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Hello guys,
Do any of you have a toddler car seat that you recommend? Something rather slim but still comfortable? I have the captain chairs and my kids are not comfortable with their current car seats for long distance driving. Their heads are hanging and I can’t seem to recline the seats back enough so their heads lay flat! Also, something that I could still use the button to access the third row. Any advice would be appreciated
TIA
I've had a great experience with the Clek Foonf as a forward facing seat. However, once you install them, don't expect to be able to pitch a seat forward to get into the 3rd row. You'll need people to hop down the middle between the seats.
The Clek Foonf isn't the cheapest, and it's rated poorly due to how goddamn heavy they are and difficult to use. But, I think their weight and usage is a feature not a bug. These things have a rigid latch system that makes installing them with the extra harnesses and belt pass-through result in a rock solid car seat. Cheaper car seats actually slide left and right a bit on the seat even if you tighten down as much as possible. Since most car seats have a flexible latch system.
This isn't a big deal on a straight road, but becomes a bigger deal on a roadtrip where there could be switchbacks or other types of turns that cause kids to get sick. The rigid latch is... super rigid. So these car seats don't slide even a millimeter when going down curvy roads. Result: No sick kids. That in itself should be worth all the money.
The rigid latch also lets you extend the base of the seat cushion a bit away from the seat back... so you can get extra recline in the toddler's seat relative to the recline of the vehicle's seat. This means kids on longer rides that fall asleep won't have their heads dropping down then wake up crying. This thing is sooooo freaking secure once you belt it in and use the top anchor. But, moving the seat or trying to swap the seat into a new vehicle is the most PITA experience you'll ever have with a car seat. My kids also outgrew this thing by the time they hit 5.5 years. Clek makes a different cheaper seat for older kids that also has a rigid latch with all the same benefits (Clek Oobr)
I've had a great experience with the Clek Foonf as a forward facing seat. However, once you install them, don't expect to be able to pitch a seat forward to get into the 3rd row. You'll need people to hop down the middle between the seats.
The Clek Foonf isn't the cheapest, and it's rated poorly due to how goddamn heavy they are and difficult to use. But, I think their weight and usage is a feature not a bug. These things have a rigid latch system that makes installing them with the extra harnesses and belt pass-through result in a rock solid car seat. Cheaper car seats actually slide left and right a bit on the seat even if you tighten down as much as possible. Since most car seats have a flexible latch system.
This isn't a big deal on a straight road, but becomes a bigger deal on a roadtrip where there could be switchbacks or other types of turns that cause kids to get sick. The rigid latch is... super rigid. So these car seats don't slide even a millimeter when going down curvy roads. Result: No sick kids. That in itself should be worth all the money.
The rigid latch also lets you extend the base of the seat cushion a bit away from the seat back... so you can get extra recline in the toddler's seat relative to the recline of the vehicle's seat. This means kids on longer rides that fall asleep won't have their heads dropping down then wake up crying. This thing is sooooo freaking secure once you belt it in and use the top anchor. But, moving the seat or trying to swap the seat into a new vehicle is the most PITA experience you'll ever have with a car seat. My kids also outgrew this thing by the time they hit 5.5 years. Clek makes a different cheaper seat for older kids that also has a rigid latch with all the same benefits (Clek Oobr)
2021 GLS 450 & 23 GLS 450. Have a Holden Commodore, Jeep, truck, and more
How old are your kids? Mine used Britax (can't remember the exact model but it was one of the higher line) and the head are adjusts up as they grow. As for laying back, they have a range they are designed for safety and they really don't lay back. The head surround allows them to sleep comfortably. As my older child grew taller (but not heavy enough for most boosters) we switched to a Chicco that was one of the only ones for her weight and it works really well. Same with the adjustable height and she sleeps comfortably in it. I can look up the models if you are interested. As for reclining I believe there are certain parameters most manufacturers operate within for safety and don't recline much as the toddlers grow and are forward facing.
As they grow to "almost" booster age, I move them from the heavy-duty ones to an easy-use option like "Kidfit ClearTex Plus 2 in 1 High Back Booster Car Seat". You can literally remove the seat from the captain chair in ONE second only. There is a dedicated button (Quick-release LATCH) that will detach both latches immediately.
They are really comfy. Also, in the GLS with captain chairs, they recline more than enough for the seat to be comfortable. They key is to have a car-seat that is not too bulky, hence the back of the seat will hug the captain chair and matches its position and angles..
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