All posts by Mike

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit in a Kia Sorento?

The Kia Sorento is a mid-sized crossover SUV that competes with other SUVs like the Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Highlander, Dodge Journey, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Flex, and Honda Pilot, among families looking for safe, stylish 5 to 7-passenger mid-sized SUVs. It has some of the latest features in safety design in terms of passive safety, including Electronic Stability Control, rollover-sensing airbags, and good safety scores in moderate frontal overlap and side impact crash tests. It also was one of a handful of vehicles in which no drivers died while driving the 2011 model year Sorento between 2009 and 2012.  This is an incredibly impressive statistic, and it made me want to figure out which car seats would fit 3 across in a Kia Sorento. And as a bonus for fans of things made locally, the US Sorento is produced in West Point, Georgia. Let’s see how car-seat friendly it turned out to be!

Before we take a look at the car seats that fit well in the Sorento, though, let’s look at best practices in car safety. I advocate rear-facing your youngest children in infant seats or convertible car seats as long as you can (ideally until 4!), followed by extended harnessing in a forward-facing convertible or combination seat (ideally until 6, 7, or 8!), and then finally using a booster seat until children are physically and psychologically developed enough to pass the 5 step test for seat belt use (which typically happens between 10 and 12). My goals here are to keep your little ones as safe as possible by keeping them as optimally restrained as possible while traveling in a vehicle.

After a bit of work puzzling seats together, I realized that the second row of the Sorento was not a very friendly space for most car seats. However, there are some seat combinations that will work if you take your time and have a bit of patience. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

sorento - 2016 - publicdomain2016, 2017, 2018 Kia Sorento (UM)

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Diono Radian / RXT.

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT, Graco Snugride 35, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65 (x2).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Kia Sorento is 187 inches long and 74 inches wide, which makes it 3 inches longer than the previous generation, though not any wider. As a result, many car seats that fit in the previous generation can be expected to fit in the current generation, with a bit more front-to-back room available for taller car seats now than before. As usual, make use of seat belt installations instead of LATCH installations to get as much space as possible when installing 3 across.

A signifiant issue to keep in mind with the current generation Sorento is that there is a slight amount of belt overlap between the driver- and center-position seats in the back row, which keeps me from recommending 3 across setups involving boosters for this generation. The overlap isn’t enough to the point where I feel 3 car seats couldn’t work, but it does make the center seat more difficult to use successfully.

sorento-2011-publicdomain2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Kia Sorento

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65 (x2).

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Kia Sorento is 184 inches long and 74 inches wide, which is rather typical for 2-row mid-sized SUVs on the market. However, the interior space is not very large, and it feels more like a small SUV on the inside than a mid-sized one when it comes to 3 across space. Similarly, because of the shorter front-to-back length of the crossover, you’ll have to scoot the front seats up a bit if you’ve got taller rear-facing convertibles. For that reason, I’d recommend going with a seat like a Fllo or a Foonf over a Radian RXT if you’ve got taller drivers or want to maximize front-to-back space.

The third row can fit a couple of car seats in forward-facing configurations, but there’s barely any space there (even less than in the Dodge Journeys with 3 rows), so I wouldn’t plan on using seats there unless I absolutely had to.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Britax Marathon G4.1 Review + Boulevard, Advocate Comparisons

Britax has been releasing one excellent convertible after another over the last few years, which has given me plenty to review and recommend. I’ve already reviewed and recommended the Advocate ClickTight, Boulevard ClickTight, and Marathon ClickTight, and was also a fan of both the Advocate G4.1 and the Boulevard G4.1, which I also reviewed. The Marathon G4.1, the non-ClickTight version of the Marathon, was next on my list to review, but I had a number of 3 across tests to run first. After those, I ordered a Marathon G4.1 with free shipping from Amazon a few days ago and took a detailed look at it when it arrived at my doorstep. Here’s what I found!

Britax Marathon G4.1 – Quick Review

marathong4.1-01The Britax Marathon G4.1 is sure to please parents and caretakers interested in keeping up with the newest Britax convertibles while sticking to a budget. It’s the newest version of Britax’s popular Marathon convertible line, which Britax recently refreshed with the Marathon ClickTight, and which also featured the still-good Marathon G4. The Marathon G4.1 is an update to the G4, and a good one.

Since the Marathon G4.1 is a convertible seat, you can use it in both rear-facing and forward-facing arrangements. When it’s rear-facing, you can use it to keep your infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children safe, while when you use it in a forward-facing setup, it’s suitable for elementary school-aged children.

