fitting youth seat/RF seat in '06 Sienna 8 passenger

[agundla]

I need advice. I have a 4 yo dd who is 32#, 41 inches that I want to move to a youth seat with 5 point harness. I also have a 7 mos old dd who is 16# 27.5 inch that is currently in SnugRide that I will probably move to Triumph 5 RF. Can I fit a Regent next to RF Triump in middle seat of 2006 Toyota Sienna 8 passenger with the Triumph in the center position and the Regent in the outboard passenger position? If not, what would be best place for the Regent? I also heard that Britax was re-designing Regent for 2008 (nothing posted on their website). Anybody know anything about that? I would hate to buy 2007 version if a new one will be out soon. I have a bit of time before I have to move 4 yo dd to another seat as we have 2 Triumphs and an Apex 65 (Apex 65 is for husband's car).

Would you recommend Regent over the Recaro or Radian 80? I have read many reviews and I am torn....I hate to say it but they seem so close that I also factored in available patterns...she wants a girly pattern but if there is one has a clear-cut advantage, I would go with that one. By the way, we do not move our carseats, once installed, they stay there. We buy others for other vehicles.

Thanks!

	Britax car seats 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. Ready to buy a Britax seat? Please support our sponsor!

	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. Ready to buy a Britax Regent? Please support our sponsor!

	Graco SnugRide - Click for more info The Graco SnugRide with EPS infant car seat is a highly popular and top-rated infant car seat that provides first-rate transportation safety for your baby, plus convenient mobility options for you. Even with its relatively low price, the Graco SnugRide with EPS receives unmatched praise for its safety by leading consumer magazines and websites. Ready to buy a Graco Snugride? Please support our sponsor!

	RECARO With over 100 years of company history and long standing experience in vehicle seat construction RECARO knows how to make long journeys a pleasure for the whole family. Materials, design and technical highlights ensure a pleasant journey for adults and children alike. RECARO uses its strength as the premier mobile seat manufacturer to engineer an innovative line of products for your children. No other manufacturer can apply experience from production vehicles, commercial vehicles, and race cars to design toward the comfort and safety of children. For more info, visit RecaroChildSeat.com

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

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[MnMadhouse]

The likelihood of you being able to install those particular seats side by side is fairly high IF you are installing the Evenflo RFing. Forward Facing, it may be a tight fit. IF you are near a specialty baby store OR a babies r us, they usually have the Regents in stock.

As for re-designing the seat, they sort of did that when they updated the installs back in June 2007. I haven't heard anything about a re-design, but I am going to double check.

The Regent, Recaro, and Radian's all have to pass the same safety standards. There are pros and cons to all of the seats. I, personally, own 2 regents as they are the tallest, highest weight harnessing seats on the market--besides special needs seats.

Cons-

regent--the size, the tether anchor requirement from 50lbs and up, FFing only

Recaro--the Como is oddly shaped--the shoulder space is 9" and the butt area is 11". I got to play with one at a conference, and found the shape weird. While it DOES have true side impact protection, which is probably why it is shaped like that, there is a Recaro spokesperson on this board that could further help you.

Radian--the 65 and the 80 are the same height. It has also been incompatiable with quite a few vehicles due to the low belt path for FFing.

Pros-

regent-highest weight and height on the market--different covers (such as the Madison for your dd--VERY plush!)

Recaro--True side impact protection, microfiber covers, VERY easy install with LATCH RF or FF, this is a convertible seat that can RF to 35lbs and FF to 70lbs AND you can tether it in the rear facing position.

Radian--it is the narrowest seat on the market...this is a convertible seat that can be tethered in the rear facing position

	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.

	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. Ready to buy a Convertible car seat? Please support our sponsor!

	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. Ready to buy a Britax Regent? Please support our sponsor!

	RECARO With over 100 years of company history and long standing experience in vehicle seat construction RECARO knows how to make long journeys a pleasure for the whole family. Materials, design and technical highlights ensure a pleasant journey for adults and children alike. RECARO uses its strength as the premier mobile seat manufacturer to engineer an innovative line of products for your children. No other manufacturer can apply experience from production vehicles, commercial vehicles, and race cars to design toward the comfort and safety of children. For more info, visit RecaroChildSeat.com

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	RECARO Como - Click for more info The RECARO Como convertible car seat is an excellent choice for parents who want a high quality, long lasting car seat for their growing child. Thanks to its 5-70 lbs weight capacity, forward or rear-facing convertibility, and adjustable harness and headrest, the RECARO Como may be the only carseat you will ever need. The Como convertible child seat is a safe and comfortable seat that features RECARO Side Impact Protection (SIP), plush microfiber fabrics, and a thick adjustable headrest. Ready to buy a Recaro Como? Please support our sponsor!

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

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