Evenflo Maestro, Graco Nautilus and the Britax Frontier....

twinkletoes · Jul 19, 2010

what are the differences between these harnessed high back boosters?

it seams that there is a hundred dollar jump between each model.

do you have the stats, such as harness slot heights etc? and ease of installation etc.

My dh car is a 1999 Izuzu Amigo Sport which he will like to change next year, hopefully.

I drive a 03 focus wagon.

we do not tether ff in dh car since it's an older car without tether points or latch. we also don't have a car manual for his car.

it will be replacing the cosco scenera as dd has only about 1" growing room on the shoulder harness height and I hate how I have to keep tightening the seat after almost every journey in the Izuzu.. (I don't have to do this with the Britax seat we own, when the Izuzu was our main car) since I brought my ford focus, we use the Britax in that full time and I need something initially for dh's car (so Ideally, that is known to fit different models well, as our BLVD does)

Ideally, It would be nice to have a seat narrower than the BLVD, but it's not essential.

this is for a petite 6 year old, 33lbs and 42" with 1" of shoulder height left in Cosco scenera.

we would also like a seat that makes a great booster for a petite frame, as dd will always be slim at this point and I'm sure she has a narrow frame (narrow shoulders and hips)

TIA

wendytthomas · Jul 19, 2010

Evenflo Maestro: 50 pounds harnessed, 18" top slots, 19" (at best) top booster height.

Graco Nautilus: 65 pounds harnessed, 18.5" top slots, 21" top booster height, then backless booster.

Britax Frontier: 80 pounds harnessed, 18.25" top slots, 24" top booster height.

Britax Frontier 85: 85 pounds harnessed, 20" top slots, 23" top booster height.

For a slim child I'd look at the Nautilus. Or a dedicated booster like the Graco Turbobooster, Recaro Vivo/Probooster.

Wendy

cookie123 · Jul 19, 2010

Many vehicles can be retrofitted with top tethers. It's worth it to get them installed. Someone will probably be able to provide you with info.

The Maestro is probably the narrowest of the 3, as well as the least expensive. The top slots of the Maestro and Nautilus are similar at 18 or 18.5 inches. The Maestro will be outgrown in booster mode at the same time the harness is outgrown - no adjustable headrest. The Frontier 85 has the highest top slots of any seat at 19.5 and also converts to the highest booster available. The Nautilus can be narrow in the shoulders for some older kids.

That's all I can think of right now! Must get to bed.

twinkletoes · Jul 19, 2010

Thanks

do you tether dedicated boosters at all? (so out of the loop here)

I am pretty sure dd is too narrow for the Graco Turbo booster right now, i've not really tried it in our car, just in the seat that they had in the store - so it was kinda hard to tell

actually, I don't recall seeing a tether for this booster?

I could do the Evenflow Maestro and just intend to use it as harnessed booster until that's outgrown, then get a dedicated booster down the road - since the Maestro is under $100 and so is the Graco turbobooster

if only I could try the Ricardo booster IRL.. but I doubt there would be any stores around here that would carry it.

do you have the the weights of the actual seats? (harnessed boosters and high back boosters mentioned here)

TIA.

ketchupqueen · Jul 19, 2010

Some dedicated boosters have lower anchors, which are optional; I think one model may have a tether, but those are exceptions. Most dedicated boosters just sit on the seat and position the belt on the child.

twinkletoes · Jul 19, 2010

I *think* I'll try the Graco Turbobooster in dh's car and if it doesn't fit dd well - I can return it.. but hopefully it will fit since it doesn't need to be tethered. DD is booster ready

and then I"ll do the maestro for my car when I need to wash the BLVD cover - it's $70 for a spare BLVD car seat cover anyway, may as well try out the maestro for that price - plus it's narrower so it will come in handy when we have company from overseas and need to sit two adults in the back of my focus wagon!

I'm thinking the a harness booster is best for longer trips when dd ends up taking a nap? I worry about a child falling asleep in a designated booster - how is their seating with an adult belt when sleeping?

I guess if dd can fit the turbo booster - then we could do two of those? or would the maestro be better for longer car journeys? since we have a choice and I can get a lovely installation in my car with tether etc.

Oh, I want to keep dd in a high back booster for as long as possible - at what stage is the turbo booster changed into a backless booster?

I realize I"m probably a long way off anyway. but I believe it's 4ft 11" and 12 years when a child is of a height to sit on the seat without a booster right?

I realize there are some adults who are shorter than 4ft 11" so I think that's where the 'age' comes in too.

