Question Need help picking booster-overwhelmed by choices/reviews/etc.

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krobbjohnson

New member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #1

My son will be 5 in 3 weeks. He has been in a Britax Blvd. for 3.5 yrs. He is solidly built at 53# 45" tall (he wears a size 6). The harness is making us both crazy. I know it is safest but we are in the car a lot for long trips, just the two of us, and I am constantly pulling over to pick up things he's dropped and reminding him to stay in it followed by lots of tears about how tight it is (which means it's just right). The seat sits really high in our car (Hyundai Santa Fe) and he can't reach anything on the sides and I have trouble seeing past it now that the headrest is at its highest. We live in a rural area, about 4 hours from the nearest big city. I do all my shopping online.

Sight unseen I have to buy a booster and have it sent to Grandma's house so she can install it so when we arrive on January 19 she can pick us up at the airport. I can't take this Blvd. on the plane -- it weighs more than my son! So, I'm looking at something around $100. I'm leaning towards the Compass B570. From my reading I think the Recaro Vivo might be too slim, the Graco Turbo sounds flimsy, the Monterey sounds bulky (though it is my second choice), the Parkway SG I'm not sure about...any others I should be looking at?

Thank you for your time.
Kim

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #2

If he'd constantly be leaning to get something, a booster is not a good idea for him.

The Compass should fit well, but it doesn't go very tall, so it may not fit long.

How are you getting the booster home? A Turbo is easily stored with the back in luggage and the bottom in the overhead.

Your choices sound pretty good.

Wendy

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Dec 28, 2010

• #3

Where are the child's shoulders in relation to the top strap settings on the Boulevard?

Not all new 5yos are ready for boosters, even as secondary seats. He can't pick up things he's dropped when he's in a booster either.

 

cookie123

New member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #4

Children should really be trained to ride in a booster seat over a period of time using short rides. When in a booster the child has to be in charge of his own safety, so needs to be mature enough to stay in place ALL the time. Being out of position at that crucial moment, you don't want.

I understand you not wanting to bring the Blvd, but I'd consider buying an inexpensive harnessed seat - I'd suggest the Evenflo Maestro - it's about $80 and is available at Target. It's likely to fit your kiddo.

I would sit him criss cross applesauce against a wall and measure him from floor to shoulder to see if the harness would be high enough. The harness needs to be at or above the shoulder for a forward facing child.

If you're set on a booster, I'd go with the Graco Turbobooster. It fits most kids pretty well. The Parkway SGL has had a problem with shoulder fit for my grandson and another member, as in it doesn't position the shoulder belt to stay on the shoulder well. I'd skip that one if you're buying online.

 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants

• Dec 28, 2010

• #5

The child is 53#, so a Maestro is not going to work.

 

cookie123

New member

• Dec 28, 2010

• #6

Also, I thought I'd share some booster seat information - hope that helps!

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx

http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/default.html

 

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krobbjohnson

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #7

Thanks for things to think about.

I would be getting it home on the plane in a bag or carry on. The compass folds in half and I know the turbo comes apart.

I would be happy to find a harnessed seat that would fit him for much longer. His Blvd. is all the way extended and the tops of his shoulders are just under the straps so it won't fit for much longer though his ears are not yet close to the top of the headrest. I realize the shoulder fit is more important. His parents are both tall (I'm 6' and my husband is 6'4") so I think he will outgrow it in height before weight.

When I say pick things up I don't mean get out of the seat and onto the floor. The Blvd. sits about 8" off the carseat so he can't even reach his cup in the cup holder.

His shoulder height when sitting is almost 17".

I had some questions I thought of to help me decide and then I decided that I'll get the Turbo for this trip, use it for training, and see how that goes for school days, use the Blvd. until he's over the shoulder height and then probably go up to a Frontier. I love the Britax so much and just feel he's safest in it. Thanks for getting my mental juices flowing.
Kim

 

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HEVY

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #8

My suggestion would be the FR85, which you said you would be getting when he outgrows the Blvd. Are you just needing a booster for this trip? Or do you just want him out of a harness?

Maybe you could try the ride safer travel vest, there's no SIP but using it in the middle would be best, at his weight it can still be used with the tether and/or a lap/shoulder belt.
http://www.safetrafficsystem.com/

 

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krobbjohnson

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #9

We make this trip from AZ to MN two or three times a year and usually drive so I haven't had to deal with taking our carseat out and putting it in other cars. This will be our first time flying to see the grandparents and ours is the first grandchild so we have no one to borrow a carseat from when we get there. My thought was that since he's close to being too big for the Blvd. I would go ahead and buy the successor seat and go from there. Now I see that it's not that easy.

 

cookie123

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #10

chickabiddy said:

The child is 53#, so a Maestro is not going to work.

Click to expand...

Oops. Sorry. I spaced that out.

 

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Jan06twinmom

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #11

Will you be flying to see the grandparents on a regular basis in the future? I'm wondering if it might be easiest for you to buy a booster to leave at the grandparent's house and then you don't have to deal with transporting it.

Otherwise, I would lean towards getting the ride safer travel vest.

Melanie

 

swtgi1982

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #12

At his siZe if you want to harness him then I would just get the frontier. It is useable in flight in harness mode.

On a side note it converts to a good booster when you are ready too.

 

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krobbjohnson

New member

• Dec 29, 2010

• #13

@Melanie-that's a good idea to leave it there because we will be there often. @swtgi1982 - I am leaning that way.
Thanks again for all the input.

 

cookie123

New member

• Dec 30, 2010

• #14

Have gramma pick up a highback Turbobooster at Target or Babies R Us. They aren't expensive and they seem to position the seatbelt well on a wide variety of children.

Then talk to your child about responsible booster riding. If he seems unable to stay in position or takes the shoulder belt off or unbuckles, you will probably want to rethink your options. You may even want to pick one up for home to start training him in before you go.