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!
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!