Travel/spare youth seat/booster

U

Unregistered

Guest
Hi -
I just moved my daughter up into a Britax Regent in my car. She's about 40 inches and 32 pounds. I also need to replace my "spare" car seat since she has outgrown that one as well (due to height, not weight). I'm considering the Graco Platinum Cargo Booster since it has a harnass you can use until 40 lbs. Any other seats I should consider? Obviously ease of transport and installation is key since this is my spare, but safety is always a concern. DD does still sleep occasionally in the car, and I am much more comfortable with her in a harnass.

TIA,
Dana
 
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wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
If she fits I'd probably head for a Cosco Scenera. It's a convertible seat (the Gracos do ok with the harness and not so well as a booster) that harnesses to 40 pounds, same as the Graco. After that you can buy a dedicated booster, and between these two seats probably still spend less than a CarGo (the Scenera is about $40 and since your daughter is tall for her age by the time she hits that weight or goes above the top slots (you need to measure her for this, depending on if her height is in her legs or torso there may be less room to grow than in other seats) you can buy a dedicated booster for about $15).

Wendy
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
It would help if the original poster could post the brand and model of the spare seat your DD outgrew by height or if you could post her torso height (seated height from the floor to the tops of the shoulders). This would be helpful for suggesting other seat options. The Scenera can even rear face up to 35 lbs. and would be a great option if she's not already too tall for the seat's shell. It's possible at 40 inches that she already is too tall to use the Scenera either rear facing or forward facing though, unless she's very leggy. My long torsoed older DD outgrew a Graco Platinum CarGo's top harness slots around 40" tall for that matter, so again it would be good to know about the outgrown seat and/or her torso height.
 

Longhorn Lady

New member
Yeah, the Scenera is a great seat, but I have a feeling that she might have already outgrown it by height. Although, I think I'm a bit phased still after spending time with a 23 month old who has just about outgrown it, LOL :eek:

That said, if you are wanting a seat that can be used with the harness until 40 pounds and than later with the booster, I'd go with an Evenflo Generations/Bolero over a CarGo just because the CarGo isn't as great in booster mode. I think the CarGo has a bit better sleep support than the Generations/Bolero, though.

There is always the Apex, which is around $115 right now, but that might be a bit overboard for your needs. It harnesses to 65 pounds and then becomes a booster, but since your daughter is almost 4, it might harness her longer than you are wanting. It also requires a headrest tall enough to behind your daughter's ears, so if you don't have headrests than its not an option.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hmm...well I will have to measure her tomorrow when she is awake to get her torso measurements. All I know right now is that in the Britax regent, the 2nd slot from the bottom puts the straps just above her shoulders as the instructions indicate they should be, so I don't think she is particularly long torsoed, but I don't have anything to compare her to. The spare seat she outgrew was the Graco ComfortSport, but I only know she outgrew the overall height limit of 40", not sure about the straps to be honest. She wasn't in the seat all that often.

As for rear facing, are the guidelines strictly based on the weight limit of the seat? Until reading this board (which I just found when I was looking for installation information on the Regent last week) I didn't realize that was even an option, much less safer. I can honestly say I don't know a single person with kids my age who have their seats rear facing. So..I'm learning a lot from visiting here. Thanks! I feel very ignorant about this and in general I am a very well informed person, so I can only imagine what the average parent knows about car seats.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
Carseats can indeed be outgrown by height as well as by weight. The weight limit is an absolute but the height limit is a general guideline because some kids are all torso while others are leggier. Although carseat manuals state an overall height maximum because NHTSA requires them to do so, the real thing to watch for height wise is how the shoulders fit relative to the harness slots and the position of the child's head relative to the carseat's plastic shell.

Due to its shorter seatback and relatively low top harness slots, the ComfortSport is frequently outgrown by height (both rear facing and forward facing) before the weight limit is reached. The general rule of thumb is that carseats are outgrown by height rear facing when there is less than 1 inch of plastic seat shell above the child's head, unless the manual states differently, or when the rear facing weight limit is reached, whichever comes first. Some carseat manuals such as Britax say their convertible carseats are outgrown rear facing when the top of the child's head is even with the top of the seat shell. For forward facing, the carseat is outgrown if the tops of the shoulders are above the top shoulder harness slots or if the top of the child's head is above the top of the plastic seat shell (again some manufacturer's manuals may state a variation on this such as top of the ears even with the top of the plastic seat shell), or if the forward facing weight limit is reached, whichever comes first.
 

scatterbunny

New member
I'd skip the Scenera for an almost-4yo. The top slots are only about 1 inch taller than the ComfortSport's top slots. Not enough height growing room for a 40" tall lightweight almost-4yo.

Any Graco, Evenflo or Recaro combination seat (forward-facing only, harnessed and then converts to a booster) would have tall enough top slots to get her to 40 pounds in the harness.

