Opinion about LBB

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

My son is 6.5yr old, 54 lbs and 4 ft or so give or take. The mornings are tough at school getting him unzipped in the harness, out of the harness zipped and out of the van. We have to go through drop off line and they like us to be as swift as possible..

So I was thinking of a LBB,( Because he can then get in and out himself, it will be quicker. I tried the process this morning before I took him just watching him as he buckled himself into the back row and then out and grabbed book bag.

The School is not a block from our house.

What do you think?

ginny4 · Dec 8, 2010

why not a HBB? they are just as easy to work with as NBB.

tiggercat · Dec 8, 2010

He should still be unzipping his coat and moving it out of the way of the belt before buckling when riding in a booster, which is something my kids have found pretty tricky.
I'd be fine with a HBB at that age, but would not be ok with a backless even on a short drive unless it was an emergency.
Also, it sounds like you are doing the coat trick, which is fine, but it might be quicker if they just took the jackets off in the car and used them as blankets. Then you wouldn't have to unzip, just unharness and put on coats.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

ginny4 said:
why not a HBB? they are just as easy to work with as NBB.

I think I may take him to BRU and let him try to strap in with both and see. It would only be for this purpose. No where else. I just think the LBB would be easiest for him.. Maybe I am wrong.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

tiggercat said:
He should still be unzipping his coat and moving it out of the way of the belt before buckling when riding in a booster, which is something my kids have found pretty tricky.
I'd be fine with a HBB at that age, but would not be ok with a backless even on a short drive unless it was an emergency.
Also, it sounds like you are doing the coat trick, which is fine, but it might be quicker if they just took the jackets off in the car and used them as blankets. Then you wouldn't have to unzip, just unharness and put on coats.

The issue is it is freezing here. Today it was 20 degrees when he left. He has been home all week with strep. So I don't want him not completely done when he gets out. When we are just going out together during the day on errands and what not, I have them in a sweatshirt, then a vest. They take the vest off strap in and off we go.

I need him to have a heavier coat for school because he goes out for recess and needs to be warm. Otherwise it would not be an issue. He can get in and out of that vest in 2 mins. The issue is really what is going to be more time efficient. In the drop off line there is a huge line of cars. We need to be as swift as we can be.

We live at the end of a residential street in a development. Our street butts up to another res. street. It is one block to the school street and then we are there. It is really not even a 2 min drive. And we go on no higher traffic roads. I don't even see another car til I get to the school parking lot.

babyherder · Dec 8, 2010

I'd put him in a car seat safe coat like a fleece for the drive to school. Then just have him carry his bigger coat into school with him and wear it for recess.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

Aren't there fleece lined ski jackets? Something that is thinner but extra warm? I just don't like the idea of fleece only.. And yet I don't want to bundle him in layers so he is sweating in school.

tiggercat · Dec 8, 2010

Baylor said:
The issue is it is freezing here. Today it was 20 degrees when he left. He has been home all week with strep. So I don't want him not completely done when he gets out. When we are just going out together during the day on errands and what not, I have them in a sweatshirt, then a vest. They take the vest off strap in and off we go.

I need him to have a heavier coat for school because he goes out for recess and needs to be warm. Otherwise it would not be an issue. He can get in and out of that vest in 2 mins. The issue is really what is going to be more time efficient. In the drop off line there is a huge line of cars. We need to be as swift as we can be.

We live at the end of a residential street in a development. Our street butts up to another res. street. It is one block to the school street and then we are there. It is really not even a 2 min drive. And we go on no higher traffic roads. I don't even see another car til I get to the school parking lot.

ok, but he still has to take off the heavy coat in the car to buckle up in a booster (or unzip it and pull it out from under the belt so there there is no interference). So I really don't see how it saves time? Can't he just remove the heavy coat just like he does the vest?

And it doesn't matter how quiet your subdivision is if some idiot comes speeding along randomly and t-bones you as you are turning into the school.

20 f = -7C which really isn't that cold. My kids take off their coats when it goes down to -20 and they seem to survive just fine

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

It would really be great if they made coats just for car seats, that would compress completely when buckled in and then release when undone.. kind of like an air bag coat.. lol

Jeanum · Dec 8, 2010

I don't see a backless belt positioning booster being any easier than a HBB in this situation. My oldest fumbles around more in a backless than a highback in terms of buckling because the highback has the shoulder belt guide keeping the shoulder belt/buckle reachable/accessible more effectively for rebuckling FWIW. She's actually faster buckling or unbuckling in a 5-point carseat but hasn't fit heightwise in one for over a year after maxing out a Regent heightwise. For outerwear, you could get him a system type 3-in-1/4-in-1 coat/parka with a zip-in fleece jacket liner that can be worn all together or as separatel pieces. Wear the carseat friendly fleece jacket liner in the car, and bring along the heavier outer parka to don for extended time in the great outdoors/recess. Walmart has them (super cheap on Black Friday and probably still some floating around in store or online). Target has a version of them every year as well. Lands End has them. Just about anywhere that sells coats in wintery climates has a variation on them. Problem solved regardless of what carseat he's using.

Cryssy Jane · Dec 8, 2010

Baylor said:
The School is not a block from our house.

Shoot I'd be walking if school was that close and avoid the drop off line altogether. I've done the school walk when it was colder than that and my school's were at least a half a mile away.