The Marathon G4.1, like the Advocate G4.1, Boulevard G4.1, Advocate ClickTight, Boulevard ClickTight, and Marathon ClickTight, is one of the newest convertible car seats available from Britax. But when you buy the Marathon G4.1, you get to take advantage of many of the safety features built into the Marathon and Boulevard ClickTight, such as those related to side impact protection, at a significantly lower price, which is something worth talking about. Let’s look at the Marathon G4.1 up close to see if it’s really a Marathon ClickTight (or even a Boulevard ClickTight!) on a budget.

Buy the Britax Marathon G4.1 on Sale with Free Shipping at Amazon here.

Britax Marathon G4.1 Weight and Height Limits

Rear-facing: 5 to 40 pounds. There is a 49″ height limit for children that’s based on the tallest part of the seat shell. This contrasts with the Marathon ClickTight height limit that’s based off the top head wing height, and means that you’ll be able to use the ClickTight version longer by height than the Marathon version. That said, you can still use the G4.1 for a good amount of time. Your child’s seated shoulder height can span 9″ to 16.75″ while you have between 8.5″ and 17.5″ in harness height.

Forward-facing: 20 to 65 pounds. Your harness height can extend to a top height of 17.5,” or .2″ shorter than the top harness height in the Marathon ClickTight, which is 17.7.” This means that your forward-facing time in the Marathon G4.1 will be, for all intents and purposes, about as good as it is in the ClickTight. In comparison, the Boulevard G4.1 top harness height is also 17.5,” while the Boulevard ClickTight top harness height is 19.4.” Your lowest available harness height is 8.5″ and you can adjust it in 1″ increments. The seated shoulder height ranges between 12″ and 16.75″ while forward-facing.

While Britax is fine with you forward-facing your child once s/he is both a year old and 20 pounds, I’d suggest waiting to forward-face for several more years. The longer you rear-face, the safer your child is, and if you can rear-face until your child is even 4 or more, that’s the best thing you do for your little one when it comes to car seat safety. Rear-facing children are less likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries if they’re involved in car crashes. Once you turn your little one forward-facing, you’ll then want to continue doing so as long as feasible in a harness until your child is ready for a booster seat.

Dimensions of the Britax Marathon G4.1

The Britax Marathon G4.1 is 18.5″ wide, 26″ tall, and 21″ in depth, front-to-back. The width is the same as that of the Marathon ClickTight, but the seat is 2.5″ taller and 2″ deeper than its ClickTight counterpart. As a result, you’ll have an easier time installing either the Marathon G4.1 or the Marathon ClickTight in 3 across configurations than you would installing the Advocate G4.1 or Advocate ClickTight, since both are 20.5″ wide. The Boulevard G4.1 and Boulevard ClickTight are the same 18.5″ width.

Have a look at the complete 3 across car seat installation guide to figure out safe seats compatible with your car, SUV, minivan, or pickup. A good reason to choose the Marathon G4.1 over its ClickTight equivalent is that the G4.1 weighs 19.5 pounds, or 9 pounds less than the 28.5 pounds of the Marathon ClickTight.

Using the Britax Marathon G4.1

Installation, rear-and forward-facing

marathong4.1-04The Marathon G4.1, like the Boulevard and Advocate G4.1, looks impressive out of the box. It feels plush and secure at the same time, with a steel frame that serves as a metal spine of sorts inside the car seat. The steel frame works to absorb a good amount of energy in a collision that would potentially harm your child if the frame were not present. This is the kind of technology present in the Marathon G4.1, the Boulevard G4.1,and the Advocate G4.1, and illustrates how the Marathon serves as a bargain seat in the Britax line while retaining many of the features of the higher trim seats.

Installing the Marathon G4.1 doesn’t take much work, whether you do it through a seat belt or through LATCH. I prefer using the seat belt when I need more room for 3 across installations, but I prefer LATCH when I only need to install one or two car seats. “Easy-on, easy-off” LATCH connectors are present throughout the new Britax convertible line, and these are basically audible LATCH connectors that let you know when the connectors are locked into place and that are also easy to connect and disconnect. They’re simple, and they work well.

marathong4.1-03The base of the Marathon G4.1 is designed to compress somewhat in the event of a collision while at the same time reducing how much your child moves forward. As a result, it’s kind of like an anti-rebound bar. There aren’t many manufacturers that build these kinds of safety features into their seats, which is why the only seats I typically compare to the Britaxes are seats like the Fllo, Foonf, Rainier, and Pacifica.

