Is a belt-positioning booster a good "vacation" option?

JamRowZ

New member
ds is 3 1/2, 42 lbs. and ~42-43 inches tall (off the growth chart). He's long in the torso. At home we have him in a Radian 65 - now forward facing since he hit 40 lbs about 10 months ago. We just had to move to the top shoulder slot since his shoulders are above the next one down (barely).

I will be visiting my parents for a week alone and we will be flying. We visit about once per year. They are willing to spend $30-$40 to get a seat that he can use for the visit if I can convince them that the seat they get for that money will last for multiple years worth of visits. He's definitely over the Cosco Scenera weight limit so that's out.

He rode in a belt-positioning booster when we had an emergency carpool with another family and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it fit him - he looked really comfortable and his shoulders looked much less cramped than in the Radian (not that he's ever complained about the Radian). He sat really well in the booster as well (which I was nervous about since I've read that's an issue for 3 1/2 year olds). It was an Evenflo belt positioning booster and the person who drove said he thought his wife spent about $40 on it.

I'm wondering if that might be a good option for my parents to get. Is there a better option in the $30-$40 price range? There are no cousins (yet) so whatever they would get is likely to expire before they can use it for cousins as well.

I'm not planning to switch him out of the Radian at home until it's outgrown by height - probably long before it's outgrown by weight since he's so tall. I'm wondering about using a once a year vacation as a time to start booster training. Odds are I will be in the backseat with him most of the visit, although there may be opportunities occasionally for me to ride in the front.

To summarize, is a booster a good option for a vacation use seat for a 3 1/2 year old? If not, please suggest a seat in the $30-$40 price range that would be a better option and convert to a booster when he's older (since it's next use would be at age 4 1/2-5).

Thanks!
 
ADS

TXAggieTech

Active member
Is there a reason you can't take the Radian? I would look at either a GoGoKidz or a luggage cart. He can either sit in the seat as you go through the airport or you can pile bags on it. I've found as long as the seat has wheels attached that it isn't a hassle for me to travel with.

But to you original question, I would not put a 3.5 year old in a booster when there were other options available.
 

JamRowZ

New member
We have an UppaBaby Vista and the Radian will fit folded in the stroller basket, but the only reason I'd bring a stroller this trip is for the carseat. DS doesn't really use the stroller anymore unless we're walking 2+ miles which I don't expect to be an issue since my mom can't walk that far anymore.

I will be flying with DS alone and I'd rather not deal with the install (DH is much better at getting it tight and my parent's are useless with that) or have to deal with in myself in the airports - even if I check it.

Another way to put this, is a possibly too loose Radian install (all I've ever been able to do without help) better than a belt positioning booster that I'm sure I can buckle securely?
 

JamRowZ

New member
I live in the Boston area. In our car, it's a seat belt install with just a lap belt. In my parents car, it's either a LATCH install or a lap-shoulder belt install. It's not that I'm uncomfortable with the install so much as I don't have the strength to pull it tight. I guess if there were a tech who has access to a car more similar to my parents (I think Lexus SUV, but not sure if they got a new car since I was last there), that might be more helpful.
 

Jan06twinmom

New member
I wouldn't put my 3.5 year old in a booster seat. I know my twins were not mature enough to sit properly in a booster at 3 or 4 years olds.

The cheapest harness option that I would recommend for your son would be an Evenflo Maestro. It runs about $80. It harnesses to 50lbs and has tall harness straps. Unfortunately, the headrest doesn't adjust upwards so it doesn't last long as a booster. In a couple of years when your DS outgrows the Maestro, you could get the $40 booster seat.

If you don't want to take your Radian, then how about paying for half of the cost of a Maestro?

I would take the Radian and learn how to install it. I'm in the same situation you are in that my DH is better at installing. But when we were on vacation and I had to reinstall our Radian, I was able to do it. I had DH on the phone with me talking me through it. Instead of using a stroller, I put our car seat on a folding/rolling luggage cart and pull it through the airport.

Melanie
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I would never suggest puting a 3.5 yr old in a booster. Beyond the very important issue of maturity level, a harness spreads the crash force out onto a broader area of the body to reduce risk.

* What is his torso height?
* What are the vehicle years/makes/models he'll be riding in?
* Have you looked up seatcheck locations & techs in that area to call?

We may able to help you install the Radian :) otherwise I suggest using their $40 toward toward a Maestro or SafeGuard Go or RideSaferTravelVest.

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JamRowZ

New member
His torso height is about 15 inches (from rear to shoulders). I might be off by about 1/2 inch. I'll have to check with my parents on makes models and years of vehicles. Both are SUV's with LATCH, which I realize doesn't help much in making recommendations. I will have to install the seat around midnight when they pick us up at the airport so I'm not sure that local carseat techs will be much help unless I get them a seat and have them take it to have it installed before we arrive. I suspect that they would be unwilling to do this, but I could always ask.

I think the argument about crash force distribution with a harness helps me the most with the decision. I had always bought into the maturity thing until I actually saw him sit perfectly in a booster that fit him way better than I ever would have imagined - perhaps because he's so big for his age, he just fit well enough to comfortably sit still.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
15" torso ... hm, if you can't manage to contribute more to the travel seat fund than the $40 they offered & they want to keep the seat for younger grandkids, then he might be just fine for this 1 trip in a Scenera (I don't remember the specs for that seat off the top of my head) -- the top slot just needs to be "at OR above" his shoulders, sometimes the carseat cover makes it look like it's below when it's still just "at".

JamRowZ said:
until I actually saw him sit perfectly in a booster that fit him way better than I ever would have imagined - perhaps because he's so big for his age, he just fit well enough to comfortably sit still.
My daughter is super leggy & skinny, but was also capable of sitting in a booster before age 4 & some positioned the belt correctly before then too ... however, the concept of spreading crash forces convinced me as well as the fact that there is more forward motion in a booster so the uncovered shoulder tends to twist out & around a bit during a crash, increasing the risk of impacting the vehicle interior in comparison to a harness.

The RSTV is almost as easy to use as a booster & still spreads crash forces out more while also reducing forward movement more like a harness.

But, hopefully we can offer some tips for installing the Radian just in case -- it's always good to have some ideas handy if he ever does use the seat in a different vehicle :)

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JamRowZ

New member
15" torso ... hm, if you can't manage to contribute more to the travel seat fund than the $40 they offered & they want to keep the seat for younger grandkids, then he might be just fine for this 1 trip in a Scenera (I don't remember the specs for that seat off the top of my head) --

But he weighs 42 lbs which is over the Scenera weight limit and they specifically don't want to save something for younger grandkids since their other potential source of grandkids is single and not dating anyone so the seat is likely to expire before there are younger grandkids to use it.
 

mylittlet

Senior Community Member
Could you get a safer rider vest? It would be really easy to travel with. Also next time you have an emergancy you would have a back up seat. It also doesn't expire.

I wouldn't recommend a booster either.

Stefanie, cpst in iowa - mom to 4 great kids
 

MaggieQ

Senior Community Member
I think the ride safer travel vest would be a great idea for them to invest in. *If I'm not mistaken* it does not expire so they could use it for future grand kids :)
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
JamRowZ said:
But he weighs 42 lbs which is over the Scenera weight limit and they specifically don't want to save something for younger grandkids since their other potential source of grandkids is single and not dating anyone so the seat is likely to expire before there are younger grandkids to use it.

Oooops! Confused a couple threads!

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