TIA.

twinkletoes · Jul 19, 2010

all that said! I was wondering - do you think designated boosters do well on the middle seat of cars? my dh's middle seat is kind of higher and less contoured than the outbound seats.. i'm wondering if it will sit right? do designated boosters ever have trouble with center seating in cars?

also - dd is still small enough to be rear facing in a Radian.. if it were your child, would you put her RF in a Radian or in a designated booster or a high back harnessed booster? assuming all 3 fit the cars etc.

also - do you go to the dealer to fit a tether point in cars that do not have tether anchors?

TIA, once again

luvsviola · Jul 19, 2010

If it were me, I would (and do) RF in a Radian.

Carseats step in safety.

Safest--Rear Facing
Less Safe--Forward Facing
Least Safe--Booster

So best practice would be RFing in a Radian. I would never forward face my child without a tether.

However, what is the age and weight of the child in question?

carseatcoach · Jul 19, 2010

luvsviola said:
If it were me, I would (and do) RF in a Radian.

Carseats step in safety.

Safest--Rear Facing
Less Safe--Forward Facing
Least Safe--Booster

So best practice would be RFing in a Radian. I would never forward face my child without a tether.

However, what is the age and weight of the child in question?

There is no evidence that for a child who can use a booster properly (meaning maturity and impulse control as well as age and size and vehicle considerations), a booster is any less safe than a harnessed seat.

There's nothing wrong with RFing a 6yo, but it's way beyond what most would consider "best practice".

If it was my child, I'd either install a tether anchor and buy a Maestro or get a Turbobooster.

cookie123 · Jul 19, 2010

The kiddo is 6. She sounds pretty little. I don't think I'd rear face a 6 year old unless she really wanted to. I'd probably go with the Maestro. It's likely to be more than enough harnessed seat for her. I'd probably want to keep her harnessed as little as she is.

I forgot what vehicle you have. You could go to the dealer and try to get a top tether installed, or look in your car's owner's manual. Maybe start a thread saying can your car be retrofitted with a top tether. There's a few cpst's here that will have that info.

Carrie_R · Jul 19, 2010

Is DD your only child?

If she is, I'm not sure I'd worry about getting TAs retrofitted. I think I would just get a Turbobooster and, assuming it fits well, call it a day.

I'd get a Maestro for your vehicle, which as petite as she is, will last her a while in either harnessed or boostered mode. She'll have several inches. I forget the dimensions of the Scenera but it is significantly less than

In case you would prefer to harness her in DH's car, I (or someone else, if they get to it before me) will post the retrofit info this evening, when I get back to my LATCH manual. It's at home, and I am not, lol.

And FWIW, Viola, although RF is always safer than FF (albeit by a diminishing margin as kids age,) harnessing is not always safer than boostering. It depends on the child's maturity, and to some degree, their size. For a mature but petite six year old, I would be okay boostering her in a well-fitting booster, if that's what the child and parent want. In a situation where there are no tethers, a RF seat is an appropriate solution, and if the child was younger, I'd agree -- but since she's six, she's most likely able to booster safely.

Jeanum · Jul 19, 2010

On the top tether anchor part of your questions, your '03 Focus already has 3 factory equipped top tether anchors, one tether anchor for each rear seating position. :thumbsup: The '99 Isuzu Amigo has a tether anchor retrofit part number listed in the LATCH manual, Isuzu part number 8-97135-900-0, called a "Child Seat Anchor" kit and retailing for approx. $7 to $13 per part. There are 3 8mm weld nuts in the '99 Amigo's cargo floor for retrofitting up to 3 top tether anchors, one tether anchor for each rear seating position. :thumbsup: While Isuzu phased out its passenger vehicle product lineup several years ago, there is an Isuzu passenger vehicle service facility search feature on Isuzu's website that hopefully can provide you with some leads in your area if you wish to pursue a tether anchor retrofit in the Amigo: http://www.isuzu.com/home.jsp

aeormsby · Jul 19, 2010

Just wanted to add (unless I missed it in another post) that using the booster in the center is fine as long as there is a lap & shoulder belt in that position. I'm guessing you only have a lap belt center in the Isuzu, and possibly also in the Focus just going by the age of the vehicles.

twinkletoes · Jul 19, 2010

Thank You ALL sooo much

you know, in the UK we don't tether so I didn't think it was that important :/ I used a Britax harnessed booster when over there for three months and it didn't have a tether strap. It was a really lovely seat actually.

I'll try and get the parts needed to do the tether anchors - hopefully I can track a place down that still sells them. since they are inexpensive and it sounds easy enough to do.

I'll try and not have dd in dh's car - we'll just swap cars instead.

do you think there is a concern for submarining in a booster with a child of 33lbs? I had recently heard about submarining and wanted to see what you think here.

