FF/Booster Seat for tall 3 year old?

I need some info I can e-mail quickly...

I'm visiting family so on dial up and do not have time to search myself. I have all this info somewhere on my home computer but will not be home for three weeks.

Our friend's son who is newly turned three (two days younger then our son) but a few inches taller then his 38 inches and possible the same weight of 33 lbs. His parents say he is 40 lbs but there is no way he is.

He had a potty accident in his current Eddie Bauer 3-1( same model we have) so most likely had already outgrown it if our son has. She says she can not take the cover off to wash and to be honest I never looked at ours to see if its possible since we have never had the need to.

So they are looking to replace it and were asking about boosters GASP to which I said NO and told them I would give them some names of seats that are forward facing convert to booster.
Price really should not be a factor BUT I think that if they look at the price of a booster compared to FF/Booster model they may just go with what ever is cheapest.

They drive a Dodge Neon not sure if it has head rests or not I can't recall.

What has the tallest slots out there of the HWH/Booster seats? Like I said he is pretty tall for his age. I think I will offer to install...his current seat was not even attached by the tether

Thanks

I like the evenflo bolero/generations. It goes to 47 lbs (CDN) and I can fit an almost 6 yr old in it. The radian has higher slots too

Radian - tallest slots, new 65lb ff limit, $200, doesn't go to a booster but should last until 5 - 7 years old, installation issues in some vehicles with long buckle stalks and forward of the bite belts. Canadian Tire carries them.

Marathon - $300+, 2nd tallest slots, not sure if they have issued stickers for the new weight limit yet or not, it would go to 48lbs if they haven't.

Evenflo Bolero/Generations make decent boosters and go to 47/48 lbs in Canada.

Graco Cargo (the one with the front adjust) I think goes to 47/48lbs but I can't remember what people say about it as a booster.

Apex I think is available in Canada, not sure if it is approved for it's US limits of 65lbs or not, needs adjustable headrests.

I hope I got this all correct, I'm doing it from memory and with a squirmy boy on my knee.

Good luck.

Here's the booster info:
Booster Seats and the Five Step Test

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Safety belts are designed to fit the average adult male. Women and children (especially in older vehicles) simply do not fit. While there is little that can be done for adults (we’re still working on boosters to fit grown-ups who might want them LOL) belt positioning boosters make that adult belt fit your child.

Keep children in booster seats until they pass the "5 Step Test" (usually around 10-12 years old and close to 5 feet tall) in every vehicle in which the child rides. If the child meets the 5 Step Test in one vehicle, but not another, the child will need a booster for every vehicle in which the 5 Step Test is not met.

Weight is a useless measurement of whether a child is ready for the adult seat belt or not. Age is only helpful when considering the child's ability to sit properly.

In order to work properly, a shoulder belt needs to be across the collarbone and the lap belt needs to be on the hipbones. However, children often slip the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back, losing all upper-body protection. Or, they slide forward so their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat, making the lap belt ride up on the abdomen. In these cases, the seat belt CANNOT work properly! Children can slide down and out of the restraint, or the belt can be forced into the stomach, causing damage to internal organs. These types of injuries are known as "seat-belt syndrome."

However, some children should NOT be in boosters.
Children under 40 pounds and under the age of four should remain in a 5 point harness at all times.

A booster does not restrain the child the way the harness does, it simply "boosts" the child up in order to make the adult-sized belt safely fit a child-sized body. Children under age 4 do not possess the ability to sit perfectly at all times, and a child who leans forward to retrieve a cup or toy, or who twists around to see something or someone behind them, will not be protected in a crash and is at risk for serious injuries and possibly death. Also, children this age sometimes still fall asleep in the car. The slumping that occurs when this happens means they are not properly positioned and should be in a 5 point harness for that trip. Ideally all children should remain in an appropriate 5 point harness until age 5.


The 5 Step Test
If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTERS CAN NOT be used with only a lap belt!
(See your car dealer for a lap/shoulder belt retrofit.)


So what booster is best for your child?
That is a complex question with no hard and fast answers. The best booster for your child is the one that fits your child, your vehicle, your budget and that you will use correctly each and every time. Some boosters (like other car seats) are outgrown early by height, others can be tricky to use properly. Others are very expensive.

DO NOT use a shield booster. These are VERY dangerous and should never be used. For more information, see: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/shieldbooster.aspx
QUOTE:
Shield Boosters provide little or no upper-body protection. In many cases, the children who are injured or killed in these either:
Get flung too far forward, resulting in serious head or spinal injuries or
Submarine UNDER the shield and have spinal/neck injuries or are actually decapitated.
There are also unfortunate cases where children are thrown OUT in a side-impact or rollover collision.


MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
For children under age 4, and under 40 pounds, use a "COMBINATION BOOSTER". This is a seat which has an integrated five-point harness which can be removed once the child outgrows it, and the seat can then be used as a belt-positioning booster at that time. This will NOT be the last seat your child needs, as the current models are typically outgrown by height (tips of ears above the shell of the seat) well before the 5 Step Test (above) is passed. However, at that point in time, if your vehicle has high seat backs or adjustable head restraints (aka "head rests"), an inexpensive backless booster may be an option for you.
Once you move your child to a belt-positioning booster, leave them there until they pass the 5 Step Test - no matter how old they are or how much they weigh. This may mean purchasing more than one booster, and it may mean having your 8, 10, or 12 year old in a booster!!!
If your child is OVER 4 years and 40 lbs, and sits properly for every ride, every time, a booster is acceptable, although a 5 point harness is still much safer AS LONG AS the child has not outgrown the seat.


Some boosters are shorter than others, some are wider. Some fit well in small seats, others do not fit well in conjunction with other child restraints. Be aware that should you choose a shorter booster, you may need to purchase another booster later because your child outgrows it by height.

Boosters are outgrown by height when the shoulders are above the belt guide at it's tallest setting OR the ears are above the shell of the seat. They are outgrown by weight when your child meets the weight limited listed on your seat and in the manual for the seat.

Some boosters function as both high back boosters and "BACKLESS BOOSTERS". If you choose a booster with this configuration, and the booster is outgrown by height as a high-back booster, some manufacturers permit you to remove the back and use the booster as a backless as long as proper head support is available in your vehicle. Before attempting this with your booster, verify that the manufacturer allows this by reading your owners manual.


Whichever type of booster you purchase, whichever brand you buy, use it every ride and every time. Don't prematurely evict your child from the booster. Explain to them in as much detail as necessary why they must use a booster, even if their friends do not.
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The covers on the 3 in 1's can be taken off to wash. There's instructions in the manual - but the cover is a HUGE PITA to take off the first couple times and hard to get back on as well. I doubt that her 3yr old still fits the seat too. My dd is 38" tall and would've outgrown it already.

What city is this family in? They're already breaking the law not using the tether, any chance the RCMP or local police might just *happen* to have a "checkstop" for carseats nearby when they go to leave one day? If he's under 40lbs, then it's also illegal for him to be in a booster.

Seats - I'd go with the bolero/generations or else the graco cargo. The CARgo's top slots are same as the MA, and the Bolero's top slots are 1/2 and inch shorter than the MA. The Cargo harnesses to 48lbs and the bolero to 47lbs.

I'm fairly certain that Neon's don't have very tall seatbacks or headrests, so I don't think the apex would be a good recommendation. If her son is right around 33lbs right now, he's not likely to pass 47 or 48lbs before being old enough and ready enough for a booster.

The Cargo is a fairly narrow seat, so might be a better option for a Neon since neon's are pretty small. It tends to run around $150 or so last I looked at it.

The Bolero is available at Wal-Mart for $120 and I've heard many techs say it makes a good booster.

There is not a single booster in Canada that is approved for us in kids under 40lbs, so beyond the fact that a 3yr old in a booster is not best practice or a good idea - and for that matter illegal in Canada assuming he's under 40lbs, the seat itself would have zero warranty and liability if he was in only a booster seat and injured in an accident.

Are they willing to go directly against what the manufacturer of the car seat says? Maybe they're less concerned about the law, but are they really ok with making their kid a crash test dummy in a seat not approved for use with him?

Anyways, I'd choose between the cargo and the bolero/generations. If money truly shouldn't be an issue, they'd probably be happier being pointed towards the cargo in terms of style. Just don't let them get any of the combination seats that have the same type harness height adjustment as the 3-in-1's. Those combo seats have the same top usable slots as the 3-in-1's and the top most adjustment can only be used in booster mode. (I'm talking about the bar on the back that you use to adjust the harness height and requires no re-threading.) And since they won't have to pay more to get a combo seat that harnesses beyond 40lbs, they might as well get one with the 47 or 48lb weight limit. :twocents:

Best of luck to you, and I hope they let you install the seat for him. What province are you visiting in? Maybe we could find a link to a site with your specific laws? Don't know if that would help, but it's worth a try.


Graco Platinum Cargo at Sears - $159.97: http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000...745?ie=UTF8&searsBrand=core&mqnodeid=16340361

Generations at ToysRUs - $139.99
http://www.toysrus.ca/webapp/wcs/st...=-1&productId=104203&N=24+31019838+&nvalue=24

Thanks for all the info...It all info I know already but with Dial up that disconnects every two seconds its a pain to search for the details.

They are in Quebec(where I live) I spent the night at their home the night before I flew home to visit family(they are closer to the airport)
I have not such great hope for the Police to check it if you do a search for my next post after the last one I did....another friend had her seat insatlled by the police in Montreal and he did not install it with the tether at all.

Yes their son would have most definalty outrew the seat by now...I even mentioned the fact to them when I saw them a few weeks back and we had just bought our son his Radian..she asked if we git him a booster and I said NO WAY and the reasons why. I've also brought up the the tether straps before.

I will for sure be passing on the booster seat check info to disway them from a booster and the seat info.
I was always told the Cargo did not make sucha great booster is this true?

Thanks

That's right. The Cargo has closed belt guides, which means if child leans forward, the belt will loosen but not tighten when the child leans back.

In Canada a good alternative is the Evenflo Generations seat.