How long did your LO last in a 5pt harness?

mommygraham · Aug 16, 2010

DD1 is ff in a radian xtsl and DD2 is rf in a graco snugride. DD2 is pushing torso height limits so we need to get her a new seat. I want to get her a radian xtsl because I love them so much, but I'm wondering if DD1 will be in a high back booster soon enough that I could just get her that and hand down the radian xtsl to DD2.

DD1 will be 5 in november, weighs 34 lbs, and is 42" tall
DD2 is 9 months, 20 lbs, and 27.25" tall (tho it's all in her torso)

I just can't remember the 'rules' on how tall or how much DD1 should weigh before safely putting her in a high back booster. Can someone remind me so I can try to figure out which seats I should be getting? Thank you so much!

Maedze · Aug 16, 2010

The 'rules' are that the child should be at least 4 years old, meet the minimums for weight and height for the booster, and have the maturity to use it correctly 100% of the time.

I would not be comfortable moving a child as young and small as yours is to full time boostering.

I would pass down the XTSL to the baby and purchase a combination seat which starts as a harness and moves to a booster, for your 4 year old. The Evenflo Maestro, Graco Nautilus, Recaro ProSport and Britax Frontier 85 are all fine options.

mommygraham · Aug 16, 2010

I don't understand why booster seats label 'minimum 30 lbs and 3yrs' then if really we're supposed to wait until the child is 4 yrs and 40 lbs. Can someone enlighten me?

Maedze · Aug 16, 2010

mommygraham said:
I don't understand why booster seats label 'minimum 30 lbs and 3yrs' then if really we're supposed to wait until the child is 4 yrs and 40 lbs. Can someone enlighten me?

Because there are no laws requiring otherwise, and because dummies (not children, dummies) pass the very limited testing required of boosters.

No three year old child belongs in a belt positioning booster, ever, for any reason, and almost no four year olds belong in one full time.

Jan06twinmom · Aug 16, 2010

mommygraham said:
I don't understand why booster seats label 'minimum 30 lbs and 3yrs' then if really we're supposed to wait until the child is 4 yrs and 40 lbs. Can someone enlighten me?

Also the 30lb minimum works for older, lightweight children. Older children's bones have calcified more and are stronger. So even though a 36lb 4 year old is not safe in a booster seat and is at a higher likelihood of submarining under the seatbelt, a 36lb 6 year old would be safe due to the bone development.

Melanie

carseatcoach · Aug 16, 2010

3y/30# is a minimum. It's legal to go by the minimum standards. It's legal to feed a 10mo Diet Pepsi and Happy Meals three times a day. Most of us want to do more than the minimum for our kids.

natysr · Aug 16, 2010

Jan06twinmom said:
Also the 30lb minimum works for older, lightweight children. Older children's bones have calcified more and are stronger. So even though a 36lb 4 year old is not safe in a booster seat and is at a higher likelihood of submarining under the seatbelt, a 36lb 6 year old would be safe due to the bone development.

Melanie

:yeahthat:

My son is about the same stats as your daughter. 35 pounds, 41 inches tall.

He turns 6 on Friday. His bones have had more time to mature than your daughter's, so he would be safer in a booster than your daughter would.

Now, my son is booster trained. But, he also rides in a harness a good amount of the time. In fact, right now, his booster seat is in the garage. There is a 5 pt harness seat installed in both cars for him to use now. But when school starts next week, we will switch one of those out to the high back booster for his rides to and from school. (less than 1 mile away on roads with 25-35 mph limits). We we go other places that are farther, we will take our other car with the harness.

Even at 6 years old, I am not comfortable with him being in a booster full time.

mommygraham · Aug 16, 2010

Jan06twinmom said:
Also the 30lb minimum works for older, lightweight children. Older children's bones have calcified more and are stronger. So even though a 36lb 4 year old is not safe in a booster seat and is at a higher likelihood of submarining under the seatbelt, a 36lb 6 year old would be safe due to the bone development.

Melanie

Ok, that makes sense.

chickabiddy said:
3y/30# is a minimum. It's legal to go by the minimum standards. It's legal to feed a 10mo Diet Pepsi and Happy Meals three times a day. Most of us want to do more than the minimum for our kids.

Haha, well put :thumbsup:

Jennifer mom to my 7 · Aug 16, 2010

And it used to be that there were no seats, unless you put out the big bucks, that harnessed a kid past 40 pounds. The 3 year minimum was for those kids that were over 40 pounds at 3.5 or so, like some of my kids were. I was able to spend the money on a higher weight/higher harness seat, many other parents couldn't at the time.

Now, we have plenty of budget seats that will get your average childe to at least age 5 in a harness. Things have come a long way.

amy&girls · Aug 16, 2010

My oldest I am sure would still fit in one of our higher harnessed seats, but I have moved her to a HBB. She is almost 7. My second oldest turned 5 today and is still riding in her harness. She will be there till at least the spring, in which I will test her maturity in a booster and go from there. If she's still not mature enough for it, then she'll go back into the harness.

asch884 · Aug 16, 2010

My son is 6.5 and rides harnessed in a graco nauti. He is 43lbs and 47inches tall. He does ride in a booster in one car but in the car we are in most he is harnessed. He knows how to buckle himself in so He will stay in that even when school starts.

strollerfreak · Aug 17, 2010

My 7.5yo still occasionally uses a harnessed seat, my 5.5yo barely 40lbs-sopping-wet daughter is in a harnessed seat and will be for another couple years...

My 9.5yo *just* came out of a harnessed seat for good this past summer...and there are still days that I wish I could cram him into a Regent...

mlohry · Aug 17, 2010

I got my 7 year old to stay harnessed in a GN until he turned 7. At the time he was about 50 lbs and ahhhhh, 46 inches, I believe, he outgrew it by ht of course. I am hoping to keep my just turning 6 year old harnessed in the GN until his 7th B-day too, he still has one more level to go with it.

all together ooky · Aug 18, 2010

My 6 1/2 year-old just outgrew her Frontier and Nautilus harness. She's 47" and 50lbs.

TnT's Mom · Aug 18, 2010

My youngest will be 6 this Fall and he is still harnessed in his Nautilus in my car though he has a HBB in DH's vehicle. He 45.5 inches tall and he has a 17.25 inch torso. He weighs between 49 and 50 lbs. He actually prefers his 5 point harness to his HBB. He says it is more comfortable. I think he means that he doesn't have to concentrate on staying in position like he does in the HBB. He does a pretty good job when he rides in the booster but he can still be wiggly at times.

thepeach80 · Aug 18, 2010

My boys are both harnessed at 7yo and 5.5yo.

Katy · Aug 18, 2010

My LO just turned 6. He's still in a harness 90% of the time. He rides fine for short trips in a booster with his dad and grandpa. For me with the other kids in the car he is not mature enough and bends, moves, reaches and needs constant reminders to sit still. We travel farther in my car and he is 'playing" with sibblings so he is staying harnessed untill this stops. He barely fits in his radian so he'll be getting a taller harness seat soon. I'll use his radian as a backup for his brother untill his little sister grows out of the infant seat.

I don't think I'd even let a mature kid booster train untill they were both 4 an 40lbs.

mom2juliarose · Aug 18, 2010

DD is going to be 6 next month and still fits in a harness. She rides harnessed in my car, and in a booster in DH's car (she's only in there about 3x/week). When it comes to any drives over 20 minutes or so, I actually prefer her in the harness. As she gets bored and distracted, she tends to forget to remain in position.

firemomof3 · Aug 18, 2010

My dd1 was in a booster full-time at 6y/o. She didn't want to be harnessed any longer and she was booster trained and understood about sitting still

My dd2 is still harnessed in her Radian but she is 4.5y/o and closer to 40lbs. so she will be starting booster training in a Vivo probably around Thanksgiving.

cookie123 · Aug 18, 2010

Hannah and Brett are still harnessed in the GN. H will be 8 in October and B was 6 in April. I've planning to convert them for awhile. Especially B is probably getting close to outgrowing the harness. I better check. B is bigger than H, and H going to 2nd grade in a harness seems a little over the top. They both ride in boosters when with their dad and with me.

How long did your LO last in a 5pt harness?

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