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Ready for a booster seat?

post #1 of 23
8/5/07 at 5:48pm
Thread Starter 
Aaron is 4 now and is 40 lbs and 41" tall. Is a booster seat okay for him as opposed to the carseat he is in now? When did your children move to a booster seat? I just want to make sure he is safe enough.
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post #2 of 23
8/5/07 at 7:19pm
As long as the upper straps of the 5-point harness do not go behind his shoulders (i.e., the holes are lower than the tops of his shoulders are), then the 5-point is best. I think Joey was pretty much in a booster at about 45", because the harness for the seat we had became too short at that point. They are at a greater risk of injury if the straps go down behind them like that.

Here in VA, I understand he has to be in a booster until he's 4'9" tall, which means we've got at least 3-4 more years, I expect - he's only 4'1" right now. I don't really go by the law - once he can sit in the seat and not have the shoulder belt cross his neck, he won't have to sit in the booster anymore.
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post #3 of 23
8/5/07 at 7:26pm
If he falls asleep in the car, wiggles or moves around he is NOT ready. IMO 4 and 40 is too little. Gabe will be harnessed as long as possible. A 5 point harness is safer then a booster. Every step up is a step down in safety so the longer they're harnessed the safer they are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

If you DO go with a booster get a high back one for more head and neck support incase of a crash. If you have a no back or low back booster you need to have high back seats or head rests in the cars.

If you'd like some recommendations for either high weight harnessing 5 point seats or High back boosters I can give them to you. I've been come a car seat fanatic and hope to be a certified tech as soon as I can get a class close enough.

remember legal doesn't always mean safe. They laws need to be stricter and need to be enforced better.
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post #4 of 23
8/5/07 at 8:54pm
They have several high back boosters that have 5 pt harnesses. Mine started with that, then when they were too tall, we removed the harness and they just used the seat belt.
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post #5 of 23
8/5/07 at 9:24pm
i would personally have him in a booster already, but logan hs been in a booster for at least a year now.

i do agree though that the five point is probably the safest

i usually only travel maybe 1.5 miles one way to pick up or drop logan off, not on the interstate every day or anything.
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post #6 of 23
8/5/07 at 9:25pm
in reality the seats that go from 5pt to a booster have low top slots and don't get a kid far enough.

i suggest www.car-seat.org for info from many techs and tech wannabes like myself
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post #7 of 23
8/5/07 at 11:41pm
Zachariah is in a Britax Regent--it goes to 80 lbs with a 5 pt. It's big and sturdy and well worth the money. We own 4 of them. 2 for each car although Noah isn't in his yet. I can fit in the Regent (comfortably and I'm 5'3 and a size 8) and its not "babyish" looking at all. Looks just like a big seat (regular car seat) but with the straps.

Definately keep him in a 5 pt as long as you can.
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post #8 of 23
8/5/07 at 11:52pm
Thread Starter 
The one I got doesn't have a back and is not approved on an airplane. I guess maybe I will take it back and keep him in the carseat for now. He will be so disappointed not to be in the "big boy chair."
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post #9 of 23
8/5/07 at 11:59pm
Backless are the "least safe". I'd return it and try to find something with a 5 pt if/when he outgrows what he has now.
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post #10 of 23
8/6/07 at 6:49pm
So far both kids are in the 5 pt seats, but this weekend we got Desi a booster and she sat in it ok but I just didn't feel she was as safe as the 5pt. Not only that but she un did the car seat on her own. I don't think I'll put her back in that one for a while.
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post #11 of 23
8/6/07 at 8:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by teacherinct
Zachariah is in a Britax Regent--it goes to 80 lbs with a 5 pt. It's big and sturdy and well worth the money. We own 4 of them. 2 for each car although Noah isn't in his yet. I can fit in the Regent (comfortably and I'm 5'3 and a size 8) and its not "babyish" looking at all. Looks just like a big seat (regular car seat) but with the straps.

Definately keep him in a 5 pt as long as you can.
I know Regent's aren't common at all. I'm sooo glad you're going to harness him as long as you can.
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post #12 of 23
8/7/07 at 9:42pm
Of course. Its ONE thing you can control about safey while traveling by car. The regent is BIG and it's safe. I researched and researchd and it was the best car seat on the market for kids forward facing.

Noah has a Graco Safe Seat Infant which will keep him rear facing for an extended time as compared to normal infant seats. In addition to the 4 Regents (2 for each of our cars) and the Graco with extra bases, we own 2 Marathon's that we use for the grandparents and aunts who watch the boys when we're working. We also don't like the idea of taking our seats in and out of the car. We install them in our cars and once they're in we leave them and periodically check them to make sure they haven't loosened.