In Europe - it's more age over weight - and in Sweden a 6 year old would be considered very safe in a booster even at dd's petite size. actually, very few car seats forward face above 40 lbs, even though the same seat rf higher at 50 or so lbs. (I think there may be a couple, one is for handicapped children) but after rf to age 5, the children go into standard high back booster seats, not harnessed high back boosters.

Thank you for your time!

I can't wait to get a tether fitted in dh's car though; If I can track it down :/

luvsviola · Jul 19, 2010

Sorry, I just re-read the OP and in skimming earlier, didn't see the 6 year old part of the post.

I retract my Radian idea. Yeah, I probably wouldn't RF a 6 year old. When you said she still fit, I assumed she was younger.

I think I need more sleep.

twinkletoes · Jul 20, 2010

Initially, I thought the turbo booster would be the easiest and quickest thing to do. However - I just remembered that the 99 Isuzu Amigo only has a lap belt in the center seat, so dd would have to go outboard in the turbo booster.

I also thought retrofitting a tether anchor would be quite expensive, and we will be changing our car next year, so the turbo booster was looking more attractive (not that I would put money over safety, just that dd is old enough and mature enough)

but I would only want to put her outbound as a last resort - so dh will call around today and hopefully one of the places will have the tether anchor for our car. I didn't realize they have discontinued selling passenger cars over here - our Amigo is so reliable - no problems with it at all, and it's 11 years old. I don't like the lap belt in the middle and I don't like the long stalks on the seat belt buckles - and the fact that it didn't have latch or tether anchors - oh, and it's a three door car, not five - and uses too much gas

but all in all - it's very reliable and strong

I did have a question about seat belts in older cars though - is there a time when you need to think about putting in new seat belts? after so many years in the heat of Florida? because car seats have lives - I was wondering if car seat belts did too? the buckle is plastic after all. perhaps I should make a post about that.

Oh how I wish the Evenflow Maestro came in less boring colours!

do you happen to know what stores carry the Maestro? we have a buy buy baby here, but I didn't see it on line on their site - but then again - back in 04 when we were buying our dd's baby Items - they didn't have very much on line at all, it was all in their stores... so you never can tell.

DH is going to go and see if he can get the Tether anchors today

.. hopefully so.

i'll keep you all updated

twinkletoes · Jul 24, 2010

DH has ordered the Tether anchor.. in the meanwhile, we are getting around using my ford focus for dd (it has latch outboard (but can borrow the latch form each side for middle installation) and 3 point seatbelts in all seats as well as three tether anchors) we use the blvd with latch and tether in the middle.

dh's car has a funny shaped back seat - the seat goes over the back wheels, so the outboard seats look as though they would be useless for installing even a booster seat

.. plus being a more compact suv, I'd rather dd be in the middle for more head clearance with the front seat in the event of a head on collision.

I was thinking of this.. to put our BLVD in dh's car (once the tether anchor arrives and gets installed) since the Britax installs so easily in his car and then use the new car seat for my car - that way, we will have more choices

if we can't borrow the latch on other car seats, we can still use the 3 point seatbelt and tether in the middle - or even do a designated high back booster in the middle!

vrclay · Jul 27, 2010

twinkletoes said:
do you happen to know what stores carry the Maestro? we have a buy buy baby here, but I didn't see it on line on their site - but then again - back in 04 when we were buying our dd's baby Items - they didn't have very much on line at all, it was all in their stores... so you never can tell.

i'll keep you all updated

I just drove all over creation gathering seats for my son's preschool. The only Brick and Mortar store that had them was Sears. BWT - it looks awesome. I'm wishing I would have bought one for my son.

ketchupqueen · Jul 28, 2010

twinkletoes said:
I did have a question about seat belts in older cars though - is there a time when you need to think about putting in new seat belts? after so many years in the heat of Florida? because car seats have lives - I was wondering if car seat belts did too? the buckle is plastic after all. perhaps I should make a post about that.

Regardless of climate, I advise, based on what I was taught, that seatbelts over 10 years old be periodically inspected for wear and damage by someone qualified to do so, and that if seatbelts are over 20 years old, the owner should probably consider replacement regardless of how they look.

twinkletoes · Jul 28, 2010

ketchupqueen said:
Regardless of climate, I advise, based on what I was taught, that seatbelts over 10 years old be periodically inspected for wear and damage by someone qualified to do so, and that if seatbelts are over 20 years old, the owner should probably consider replacement regardless of how they look.

who would be qualified to do so?

Thanks

Evenflo Maestro, Graco Nautilus and the Britax Frontier....

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