https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 19:40:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2809630 Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:52:04 +0000 gingerbebe 2809630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is 3.5. He is 33 pounds and 40" tall (maybe more?). He's really high up there in percentiles for height. He's still rear facing in his NextFit, although he's had to change over from the Latch install to the seatbelt install. He seems happy there and I know its more comfortable for car rides since he's reclined a bit and has more head support, so we haven't considered forward facing or moving him to a harness/booster yet. </p> <p>DS2 got his own NextFit because the point at which we switched him out of his infant bucket, DS1 would have been a few months shy of 3. We had a long road trip and we wanted him to be comfortable too. </p> <p>I think for DS1, we're looking at rearfacing him at the very least until the end of this year (so past the age of 4). I doubt he will hit the 40lb rear facing limit within the calendar year and he's still got a ways to hit the 49 inch height limit - granted, he has a long torso so he may outgrow the seat sooner than that actual height. I would not be surprised if (1) we could keep him rearfacing for another year until he's 4.5 and (2) we actually never end up using the NextFit in forward facing mode before having to get a harness to booster bc of his height. Even if we did, I suspect we'd only use it forward facing for a short while.</p> <p>But he's also never questioned rearfacing, especially since his younger brother also rear faces right across from him and he can see us just fine in the mirror. I think moving him now would actually confuse him more. And I'm not looking to have a toddler kick the back of my seat while I'm driving. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2809592 Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:06:04 +0000 Mama Bird 2809592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My five year old claims he's outgrown his convertible. It's pretty tight now that he's in winter clothes, but we may get a little more use out of that seat when he doesn't need a jacket. I'm probably switching it out for a booster in the summer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2809581 Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:36:07 +0000 nana87 2809581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our almost-4yo is still in her convertible, though forward facing. I hadn't even thought about about switching her to a booster, though I received a 2nd convertible from a raffle anyway so didn't need to buy one for lo2 when she grew out of the infant seat </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2809547 Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:25:36 +0000 ValentineMommy 2809547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 5 year old (who is giant for his age) is still comfortable, with room to grow, in his convertible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2803248 Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:09:22 +0000 caitlanc 2803248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 5 year old is still comfortably in his NextFit for his primary seat (and will be for awhile longer.) He also has a 5-point harness booster that will convert eventually to a backless booster for his secondary. I actually still prefer the NextFit for longer trips because he can take significantly better naps in it. The harness booster is perfectly fine safety wise but less comfortable for long drives. It's a lot more upright and doesn't have as much head support. Since really long drives are normal for us, we got a second NextFit for LO2 instead of just moving LO1 to the harness booster full time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2803225 Fri, 09 Feb 2018 13:09:17 +0000 Thenetexan 2803225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 6 year old is still in his convertable and he is 90th percentile for weight and 75th for height. I think longevity depends on the seat you have. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2803031 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 15:47:13 +0000 Kemma 2803031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved Miss A to a combination seat at around 2.5 so her baby brother could go into her convertible seat and she’s still harnessed in the combination seat at 5y4m and has at least another year to go before she hits the harness limits. In our other car Miss A is in an Evenflo Big Kid Amp seatbelt booster and she sits fine for shorter trips (that’s all we do in our second vehicle) but she may have to transition to the seatbelt booster full time once baby #3 outgrows the capsule and we need to get three big seats across the car (hopefully that won’t be until 2019). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2803020 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 15:20:56 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 2803020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: My kids (5 &amp; 7) are both in a high-backed booster now. We have the Chicco Kidfit Zip and love it. It can also be used backless. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2803008 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 14:25:38 +0000 yoursilverlining 2803008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: not any super legit reason :silly: the convertible was really dirty and LO was complaining it felt "too small" and the 3-in-1 was on mega sale at Babies R Us with great ebates cash. So I just pulled the trigger and switched her then since we would have to within the next year anyhow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802993 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:58:21 +0000 Foodnerd81 2802993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Similar to others my older daughter was in the nextfit until her sister needed it, so we bought a forward facing combo seat. She was 3.5 and had lots of room to grow in the nextfit. But she does seem more comfortable in the Britax frontier now. </p> <p>@yoursilverlining: I’m curious, why did you switch to the 3 in 1 seat instead of sticking in the first convertible? We only bought the new one because we needed a convertible for my younger one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802990 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:44:55 +0000 looch 2802990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we might have used the convertible seat until around age 4. We moved to forward facing by then and I learned about combination seats. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802982 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:30:51 +0000 Ginaandcorey 2802982@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just switched out the convertibles for harness to booster seats in both cars. She is still harnessed in both. 5.5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802980 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:28:53 +0000 yoursilverlining 2802980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We switched from a convertible to a 3-in-1 combination seat/booster at 5.5 years old. LO was RF until she was a little older than 4, then FF until 5.5 then we switched her into a 5-point 3-in-one that will convert to a booster and then backless booster. </p> <p>Size-wise she is in approx. 20% for height/weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802953 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:11:09 +0000 winniebee 2802953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>T is 5.9 and is still in the Diono Radian convertible. G will need a convertible in a few months so the plan is that T will move on to a high-backed booster (with lap belt) and G will take his seats. T will be 6 by then. He could stay in the Radian size-wise for a while longer (up to like 80 lbs and 57 inches I believe) and even can use it as a booster with belt, but we need two more convertible seats for G. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802943 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:38:41 +0000 Becky 2802943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We transitioned DD1 to a forward-facing harnessed booster at about 3.5 because we had to pass down her convertible seat. I researched the heck out of the purchase we made, and am very happy with the seats we have. DD1’s is forward facing only and converts well to belt-positioning, and DD2’s is a convertible that doesn’t necessarily convert well to a belt-positioning booster but I was okay with that because DD1 can be in a high-back booster (which is inexpensive to purchase) by the time DD2 needs it. I would just really recommend sort of mapping out your car seat needs over the next few years. Who will need what type of seat when? Do you need a harnessed booster that can convert well to a belt positioning booster (I think it’s the car seat lady or csftl that has good info on that; I didn’t feel we needed that because belt positioning only boosters are inexpensive)? If you will be having three kids, will you need to fit 3 across in your vehicle? Do you want a cushy convertible car seat, or one that will feel more like a big kid seat when they’re still in it at age 5 or 6? Are your kids tall? I made a few car seat purchases I regretted and mapping all of this out before we got the harnessed booster was helpful for me. But maybe that’s something everyone else already does and I was just being a newbie! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802941 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:32:26 +0000 catgirl 2802941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: the NextFit can get many kids to booster age. It will really come down to height, especially torso height. The highest harness setting is 17.5". Most kids outgrow forward facing convertible seats based on torso height (though obviously some kids outgrow by standing height or weight, and different seats all have various limits). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802934 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:14:02 +0000 bhbee 2802934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: the big factor in moving to booster is how well they sit still, so the seatbelt is in the correct place. So if your dd1 is like that should be fine at 6. A high back booster isn’t necessarily safer but can encourage sitting up straight and give them a head rest if they fall asleep. And they’re still pretty cheap if you go that route vs backless. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802932 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:10:23 +0000 peachykeen 2802932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the replies! </p> <p>So sounds like it's reasonable to expect DD1 to be in her Nextfit for another 2 years. I think that makes it worth it to buy at least 1 Nextfit for DD2 to use as her main seat and maybe get by with our travel seat in DH's car. </p> <p>It sounds like I could probably go to a backless booster for DD1 at 6ish? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802931 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:10:21 +0000 bhbee 2802931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved my oldest at 3.5 to a harness to booster, so brother could have the convertible. Once they forward face, any seat with a harness is the same safety wise, so it made more sense to us to have the booster option for later vs buy another convertible. It’s a frontier clicktight and other than being giant i love it - we never move it so that’s not an issue. At 6 we just moved her to using the booster with seatbelt. Now brother is 3 and already ff so soon he’ll get the frontier (he’s about to hit the latch weight limit on the convertible) and she’ll move to a booster only. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802927 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:01:37 +0000 jhd 2802927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS1 is almost 4 and really tall. He hadn’t technically outgrown limits for one of his convertible seats, but he just seemed uncomfortable in it. So we gave the grandparents his second convertible (where he is still very comfy) and got a harness to booster for our car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802913 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:30:32 +0000 birdofafeather 2802913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 was RFing until almost 4 (starting around 7 months old) and now FFing in her convertible at 5. We bought DD2 the same convertible seat (clek) because of its high height limits and 9 year expiration. We’re having a 3rd and she will use the same infant seat the girls used until it expires at the end of this year, at which point, I’m going to get DD1 a high back booster. She’ll be almost 6 and probably close to growing it of the height limit in the 90th height percentile. The convertible seat is one I’m happy I spent more on to get one that lasts so long! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802906 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:17:44 +0000 catgirl 2802906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 3 and still rear facing and will likely turn forward facing this summer. She is on track to outgrow the forward limits between 4.5-5 based on the highest harness setting. At which point we will move her to one of the britax combination seats. (Unless we have a second, then we will pass her seat down and move to a combination when LO2 outgrows the infant seat.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802903 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 10:11:14 +0000 hilsy85 2802903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved my son at 4, when we put my daughter in his convertible and moved my son to a high back harnessed booster, which is basically the same thing as a forward facing convertible. He will be in his booster for several more years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802898 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:56:45 +0000 kiddosc 2802898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 5.5 year old is still in his convertible seat and will be until he's old enough for a booster (never :silly: )(but more realistically this summer when he turns 6). He's 80% for weight and 90+% for height, but we bought convertible seats that were in it for the long haul. My kids are 3.5 years apart, so I was worried about the seat expiring before #2 was ready to move to a booster, or even to flip forward, if I passed it down. It was cheaper to buy two new convertible seats for #2, and eventually booster only seats for #1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802896 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:50:23 +0000 KT326 2802896@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We kept my older son in his convertible until he outgrew it at 4 (he had been in it since 6 months). Then we switched to the harnessed booster. My son is 75th % for height but 90th for weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802890 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:33:35 +0000 Adira 2802890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My oldest is almost 5 and no where close to outgrowing his convertible car seat, but he's also small (7th percentile). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802886 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:30:53 +0000 yin 2802886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO1 stayed in his convertible car seat until he turned 5. He still had another 6 -12 months left before outgrowing, but he is on the small side (5-10 percentile). LO2 recently switched to a 5 point harness booster shortly after he turned 4 because I found a great deal (less than $100 for Britax Frontier), and I wanted to pass down my convertible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802882 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:28:33 +0000 snowjewelz 2802882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 switched to a forward facing harnessed seat a little before 3 so that we could pass down her convertible to DD2 that was coming out of the infant bucket. </p> <p>I believe the safest is to keep rear facing until you max out of height or weight; but we made our decision for our family and feel comfortable with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802880 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:28:08 +0000 avivoca 2802880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: My oldest H was in a convertible carseat from 9 months to 3.5 years. At that point, we passed her seat down to the baby and purchased a harness-to-booster seat. I kind of hate our convertible seat now that we are four years in, so as soon as A (my youngest) turns two, I'm turning her around and buying a harness-to-booster seat for her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-long-were-your-kids-in-convertible-car-seats#post-2802878 Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:22:18 +0000 peachykeen 2802878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long did you keep your kids in convertible car seats? DD1 is 3.5 and still happily rear-facing in her Nextfit. She's only about 32.5 lbs and was 38" at her 3 year visit so I know we'll have some flexibility. I'm mainly wondering whether to buy a new convertible seat for DD2 or make do with an annoying back-up convertible seat + infant seat (we should have another 6-8 months and we also have a travel seat we can use for a short while if needed) until she can use DD1's Nextfits.</p> <p>I'm guessing we'll switch DD1 to forward-facing at 4+ depending on her weight. Is there a benefit to switching her to a harnessed booster-type seat at some point (5 or 6?) or is she safest in her convertible seat until she outgrows the limits? </p>