Booster Training my almost 5 year old

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Gypsy

Senior Community Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #1

Booster Training my almost 5 year old (pics in two boosters)

Stats are current, he just had a growth spurt that caused him to go from 38 pounds for a very long time, to 42 pounds. So he is finally big enough, and he's old enough, I just need to pick which booster to use.

He will be 5 in less than a month, and it was insanely cold out, so I just snapped a couple of pics and noticed the headrests needed adjusting, and did that without taking more pics.

Parkway (old style) I lowered the headrest one click and it took the seatbelt off his neck.

Monterey, I lowered the headrest one click and shoulderbelt fit is the same.

 

Last edited: Jan 9, 2010

Qarin

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #2

I'm not surprised that the Monterey needs its headrest/belt guides up so high to get the belt across his shoulder, but are you sure the Parkway needs to be so tall? I've found a good fit on my similarly sized children (at various times in their lives) to be with the belt guides right at or just above their shoulders on the Parkway.

In any case, I'd go with the Parkway because the slightest lean in the Monterey, which it invites because of how wide it is, will put the shoulder belt out of position on him.

 

Qarin

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #3

In fact, looking again, the Parkway's belt guide up that high is putting the belt against his neck- I'm certain that lowering it will get a better, and more comfortable fit, as well as get his head inside the headwings.

 

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ginny4

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #4

i agree the monterey looks too wide for him

 

Qarin

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #5

(Also, I completely missed that you'd addressed the high headrest on the Parkway. Sorry!)

 

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Gypsy

Senior Community Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #6

Qarin said:

(Also, I completely missed that you'd addressed the high headrest on the Parkway. Sorry!)

Click to expand...

It's insanely cold out right now, so I adjusted the seats before I put him in, put him in and took pictures really quickly, then when I looked back at the pictures I saw how high the headrests were, and adjusted them both lower and the shoulder belt fit was better or the same.

I think the lap belt fit on the Monterey is better, and that's what's giving me pause about using the Parkway.

He has long femers, so his legs bend comfortably on both seats.

 

Qarin

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #7

Yeah, I love the way the lap belt fits on the Monterey (I don't think I've ever seen a bad lap fit on it). But I think it's too wide for smaller kids, which makes it really easy for them to lean away from the shoulder belt to where the belt will ride off the shoulder in a collision and cause problems. The lap belt is acceptable on the Parkway, so I stand by my vote.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #8

I'd be fine with either (down one notch). I'll be posting similar pics of my daughter (4.5, 44lbs, gearing up for a growth spurt I think) pretty soon! Same two seats, LOL.

 

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Maedze

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #9

The Monterey shoulder belt actually looks good to me. I'd be fine with either booster

 

Qarin

New member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #10

Maedze said:

The Monterey shoulder belt actually looks good to me. I'd be fine with either booster

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The shoulder belt on the Monterey does look good- the problem I have with it is that because the body area and head wings, even at their narrowest, are so wide that it invites leaning into and hence away from and out of the shoulder belt- so it's not so much that the shoulder belt can't be positioned well, but that it's much too easy for it to end up out of position when you're not looking, without a lot of justification for blaming the child who moved because the seat is such that moving over is so easy and more comfortable.

 

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skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member

• Jan 9, 2010

• #11

My first reaction was that the lapbelt looked too high on the PW. It may or may not actually be too high in real life but I like the looks of the Monterey's lapbelt fit better.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Jan 10, 2010

• #12

the lapbelt on both boosters looks acceptable... I don't like how wide the monterey is for him and I like the parkway much better.

for booster training, I really like a fitted snug booster... I have to vote parkway.

 

MissAllyLou

New member

• Jan 11, 2010

• #13

Can I ask why these two boosters? I'd guess he would fit great in a PKWYSG. :twocents:

 

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Gypsy

Senior Community Member

• Jan 11, 2010

• #14

MissAllyLou said:

Can I ask why these two boosters? I'd guess he would fit great in a PKWYSG. :twocents:

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Because these are the two HBB I have.

I have his Frontier I could convert to a booster, but I'm leaving it installed harnessed in case I need to move him to it because of bad weather, or not sitting properly in the booster.

I'm recently divorced, living on a very low/fixed income and can't afford another booster. If neither of these were a good fit, I'd try his Frontier in booster mode and get one of the harnessed seats back from my mom and brother, but I'd prefer he stay harnessed with them. If these and the Frontier were all poor fits, he'd just stay harnessed until he fit them better.

 

MissAllyLou

New member

• Jan 11, 2010

• #15

Gypsy said:

Because these are the two HBB I have.

I have his Frontier I could convert to a booster, but I'm leaving it installed harnessed in case I need to move him to it because of bad weather, or not sitting properly in the booster.

I'm recently divorced, living on a very low/fixed income and can't afford another booster. If neither of these were a good fit, I'd try his Frontier in booster mode and get one of the harnessed seats back from my mom and brother, but I'd prefer he stay harnessed with them. If these and the Frontier were all poor fits, he'd just stay harnessed until he fit them better.

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Fair enough! I vote Parkway then