# Is there any 3 step seat...



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

that will fit a newborn? I have an Alpha Omega Elite that I used with DS that I found out recently I never should have...I think I remember him fitting okay into it. I really like it because it will last him until booster seat.

Is there anything that will fit a newborn and go to booster?

If not I have my eye on a Graco MyRide 65 for our next baby.


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## SubliminalDarkness (Sep 9, 2009)

Not well. I think the general rule of thumb is that when a single seat is designed to do a lot of things, it doesn't do any of them especially well.

The MyRide65 is a great seat, and boosters only cost about $40.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Yeah, no seat does all three well. The booster mode of the 3 in 1's like you have is deadly, so never use it as a booster. If you really want to use the least amount of seats possible invest in a good convertible, then a good booster that goes from high back to low back.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *crunchycanadian* 
Yeah, no seat does all three well. The booster mode of the 3 in 1's like you have is deadly, so never use it as a booster. If you really want to use the least amount of seats possible invest in a good convertible, then a good booster that goes from high back to low back.

Why is it bad? The seat was a gift and I'll have a hard time convincing my husband to spend money without evidence...and "I heard on MDC" doesn't work, no offense.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Why is it bad? The seat was a gift and I'll have a hard time convincing my husband to spend money without evidence...and "I heard on MDC" doesn't work, no offense.

It positions the lap belt way too high (on the tummy instead of low on the hips touching the lap) and in an accident can cause internal injuries. It is on the IIHS not reccomended list (http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/...commended.html) if he wants to look there. I have never seen it make a good booster fit on any child I have seen in one, to the point where I actually have reccomended people buy a cheap backless booster instead of using it as a booster even though their children were younger than I would normally be comfortable with them in a backless booster.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Just a quick side note, your seat is fine to use harnessed. Just beware that if it has a 40 pound weight limit the top setting can not be used harnessed, only boostered, so it is usually outgrown too soon, but it is fine as a RF seat and a FF harnessed seat


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I agree that the problem with the Alpha Omegas (and most other 3-in-1 car seats) is that they don't fit newborns safely and they stink as belt-positioning boosters. They also tend to have low rf'ing height and weight limits, and low ff'ing height and weight limits, too. Like, my 3.5 yr old is 39 lbs, and decent sized height wise, so he would be right at outgrowing that seat both by weight and height. He is in no way ready for booster mode (plus it's illegal), so if I owned that seat it wouldn't have saved us any money since I'd be buying something to keep him harnessed for another couple years.

BPB, like a Graco Turbobooster are pretty cheap - so, I guess I don't see the appeal of something that is supposed to do all three. I would get something that fits a newborn well (like a True Fit or Radian) and also allows for extended rear-facing and forward-facing. That would make it worth the extra $, IMO.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

sorry, I spaced you said you were looking at the MyRide - that would be a good choice, I think, though I don't know the rf'ing weight limit off the top of my head (is it 40 lbs?) I remember passing on it for my youngest, b/c the shell wasn't tall enough to me (since we were replacing an expired Marathon, and my kids have fairly long torsos).


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

The Evenflo Symphony65 is okay RFing, FFing, and booster, but you'll still need to buy a backless booster.

Symphony65 + backless = $220
MyRide + Turbobooster = $200 (and better fits for newbie and booster)


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## SubliminalDarkness (Sep 9, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
sorry, I spaced you said you were looking at the MyRide - that would be a good choice, I think, though I don't know the rf'ing weight limit off the top of my head (is it 40 lbs?) I remember passing on it for my youngest, b/c the shell wasn't tall enough to me (since we were replacing an expired Marathon, and my kids have fairly long torsos).

Yes, the MyRide65 rearfaces to 40lbs and forward faces, obviously, to 65lbs. It's a great seat! (IMO)


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

The MyRide65 would definitely be a great seat for a newborn and as chickabiddy said you could follow it up with an inexpensive Turbobooster for a decent end price


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *crunchycanadian* 
Just a quick side note, your seat is fine to use harnessed. Just beware that if it has a 40 pound weight limit the top setting can not be used harnessed, only boostered, so it is usually outgrown too soon, but it is fine as a RF seat and a FF harnessed seat









Great. So you're saying I'll probably end up buying another seat ANYWAY? Not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed right now. *sigh*


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Great. So you're saying I'll probably end up buying another seat ANYWAY? Not gonna lie, I'm a little pissed right now. *sigh*

Unfortunately that's a very common complaint with these seats. People buy them since they're marketed as "The only seat you'll ever need!" and says up to 100 pounds, when in reality it doesn't fit newbies, gets outgrown too early FF and makes a bad booster


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

I'm sorry, but yes, the Alpha Omega is almost always inadequate as a forward-facing seat and horrible as a booster.

Does your child still fit in the seat with his shoulders under the top USEABLE harness/strap setting (which is the second from the top)?

If so, what you can do is buy a TrueFit ($150ish) now. Baby can use TrueFit until he fits in the Alpha Omega. When he does, big brother can use the TrueFit and baby can use the Alpha Omega. When baby grows out of the Alpha Omega, usually around age 3, he can go back to the TrueFit and big brother will be ready for a booster ($50).

Everyone safe for $200 total.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Keep in mind too the top headrest setting is for booster mode only, and very very rarely does a child make it to 40 lbs before outgrowing the seat by height. Normally the child's shoulders will be even with the top usable harness setting (second-from-top setting) well before a safe booster age.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
I'm sorry, but yes, the Alpha Omega is almost always inadequate as a forward-facing seat and horrible as a booster.

Does your child still fit in the seat with his shoulders under the top USEABLE harness/strap setting (which is the second from the top)?

If so, what you can do is buy a TrueFit ($150ish) now. Baby can use TrueFit until he fits in the Alpha Omega. When he does, big brother can use the TrueFit and baby can use the Alpha Omega. When baby grows out of the Alpha Omega, usually around age 3, he can go back to the TrueFit and big brother will be ready for a booster ($50).

Everyone safe for $200 total.

Would this work with a MyRide too? (I really really like the seat for a variety of reasons)


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Would this work with a MyRide too? (I really really like the seat for a variety of reasons)

Depends on the kid. The MyRide's shell is a bit shorter than the TrueFit, but not by a lot. If you have a tall kid you may want to lean towards the TrueFit, but still the MyRide usually gets kids to booster age.

Also keep in mind the MyRide is sometimes very reclined FF.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Yep. It *might* work with a MyRide, if the child has an average or shorter torso and is booster-ready by about age 5 (not all kids are!).

I'd give it about 50-50 with a MyRide and about 80-20 with a TrueFit. Not terrible odds, but if buying a third seat is a big deal to you, you might not want to risk it.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Right now he's 16.5 months, 25lbs and 31inches....is that normal or tall?


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

What really matters is his torso height -- sit him up against a wall and measure from the floor to the top of his shoulders. (Although it's impossible to predict how children would grow. Between the ages of 5.5 and 8.5, my daughter grew 8" overall but only 1.5" in the torso.)


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

19inches is what I'm getting...give or take a mm here and there (he wouldn't sit STILL







)

FWIW he hasn't grown any in the past few months (he was ahead for long time and then just stopped growing)


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Can't be 19". My 8yo is 50" overall with an 18.25" torso. I'm assuming your son has legs and a head?


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
Can't be 19". My 8yo is 50" overall with an 18.25" torso. I'm assuming your son has legs and a head?

Oh hell, I did to his head (like I said, he kept moving around and I got distracted)


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

a 19 inch torso seems really long! I would think he would be about to outgrow his current seat with those stats, as well as the myride and true fit (depending on how you measured him). Our Apex 65, I believe, only has 19 inches from the bottom of the seat to the highest harness slot - which is pretty close to as tall as they made them when we bought it. And it was advertised to be for kids who outgrew their 40 lb. car seats - though I have a hard time imagining a short enough kid who also weighed 64 lbs still fitting in it.

ETA: phew! I was thinking, dang, she has a huge 16 month old!









If I were you, even know that we know he isn't that tall, I would get something that will keep him rear-facing the longest, and then FF later on the longest. That same seat can be used for the baby in the beginning and end of his/her car seat time, as suggested, and use the Alpha Omega for the middle period while your older DS is using the new seat.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Does 12 sound better?


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

12" seems right, and it seems about average. I'm going to stick with the odds I gave earlier -- 50-50 that the MyRide will get him to safe booster size/age, and 80-20 that the TrueFit (or a Radian) will. It's really up to you. The MyRide is a very nice seat, but be aware that you may need to buy a third harnessed seat down the road.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
12" seems right, and it seems about average. I'm going to stick with the odds I gave earlier -- 50-50 that the MyRide will get him to safe booster size/age, and 80-20 that the TrueFit (or a Radian, or a Complete Air) will. It's really up to you. The MyRide is a very nice seat, but be aware that you may need to buy a third harnessed seat down the road.

Setting aside the need to buy another seat...which is better? TrueFit or MyRide? As a total seat.

And is there a seat that goes from FF to booster that I could buy for DS?


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

There really is no "better". All seats are tested to the same standard. Both the TrueFit and MyRide (and also the Radian) are very nice seats that fit newborns. I prefer the TrueFit and Radian FFing and the MyRide RFing, but those are personal preferences and what I like may not be the same as what you like.

Is your son RFing or FFing now?


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
There really is no "better". All seats are tested to the same standard. Both the TrueFit and MyRide (and also the Radian) are very nice seats that fit newborns. I prefer the TrueFit and Radian FFing and the MyRide RFing, but those are personal preferences and what I like may not be the same as what you like.

Is your son RFing or FFing now?

He's still RFing right now. We're looking at having to turn him when the new baby gets here (he'll be almost 2) I know it's not the *safest* option...but DH cannot drive with the seat RFing behind him; he'd be too far forward.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

You would still need a new seat for the baby, then, if you moved him to a combination harness-to-booster seat now.

I urge you to consider keeping him RFing (take the base off the Alpha Omega and install it more upright for more room behind the front seats), but if you do choose to turn him FFing, the Graco Nautilus is an excellent combination seat.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

What car do you drive? You should be able to squeeze the RF seat behind your DH by putting it more upright.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
You would still need a new seat for the baby, then, if you moved him to a combination harness-to-booster seat now.

I urge you to consider keeping him RFing (take the base off the Alpha Omega and install it more upright for more room behind the front seats), but if you do choose to turn him FFing, the Graco Nautilus is an excellent combination seat.

It sits fairly upright now...I JUST put the base back on to sit it up more...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
What car do you drive? You should be able to squeeze the RF seat behind your DH by putting it more upright.

We drive a Nissan Versa. And it will be our only car for another couple of years.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Here are pictures of a Complete Air (which is quite similar to the 3-in-1 you have) in a Versa, with tons of room for the front passenger.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.p...ighlight=versa


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Here are pictures of a Complete Air (which is quite similar to the 3-in-1 you have) in a Versa, with tons of room for the front passenger.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.p...ighlight=versa

It's 50/50 what his head does when he falls asleep. Sometimes I have to reach back and lift it back up...so I'm really not comfortable putting it more upright.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
It's 50/50 what his head does when he falls asleep. Sometimes I have to reach back and lift it back up...so I'm really not comfortable putting it more upright.

He'll be even more upright if he's FF, so it's 50/50 now with the recline it's likely to be worse FF. I would install more upright and keep him RF, at almost two there's not really a big issue with his head going forward. It looks uncomfortable, but by two it's not dangerous.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *crunchycanadian* 
He'll be even more upright if he's FF, so it's 50/50 now with the recline it's likely to be worse FF. I would install more upright and keep him RF, at almost two there's not really a big issue with his head going forward. It looks uncomfortable, but by two it's not dangerous.

Is there really a huge difference between 22months and 24 months? That's how old he'll be when the baby is born.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Is there really a huge difference between 22months and 24 months? That's how old he'll be when the baby is born.

Not a huge difference, but even at 24 months I wouldn't FF him if that's what you mean. It's much safer to RF for as long as you possibly can, and if he still fits RFing he's a lot safer, 2 year old necks just aren't up to taking on the forces of a crash FF.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *crunchycanadian* 
Not a huge difference, but even at 24 months I wouldn't FF him if that's what you mean. It's much safer to RF for as long as you possibly can, and if he still fits RFing he's a lot safer, 2 year old necks just aren't up to taking on the forces of a crash FF.

Then I'll def have to buy a new seat I think...damn. I'll break the news to DH.


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## NaturallyKait (Sep 22, 2006)

I hope it goes well. I really think the earlier suggestion of TrueFit to Turbobooster works well. Or if you really want the MyRide you could to MyRide to a Graco Nautilus, but that will be more expensive in the end.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Yeah, head slump in an older baby is not dangerous at all. I wouldn't worry about it at all; it's only bad in newborns that risk losing their airway.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

The current plan is to keep him in this seat RFing (it only goes to 35lbs but we'll probably make it to close to age 3) and then turn him. In the meantime, we'll buy the new baby a GOOD seat (I was thinking a MyRide 65) When DS can't use the AOE anymore we'll get him a seat that goes FF to booster and be done with it. (And CHUNK the stupid AOE...) Hopefully, once the new baby needs a booster DS won't and we can keep using it.

That's the plan anyway.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

That seems like a reasonable plan. You could also switch DS and #2 at some point if it let you RF DS longer (put the lighter younger child in the AOE RF, DS in the MyRide RF).

You will likely need a second booster though at some point. Most kids need a booster until 10-12yo an the new baby will not fit in the MyRie until 8-10yo. However you may be able to get away with a backless (which are around $15) or a dedicated booster (around $50) either way it's cheaper than needing another harnesse seat.


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## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TheGirls* 
That seems like a reasonable plan. You could also switch DS and #2 at some point if it let you RF DS longer (put the lighter younger child in the AOE RF, DS in the MyRide RF).

You will likely need a second booster though at some point. Most kids need a booster until 10-12yo an the new baby will not fit in the MyRie until 8-10yo. However you may be able to get away with a backless (which are around $15) or a dedicated booster (around $50) either way it's cheaper than needing another harnesse seat.

Yeah, I'm taking the "wait and see" approach with that. DH and I were both really tall kids, though. So I dunno...and my brother is 6'6" so the genes are in there somewhere.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
Right now he's 16.5 months, 25lbs and 31inches....is that normal or tall?

That seems fairly normal to me. Based on the weight, though, I would predict a slightly longer torso than average (when DD was 31" she was around 20.5-21 lbs, DS was 22-23 lbs).


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