Of those seats, only the Evenflo Bolero and Generations and the Recaro Young Sport adjust taller in booster mode to be the last booster your child will need. The Graco CarGo and other Evenflo combos (Vision, Chase, Traditions) make good harnessed seats because of the tall top slots but they don't adjust taller in booster mode, so as a booster they are outgrown by height and the child still needs a booster. Also, these models have closed (clip-style) shoulderbelt guides. The Evenflo Bolero/Generations and Recaro Young Sport have open guides. The Graco CarGo and Recaro Young Sport have deep sidewings and EPS foam. The Evenflo seats do not.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the suggestions. I guess I will just take Miss Opinionated with me and see which one fits her best and is easy to travel with. I'm thinking the Apex is out since this will be my travel seat and it's hard to know what kind of car you're going to end up with or whether it has headrests, but I will check out all the others you guys mentioned.

Thanks again!
 
B

bucket2

Guest
I know the posters here are big fans of harnessed, but I think your DD would do well in a high back Turbo Booster. While she's under 40 lbs, you'll need to use the back, but it comes off so it can't be outgrown by height (as long as you have head rests in the car).

My nephew and now his little sister both sat well in the booster at 3 1/2. They both outgrew their convertible seats by height well before weight.

BONUSES: 1) A booster is much less likely to be installed incorrectly. Your DD will be able to do it herself after a bit of instruction/practice. Just keep watching that they pull the slack out of the lap belt once they are settled.

2) The kid can haul it (especially in backless mode) - great when they decide at the last minute that they HAFTA ride with grandpa or they go on a play date with a friend.

3) For your "Miss Opinionated," there are several colors, including purple and pink. ;)
 

scatterbunny

New member
From the OP:

DD does still sleep occasionally in the car, and I am much more comfortable with her in a harnass.

I did not suggest a booster seat for four reasons: the girl is less than 4, she is only 32 pounds, she sleeps in the car sometimes and the mother is much more comfortable with her in a harness.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
scatterbunny said:
From the OP:



I did not suggest a booster seat for four reasons: the girl is less than 4, she is only 32 pounds, she sleeps in the car sometimes and the mother is much more comfortable with her in a harness.

Yes - I really am more comfortable with a harness (in spite of the fact that I misspelled it in my original post - duh). Don't you guys think that is safer given her age and size? It's too bad though because DD would adore the pink Turbo Booster!

Dana
 

scatterbunny

New member
Obviously I absolutely believe a harness is safer for an almost-4yo, 32-pound child. :) I actually have my 5yo, 48-pound child in a harnessed seat still. She does ride in a booster sometimes, but only for short (less than 15-20 minute) trips. Otherwise she wiggles around, leans out of position and does not sit properly, no matter how many times I remind her.
 

tjham

New member
For her size, I would get the Platinum Cargo. It is great harnessed, but not as a booster. I just got one and popped off the booster guides because they are so useless and ugly :rolleyes: . But I love it harnessed and it has tall top slots.
 

scatterbunny

New member
tjham said:
For her size, I would get the Platinum Cargo. It is great harnessed, but not as a booster. I just got one and popped off the booster guides because they are so useless and ugly :rolleyes: . But I love it harnessed and it has tall top slots.

Hah, you know what--I saw a vehicle at the store today with two CarGos in the backseat, they were a dark blue around the sides and the gray belt guides really stuck out. I instantly thought of you because I remembered you saying you popped them off. :p They've never bothered me before, but man--now that you've said something they really bug me. :rolleyes:
 
B

bucket2

Guest
Yes, 5 pt is safer than a BPB. However, I was looking at the TURBO as a second seat. IMO, if its not going to be used frequently or for long trips, a booster is more convenient and at the same or lower price.

I'm a special ed teacher so I KNOW kids who need additional support or restraint - but as such, I also like the idea of independence and responsibility (kids can be responsible for booster use much more readily than a harnessed seat. (Certainly, they'll need monitoring and reminders, but my nephew reminds his DAD to buckle up!) 4-5 is when many kids start going other places with people other than M/D. A booster makes this much more realistic when used as a second seat that moves between several vehicles.

I'd be more confident a booster is being installed/used correctly EVERY TIME than I would a harnessed seat that goes in/out/between frequently. Anyway, that's my reasoning for booster over harness.
 

scatterbunny

New member
kids can be responsible for booster use much more readily than a harnessed seat.

This may be true for some kids and some boosters, but in my experience the harnessed seats are not only safer but easier for kids to do up themselves. Since Hayley was about 3-3.5 she could unbuckle and buckle herself in the Nania Airway, Britax Husky and Fisher Price Futura. Since about 3.5 she's used a TurboBooster and a Parkway in other people's vehicles on short (less than 15-20 minutes) trips and even now at 5 she cannot buckle herself reliably in a booster. It takes her forever, fighting with the belt to pull it around herself without it retracting first. She ends up with the belt twisted from all her failed attempts to pull it around her. She ends up frustrated and angry that she needs my help. It was more difficult in the Turbo because of the armrests, but even the Parkway gives her trouble. With her harnessed seat she's usually buckled before I get into the van and get buckled myself.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
scatterbunny said:
To the original poster:

Will you be installing the seat in other people's vehicles, or will they be doing it themselves?

I'll be installing it myself. This will mostly be used when we fly some place and rent a car, or in my parents car when they are taking DD some place. in either case either I or my husband would install it (I wouldn't even trust my parents to install it, even though they would have the best of intentions - newfangled contraptions like car seats, etc. just confound them!).
 

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