As with the Boulevard G4.1, 3 recline positions are available with a side-level indicator to show you if your rear- or forward-facing angle is safe for your little ones. The rear- and forward-facing LATCH and seat belt paths are clearly marked, which is another pro across the G4.1 line. Keep in mind that it is important to use a top tether when forward-facing, even though it’s not yet required in the US.

Harness, Fit, Safety

The Marathon G4.1 includes a 10-position no-rethread harness to make it easy to choose your child’s best harness height setting. Remember that when you’re rear-facing, the straps need to be at or below your child’s shoulders and at or above the shoulders when forward-facing. A 2-position buckle strap is also included.

In terms of comfort, there are several padded areas in the seat, including in the shoulder pads, buckle pad, and cover. An infant positioning pillow is also included to help provide good fit for the youngest infants.

marathong4.1-02The G4.1 harness is layered with impact-absorbing padding so the chest clip is more likely to stay in position in a collision. Just like the base and frame, the harness is also built to absorb some crash energy. It’s a 5-point harness that’s comfortable and snug against your child. The seat cover is easily removed and machine-washable.

The Marathon G4.1 shell is also packed with energy-absorbing foam to help keep your child safer in a collision. Similarly, the head rest is designed to absorb impacts while keeping your child’s head and neck in a secure position. However, you don’t get the external cushions present in the Advocate G4, G4.1, or ClickTight, or in the Pinnacle 90.

Buy the Britax Marathon G4.1 on Sale with Free Shipping at Amazon here.

Why buy the Britax Marathon G4.1?

A good car seat will do a good job of keeping your little ones safe, and to do that, it needs to have the basics in place. For me, the basics are about rear-facing for as long as possible. Thanks to the Marathon G4.1, you can keep your son or daughter in a rear-facing position until he or she weighs 40 pounds, which I love since rear-facing is the safest position for every child.

Keep in mind that there are a number of seats that will allow you to rear-face until your child weighs 50 pounds, such as the Fllo, Foonf, Rainier, and Pacifica. However, even though the Marathon G4.1 isn’t one of these seats, it’s still a great one to have. What we want to do is keep our children seated in the safest orientation possible, which means that we’re going to aim to rear-face past 1, 2, and 3 until 4 if possible. This is standard practice among parents in Sweden, and over there, nearly no children are lost each year due to car crashes. If they can make that happen with best practices, so can we.

Other reasons to buy the Marathon G4.1 for me include the large number of energy-absorbing components built into the seat to reduce the tremendous crash forces placed on a child’s body in a collision. Every ounce of technology used to keep a child safer and more likely to walk away from a crash is worth looking into, and there is plenty present in the G4.1. I also like the fact that the seat has FAA approval for aircraft travel, as well as the fact that it’s more or less made locally in the United States and has a long product life.

In conclusion, for me, the Marathon G4.1 is a great ClickTight alternative compared to the Marathon ClickTight. It’s a safe convertible seat with a number of features borrowed from the Boulevard and Advocate G4.1 at substantially less cost. You can buy it here in Kiwi, Onyx, Domino, Pink Giraffe, and Silver Cloud. Canadians can buy it here.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Join us in the forums!

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Will Fit in a Volvo S60?

The Volvo S60 (known as the V60 in its hatchback version) is a mid-sized luxury car designed to compete with vehicles like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4, and at times its own stablemate, the Volvo S80. It’s stylish, safe, seats up to 5, and is frequently chosen by families interested in luxury while having access to Volvo’s reputation for safety. Features like ESC, rollover-sensing airbags, and good front, side, and roof crash test scores are present. It’s a well-designed luxury vehicle and I made it my goal to figure out which car seats were most likely to fit 3 across in a Volvo S60. Here’s what I found!

Before going into the details, however, remember that whichever seats you choose, you’ll want to keep infants and very young children rear-facing as long as possible (ideally until 4!), before forward-facing them in harnessed convertible or combination seats (ideally until 6, 7, or 8!), and then keeping them in high-back boosters until they’re ready to use adult seat belt systems (which typically happens between 10 and 12). The goal is to keep your little ones safely restrained to give them the best odds of surviving a crash, and these recommendations are designed with survival in mind.

With those guiding principles in mind, I went about testing the S60s I had access to with convertible, infant, and combination seats to see which 3 across combinations were most feasible. Fortunately, there are several combinations that will work with the S60. If you find the list helpful when shopping for car seats, you can shop through my Amazon link below. I’ll add more seats as I test them over time.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

s60 - 2012 - publicdomain2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Volvo S60

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT.

Clek Fllo, Graco Contender (x2).

Clek Fllo, Graco Size4Me 65, Diono Radian / RXT.

Tips and Tricks:

The current generation of the Volvo S60 is 182 inches long and 73 inches wide, which is almost identical to the dimensions of the Volvo XC60 that shares the S60 platform. Many of the 3 across combinations that work in other luxury mid-sized sedans will also work in the S60, and as in those vehicles, you’ll want to use your seat belts instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of side-to-side space.

Due to the shorter wheelbase of the S60, front-to-back space will be more difficult to come across here than in a comparable-width vehicle like, say, a Subaru Outback. As a result, I’d recommend going with a seat like a Fllo or a Foonf over a Radian RXT if you’ve got taller drivers or want to maximize front-to-back space. If you’d really like a Radian, it would be wise to invest in an angle adjuster.

s60 - 2001 - publicdomain2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Volvo S60

Guaranteed 3 across installations:

Clek Fllo (x3).

Graco Contender (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Graco Size4Me 65 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

The initial generation of the Volvo S60 is 180-183 inches long and 71-72 inches wide, depending on the model year and on the trim level. The change in width occurred during the 2006 model year, but it still leaves you with a rather narrow vehicle on the inside. That said, there are still several car seats that will work in 3 across configurations, especially if you use your seat belts instead of the LATCH anchors to make the most of side-to-side space.

Once again, due to the shorter wheelbase of the S60, front-to-back space will be more difficult to come across, which is likely to give you trouble with front-occupant room. As a result, I’d recommend going with a seat like a Fllo or a Foonf over a Radian RXT if you’ve got taller drivers or want to maximize front-to-back space. If you’d really like a Radian, it would be wise to invest in an angle adjuster.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Orbit Baby G3 Infant Car Seat Plus Base Review

Orbit has gained a reputation among a small but growing group of devoted parents for making some of the most unique high-end baby gear around. I’d seen the Orbit G3 before and was familiar with rotating car seats, which are quite common in Europe, but it wasn’t until this weekend that I had the time to order an Orbit Baby G3 from Amazon and test it out. It’s certainly a unique infant seat, and well worth considering if it meets your needs. Let’s dive into the details!

2015 Orbit Baby G3 – What’s the big deal?

orbitg3redThe Orbit Baby G3 is, believe it or not, an infant seat that can rotate, or swivel, on its base. It doesn’t rotate while the seat is in use, as it’s a rear-facing only infant seat, but it’s designed to swivel to make it easier for parents to install the Orbit into a car or onto a stroller.

Beyond ease of use and side impact protection, the seat is designed to be parent-friendly, toxin-free, and allergen friendly, and is also made from materials free from Brominated Flame Retardants, or BFRs. As a result, you can install it quickly and easily onto its base while keeping your baby free from toxins. When your child outgrows the Orbit Baby infant seat, you can then buy the Orbit Baby toddler convertible and use the same rotating base system. Both, of course, are fully compatible with the Orbit Baby stroller frame.

Broadly speaking, since the Orbit Baby infant seat is an infant car seat, you can use it with your baby as soon as he or she is ready to leave the hospital. You can only use it to rear-face, and your child will outgrow it within a year in most cases, at which point you’ll want to switch to a convertible car seat to make sure you can keep rear-facing before you eventually forward-face in a convertible or combination car seat. However, as with every infant seat on the market, it’s lighter than a convertible car seat, which means you’ll have a much easier time using it in terms of weight and both ease of installation. These are the primary reasons to get an infant seat, and the Orbit Baby is no exception.

Buy the Orbit Baby infant car seat on Sale at Amazon here.

Orbit Baby G3 Infant Seat Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 4 to 30 pounds. Your child must be between 19″ and 32″ in height. A lower birth weight fit kit is available to help ensure a good fit with small newborns and preemies (pre-term infants). The standard 1″ height limit relative to the top of the seat is present.

