Moved DS to a booster then found this thread! Freaken!

apsupermom · Jan 23, 2010

This one:

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=38893

My son is almost 6 and 45 lbs...he sits well and is developmentally ready. I got him a monterey and it fits him wonderfully!

Now I feel like he is going to certainly die if we are ever in a wreck!

I wish there was so actual research on this topic bit I can't fins anything!

Maedze · Jan 23, 2010

What are you upset about? I'm confused. A 45 pound 6 year old who is developmentally ready is perfectly safe in a booster. I'm missing what the problem is.

NannyMom · Jan 23, 2010

If he can sit properly, he should be fine in a booster. Many 5 year olds are mature enough for a booster. If it fits him well, keep him in it.

Maggie · Jan 23, 2010

Are you concerned because of the crash test videos? That's the only thing I can think of.

If so, don't be. At his age and weight he's perfectly safe as long as he sits properly. The Monterey is a wonderful booster.

apsupermom · Jan 23, 2010

This line in that post about extsended harnessing:

Use of 4 or 5 point harnesses have been a standard safety measure for grown adults in the racing industry, for pilots, astronauts, etc. If a child still fits a harness seat according to the limits listed in the manual, then that child should not yet switch to a booster. A booster is only safer than a harness if the harness cannot be used correctly and then only if the booster will be used correctly.

So he isn't safe in a booster becasue he still fits in the radian by height and weight??

Is this an absolute truth?

emars002 · Jan 23, 2010

If a child still fits a harness seat according to the limits listed in the manual, then that child should not yet switch to a booster. A booster is only safer than a harness if the harness cannot be used correctly and then only if the booster will be used correctly.

The OP might be referring to this quote in the thread she linked to - I guess that kind of implies if they still fit in a harness, regardless of meeting booster requirements or developmentally ready that they are still "safer" in a harness. But if your child fits correctly and can sit properly, then a booster is "safe".

emars002 · Jan 23, 2010

apsupermom said:
This line in that post about extsended harnessing:

So he isn't safe in a booster becasue he still fits in the radian by height and weight??

Is this an absolute truth?

LOL - we posted at the same time

Maedze · Jan 23, 2010

Not to speak for papooses, but she's talking to the lowest common denominator. For most kids, a combination seat or a harnessed seat is barely going to get them to four years old. Most people do not have Radians or Nautiluses, that fit many kids well into booster-readiness.

It's relevant if you talking about a 3 year old in an old Evenflo Chase, not a 6 year old in a Radian.

apsupermom · Jan 23, 2010

Okay so you'all just made me feel so.much.better!

Thank you thank you!

4boysmom · Jan 23, 2010

Yes I think that line refers to 40 pound max seats, that they need to stay in the seat until the full 40 pounds.

Splash · Jan 23, 2010

There are also many people, myself included, that believe a harness is LESS safe in most circumstances at a certain point. My four year old is certainly still in a harness... but by 6 he'll be in a booster regardless of whether he fits in a harness (unless there are extenuating circumstances). For your child, a harness wouldn't even be a consideration for me anymore unless it were a long trip with a high likelihood of him falling asleep.

amyd · Jan 23, 2010

Splash said:
There are also many people, myself included, that believe a harness is LESS safe in most circumstances at a certain point. My four year old is certainly still in a harness... but by 6 he'll be in a booster regardless of whether he fits in a harness (unless there are extenuating circumstances). For your child, a harness wouldn't even be a consideration for me anymore unless it were a long trip with a high likelihood of him falling asleep.

