What age and size to use a HBB occasionally?

DD is 4 (37lbs) and RF in three different vehicles. She is a mature, calm child who I think I could successfully booster train. We have a new HBB which fits her very well to be used when we have her friends in our car, she has actually never rode in it.

Would you be ok to have DD drive in a HBB occasionally maybe once every 2-3 months?

SIL would love to pick DD up from school and only way it could happen would to have her ride in that extra HBB (HWH seats are out of question as we are in Europe). I trust SIL 100% to monitor DD sitting nicely and they would only be driving 10min in low speeds.

Is she newly four or closer to five? Four is very iffy for boosters for me, honestly, especially at her size.

My ds rode in his sister's Oobr today for a short ride and I couldn't believe how well he did Maybe its because he hears it everyday about how important it is to sit correctly in a booster
I feel comfortable with him riding in a booster occasionally for short trips, as long as he continues to sit as well as he did today

Ninetales said:

Is she newly four or closer to five? Four is very iffy for boosters for me, honestly, especially at her size.

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She has a June birthday so she is a youngish four. We were planning to start occasional booster usage next summer when she is 5 and that year we would keep two seats in the car for her. The booster we have is a Britax Kid Plus. We just got it so we car transport her friends and cousins for playdates. All her friends are 5 already and bigger than DD.

The Kid Plus we have fits DD very well but using a booster rather than RF seats is a huge step for us. Installing one of our RF seats in SIL's car is nearly impossible as it would involve us driving around the previous night picking up seats and installing them around the city. We can not drive her as we are at work.

I could buy a kiddy or Cybex shield booster seats, they are 300e. If we could actually use the shield for a while there would be no problem but DD is close to the limit of the shield. She was 16.8kg (unclothed) 1.5mo ago and after 18kg you can not use the shield anymore. There would be a risk of us not being able to use the shield at all. I can not really buy a third Multitech for a 4-year old.

Does SIL have to pick her up from school every day or is it just something she wants to do once in awhile? I definitely wouldn't be comfortable for myself with daily booster use at that age and size. 5, yes. Occasional ride, probably something I'd be ok with.

My ds turned 4 at the end of May. He is 42" and approx 40lbs. So just a little heavier than your daughter. He is harnessed in his main seat, but I do keep a booster for him in his Dad's car and in our farm truck. Both vehicles are very rarely used and when they are used, it's typically a 2-3mi drive. He does well in the booster for the few times that he's been in it. He has no problem going back to his harnessed seat.

Ninetales said:

Does SIL have to pick her up from school every day or is it just something she wants to do once in awhile? I definitely wouldn't be comfortable for myself with daily booster use at that age and size. 5, yes. Occasional ride, probably something I'd be ok with.

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We are talking about a rare occurrence. Maybe once every 2-3 months and only one way as we would pick DD up from SIL's house. SIL just wants some special bonding time with DD. Normally DD goes to after school care 3 or is picked up by grandparents who have a RF seats in their car.

My daughter just turned 5 and weighs 35 pounds. The MINIMUMS for boosters are 4 years and 40 pounds. My daughter rides in a booster occasionally for short local drives. I am booster training her for emergencies, when a booster would be safer than an improperly installed/improperly used harness seat.

Can you switch cars with your SIL?

NannyMom said:

My daughter just turned 5 and weighs 35 pounds. The MINIMUMS for boosters are 4 years and 40 pounds. My daughter rides in a booster occasionally for short local drives. I am booster training her for emergencies, when a booster would be safer than an improperly installed/improperly used harness seat.

Can you switch cars with your SIL?

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We can not switch cars as we need our car to take her to school. It would be a treat we can tell SIL that she can not pick DD up. The thing is that here are no FF harness seats available for kids over 18kg and DD is so close to that (might already be over fully clothed). I would love to have her in Nautilus or Frontier and get at least some years out of it. Now if I would get something with harness and over 18kg (40lbs), the only choice is RF seat. I have bought 3 RF seats (Radian and 2x Multi tech) already this year so a fourth one to be used maybe 4-5 times is truly out of question.

To get a RF seat in SIL's car we would first need to drive 30min to the opposite direction to my parents to pick up one of the Multitechs, then 1h to SIL, install the seat and then drive 30min back home. Then next day she could pick DD up for they special bonding time. Depending on which day my parents would pick up DD from school we would need to drive again back to their house in oppose side of the city the same or next day to install the seat back in their car. I would rather just drive DD to SIL, drive back home and then go back to pick her up. SIL prefers to get her from school as she could get her at 3pm instead of us dropping her of at her house 6pm (we work fulltime).

I am really appreciating all your opinions as if I would feel 100% comfortable with her in a booster I would ask here.

I do have a Ride safer travel vest which I got if we would have a emergency during traveling, the emergency never happened Would she be fine using the travel vest with no tether just seat belt (tethers anchors are rare in Europe). Would we think a RSTV is safer than properly fitting HBB on a 4 year old?

If it was my DD under the same circumstances, I would be comfortable using a HBB for her but would prefer the RSTV if I already owned one.

I'd use the RSTV since you already have it.