Jupiter? Maraton?

D

dsharp

Guest
Jupiter? Maraton?

Howdy,

My four-year-old still has some time left in his Britax Expressway (aka Roundabout without velcro thingies!). I'm looking at the Marathon, which is good to 65 pounds but only about 4 inches or so longer than the RA. I guess that would be OK as long as he doesn't have a growth spurt ;-) My neighbor recently got a Jupitier booster that looks real comfy (uses seatbelt). Any feedback on either of these seats?

Thanks in advance
David
 
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lahmah4

Guest
5pt harness vs. booster seat

I'm faced with the same issue. My almost 5yo daughter weighs 48# and is 43" tall. She is currently in the FP Futura, but her shoulders are right at the top slot for the shoulder harness. We are looking at either the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser (about $110) or the Britax Huskie ($240). The question is: If $$ is not an issue, is the 5 pt harness the safest choice for kids 40-80 pounds? Or at this age, does it matter (does the belt-positioning booster protect just as well)? Any advice would be appreciated!
 
C

Caviller

Guest
One consideration-

A properly used booster seat, like the Komfort Kruiser, will provide very good protection with a lap and shoulder belt.

The advantage of the 5-point harness is mostly with those kids who may put a shoulder belt behind their back, or squirm out of position in a lap/shoulder belt. Also, you don't need a shoulder belt to install a harnessed carseat in the USA, which may be important in some seating positions.

I think both of these options are very good. The Husky may be better for kids who aren't quite mature enough to remain seated properly in a booster.

Darren
 
S

ssmith

Guest
5 pt. vs booster

If you look at the seat belts race car drivers use, you will see that they use a 5 point harness, because they are the safer than just a three point shoulder belt. However, obviously they are not driving in the same everyday conditions that normal driving entails. A 5 point harness technically is safest, but a booster with a shoulder belt is also very safe. Money is not necessarily an issue. If you want the most safety, a 5 point is probably best. But there are other things to consider, like convenience. Do you want to have to buckle up your child every time you get in the car, or would you like your child to be able to buckle him or herself? With a 5 point harness, you most likely would have to buckle her up every time, because a child probably can't do it correctly. Even if she could do it, would it be tight enough? Most likely not. Do you want to be buckling her in when your child is 8 years old? Many children don't reach 80 pounds until they are over 10 years old. I have a sister-in-law who is very petite and weighs only about 70 pounds. She may never reach 80 pounds. Obviously she can't sit in a car seat for the rest of her life, especially when she herself is driving. I also have a niece who is 8 years old but weighs less than 60 pounds. She would probably be safest in a 5-point carseat, but that would be a major time issue for her parents to have to buckle her up. With a booster seat, she can do it herself. My own daughter is 5 years old and just over 40 pounds. As I have two younger children who are also in car seats, I chose a booster seat which she can buckle herself so that I am not facing the task of buckling up three kids every single time I go somewhere. She knows she must use the booster seat and the seat belt must be pretty tight and she has no problem using it. I feel like she is very safe in a booster. If you are considering the Britax Huskie because of the 5 point harness, ask yourself if you really would use it all the way up to its highest weight limit. If so, then that would probably be a good choice. But, if a year from now, you decide that you want a seat in which your child can buckle herself, then you will have to buy another seat. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. Graco just came out with a booster seat, the Turbo, which is very similar to the Britax Starriser/Roadster, but for about half the price. Either of those would be one which your child could buckle herself, because they let the shoulder belt slide, instead of getting "locked" in a position that would not be tight enough. As long as your child is mature enough to use a booster seat correctly, she should be safe.
 
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lahmah4

Guest
Britax Husky Doesn't Fit

After waiting 2 months for the Britax Husky, we got the call today that it was in the store. We tried to install it in a Ford Expedition (with Captain's chairs in the 2nd row and a 3rd row bench)....the seatbelt was not long enough. We also tried it in a Ford Explorer (with bench seats), it also did not fit in that vehicle (about 1/4" away). We followed the directions that were in the manual....to no avail. We did not try the latch system, as our daughter weighs 50 pounds. We were very disappointed. Instead, we purchased the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser booster seat. Would be interested to see if anyone else could get it to work in their car!!!
 
C

Caviller

Guest
The Husky fits fine in our cars-

I got a nice fit in a 2001 Honda Odyssey and 2000 Subaru Outback. It is a large seat, though, and it may be too big for some vehicles and seatbelt systems. If your seatbelts are short, you can contact Britax and the manufacturer of your vehicle to see if a seatbelt extender is available and can be used with the Husky.

Darren
 
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lahmah4

Guest
Are you using the bar on the back of the seat?

The manual says the "reclining bar" (?) has to be installed on the back of the carseat. When it is, it presses against the back of the seat in the car, so the husky doesn't sit back flat against the back of the seat. This is what took up so much room that the seatbelt wasn't long enough. Did you use the bar? Any tricks in installing it?
 
C

Caviller

Guest
I did use the bar-

The recline bar doesn't seem to serve much purpose in my vehicles, but I did use it since it says you must in the manual. The bar does seem to push the LATCH straps outward, and also the seatbelts in some vehicles. I can see where this could be a compatibility issue in some vehicles, and I do not know how to resolve it. Removing the bar is probably not a good idea, since it was most likely needed to pass the crash testing.

In the minivan, it helps to recline the seatback first. Kneel on the seat, then wiggle as you tighten the LATCH or seatbelts. When it is as tight as you can get it, then adjust the back of the seat to a more vertical position.

For the LATCH straps, it may help if you put the adjusting straps back through the slot in the shell, and then pull them through the slot in the fabric to the front of the seat. You may be able to get them a little tighter pulling the straps inward toward the center of the seat in front rather than away from the seat as shown in the original version of the manual.

Sorry I couldn't be of much more help. I've only tried it in a couple vehicles so far. If you happen to be in the Chicago area, I'd be glad to take a look in person:)

Darren
 
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lahmah4

Guest
We decided on the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser

Thanks for your input. We didn't try reclining the captain's chairs in the Expedition....good idea. But it wouldn't work in our Explorer since the bench seat doesn't recline. Would love to hear how you or anyone else gets it to fit in the future. We decided to go with the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser booster seat instead (since my dd's shoulders are a touch over the shoulder straps in the FP Futura. She's apparently long in the torso, because even in the Jupiter KK, I'm concerned about how long she'll fit in it due to height. Thanks again for any input you have. It helps!
 

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