Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 for Grandma's car?

DD is 5 years old, 35 pounds and I'm not sure how tall. She's a tiny little thing - somewhere in the 10 - 25% for height and weight. MIL picks her & big brother up from school every day and drives them home. It's about 10 miles in a suburban area. MIL drives a newer little KIA SUV - not sure of the name.

DD is currently in a Britax Boulevard in that car and hates it. She says she hates it because the buckle is hard to work and it's dirty Of course I could wash the cover, but I just think she doesn't like it. Fine - It's due to expire in November. I wanted to take advantage of the BRU trade in sale that was over yesterday. I thought of ordering a Frontier in Livia but they were out of stock and it's very pricey for such little use. Comfort isn't really an issue because it's such a short ride. My main issue is ease of use. She has a frontier in my car and can buckle herself in properly every time. I don't necessarily trust MIL to buckle her in properly. So, then I convinced myself to get a Graco Argos in that girly print. We went to BRU and she didn't like the Argos. She said she felt squished in it. Oddly enough because she is such a peanut, she did look squished! Since I want to get the full use out of it, that didn't seem like a good investment. She saw the Safety 1st Alpha Elite 65 (not the Alpha Omega) in the girly print and loved it. It's cozy and soft and big enough etc. I went ahead and bought it. But looking on here today I see that most hate it as a booster and are only lukewarm on it as a harnessed seat.

So, no I'm not sure what to do. If I try to take it away from her she'll have a cow. I would have to replace it with a frontier because that's the only other "comfy" seat and that's $100 more! I probably won't ever need to use it as a booster. Big brother is 9 years 7 months and still happily harnessed in his Regents.

WWYD - keep it? Return it and get the Frontier? Keep it and if I ever want to put her in a booster get a different booster?

And - unrelated question. DS is almost 10 and LOVES his Regents. He has a parkway booster in my husband's car but prefers his Regents in MIL and my car. They don't expire until next year. Other than kids making fun of him which he insists he doesn't care about, is there anything wrong with him still being harnessed? He's tiny. 50lbs soaking wet and fully fed and dressed. Not sure how tall, but very short for his age. He says his seats are way more comfortable than anything else and he doesn't want to give them up. LOL

Thanks!

I would return it. It might have a 65 weight limit but the harness height is the exact same as the alpha omega.It makes an unsafe booster and places the lap belt exactly where it should not be. What about the argos in eliza? That would be on my list. Or what about a maestro if she is so small and its an occasional ride that should last her quite a bit

We tried the Argos Eliza and she loved the print but she said she felt squished and that it pushed her head forward. Honestly she did look squished in there! I was super suprised. I think raised the head rest to give her more room and that helped a bit, but the straps would be way above her shoulders and her arms were still squished by the sides.

I don't plan on using the Alpha Elite 65 for a booster. Do you think it's still bad as a harnessed seat?

Thanks!

If you (and Grandma) can get it installed well in that car, I'd just keep it, and keep the peace. It makes a horrid booster, but she's so little she can use the seat with the harness for a long time yet so I wouldn't worry about that. You can get her a booster later.

At that age, making the child feel good about responsible safety decisions is important. You're not just keeping her safe in the car for THIS ride, you're laying the foundation for her to buckle up when she's a teenager and an adult and it's out of your direct control. If she likes the seat, it fits her, and it fits in the car, that's what's important.

That seat is fine for the cars it fits in. The problem is that it can be tough to install in some cars (can't they all?). And it's not a very economical seat; there are others that cost less and will last longer. But if you like it and your daughter likes it, that counts for a lot too.

I mean its not horrible but for less money you could have gotten a maestro that will last longer.

Milkie&Cookie said:

Other than kids making fun of him which he insists he doesn't care about, is there anything wrong with him still being harnessed?

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No, there's no age limit on using a harness. There are advantages and disadvantages to harness vs. booster, but no clear data saying one is safer than the other for kids over age 5 or 6 and over 40 lbs. (Harnesses are safer for younger and smaller children). If he's comfortable in them, let him use the Regents until they expire. If you want, you could even get him a Frontier at that point.

He probably shouldn't drive in a harnessed seat when he gets to that point, though.

It's actually a nice seat. Not a great booster, but a good harnessed seat. My 6 year old still has room to grow in it.

djma said:

It's actually a nice seat. Not a great booster, but a good harnessed seat. My 6 year old still has room to grow in it.

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That's good to know! I will try to install it and if it installs properly and MIL can unbuckle it, the i think I will keep it. I like Brigala's comment about having DD feel responsible for safety choices. That's a great way to look at it!

When she's ready for a booster, we'll just get a different one.

Thanks!