Highest harness slots on harnessed booster?

My 4.5yo dd is 30lbs, 38" tall. I need a seat for a friend's car (our kids have preschool 3x/week together and we carpool). I was hoping to get a harnessed booster that we can use as a BPB when she outgrows the harness. (She gains weight VERY slowly, as does my 40lb 7yo and 25lb 2yo). Does anyone know which harnessed booster has the highest harness slots? My friend drives a Dodge Durango, not sure of the year, and she will have 3 carseats across, so narrow would also be a plus. I was using her Britax Wizard as a spare seat, but a friend needed a convertible for their foster daughter, and they were going to buy one at a garage sale, so I gave them the WZ. She fits well in her sister's Apex, but it's too large for my friend's seating arrangement. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me!

Except for the Apex, everything by Cosco/SafetyFirst/Eddie Bauer can be ruled out, as they all have really short harness slots.

Evenflo Chase and Bolero/Generations are about 17" I think, and the Graco CarGo is about 17.5". These all only go to 40 lbs harnessed, but that doesn't sound like a problem for your dd right now. These ones make decent boosters, compared to the other combination seats on the market. Recaro makes one that turns into an excellent booster--Recaro Young Style? I think it's called.

If you can afford the Radian 65 ($169 on albeebaby.com) and it will install well in her vehicle, it harnesses to 65 lbs, has high harness slots, and is really narrow. She could go right into a better quality hbb booster after this or maybe even a cheapy backless one, but at her growth rate, that would be a long ways away. (-: Another option that will take her to booster size would be the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe for $129 on albeebaby.com.

hths

henrietta

The Cargo is narrower than the Evenflos, not sure of inches, maybe 16? Definitely narrower than Evenflos

Was re: highest slots harnessed booster, now new ??

Thanks ladies!

Another option to consider if you are concerned about seatbelt installation is the SafeGuard Go! travel car seat but only if her Durango has available LATCH lower anchors and upper tether. It is very easy to install, very narrow, should fit your DD for at least 1-2 years with the harness height (depending on her torso length and growth rate), harnesses to 60 pounds and can be used with the lower LATCH anchors past 40# (unlike most other seats).

This would put your DD in a 5-point harness that is easy to install quickly and correctly. But as I mentioned, this option would require that the Durango has full LATCH (lower anchors and tether). It can be installed with seatbelt instead of lower LATCH anchors, but that would not solve your locking-clip concern.

Re: Was re: highest slots harnessed booster, now new ??

ZephyrBlue said:

Thanks ladies! I am now thinking that a lower weight BPB might be the safer way to go- I won't be able to install the seat myself when dd rides in it, and I am concerned about this particular mom's previous use of locking clips (which she needs in her vehicle), and I've tried to talk about the proper way to use them, but...... Anyway, I'm thinking that she would actually be safer in a BPB than a poorly installed harnessed booster- she's very good in the car and could hold still very well (unlike my 7yo, whom I hate to put in a BPB because she's all over in the seat). We have a Parkway and I was thinking about the Recaro Young Sport- is it super wide? There is no local store where I can see a Recaro IRL. Any other suggestions for a very well structured BPB for a 31lb, 38" kiddo?

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If she has a Dodge Durango, she does not actually need locking clips. Dodge/Chrysler vehicles almost always have belts that lock at the latchplate, instead of racheting the shoulder belt in. I'd be almost positive that her belts lock at the latchplate (there should be a small bar on the top of the latchplate that cinches down on the belt). If the angle of the install/seat shell makes it so the belt won't stay locked, just flip it over and buckle it that way (it should be a half-twist).

Re: Was re: highest slots harnessed booster, now new ??

lynsgirl said:

If she has a Dodge Durango, she does not actually need locking clips. Dodge/Chrysler vehicles almost always have belts that lock at the latchplate, instead of racheting the shoulder belt in. I'd be almost positive that her belts lock at the latchplate (there should be a small bar on the top of the latchplate that cinches down on the belt). If the angle of the install/seat shell makes it so the belt won't stay locked, just flip it over and buckle it that way (it should be a half-twist).

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yep. GM also has used locking latchplates in the past.

Oh, COOL! I'll check out the seatbelts!!