what booster would you buy?

[horseymom]

I'm strting to think about training DD to sit in a booster for emergency rides or very short rides come spring. Boosters are new to me so what are my choices? If you had to buy a booster for a tall child which would you choose and where would you get it from?

I have seen the girly turbo booster at Zellers, looks pretty but I have no idea what to look for

[mommyto4kiddos]

Why not use your frontier as a booster? I really like the compass booster, but it was too big to fit in my car. It comes in pink and adjusts differently so the kid isn't sitting with plastic on their back. If you adjust the graco one all the way up, you'll see what I'm talking about.

[QuassEE]

If you're looking for a dedicated booster that you'll be able to eventually use in someone elses car, or for quick trips in your second vehicle, then I am guessing you'll probably not want to convert your Frontier for this purpose--besides, it makes a really expensive booster.

I've probably had 20 different boosters or combination seats over the years. Maybe more. Although I'm really quite careful to NOT recommend any specific seat to anyone, considering the lack of boosters in the Canadian market at the moment it's really difficult not to. There's really only one booster in the Canadian market that is appropriate for a child as young as age 5--the Monterey. I really don't feel that anything else provides an appropriate level of side support for sleeping and encouraging a child to sit properly in the seat. Furthermore, the belt guides in the Monterey are ideal for younger children who may still attempt to move forwards in their seat and still need to be reminded to sit back. There's nothing like driving along the highway, your child sitting back in their seat but all of the seatbelt slack sitting out in front of them because they've moved a few inches forward..ugh. (My Parkway just started doing this with my son, so disappointing!) My son is 5 and is using the Monterey 50% of the time. The most shocking part about this is that I'm really not a SK fan.

Obviously I need to point out here that ideally your daughter is still almost a full year away from being the youngest ideal booster age. She's likely too young to sit well in a booster yet, and because of this is safer in a harnessed seat. I suspect you already know this--you're here, and you've been here for long enough to have read this a number of times. I'll give you the usual--every step towards the adult seatbelt is a step down in safety. Having said that--you know your daughter, and if you're trying to train her for fieldtrips or riding in grandma and grandpa's car, it's best to do it when you have a passenger in the car to keep 100% attention on her and to make sure she is sitting properly. With my son, I switched the retractor on him up until this last six months or so to keep him in position (this isn't ideal, and a switched retractor is designed to be used for a carseat not a child) but he's fine now.

You might want to discuss your motivation for training her for a booster versus purchasing a second harnessed seat..? The only time I would recommend a 4 year old use a booster is if they'll be going in someone elses vehicle who you don't trust to install a harnessed seat. I've actually encouraged children to properly restrain themselves in a combination seat in booster mode before outgrowing the harness because of their parents' lack of willingness to properly install the seat or properly tighten the harness.. Same goes when children are going with people who are highly unlikely to install and use a harnessed seat properly... Other than these two situations, it's really less than ideal to start using a booster so early--even on quick trips. But again--you know your DD and circumstance best.

-Nicole.

[horseymom]

I don't plan on DD being in the booster for more than 5 min trip. Less really grandma live literly down the road a 1 min trip. I may not even start until summer when she turns 5. I just want her to know that there are other seats out there that she "may" have to ride in one day in a an emergency. an emergency say like I can't get to school to pick her up and grandma can, she would ride in a booster for the 2 block drive home if nessasary. I don't plan on her being in a booster full time untill there is no more options for me to harness her, which may come sooner than I like being she is on the second to top slot on her frontier :(

[Adventuredad]

My son has been sitting in a high back booster since he grew out of his RF seat age 4. We had hoped to make it rf longer but he got too tall. I'm a bit boring I guess and have never felt the need to have tons of car seats.

I like the regular high back boosters, like Britax Monarch. Good guide for seat belt with adjustable height, and also good SIP. The SIP is something I like but in reality it's not a huge help in a collision due to how crash forces work. But I still want to have it and it also helps a lot when my son sleeps in the car. He's always in the correct position

[snowbird25ca]

My son has been sitting in a high back booster since he grew out of his RF seat age 4. We had hoped to make it rf longer but he got too tall. I'm a bit boring I guess and have never felt the need to have tons of car seats.

I like the regular high back boosters, like Britax Monarch. Good guide for seat belt with adjustable height, and also good SIP. The SIP is something I like but in reality it's not a huge help in a collision due to how crash forces work. But I still want to have it and it also helps a lot when my son sleeps in the car. He's always in the correct position

Britax Monarch has never been available in Canada, and it's discontinued in the US now as well though some retailers may still have stock left. :thumbsup:

The Parkway is discontinued as well and I'm not aware of any stores with remaining stock in Canada.