Easiest install convertible car seat for grandparents

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Easiest install convertible car seat for grandparents

By SweetiePie Feb 9, 2018

My MIL is insisting on a carseat to keep at their place because my son has started spending the night once a month. We’ve just been taking ours out and installing in their car because it’s easy and we don’t need it if he’s there anyway. But, I think she likes the idea of having one of her own. Ohhh, grandmas.

She won’t leave it in her car permanently so it needs to be super easy for her to put in and out once a month or so. I’m thinking any of the Britax with click-tight, but we don’t own one ourselves. Is that the right way to go?

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20 comments

lioneyes
persimmon / 1286 posts

Feb 9, 2018

That's what we have for my dad's car. he takes it in and out when he's going to drive DS.

It is heavy and sort of annoying to adjust the straps (but aren't they all!), but it's very easy to install and uninstall.
catgirl
nectarine / 2018 posts

Feb 9, 2018

The clicktight seats offer a pretty easy install. And are technically easy to uninstall but make sure she knows how to do it correctly - it is very easy to damage the seat if done improperly.
looch
wonderful pear / 26210 posts

Feb 9, 2018

I would do a Britax Frontier with Click Tight, assuming you still want your son harnessed (and that he is forward facing).
agold
grapefruit / 4045 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: I'm needing to get another car seat for the exact same reason! I have the Nuna Rava for our own cars and I think its extremely easy to install with a seatbelt. But I'm not about to buy another one because they were so darn expensive. I was actually thinking that a carseat with LATCH would be the easiest install. Have you thought about getting one and using LATCH?
bhbee
cantaloupe / 6086 posts

Feb 9, 2018

Clicktight frontier is great! Heavy but super easy and lasts a long time, my 6yo just switched to seatbelt booster mode in it. I’d stay away from latch since a 3yo isn’t too far from the latch limit (about 40lb for the average seat), that’s why we got the clicktight originally.
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@agold: I think that they say the ClickTight is easier than latch! I just have a hard time imagining my MIL doing everything you have to with latch. But a seatbelt, she already knows how to use one of those. Also, the limit with latch is usually around 40lbs and my son is 37/38lbs so we’re looking at a mandatory seatbelt install anyway in a few months.
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@bhbee: Jinx on the weight limit
bhbee
cantaloupe / 6086 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: I keep making my 3yo weigh himself to make sure he’s not over yet!
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@bhbee: I only learned about the LATCH limit here on HB maybe 6 months ago. And I’ve been checking him too! Since he’s so close maybe when we reinstall this weekend I’ll just do it with the seatbelt. I just have no clue how to do that with the Nextfit.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: installing the Britax frontier with click tight is easier than installing the nextfit wth latch- and the nextfit is pretty darn easy. Honestly the click right gives such a tight installation (and btw if it stops being easy you might need to adjust the latch connectors where they are stored beneath the belt pathway). But it’s seriously heavy and bulky. I don’t know that my parents could handle picking it up and moving it to store it.

Installing the nextfit with a seatbelt is more annoying than latch but not terrible, especially forward facing. Just make sure to read the directions or watch a video to use the seatbelt lock off right.
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@Foodnerd81: Thansk for the insight! I’ll watch a video this weekend.

Now that I think about it, DH or I could install and uninstall every time we drop off. I guess they don’t even have to do it because we’ll be there every single time. Which is why I don’t understand why they need their own for one 24-hour period a month. 🙄 But she is being persistent.
I’m not saying this because she annoys me, this is just God’s honest truth - she is slow to learn. Like it took two years to show her how to turn WiFi on and off on her phone. All you do is tap a button. If there are too many steps involved she will never ever grasp it. I still have to write out instructions every single week when she comes because if I don’t she will ask me 1,000 questions. That’s why I think ease of install JUST IN CASE she ever had to do it on her own is way more important than how heavy it is. My FIL can always move it, he’s in good shape.
We will still have to show her how to install over and over and over. So prob best for us to just do it.
The more I type the more I don’t understand why she wants her own.
Foodnerd81
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: as long as someone can do the lifting and you don’t mind the added cost, the frontier is great. I think even my mom could install it (and I am that mom who has never let anyone but me or DH install the car seats for my kids). But yeah it completely doesn’t make sense for her to have her own
krispi
clementine / 911 posts

Feb 9, 2018

I definitely think our Clicktight seat is easier to install than our regular seat with latch. If you're leaning that way, I think it would be a good choice.

My MIL has a less expensive Evenflo seat in her car. While it's a good seat, it's harder to install, and I don't think she could figure it out on her own. My husband and I have to reinstall it every time it needs adjusting.
petitenoisette
pear / 1521 posts

Feb 9, 2018

Another vote for clicktight. We got one for my parent's car (who drive LO twice a week and it stays in there) after the original seat we had expired and I wish we had gotten it sooner. It definitely gives me peace of mind due to ease of install.
Mrs.Someone
pomelo / 5228 posts

Feb 9, 2018

Love our Evenflo Symphony, installs in seconds and easily adjustable.
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@Mrs.Someone: thanks! Is that using LATCH or seatbelt install?
gotkimchi
nectarine / 2400 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: we’ve had a lot of different seats and brands. Clicktight is by far the easiest to install and remove. We won’t do anything else now. However they are heavy and some are bulky and pricy. If it’s just for the grandparents, you can probably get by with something cheaper and still a decent install.
Mrs.Someone
pomelo / 5228 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@SweetiePie: latch. You click in, then push down on the seat.
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@Mrs.Someone: thanks! That’s what I saw when I googled your response. But we are looking for an easy seatbelt install I think, since my son is already close to the 40lb LATCH limit. Womp womp. I LOVE our Nextfit LATCH install, that’s what I’d do in a heartbeat if he was younger/smaller!
SweetiePie
honeydew / 7463 posts

Feb 9, 2018

@gotkimchi: thanks for your input!
I really think that the easiest possible install is most important since they don’t seem to care about the cost. Plus it’s not just about ease, but also what’s fool proof. I’m not sure I trust her to do it right every time, and it seems like click tight is pretty fool proof? But you make a good point that if the install in their car is usually being done by DH (or let’s be real, me) we could possibly get by on a slightly less easy install for a smaller price tag.

I still firmly believe that they don’t need their own seat and we can move ours to their car the one day a month they have him. DH wants to just do whatever his mom wants because he doesn’t think it’s worth her pouting over. Haha. So whatever, I’ll let the two of them sort it out and maybe I’ll just forever refuse to install or remove from their car out of good ol’ fashioned spite

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