4 year old Car seat

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 06:31 PM

DS1 (nearly 4) Has a S and S maxirider. DS2 (nearly 2 and 1/2) Has a S and S Meridian. The Meridan needs replacing so my question is do we give Maxirider to DS2 and Buy DS1 something like S and S Hi liner and use a harness with that or do we leave DS1 as is and buy DS2 a Maxirider as well??

He is no where near being the 26kg max for maxirider. But I also see that 26kg is Max for the Hi liner as well so not sure.

**Ginger** · June 6th, 2012, 06:48 PM

How much does ds1 weigh?

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 06:53 PM

DS1 is 16kg and DS2 is 15kg.

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 09:02 PM

Anyone with ideas?

**~Kim~** · June 6th, 2012, 09:12 PM

Is he likely to be a tall kid?
If yes then I'd probably go with the Hi-liner, but if no and a Maxi would be OK and he wasn't going to grow too tall for it then I'd go the Maxi.

**Hansie** · June 6th, 2012, 09:16 PM

We recently had a similar dilemma. DS2 refused to sit in his seat S&S Premium AHR & wanted to sit in DS1 S&S maxi. To solve this we transferred DS2 Maxi from DH's car for DS1 but it seemed smaller than the older one & true to thought when DS1 sat in it the seat belt was left with about 6 cm of room left to play with. We didn't want to mess with the original as it is properly fitted and DS1 is quite tall so decided on buying him a full booster seat anchored in like the maxi but using the car seat belt. DS1 is about 17 & 18kg & DS2 15kg. Working well so far.
If you decide on a maxi rider I have a spare. Hardly been used as it was in DH's car & DS2 rarely went in it. I would say roughly 10 times for both boys & no accidents whilst it's been fitted in. I'm in the eastern burbs.
Not sure if anything I have said has helped. Hopefully it has.

**melbel** · June 6th, 2012, 10:41 PM

If he is only 16 kilos at 4 years I would keep him in a seat with a five point harness....they are tested to 22 kilos and he is far safer in a five point harness than he ever will be in an h harness or seat belt booster. To get the maximum height wise I would suggest the baby love ezycombo or the maxi cosi complete air they Are the tallest of the harnessed booster seats. If you want to spend the money on another maxi rider do so but the ezycombo actually rates better in crash testing for what it's worth and is at least $200 cheAper.....baby bunting has it ozsale this week for $199 instead of $299 FTP. Just my five cents.

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 10:48 PM

If he is only 16 kilos at 4 years I would keep him in a seat with a five point harness....they are tested to 22 kilos and he is far safer in a five point harness than he ever will be in an h harness or seat belt booster. To get the maximum height wise I would suggest the baby love ezycombo or the maxi cosi complete air they Are the tallest of the harnessed booster seats. If you want to spend the money on another maxi rider do so but the ezycombo actually rates better in crash testing for what it's worth and is at least $200 cheAper.....baby bunting has it ozsale this week for $199 instead of $299 FTP. Just my five cents.

I would prefer a harnessed seat. What is weight limits of the ezycombo???? I thought with the boosters you could use a harness as well?? I had been told that once he hit 18kg he could not longer be in a 5 point harness is that wrong??

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 10:48 PM

We recently had a similar dilemma. DS2 refused to sit in his seat S&S Premium AHR & wanted to sit in DS1 S&S maxi. To solve this we transferred DS2 Maxi from DH's car for DS1 but it seemed smaller than the older one & true to thought when DS1 sat in it the seat belt was left with about 6 cm of room left to play with. We didn't want to mess with the original as it is properly fitted and DS1 is quite tall so decided on buying him a full booster seat anchored in like the maxi but using the car seat belt. DS1 is about 17 & 18kg & DS2 15kg. Working well so far.
If you decide on a maxi rider I have a spare. Hardly been used as it was in DH's car & DS2 rarely went in it. I would say roughly 10 times for both boys & no accidents whilst it's been fitted in. I'm in the eastern burbs.
Not sure if anything I have said has helped. Hopefully it has.

Thanks we are out west, but will let DH know. So hard to know what is right and wrong to do!!

**Ginger** · June 6th, 2012, 11:09 PM

Feeb I would probably try to avoid the H harness if you can at all. There has been a thread in here about it, not sure where and I am on my iPhone so can't find it. I personally had one and hated it, found it such a pita

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 11:14 PM

Feeb I would probably try to avoid the H harness if you can at all. There has been a thread in here about it, not sure where and I am on my iPhone so can't find it. I personally had one and hated it, found it such a pita

Why was it a PITA??
I would like him in 5 point harness as long as possible and don't like the idea of just using normal seat belt. AHHHH why do we not have same standards as Europe!!!

**Ginger** · June 6th, 2012, 11:18 PM

I totally understand your frustration. I have been dealing with car seat dilemmas for ages too!
I found the H harness a pita because each time you put them back in their seat, you need to thread it back through the harness. I remember reading somewhere (maybe it was on the racv site or something) that if the harness is not perfectly positioned each time u put the child in, then it is quite unsafe.

**melbel** · June 6th, 2012, 11:18 PM

The standard says they can only advertise he seat as rated to18 kilos but they are crash tested with a 22 kilo dummy so are definitely safe in the five point harness till 22 kilos. With boosters here are to types, the convertible booster lik the ezycombo which coverts from a five point to a seat belt booster or a dedicated booste which is seat belt or h harness only. IMHO he is too lightweight for a dedicated booster yet even though by age he is allowed to be in one.

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 11:22 PM

I agree and would much prefer to keep in a 5 point harness.

Hmm now wondering if I leave him where he is and get DS2 a new seat and get him the baby love ezycombo.

Is there much height diff between 2 seats on how tall kids can be in them??? Maxi was bought in 2009 so doesnt have sholder marks on it.

**melbel** · June 6th, 2012, 11:29 PM

As a general rule they are too tall for the seat when their eyes are level with the back of the shell. He ezycombo is about 10 CDs higher torso wise than the maxi rider when I measured Connor in them side by side but that was with the new maxi rider seat.

**feeb** · June 6th, 2012, 11:37 PM

As a general rule they are too tall for the seat when their eyes are level with the back of the shell. He ezycombo is about 10 CDs higher torso wise than the maxi rider when I measured Connor in them side by side but that was with the new maxi rider seat.

Ah ok thanks hmmm I will need to take him with me then and have a play! This could be interesting will come home with a heap of things I don't need LOL.
Did you buy the evycombo?? and are you happy with it if you did? Is Connor comfortable in it.

**melbel** · June 6th, 2012, 11:46 PM

Connor is still in his platinum AHR tilt and adjust which oes quie tall but when we need to go up in e we will more than likely get the ezycombo....in fact am considering laybuying one t baby bunting while that are so cheap and using it in hubby's car for now.....the maxirider is a lt more push but Connor is really tall for his age so would outgrow it too quickly I reckon.

**melbel** · June 6th, 2012, 11:48 PM

Connor is still in his platinum AHR tilt and adjust which Goes quite tall but when we need to go up in size we will more than likely get the ezycombo....in fact am considering laybuying one at baby bunting while that are so cheap and using it in hubby's car for now.....the maxirider is a lot more plush but Connor is really tall for his age so would outgrow it too quickly I reckon.

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