Remember that even though it’s legal in most states for children to forward face once they turn 1, since you’re reading The Car Crash Detective, you’re going to rear-face for longer, and up to 4 if you can, the way our Swedish brothers and sisters do, since rear-facing is the safest way to transport our little ones in a car, truck, minivan, or SUV of any size. Once your child outgrows the Orbit Baby G3 infant seat, you’ll want to put him or her in a convertible seat so s/he can continue rear-facing. I’ve reviewed the best convertibles on the market here.

Dimensions and Lifespan of the Orbit Baby G3

The Orbit Baby G3 infant car seat weighs 10 lbs while the car seat base weighs another 15 pounds. The seat base is 14″ wide and 20.5″ long front to back, while the lowest harness position starts at 8″ and increases to 12″ in 2 inch increments. The car seat will last for 7 years from the date in which it was manufactured, and you will need a new seat afterward. Width-wise, the G3 is narrow enough to keep 3 across car seat installations feasible in a range of vehicles.

Using the Orbit Baby G3 Infant car seat

Installation with and without base

orbit3smallInstalling the G3 was a snap, whether I used the base or not. When using the base, the StrongArm feature is your friend. It’s a knob on the car seat that’s designed to make achieving a safe and secure installation a 60 second affair. You simply turn the knob when you’re ready to install the seat, and it moves a bar into the back of the vehicle seat so the base becomes tightened against the vehicle seat.

It’s pretty neat to see it in action, and the most important part is that it makes getting a tight installation (remember, you need less than 1″ of movement in any direction for a safe installation) easy without using a lot of manual force. And I love that you can use it both with a seat belt installation and with a LATCH installation. I generally prefer using seat belt installations when I have to install multiple car seats, such as in a 3 across situation, and prefer LATCH setups when I only have one seat to install.

A seat belt lock off is also included within the base, taking care of the need to lock the seat belt. Since all cars made after 1996 in the US feature locking seat belts, this won’t be a feature you’ll need unless you have a much older vehicle. That said, it’s still great to see it present in a seat.

When carrying the seat, even though it’s on the heavier end, you don’t notice it nearly as much due to the soft padded handle and due to the narrowness of the seat. There are also side carry handles to help make it easier to maneuver the seat when you’ve got two hands available.

A car seat that rotates? Yes!

Easily the most unique element of the G3 and one of the most unique features of any car seat currently available in the United States today is the car seat and base’s rotating hub. This is designed to make installing the G3 in a vehicle a simpler affair than the typical struggle many of us experience while trying to fit large seats into small vehicles. Basically, you can place the seat on the hub in any direction and then simply rotate it until it’s rear-facing.

I found it most handy not when installing the seat, but when removing my baby. All I had to do was rotate the seat around and then it was easy to remove her from the seat itself. You can rotate the seat 180 full degrees but no further, which keeps you from using the seat forward-facing. You can look at a clear plastic window on the base of the seat that lets you know when the seat is clicked in and rear-facing properly (the window shows green then) and when it’s not (you see red instead).

Chemical safety and comfort features

There are a number of comfort and convenience (and safety) features packed into the Orbit Baby G3 for your little ones as well, including a deep cradle design to the seat to keep your baby ensconced between layers of EPP foam to aid in side impact protection. I also like the inclusion of a full coverage UV sunshade  to keep your baby out of the sun’s harmful rays, and a built-in sunshade extension that’s designed to fully cover your baby from the sun (or to simply provide your baby with extra privacy when you’re out shopping).

Chemical safety is a growing concern among environmentally-aware parents, given the number of unknown and potentially harmful chemicals that line our tools, bedding, toys, and food supplies. Orbit Baby is one of the leading baby gear companies in drawing attention to these potential hazards, and has the most “clean and green” car seat on the market right now. The fabrics used throughout the seat are not only soft-touch, machine-washable, and breathable, but they are also certified by Oeko-Tex as healthy and clean fabrics, which makes them easier on the skin of your baby. They felt soft and smelled good to me, although I couldn’t precisely test their chemical safety.

Another chemical safety element present in the Orbit Baby G3 is the use of safe flame retardants. The vast majority of car seats use brominated flame retardants, or BFR, which are flame retardant chemicals that may have health and safety issues at high doses or with chronic levels of exposure. Examples of such chemicals include PBDEs and PBBs. The G3 is designed to meet flame retardancy standards without using potentially unsafe chemicals. If chemical safety is important to you, this is a huge selling point.

Buy the Orbit Baby infant car seat on Sale at Amazon here.

Why Buy the Orbit Baby G3 Infant car seat?

