shield booster questions

U

Unregistered

Guest
I know that most shield boosters are dangerous, but what about the Britax Laptop? What makes that one different from the rest? (I need to find a booster for occasional use for the rear bench of our van - there is only a lap belt there.) - I carpool, and I want something safe for kids ages 5-8.
 
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scatterbunny

New member
The Laptop isn't like other shield boosters for a few reasons: it is made of EPS foam, not hard plastic covered in soft material (therefore absorbs crash forces better); it fits very snugly against the child's body, and fits high on the torso (shield boosters allow a gap between the shield and the child, space for a child to fly forward in a crash--and they fit fairly low on the child's torso, room for a child to fly forward/down in a sort of jack-knife).

The Laptop is great for lapbelt-only spots but can only be used for children 30-65 pounds. The tips of the child's ears must not be above the vehicle seatback or headrest.

While it isn't particularly wide, it is difficult to use in some three-across situations because you must buckle it each and every time (like a booster), and the seatbelt must go OVER the Laptop, through the red belt path, and then get buckled. Some children have issues with the snug fit, and even my dd, who likes the Laptop overall, complains when she has to ride in it for any length of time (say, more than 20 minutes).

Still, I love it for what we use it for--the middle of dh's single-cab pickup and in my MPV's lapbelt-only spot when I have a whole van-ful of kids/people. It is compact and fairly lightweight and works in lapbelt-only spots, so it has been a lifesaver for us.

They are hard to find though, and even harder to find new ones or ones with a history you can trust.

Pics of my dd in the Laptop at 43 inches/43 pounds/3 years and 10 months old:


 
U

Unregistered

Guest
Hmmmm - Would it fit in between two Turbo boosters?
I'm not using it all the time, and not for my kids.
They have some on eBay right now that they (say) are 'new' (meaning never used.) I'm sure they are 'older,' but if they are just for car-pooling, I won't need them for the full 6 yrs anyways.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
ooops -I just posted in the wrong thread! LOL!
We have a 2002 Dodge Caravan!
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
FWIW, we had my boys in Laptops a couple of years ago and I *loved* them. I really wish my 7 yo wasn't too heavy for one because he was far less wiggly at 4 in the LT than at nearly 8 in the Turbo Booster.
As a matter of fact, their LTs probably saved their lives when I rolled my '89 Astro (ice.)
 

scatterbunny

New member
According to the measurements I found, the 2002 Caravan's third row has almost 67 inches of hip room...can that be right?? If it is, you'll have no problems fitting three across.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
The LapTop is an awesome niche seat -- it's crash test is comparable to 5-point harnesses as opposed to boosters, so I really prefered it's safety for our spare seat used in my parents' vehicle (they can't buckle harnesses or tighten them properly because of arthritis & nerve damage) ... but, I gave it to my DD's special needs friend in Nursery School because his parents were using an outgrown carseat & an expired carseat :eek: They could really use the LapTop more than us, so I gave it to them ... DD misses it & gets a bit possessive wanting it back again when her friend's mom leaves it in the Nursery for his dad to use at pick-up time :rolleyes: :cool:
 

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