Low booster?

smackeen

New member

• Apr 20, 2012

• #1

I am looking for a booster that is a lower base part. Clear as mud huh?

I am having problems with a hbtb in a 2004 ford focus. The way the base is, is that you have to shimmy it to get it to buckle. Then it is not free moving, which means I then have to pull slack our of lap portion.

DS would be open to using a harness again, but not really looking to go a step back as he will be 7 in just over a week.

I imagine a harmony no back would likely have a low profile, but wondering if there were any high back ones.

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Apr 20, 2012

• #2

I'm not sure which boosters are the narrowest these days, but you're going to want a high back, because your car doesn't have headrests in the rear, right? You want to make sure that your child has support behind his head up to at least the tips of his ears, and a backless booster is going to boost him up high enough that he won't have that support.

I'm very familiar with the pain that is boostering in an older Focus - we have a. 2003 Focus. (Throw in the need for a 3-across and things really get fun! LOL)

 

bubbaray

New member

• Apr 20, 2012

• #3

I have a Monterey, PW, HBTB and Apramo (Harmony clone). They all look pretty close in base height to me, though I haven't measured.

ITA that if the vehicle doesn't have headrests, you probably want to stick with a highback booster for as long as possible.

 

BookMama

Senior Community Member

• Apr 20, 2012

• #4

Actually, Unityco had an older Focus that had headrests, so maybe all Canadian ones do. (Lucky!)

 

smackeen

New member

• Apr 21, 2012

• #5

You are correct, no headrests.

At least this is our secondary car and not used that much to transport the oldest.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Apr 21, 2012

• #6

well then you definitely need to stick with a highback booster... just perhaps a narrower one... I'd think Recaro Vivo or Britax Parkway (though not sure if the parkway is narrower, but it is the tallest dedicated hbb on the market)

 

smackeen

New member

• Apr 21, 2012

• #7

I think the parkway's base is an inch wider....

The problem I have is that I have to move the seat to the side to access the buckle (so wider will not work). I am just worried about the lack of movement for the belt....

At least DH knows this car will not work past booster age.

 

bubbaray

New member

• Apr 21, 2012

• #8

I'm confused. Are you worried about the height of the booster bottom/base or the width??

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

smackeen

New member

• Apr 21, 2012

• #9

bubbaray said:

I'm confused. Are you worried about the height of the booster bottom/base or the width??

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

Click to expand...

I find the seat a tad wide as I have to shift the seat to the side to buckle it. I am not sure if that is causing the problem with the belt not sliding freely (lap) or a combination of the height of the seat along with the shifting to get it buckled.

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Apr 22, 2012

• #10

Kat_Momof3 said:

well then you definitely need to stick with a highback booster... just perhaps a narrower one... I'd think Recaro Vivo or Britax Parkway (though not sure if the parkway is narrower, but it is the tallest dedicated hbb on the market)

Click to expand...

No Vivo availability in Canada, it's U.S. only I believe.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Apr 23, 2012

• #11

oops, didn't notice canada... Parkway then!

 

mommycat

Well-known member

• Apr 23, 2012

• #12

I am not sure I understand the problem 100% but as long as you tighten the belt properly after you buckle, and DS understands not to shift around and cause slack in the lap portion (have you had this issue come up?) then I wouldn't necessarily worry that the buckle doesn't slide freely. It's having it tight and keeping it that way that matters, not whether it is able to slide.

Oh, and maybe I am way off, but any chance that you have light-weight locking latchplates in there? That would certainly explain why it doesn't slide freely when buckled...

As for the hassle of having to move the booster aside to buckle, I agree there may not be a narrower-based option that also has the headsupport available.