I agree a HBB would be better than a LBB and I really wouldn't feel comfortable with a 6 year old in a LBB. Emergency sure, but this isn't an emergency and I wouldn't risk my child's safety just to make some one happy in the drop off line, maybe that's me being selfish but as far as I'm concerned they can wait the extra 30 seconds to get a kiddo out of a harnessed seat or a HBB and zip their coat. Safety trumps speed in my book. :twocents:

Also, my daycare kiddo who was booster training found a HBB much easier to buckle because of the upper guide making the seat-belt accessible and right there. There was also a HUGE difference in fit between the HBB and the LBB.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

Jeanum said:
I don't see a backless belt positioning booster being any easier than a HBB in this situation. My oldest fumbles around more in a backless than a highback in terms of buckling because the highback has the shoulder belt guide keeping the shoulder belt/buckle reachable/accessible more effectively for rebuckling FWIW. She's actually faster buckling or unbuckling in a 5-point carseat but hasn't fit heightwise in one for over a year after maxing out a Regent heightwise. For outerwear, you could get him a system type 3-in-1/4-in-1 coat/parka with a zip-in fleece jacket liner that can be worn all together or as separatel pieces. Wear the carseat friendly fleece jacket liner in the car, and bring along the heavier outer parka to don for extended time in the great outdoors/recess. Walmart has them (super cheap on Black Friday and probably still some floating around in store or online). Target has a version of them every year as well. Lands End has them. Just about anywhere that sells coats in wintery climates has a variation on them. Problem solved regardless of what carseat he's using.

I will look for one of those coats.. Thanks for the input..

Cryssy Jane said:
Shoot I'd be walking if school was that close and avoid the drop off line altogether. I've done the school walk when it was colder than that and my school's were at least a half a mile away.

I agree a HBB would be better than a LBB and I really wouldn't feel comfortable with a 6 year old in a LBB. Emergency sure, but this isn't an emergency and I wouldn't risk my child's safety just to make some one happy in the drop off line, maybe that's me being selfish but as far as I'm concerned they can wait the extra 30 seconds to get a kiddo out of a harnessed seat or a HBB and zip their coat. Safety trumps speed in my book. :twocents:

Also, my daycare kiddo who was booster training found a HBB much easier to buckle because of the upper guide making the seat-belt accessible and right there. There was also a HUGE difference in fit between the HBB and the LBB.

I understand, I have no real experience with HBB, I bought one for him when he was 4 and then just could not stomach seeing him in it and bought the Nautilus so I could harness him back in. I was just looking for SAFE convenience. I will get him a HBB then. I need one anyway. The reason the Harness is harder in the AM is the gloves or mittens. He can still undo the seatbelt with them on but not the harness. He has too much trouble.

THanks so much for all the advice and ideas.

One more..

What is the difference between the turbo and the turbo elite?

christineka · Dec 8, 2010

My kids have to layer- undershirt, long sleeved shirt, and sweatshirt. Then they don't even need the coat in the car. Just bring it along and put the mittens in the pocket. I understand needing the warm stuff for recess. Last year my kids routinely went to school in their snow pants. We live many blocks away from the school, but my kids walked or rode scooters. I only drove when the temp was in the teens or below or it was snowing heavily.

The turbobooster elite has adjustable head wings and more padding I believe.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

christineka said:
My kids have to layer- undershirt, long sleeved shirt, and sweatshirt. Then they don't even need the coat in the car. Just bring it along and put the mittens in the pocket. I understand needing the warm stuff for recess. Last year my kids routinely went to school in their snow pants. We live many blocks away from the school, but my kids walked or rode scooters. I only drove when the temp was in the teens or below or it was snowing heavily.

The turbobooster elite has adjustable head wings and more padding I believe.

I have the 2.5 yr old in the am too. and to be honest.. I don't like walking in the cold so in the car we go! We do walk in the warm pleasant weather though!

CrunchyMaineMama · Dec 8, 2010

My DD has a puffy winter coat (hand me down) that she keeps in her cubby at school. I bring her to school in her fleece coat, covered with a blanket in her seat and then she has the warmer coat at school for recess. On really cold mornings I start the car before we go so it's warm. I would just dress him as you normally do when you go out and have him bring a warmer coat for recess. No new seat necessary.

christineka · Dec 8, 2010

Baylor said:
I have the 2.5 yr old in the am too. and to be honest.. I don't like walking in the cold so in the car we go! We do walk in the warm pleasant weather though!

I don't like walking either, especially with the younger kiddos. My older kids were old enough that my 6 year old could walk with them. Do you have any neighbor kids who walk? I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to send your child with others who also walk. If you are super close to the school, you might bundle up, sit on your porch and watch your child walk to school.

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

CrunchyMaineMama said:
My DD has a puffy winter coat (hand me down) that she keeps in her cubby at school. I bring her to school in her fleece coat, covered with a blanket in her seat and then she has the warmer coat at school for recess. On really cold mornings I start the car before we go so it's warm. I would just dress him as you normally do when you go out and have him bring a warmer coat for recess. No new seat necessary.

That is not a bad Idea.. I will have to see if his teacher is okay with it!

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

christineka said:
I don't like walking either, especially with the younger kiddos. My older kids were old enough that my 6 year old could walk with them. Do you have any neighbor kids who walk? I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to send your child with others who also walk. If you are super close to the school, you might bundle up, sit on your porch and watch your child walk to school.

No one here walks. They all get dropped off. I can not see the school entrance..

It sits sideways. I can see the school property and back of the school but there is no way I am letting him out of my eyesight until he is in the door. Especially alone.. Otherwise, I would be happy to do that!

Baylor · Dec 8, 2010

So I am going over the turbo booster manual on line.. I have a question.. how do I know the correct height of the arm rests?

tiggercat · Dec 8, 2010

Baylor said:
So I am going over the turbo booster manual on line.. I have a question.. how do I know the correct height of the arm rests?

You have to try them in both positions looking at the belt geometry. My 50lb 5 yr old daughter uses them on the higher position, though, so I'd guess at his size/age he would also. It is really hard to buckle under them when they are in the lower position.

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