I am of the same mind as Splash on this one. My son will be boostered by 6 as well, provided he is big enough & mature enough to sit properly. In an ideal world, I'd like for him to go directly from rear-facing to a booster. We may not make that as he's a big boy, but that's my goal.

kathysr98 · Jan 23, 2010

I am also planning to try to RF to booster. I looked at every thread I could find & studied the links. I decided to buy a RN XTSL so I have a good chance my dd will fit RF until 5.5 or 6. This gives me the best chance to meet my goal. This is for my vehicle only, unless prices for tall, high RF limit seats come down. DD will FF in a harness in other vehicles from 35lbs until booster age because of the expense of replacing some seats that she may only ride in 1 time per month. I think you have made an excellent choice.

anjomi1986 · Jan 23, 2010

There have been no studies that prove a 5pt to be safer then a booster. If a child is atleast 4yrs old, 40lbs, sits correctly 100% of the time, then a booster is a safe option. This is a common myth, but the truth is there is just no research. In Sweden they RF to age 4 or so and then go straight to a high back booster. On average only 2 kids die each year in the 0-6yrs age group. I think that speaks volumes. I can dig up a study if you want.

My 4yo uses a HBB on occasion, her main seat is a Radian.

kphil · Jan 23, 2010

Splash said:
There are also many people, myself included, that believe a harness is LESS safe in most circumstances at a certain point. My four year old is certainly still in a harness... but by 6 he'll be in a booster regardless of whether he fits in a harness (unless there are extenuating circumstances). For your child, a harness wouldn't even be a consideration for me anymore unless it were a long trip with a high likelihood of him falling asleep.

I'm aware of this school of thought, do you have any info or links to research to show how you came to decide that? I remember worrying about which was safer a couple years ago, when my oldest was still in a Regent, but somehow came to the conclusion that I felt the harness was still my ideal over the booster. That child is in a booster now, but it's relevant for me again because I have a 7 year old harnessed in a Nautilus, and she is only just now moving to the top slots, so she will likely fit harnessed in that seat for a long time to come. From looking at the crash tests, the harness still seems like the better way to go to me, though I know the booster is "safe" at this age. I'm interested though to hear more.

mykidsmylife · Jan 23, 2010

In Sweden they go straight from rf'ing to a booster. They believe the harness puts more strain on the neck. A seatbelt allows the child to go foward more.

I also believe this. My children stay in 5-point harnesses until 6 yrs and 40lbs but I have no issues putting a mature 5 yr old in a booster.
Johnathon still fit in his Apex when he went to a booster full time at age 6.

This is a german seat. It is for kids 9m-4yr or 39.9lbs. But the video will show the difference between the strain on the neck.
If I had to FF a child under 4 then this is the seat I would use.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-dhlo2wqKY"]YouTube- Kiddy Carseat best safety protection System[/ame]

Evolily · Jan 23, 2010

I tend to be in the camp believing that FFing harnesses may increase neck loads enough to negate any benefit over a properly used and fitting high back booster. It's also possible a booster is actually safer than a harness. We just need more data.

kphil · Jan 23, 2010

CelticLabyrinth said:
I tend to be in the camp believing that FFing harnesses may increase neck loads enough to negate any benefit over a properly used and fitting high back booster. It's also possible a booster is actually safer than a harness. We just need more data.

I wish we did have more data to tell us. Can they not tell from the sensors on the dummies when they test them in both a booster and a harness? It seems like a 4 year old in a ff harness would be at increased risk over a 7 year old in a ff harness, because the 4yo's head would still be larger in relation to their body, and their bones are less developed. Or are you saying that IF a 4 yo were able to correctly fit and sit in a booster (unlikely as it is), that in that case, you think the booster may actually be safer for that 4yo? What about side-impact collisions? It seems to me a harness would contain much better than the shoulder belt in a side-impact.

Moved DS to a booster then found this thread! Freaken!

apsupermom

New member

Maedze

New member

NannyMom

Well-known member

Maggie

New member

apsupermom

New member

emars002

New member

emars002

New member

Maedze

New member

apsupermom

New member

4boysmom

New member

Splash

New member

amyd

New member

kathysr98

Active member

anjomi1986

New member

kphil

Member

mykidsmylife

Well-known member

Evolily

New member

kphil

Member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics