Parkway/Kobuk/Evenflo DLX/Turbobooster

Do you have any recommendations on the seats in terms of safety, comfort, etc....? I'm just doing some preliminary research on the seats and was just wondering which ones were rated highest on safety??? I narrowed it down to:

Parkway SG, Combi Kobuk (is it still being manufactured? it is hard to find), Evenflo Big Kid DLX and Graco Turbobooster.

Any seat you would NOT recommend at all??

This is the IIHS list of Best Bets for boosters. http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/best_bets.html They also have a list of Good Bets and one of those to avoid.

Is your child tall, short, thin, heavy, broad shouldered, long torsoed, or long legged? All of this can make a difference in how a booster fits. What is the age of the child? How tall and weight?

Ooops! Just realized you were in Canada. Sorry.

in Canada til next year and then I think we're going back to the States I have access to US seats and Canadian seats Anyway, he is 4 and tall, he is 43" and weighs 38lbs, so I guess, tall and thin, not broad shouldered at all, long legs. I don't plan on putting him in a booster til at least another year. Planning baby#3 and am hoping for a thinner car seat/booster. I posted before about the Radian and fitting 3 across (which would work with the Radian) but I also wanted to get an idea of what kinds of boosters are out there that might fit just so I have more options. Thanks!

For tall and thin kids - I really like out Parkway SG and the clip makes me feel better too. My oldest also sleeps without and head slump and says it is very comfy. I also have a turbo but since he is so tall I can see him outgrowing the back portion before I want him in a low back so the parkway is also taller too which is a bonus.

I have heard it works with some 3 across situations but have no personal experience with it.

babygund said:

For tall and thin kids - I really like out Parkway SG and the clip makes me feel better too. My oldest also sleeps without and head slump and says it is very comfy. I also have a turbo but since he is so tall I can see him outgrowing the back portion before I want him in a low back so the parkway is also taller too which is a bonus.

I have heard it works with some 3 across situations but have no personal experience with it.

Click to expand...

So the Parkway would last longer due to height vs Turbobooster??

Yes, it would, by quite a bit. Here's a comparison pic posted by ginny4 showing the top heights of the TB, Monterey and older Parkway, followed by one from carseatblog.com that shows that the PWSG is a bit taller than the old PW:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=57330

http://carseatblog.com/?p=2996


In Canada, the top boosters I see recommended are the TB, PWSG and Monterey. I can tell you that the Monterey does not seem to fit slim, narrow shouldered smaller kids very well. I have heard this many times and have just verified it with my 44"/39.5lb 5.5yo DS. The shoulder belt was getting positioned too close to the ball of his shoulder for my comfort. (I was sad, I like that seat and the lap belt fit was superb). The TB fit him very well and tends to fit smaller kids most of the time. I have not had a chance to try him in the PWSG but hear the chances are better than with the Monterey.

In the US, I have also seen the Vivo recommended a lot for smaller/narrower kids.

not sure what happened to my other post, maybe I was not signed in, but anyway thanks for the info with pics and the links! appreciate it.

We were in Canadian Tire yesterday getting our car serviced and looked in the car seat section while waiting. I saw they had the Turbobooster and the Evenflo big Kid DLX, that's why I'm just wondering about those two. They looked very comparable, the Evenflow was more padded so seemed more comforatable. Have you guys heard any nagatives on the Evenflo seat???

Also do booster seats have an expiration date like the other harnessed car seats do??

Yes, boosters have expiration dates as well.

I haven't honestly heard anything about other boosters. I just see those 3(4) getting mentioned. (And then a Harmony or something similar in the US when it's for wider/bigger kids who have fit issues?)

You can get different levels of padding on the TBs as well, I'm sure, you'd need to check out different models at different stores. I just bought a TB on sale at TRU that seems from the pic and description like it has better padding than the Walmart one I was considering:
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=3828095
http://walmart.ca/details?tabId=12&departmentId=235&categoryId=1604&lang=en&assetId=62976

Here are some answers regarding EFBK vs TB or just BK "reviews" (the seats may have changed a bit since these threads were written, I don't know); the pics on the CT website do look like the TB has better head support for sleeping and more side support, if that's a consideration:
http://osv.www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?p=552842
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=3161
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=18554

I've not been pleased with the lap belt fit on the kids I've seen in the Evenflo booster.

My daughter is in a Monterey and it is fabulous on her. I have to have the headrest up 1 notch or so higher to get a good shoulder belt fit, but despite her being tall and on the thin side it fits her well. Vehicle seatbelt geometry may influence that.

I will say that after you see the lapbelt fit on the Monterey, other boosters have a harder time measuring up.

The Kobuk I've seen at a local store, but didn't seriously consider it for my dd. It would be the biggest pain in the butt to buckle because of how the armrests are very close the the seat itself - leaves a very narrow space for routing the seatbelt through and I'm not sure even my daughter could do it and she's quite good at buckling the monterey despite how the buckle sits right against it.

Turbobooster seems to fit kids well - just doesn't go as high as the parkway.

Oh - and since I haven't seen it mentioned, being as you are in Canada right now, it's important that you get Canadian seats. There are some differences in standards between the two countries, and it is also illegal for a Canadian resident to use a US seat - all provinces require that children be restrained in CMVSS certified seats. :thumbsup:

I'd go with a TB over a bigkid. The bidkid just feels flimsy in comparison.

I am in no way an expert on carseats, But I just wanted to say I have a turbo booster and I HATE it . My son always looks so stiff and uncomfortable in it. But I also have him harnessed 98% of the time in the Apex 65 which he looks way more comfortable in. My son is also a big boy so this may also have something to do with it...he is 53 lbs and just turned 5. We have two vehicles and I use the booster in our truck...but I am thinking of buying something better.