February 2013 Moms

carseat dilemma - please help!

Hi all, 

 

Has anyone else had a problem with a carseat not fitting in their car?  I have a 2009 dodge caliber, and I measured the back seat to be about 18" deep. 

 Either the carseat I bought is way too big, my back seat is way too small, or a bit of both!

I have a brand new Britax Chaperone, and it wasn't even close.  Front passenger seat had to be pulled all the way forward, so no one would ever be able to sit there, and beyond that, the base of the carseat extended beyond my car's backseat so the (apologetic) police officer said it would be impossible to use safely.

 

If any of you have run into this, please please please let me know if you've found a brand/model that fits!!  

 we're having this baby any day now, so I'm freaking out a bit!

 

 

IAmPregnant Ticker

Re: carseat dilemma - please help!

  • Minivan.
    SAHM to DD1 (7), DS (5) and DD2 (1)
  • Strange, here you can have the base of the cars eat longer than the seat? Maybe I'm misunderstanding? Our snugride base is even longer than our seat and we drive an suv. I agree with pp though is it in the middle seat?
    BabyFruit Ticker
    photo D0EE104210C440E48E28B53BA940865Bashx_zpsff62f0b1.gif photo A24F501B345347968B2BC922AD7C0613ashx_zpsf08f7401.gif
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  • I just texted a friend who has having trouble fitting her kids' seats three across a back seat.  She bought a brand called Diono.  Apparently they have narrower/shorter seats.  HTH.
    SAHM to DD1 (7), DS (5) and DD2 (1)
  • imagesecondaryPULSE:
    Does it fit in the center of the back seat?

     

    no, unfortunately it doesn't :(

    I think I am going to have to go to the dreaded bru and plead with them to let me test them out.  after looking online, i still have yet to find a base that has dimensions that will fit. 

     

     and no minivan here, this is my only car as my husband's 2000 passat is about to self-destruct at any moment.  i'm an suv kind of a girl, but after owning several jeeps I got this b/c it was affordable and i thought maybe more 'practical'   

    grr. 

    IAmPregnant Ticker
  • I had a chaperone and had to do the same thing. We just pulled the seat forward.
    imageimageimage
  • The Britax Chaperone is known t o be HUGE, exchange it for the B Safe it has a smaller base  and footprint
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • thanks, I'll look into the Diono!

     

    i'm not sure if the police officer was saying it can't be off the seat at all, or just that the degree to which this one is off my seat was not acceptable.  good to know that maybe a little bit of overhang might be okay

      

    IAmPregnant Ticker
  • imagealmostjennifer:
    I just texted a friend who has having trouble fitting her kids' seats three across a back seat.  She bought a brand called Diono.  Apparently they have narrower/shorter seats.  HTH.

    I wouldn't say dionos are "shorter" as they are the tallest seats on the market, the part that actually sits on the seat of your car doesn't stick out as much, but for RF they are longer than a britax, but your right in the fact that they are narrow both DD and DS are in Diono. I think that whatever seat you try you may have to have the passenger seat all the way ahead :(. GL though.

    BabyFruit Ticker
    photo D0EE104210C440E48E28B53BA940865Bashx_zpsff62f0b1.gif photo A24F501B345347968B2BC922AD7C0613ashx_zpsf08f7401.gif
  • This is why everyone should try their carseat out in their car before purchasing.

    Take it backand try car seat out in the car. The Maxicosi mico is also a small seat you could try. 

    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers PitaPata Dog tickers Screen Shot 2012-11-15 at 8.25.16 AM
  • The chaperone is one of  the larger infant seats on the market, so it does have trouble fitting in some vehicles. That said, most seats allow a 20% overhang from the car's seat so check your manual and see if that's allowed then measure and see if you're within the allowed 20%. As far as pushing the seat in front of it forward, a smaller seat would help a bit, but that's also pretty much standard for having an infant seat in anything but the largest vehicles. My poor 6'1" DH had to sit in front of RF seats in our beetle (until this summer it was our only car) and it was tight, but until we could install more upright that's just how life is with babies and a small car.

