Booster Seat Recs

[Cumberland]

Have we discussed this yet?

I have two questions:

1. Could I get a recommendation on a good booster seat for my 3yo?

2. My 3yo is 29 pounds and in a Roundabout. My 10 mo is still in the infant car seat ( she is 15lbs) but soon to outgrow it. I am thinking the best thing to do is to put DD1 in a booster and DD2 in the roundabout. Part of me would like to buy another roundabout and have both of them in it but that is really expensive and we would only really need two carseats for a few months. Has anyone been in a similar situation and have some ideas?

Thank you!

What about a Britax Regent?

http://www.britaxusa.net/products/360_regent.aspx

It fits children who are 1+ years and 22-80 lbs. It has a 5-point harness which is a plus over a regular booster.

[Cumberland]

I checked out the Regent but yikes the price $300 and it is a really large carseat, so it wont fit in all cars. Do you feel like it is too big for your car? I think I would need to test it in mine before I bought one.

We have a Graco booster that we use with the seatbelt. I don't think that will work for you because of her weight and age. I started using that when DD turned 4 and exceeded the height limit on her carseat. The booster minimum weight is 33 pounds but she wasn't 40 pounds, the recommendation of the pediatrician. I think she was around 38 or 39 pounds. Since she exceeded the height limit and the straps weren't fitting properly we moved up.

That probably isn't much help...sorry.

[Phoebe]

We have a Graco convertible/Booster that I really like. I can't remember the model or name, but I will look it up. My 3yo is using it now. My 5 yo is only using the booster because she is 43 lbs.

[Michele]

A friend is really happy with her Costco AlphaOmega one. I haven't looked into it at all yet though, so I have no idea if it's even what you mean. Daegan's seems to be getting too big for his infant carrier though...it's getting harder and harder to buckle.

[Flynn]

I thought with a Booster you had to be a certain height and weight -- 40 pounds or over. My daughter won't be "booster seat" ready until she's at least 5 because she's tall but only 36 pounds.

Am I wrong?
DD is in a Marathon Britax.

I thought with a Booster you had to be a certain height and weight -- 40 pounds or over. My daughter won't be "booster seat" ready until she's at least 5 because she's tall but only 36 pounds.

Am I wrong?
DD is in a Marathon Britax.

This is just what we did but I don't know that it is the best fit today or what the height/weight limits on seats are now. Since she was a pound or two within 40 AND the booster seat was rated for 33 pounds and up, we moved her. That was after she was four.

The shoulder straps of the carseat were coming up and over her shoulders instead of being above her shoulders (as is recommended for a correct fit). They could not be raised up further. The pediatrician recommended waiting until 40 pounds but when I explained the height part of it, he understood. That was 3 years ago. Maybe the seats on the market now have more adjustments for the shoulder heights. I had a hard time finding a definitive answer on height versus weight -- do I put her in a 5 pt harness if the straps aren't fitting properly? When I was looking for a booster, I was surprised by how many started at 33 pounds. IMO, I want to use a 5 point harness as long as I can. Again, that was 3 years ago so maybe it has changed?

I'm editing this because I don't think my response was clear. If you can keep her in the 5 point harness and have the seat fit properly, that is what I would do.

[Vanquisher]

I am a really big car seat person. You should know this first and foremost. I think carseats are the most important baby items we buy for our children. I am a big fan of the Britax car seats in general. They are usually well made with side impact EPS foam. My DD has the Marathon. She is 3. She is 32 pounds and 39 inches tall.

I think the car seat rules are getting better, but are still not necessarily the safest things you can do for your kids. At 4, IMO, most kids are still not close to ready for a belt positioning booster. My 9 year old (who is quite tall BTW) just barely gave his up. There weren't any models that went over 40 pounds when my son went into a booster seat 5+ years ago. He needed to still be in a 5-point harness IMO.

I think it is always best to err on the side of too late than too early. For example, I think that most people turn their kids car seats around from RF to FF much too early.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx

I would look at the following models:

Britax Decathalon
Britax Marathon
Britax Boulevard
Brtiax Regent

I would go look at them in a store and try them in your car.

A good site:

http://members.tripod.com/carseatfaq-ivil/

[Cumberland]

I think I have been confused. I thought they went into a booster at 30lbs-at her 3yr check I asked my ped this same question and he said to buy a booster seat and put her in it at 30lbs. I have an Alpha Omega that my sitter uses, so I think I will get that back from her and use it for another year. I also didnt know that boosters use a seat belt instead of a 5pt harness I am not sure what rock I have been living under. :huh:

[madeintaiwan]

DS went to a booster (Graco Turbo Booster, something like that) seat when he was 5 and 40 lbs. He is a tall child and height was never a problem with his car seat. He had the Graco Platinum Cargo Booster seat (one of those car seat/booster combos) and we only moved him bc the harness only holds 40 lbs. I didn't like the seat as a booster. DD has the same Graco car seat (newer version) and it says it goes to 43" and 40lbs as a harnessed car seat. My friend used to teach/train car seat installation in CA and I have learned a ton from her. We like to keep our kids as long as we safely can. And they will be in seat belt positions for as long as they can. Too many kids btn the ages of 5-10 get injured or killed bc their seat belts don't fit them correctly.

It is confusing. Or at least it was a few years ago with the height versus weight.

Perhaps part of the reason my pediatrician told me the 4 years and 40 pounds for a booster is that is state law here. I think that is the national highway safety recommendation too.

Aside from the 5 pt harness being safer, I would be concerned about my 3 year old being able to unbuckle themselves or wiggle in the slack seatbelt. I think a 4 year old better understands why that is unsafe.

[Deebs]

I'm also huge into carseats (used to be a carseat technician). I would keep a child in a five point harness for as long as physically possible - it's just better protection in a crash. For a cheaper option than the Britax, the new Fisher Price (Safe Voyage) car seats are actually made by Britax. The main difference is less plush fabric (some people like it better - it's a little easier to get clean with just a wipe-down), and the button to lossen the shoulder straps is a little trickier to access. We have the Britax Decathalon for my car, which DD is in the majority of the time. Then, for DH's car, she has the Fisher Price model. It goes up to 55 pounds FF. We did have a tough time finding it in stores, but many online retailers are carrying it now. We ordered ours one day and received it the next.