 1kg? Cos DS is 17kg. If DD1 goes into the maxi rider, she'll be fine cos she hasn't cracked the 14kg just yet. But then my next worry is her outgrowing the height of the maxi rider before she's 3.. LOL

[kawazuki]

did you get the AHR Maxi rider?
as that one goes up in height and suits taller children.

[Arimeh]

Nah just the normal maxi rider. Goes to 26kg or something, but yeah, can't adjust its height.

[kawazuki]

we got the AHR as tay is taller.

maybe the hi pod may be better for DD1 as its taller and keep DS in the maxi rider.

[Arimeh]

Argh I dunno. I didn't want to keep DS in the maxi rider cos I don't think it will last until he is 7...

[LimeSlice]

Ah right sorry Mel, misunderstood!

Just did a quick google - the H Harness we have (BabyLove) is for 14kg-26kgs.

[nickle730]

The Hi Liner, you can adjust the height. My DD is 7, almost 8 and she is still in one. She is small for age and we still have room to raise the head rest. She uses the normal seatbelt but for your DS I would use the H-harness which slips through the shoulder holes (new H-harness, different to the old ones). Only cost me about $160 at Baby Bunting for the seat. The Hi Liner (and I think the Infa Secure is the same) should suit your DS (or DD) until they no longer need a booster. I thought the H-harness was rated to 26kg, but not absolutely sure??

[xXHopeXx]

not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but you can get a booster seat that is actually suitable from 8kg's all the way until they're 7 years old, it has the 5 point harness in it still, (which you take out when they're too heavy/too old) so it is essentially still a carseat, but you dont have to worry about the safety in that sense! and your DD can use it when your DS grows out of it

there's plenty of different ones, but i know there's one in the Maxi-Rider range, but i just looked on baby kingdom website and they have a few, ill PM the link to the different ones, as im not sure if im allowed to post it?

HTH

[Arimeh]

Gem, yeah thats like what the maxi rider is - the current one we have that DS is in, thats why I got it for him, so it will last him till he's 7. However, I didn't expect DD1 to be so freakin' tall (monster father) and we're a bit short of cash at the moment, so my options are limited.

Oh and sorry my inbox was full

[Olive]

there will be booster seats coming onto the market soon for taller kids, i know it was in the media a fe months back, not sure whos making them though, so really im not much help
though a friend told me recently that its safer to use the proper seatbelt i think in conjuction with part that goes between the legs... cant remember the name of it..than the H harness!

[LimeSlice]

Yeah the Safe n Sound ones have a special loop that goes around the lap part of a seat belt to hold it over their hips where it should be. And if the seat is fitted properly the sash part actually goes through a slot on the side of the chair, so it comes over their shoulder in the correct position if the height of the chair is adjusted correctly, meaning they can't choke themselves or have internal injuries or something from the seatbelt moving in an accident.

[*EJ*]

I was in a similar situation 1 month ago. DS1 will be 4 at the end of Jan, DS2 is 21 months and i needed to install a capsule for DD1. I purchased the Safe n Sound Hi Liner for DS1 with harness, it was a much slimmer seat and i needed so be able to fit 3 seats in a commodore wagon. I then transfered DS2 into the Maxi Rider which was DS1's and was able to also install a capsule for bub.

I thought i'd do the right thing and get them all professionaly installed especially with the seat that needed the harness because i had no idea how to do that. But when i was asked if DS was 18kg i had to say no not quite (i'm not good and telling fibs) and he wasn't going to be 4 until late Jan. So for a minute there the guy wasn't going to install the seat for me. He did change his mind thankfully as i'm not sure what we would have done then. But DS1 is fine in the Hi Liner and could almost be of regulation weight now anyway, DS2 is comfy in the Maxi Rider and DD is comfy in her capsule.

I'd say you'd be better off getting a booster of some kind for DS and then have your other little ones move up a seat (when it's time) you'll get use out of all of them and hopefully by the time DS is out of the booster maybe DD will be ready to go in it. Maybe That's what i'm hoping.

[Ginger]

so......now you've got me thinking mel (sorry to hijack!) but what do you do with a maxi rider once your child hits 18kg? do you have to change something?

[Arimeh]

Nah ginger the maxi rider goes till they are 26kg. So really, I thought it would last him till he's 7.

[~clover~]

Not sure about the brands you guys have, but we have DD2 in a half seat booster (she is 5.5) & DS in a hi pod. The hi pod is adjustable.
We have the H harness, but DS refused to use it, so I have just the seatbelt, but with that one it fits into the seat to fit across him properly. I am going to put the harness back in though & see if I can make him use it. He threw a tanty & stood up the other day, so I need to do something.
I dunno, I should never have given up the fight in the first place

[Just Me]

so......now you've got me thinking mel (sorry to hijack!) but what do you do with a maxi rider once your child hits 18kg? do you have to change something?

We were looking into this last week - you can buy a H harness for it. I think that it only goes up to 26kg if you change the seatbelt type over. Target sells the H harnesses specifically for maxi riders for about $50 (so I assume when they have 20% off baby stuff they would be $10 cheaper). They have a special clip that attaches at the top near the baby bolt. We have AHR Maxi-riders (I have one for DD1 and one for DS at the moment). I assume the H harness would be the same for AHR and normal maxi-riders.

Mel, we have issues with car seat - more getting 4 of them into our car (a 2006 Tarago) while still being able to get to all of them because my kids can't do up their own buckles or undo their own buckles yet and I am in no hurry to teach them. At the moment we have DS and DD1 in Maxi Rider AHR, DD2 is in a Safe and Sound Meridian AHR and our new baby will be going into our baby capsule for the first 8 months. We are thinking that we will probably buy another Maxi-Rider for DD2 when we need the Meridian for DS2. DH also has a car and will be taking DD1 to kindy and picking her up some days so we are looking into booster seats for her to go in DH's car so we don't have to keep moving them over. DD2 weighs about 14.5kg and won't be 4 until May so I have no idea what we are going to do with her because she can't really go into a booster seat just yet.

I reckon we will at least be able to use DD1's maxi rider for DS2 when he is bigger, but if she needs it until she is 7, then I don't know that I would want to pass it onto another child after 5 years of use anyway and I will buy DS2 his own maxi-rider in a couple of years.