    As far as the diono, it's a great seat, it's what my kids are in. But it's not one I would want to use for a newborn. When the child still needs the 45* angle RF (to ensure their head doesn't slump cutting off their airway) it takes a ton of room front to back. Once the child can sit upright on their own it's one of my favorite seats, although other great seats have been released since I bought. It was the only convertible I found with the ability to hold a tall, long torsoed child that actually fit in my beetle.

    Also, the diono is a convertible, not an infant bucket, so that would mean you couldn't take it in and out of the car, which  is a feature some people love and others could do without.

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  • imagepenguingrrl:

    The chaperone is one of  the larger infant seats on the market, so it does have trouble fitting in some vehicles. That said, most seats allow a 20% overhang from the car's seat so check your manual and see if that's allowed then measure and see if you're within the allowed 20%. As far as pushing the seat in front of it forward, a smaller seat would help a bit, but that's also pretty much standard for having an infant seat in anything but the largest vehicles. My poor 6'1" DH had to sit in front of RF seats in our beetle (until this summer it was our only car) and it was tight, but until we could install more upright that's just how life is with babies and a small car.

    As far as the diono, it's a great seat, it's what my kids are in. But it's not one I would want to use for a newborn. When the child still needs the 45* angle RF (to ensure their head doesn't slump cutting off their airway) it takes a ton of room front to back. Once the child can sit upright on their own it's one of my favorite seats, although other great seats have been released since I bought. It was the only convertible I found with the ability to hold a tall, long torsoed child that actually fit in my beetle.

    Also, the diono is a convertible, not an infant bucket, so that would mean you couldn't take it in and out of the car, which  is a feature some people love and others could do without.

    I knew you would know how much overhang is allowed. Your such a car seat guru :) 

    BabyFruit Ticker
    photo D0EE104210C440E48E28B53BA940865Bashx_zpsff62f0b1.gif photo A24F501B345347968B2BC922AD7C0613ashx_zpsf08f7401.gif
  • My car is short too - 2002 RAV4.  We are using the Britax Boulevard as we are skipping the infant seat.  If we absolutely have to use an infant seat for a month, we have a Chicco Keyfit 30 from friends that we can use...but it is a much tighter fit.

    Post your question on the forums at www.car-seat.org

    And the Dionos are good b/c they are narrow for front facing, but they are way too big on an incline for rear facing in small cars.

     

    We are so thankful that our second daughter, Lillian Elizabeth "Lily", was born healthy and happy on February 11, 2013.  We love her to pieces.  

    We lost our first daughter, Hannah Grace on May 4, 2011.  She was buried on May 14 during a beautiful service at my home church. We are grateful that if she could not be here with us, that she is healed and whole with the Lord. We look forward to the day when we will get to meet her. We love her so much.


  • imageEzekgab:
    imagepenguingrrl:

    The chaperone is one of  the larger infant seats on the market, so it does have trouble fitting in some vehicles. That said, most seats allow a 20% overhang from the car's seat so check your manual and see if that's allowed then measure and see if you're within the allowed 20%. As far as pushing the seat in front of it forward, a smaller seat would help a bit, but that's also pretty much standard for having an infant seat in anything but the largest vehicles. My poor 6'1" DH had to sit in front of RF seats in our beetle (until this summer it was our only car) and it was tight, but until we could install more upright that's just how life is with babies and a small car.

    As far as the diono, it's a great seat, it's what my kids are in. But it's not one I would want to use for a newborn. When the child still needs the 45* angle RF (to ensure their head doesn't slump cutting off their airway) it takes a ton of room front to back. Once the child can sit upright on their own it's one of my favorite seats, although other great seats have been released since I bought. It was the only convertible I found with the ability to hold a tall, long torsoed child that actually fit in my beetle.

    Also, the diono is a convertible, not an infant bucket, so that would mean you couldn't take it in and out of the car, which  is a feature some people love and others could do without.

    I knew you would know how much overhang is allowed. Your such a car seat guru :) 

    Glad to help! I learned all of this because for years we had two kids and our only car was a beetle, so I had to learn lol! I'm especially good with small cars!

    The radian is fantastic in small cars once a child can sit independently, especially when you add the angle adjuster (which we don't have because it wasn't available when we needed it). Even at that, with a more upright install you can get that seat in small cars nicely. At one point we had two RF in our beetle!

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