When it comes to car seats, what matters most to me is a seat’s ability to keep a child safe when used appropriately. The basics of car seat safety start with rear-facing, whether through a dedicated infant seat like the G3 or through a rear-facing convertible seat. I like starting out with an infant seat instead of a convertible seat since it’s going to be lighter in almost every situation and because using one lets you set up multiple bases and also remove your child from a vehicle without waking him or her.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that no infant seat, not even the Kiddy Evolution Pro, which is the best infant seat currently available in the United States in my opinion, will help your child rear-face until 4, which is where I believe we need to aim for when it comes to rear-facing, the way the Swedes do. To reach 4, you’re going to need to switch to a convertible seat somewhere along the way; I’ve written detailed reviews on dozens of these here.

The Orbit shines in its ability to ensure a safe, quick, and easy installation. Being able to effortlessly turn a seat in any direction while getting a child into or out of it will save a number of parents many headaches, and the fact that the Orbit is a chemically safer seat than just about any on the market is sure to appeal to environmentally conscious parents as well as to parents of children with allergies and chemical sensitivities.

I also love the fact that the base is compatible with a range of products within the Orbit family, including the G3 Toddler Convertible and G3 Stroller, with each sharing the same rotation ability. I also like the fact that the seat is FAA friendly and approved for use on airplanes.

Perhaps the biggest downfall of the G3 is how heavy parts of it can be. The base weighs 15 pounds, while the seat itself is heavier than I’d like to see at 10 pounds. That said, the seat is narrow and it has a padded handle that helps make it easier to carry. Overall, it’s a unique and capable infant car seat that’ll certainly appeal to a number of parents with particular needs.

I readily recommend the Orbit Baby G3 infant car seat, and you can buy it with the base included here in Ruby or Black. You can buy it packed with the Orbit G3 stroller here. The G3 stroller frame is available separately here. Unfortunately, it’s not available in Canada, but the closest Canadian equivalent I’d recommend is the KeyFit 30, available here.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Drowning Hazard: Narrows Marina Boat Launch Ramp

unsplash-walti-waterI’ve written before about the dangers of vehicle submersions before, and about the kinds of equipment you need to get yourself out of such situations in the few seconds you may have to escape. This is an example of a drowning hazard that hasn’t been fixed and that is simply waiting for anyone unfortunate enough to drive into it.

The Narrows Marina boat launch, a private boat ramp in Tacoma, Washington, has led to the deaths of at least 4 people and the immersions of at least 8 drivers in the last 14 years. It’s located at South 19th Street in Tacoma, Washington, is owned by Gordon Rush and Scott Wagner, and is the subject of this great writeup by Kari Plog.

Records from the accidents paint a similar picture: All were the result of lost or confused motorists driving into the water by mistake. All happened in the dark. Most happened at or around high tide. Often it was raining.

In other words, people are continually driving into this drowning hazard that’s essentially unmarked and not subject to local, state, or federal regulations. The owners won’t make any significant changes besides putting up a few signs, and the danger continues.

On a night almost three years ago, Baker found herself at the same dead end. Security camera footage shows her driving down the boat ramp and plowing into the water just before 1 a.m. Her car was found around 7 a.m., submerged in about 10 feet of water with her body inside.

This is a common scene around the country, unfortunately; neglectful owners of private properties who won’t install barriers to prevent accidental drownings. In order to protect yourself from these kinds of situations, you need to know what to do. And you’re not always going to be able to simply drive backwards out of tragedies.
A Bonney Lake couple was killed near the boat ramp on Feb. 15, 2005. Walter and Ethel Nash — 91 and 84 years old — drove into the water about 1:30 a.m., according to police. Their bodies were recovered several hours later.

“There were no skid marks visible on the boat ramp,” the police report states, “suggesting that the vehicle went into the water without attempting to stop.”

Security camera footage showed “no indication of brake lights until the vehicle struck the water and that the backup lights came on after that,” indicating an attempt to drive the car in reverse up the ramp.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/05/04/3178402/tacoma-boat-launch-dark-deadly.html#storylink=cpy

When your car plunges into the water, you may have anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes to get yourself out. Time is of the essence. I highly recommend a life hammer to help you break through vehicle glass quickly to enable an exit. Similarly, it might not be a bad idea to pick up a personal flotation device and store it in your vehicle for such situations. The specific pieces of survival gear I recommend are described in greater detail here.

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