Adopting Twin Toddlers

[sstanley]

Hi,
Im new to the board and looking for some help. We are first time parents and we are adopting twin toddler girls (they will be approx. 22 months when we pick them up.) They are chinese so the weight and height charts show that they will be about 18-25 lbs and height approx. 30 inches -35. They will never have been put in car seats so I'm looking for safety, ease of installing and comfort. The car that will be used the most will be a 2001 Toyota Highlander. Other car is a 2007 BMWI. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

[Papooses]

Hello, welcome & CONGRATS!

I suggest visiting your local Babies-R-Us: they have a nice selection of seats & they offer discounts for parents of multiples The seats I would consider include....

• Recaro Signo/Como -- to be released within a couple weeks, this company is very well respected (as designers of racing seats, etc.) These seats have the highest RF & FF limits, both. They can also be tethered RF & should be quite comfortable based on their other carseats. They also supposedly have nice ease of use features.
• Britax Marathon/Bouelvard -- Britax is another well respected name because they also perform more extensive crash testing & have long been considered "innovators of the industry". These seats are easy to install in most vehicles & easy to use, they keep kids harnessed until truly ready for a booster. Very few kids complain about comfort in these seats & they have lots of cover options to choose from.
• Sunshine Kids Radian65 -- a relatively new product that has a bit of a learning curve for installation, but is not as expensive as the above options yet has many similar safety features. Kids can stay harnessed slightly longer in this than Britax. It's very narrow & folds for travel.
• Evenflo Triumph Advance -- the improved version of the older Triumph is easier to use, has higher RF limits & fits FF about as long as the Marathon/Boulevard. This seat is very well padded for comfort & the less expensive.
• Safety 1st Uptown -- similar the basic, well loved Cosco Scenera, it is lightweight with the same high RF limit, but has EPS foam (Scenera is just about the only seat that doesn't yet) as well as more comfort padding. This seat is the least costly but also has the lowest FF limits.

I personally would consider the Uptown as spare seats & try for any of the others based on that which you find the easiest to use correctly. (The less often you have to uninstall/reinstall seats the better because frequent moving around can increase risk of misuse). Remember that it must fit the vehicle correctly as well as the child Once you've got your seats & your kids, call 1-866-SEATCHECK to find your local technician to check your install/use.

[spokaneCPST]

Congratulations! We have one sweet daughter from China, adopted 2/2006 and hoping for a son from China some time in 2008.

I want to encourage you to follow the link in Tiffany's post and read her excellent website. Please pay close attention to the rear-facing information. Your girls are tiny (as is mine) and should still be rear-facing for maximun safety. In the seats that Tiffany recommended, they could be rear-facing for at least a year or more after you bring them home.

Here is hoping for quick travel approval!!
Renee

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

[Blessed2adopt2]

Also, check the Britax Regent. I've seen it at Target, Babies R Us, and online at Tinyride.com.

I don't know you, but know of your excitement! Both our kids are adopted, also, but they are 3 yrs apart. What an exciting time for you!

Enjoy!

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Britax Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.

[lovinwaves]

Originally Posted by Blessed2adopt2

Also, check the Britax Regent. I've seen it at Target, Babies R Us, and online at Tinyride.com.

I don't know you, but know of your excitement! Both our kids are adopted, also, but they are 3 yrs apart. What an exciting time for you!

Enjoy!

I wouldn't suggest a Britax Regent since the children to be adopted are so young and smaller in weight. They should be in a convertible seat, so they can be installed rear-facing until they reach the limits of the child restraint. Which according to their size is going to be a long time. The Britax Regent is a forward-facing only seat. The OP also is wanting something that is easy to install, and the Regent isn't always "easy".

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Britax Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.