My philosophy is you should buy the BEST car seat that you can afford. For us, these seats were worth the expense.
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post #13 of 23
8/7/07 at 9:43pm
Another good thing about the Regent is that it's tethered also.
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post #14 of 23
8/7/07 at 10:09pm
I have a Marathon and LOVE it. I love that it has the Tethering for Rear Facing. I'm hoping we make it til 2 years old before he's too tall for RFing. The tethering for Forward facing is awesome too.

Did you have problems with the new advisory with the Regent? For which belt path to use at what weight?
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post #15 of 23
8/7/07 at 10:11pm
No problem. I had 1 Regent that they sent me new Latch traps for. Once I read it it only took us a few minutes to make the change. We have them Latched and use the lap belt (even though they are ay under the weight you need the lap for) and the top tether.
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post #16 of 23
8/7/07 at 10:36pm
You're not using both the LATCH and the seat belt right? Maybe I'm reading it wrong, since you have to use one or the other but not both. I'm sure you've got it right and I'm misreading.
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post #17 of 23
8/8/07 at 9:01am
I am so glad I saw all this. Kyle and MIL have been on a booster seat kick for Emily. I was not so sure. Kyle was ready to put her in a booster in all three cars, and I said no way! We travel long distances on the interstate, and she still fits just fine in her 5 pt carseat in my van, and so I told him that as long as she fits in that, that is what we will use. I really wanted him to buy a booster with a back, but he is so *&%! cheap that he wanted the backless booster, so I didn't let him buy anything. MIL bought a backless booster for her car, and Emily used it yesterday. I was not thrilled with it, and now I don't feel so crazy. Emily is big enough for the booster, but still fits in her car seat fine. She is so excited to be in that booster seat, though. I have to get out for a bit tomorrow, and I might just go ahead and buy two new boosters with backs. Brittax makes one that's about $100 and looks really nice.
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post #18 of 23
8/8/07 at 9:09am
I just showed her some pictures of the Brittax booster plus another carseat I would like to get her, and she is not thrilled about that at all. See! I wish they had never opened that can of worms with her. Kids love to feel older, to move up, and it's so hard to go back. I am going to do what is best for her, even if she isn't happy about it, though.
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post #19 of 23
8/8/07 at 10:12am
Are you looking at the Parkway? or the Monarch? I could write a novel about Britax products

Tell them that unless you have high backed seats or headrests in each vehicle you CAN NOT use a backless booster anyhow because there's no head protection. A high backed booster is safer then the no back one and gives the option of falling asleep against the wings too which is a nice added bonus.

Gabe will be in a 5 point harness until there isn't one out there that fits him.
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post #20 of 23
8/9/07 at 12:25am
Tammy, go with the Regent. Find one and try it out, you'll really see how safe it is.

Mel, I have it in with the Latch but I put the seatbelt through as well. Is that bad? I culd swear it said to.....Explain. I was a bit confused with the weight limits, and seat belt requirements, etc. I prefer Latch installs.
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post #21 of 23
8/9/07 at 9:00am
You can use LATCH through the long belt path until 40lbs (you should have received longer LATCH straps after the advisory). After 40lbs you MUST go to the Seatbelt installation. You also must be using the recline bar now, it was optional before. (note some cars allow LATCH until 48lbs and then after 40lbs you have to switch to the LATCH through the short belt path)

The reason LATCH and the seat belt together are not a good idea is simply because it hasn't been tested that way. By doing so you're using your kids as a real life crash test dummy in a sense.

If you let me know exactly where you live (PM if you want) I can see if there's a tech in your area that's familiar with the Regents (a lot aren't) but I belong to a CPST board and everyone there is familiar with them in some form. Lots of people have had problems figuring out the new installation instructions, so don't think you're the only one.


Tammy-BRU should have some Regents on the floor now that the advisory is in effect (they changed some routing things so they had pulled them from the floor until they got the new kits) Also try USA Baby if you have one in your area. It's a big seat but well worth it IMO. Unless something better comes out it's what Gabe will get when he out grows his Marathon. It doesn't look like a baby seat at all.
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post #22 of 23
8/10/07 at 9:02pm
Thread Starter 
The only problem is that only the 5 point harness kind is airplane approved.
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post #23 of 23
8/10/07 at 9:17pm
you can go to www.car-seat.org and ask questions/read their forums about harnessing and switching to a booster. I know that they will recommend staying in a 5 point harness longer but there is booster information too if you're REALLY set on it.
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