Thinking about boostering DS... Or not? (with pics)

I need to get DS a seat for out secondary car. At first I was going to just go for another GN. He likes it and it fits him well. But he's going to be 6 in October and has been asking about getting a booster. I think I'm ok with it but I'm just not sure, he's my baby When he does go to a booster full time I'd rather it be something like a Probooster for the main car and his GN for the second car. So getting another GN seems like a bit of a waste.

He's old enough and big enough. I just dont know how you can ever be sure of the "stays in position 100 percent of the time" part, I dont even do that He has SPD and is movement seeking. But he's good about following rules and seemed to take it very seriously when I was explaining how he would have to sit in a booster and why it was so important.

I took some pics of how he fits in the GN for reference. He's tall but carries most of his height in his legs and has a shortish torso. His shoulders dont seem very wide. He is just at the second to last slot in the GN. The PB is at the top of my list for booster options so I was hoping to get some opinions on whether or not it would likely be a good fit. He looks a little crooked bc of the chest clip behind him in the first pic. The headrest looks a little high but seemed to low on the next position. And the lap belt fit doesnt look as low as it could be but I could feel his hips above the belt. I'm a total booster newb so please bear with me if I'm doing it wrong.



This is the seat where the PB would go (2007 Sonata). I dont think it would be tippy bc the seats have kind of a contour. Does the headrest look compatible? It may eventually move to our Mazda5 so I'm hoping it's a good fit for it too.



And his best little puppy dog eyes trying to convince me he can do it

the angle of the last photo shows a pretty good lap fit so i think the first photo just plays tricks.
when you're buckling him in (im assuming you'll be helping) just try to place the lapbelt in position and tighten (pulling snug) at the switchplate/buckle while gently pulling up the shoulder part so that the belt is in a good position through the guides.

That looks like a good fit to me.
just so we can see, can you post a pic of the headrest down a click? for comparison... to see which is the better fit.

otherwise looks good.

its hard to say if the PB will be tippy but i think your seats look okay.
i've only seen the PB in person for a short time but i tried it out in my car and it wasnt tippy. my seats dont have a lil "hump" on the side though.. they are pretty flat.

Here's the next click down. It slips off his shoulder if he barely wiggles



I'm thinking about waiting til the new turbo with more SIP comes out too.

Or just doing the GN. DS was born the same month as your DD and she looks so nice and secure in hers...

The GN seems to give a really borderline booster fit until about the time a kid is maxing out the harness, in general, and honestly I've never loved the lap belt on my oldest.

We've been very happy with TurboBoosters all around; I'm interested in seeing the new version in real use.

i agree with everything Q said....

if it falls off his shoulder on the lower click then go with the one that gives the best fit.

we have a TB for my MIL's car that i use for DD. it fits her 1000 times better than the nauti in booster mode does.

I'm also going to get DD a pro booster when its time (though i am kind of liking the kiddy cruiserfix pro).

ive been thinking about letting DD booster full time when she starts 1st grade this fall but she fits so well in her harness and has tons of growing room lol I know one isnt safer than the other when used correctly but ya know... i have a harness why not use it? thats where i get all wishy washy on my own decision.

Qarin said:

The GN seems to give a really borderline booster fit until about the time a kid is maxing out the harness, in general, and honestly I've never loved the lap belt on my oldest.

We've been very happy with TurboBoosters all around; I'm interested in seeing the new version in real use.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was planning on leaving him harnessed in his GN in the main car and boostering in the second car indefinitely. The fit isnt bad now but I dont think I would want to drive with him like that.

I hope the release of the new turbo doesnt get pushed back, patience is not one of my strenths

xursusmaritimusx said:

i agree with everything Q said....

if it falls off his shoulder on the lower click then go with the one that gives the best fit.

we have a TB for my MIL's car that i use for DD. it fits her 1000 times better than the nauti in booster mode does.

I'm also going to get DD a pro booster when its time (though i am kind of liking the kiddy cruiserfix pro).

ive been thinking about letting DD booster full time when she starts 1st grade this fall but she fits so well in her harness and has tons of growing room lol I know one isnt safer than the other when used correctly but ya know... i have a harness why not use it? thats where i get all wishy washy on my own decision.

Click to expand...

That's how I feel. I know he's safe either way but he's my baby

I don't know if this helps but, my DS has a SPD too and goes to OT. He's also a sensory seeker and he's been in a booster full time since just before 5 due to his size. He's sits better in his Oobr than I do in the drivers seat. I just wanted to give you a little hope.

monstah said:

I don't know if this helps but, my DS has a SPD too and goes to OT. He's also a sensory seeker and he's been in a booster full time since just before 5 due to his size. He's sits better in his Oobr than I do in the drivers seat. I just wanted to give you a little hope.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much, that does help DS really struggles with sitting still at the table, reading books, ect. but I've never noticed him seeming to need to move in the car.

I think he would fit really well in the pro booster.

Here are pictures of my son in this thread.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=131051&highlight=probooster

and here are pictures of my dd in it. She is slightly heavier than your son but the same age.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9qXFpckZ3rM/T00muJMAN0I/AAAAAAAAEHA/S-bT91G3Fk4/s400/IMG_2004.JPG[IMG]

Do you think he will sleep in it? If so the pro booster might not be the way to go.

[url]http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=144235&highlight=probooster[/url]

I think if it could be latched the pro booster would be the best booster out there.

Thanks for the pics, I really do love the fit DS is not a car sleeper at all. Neither of my kids are actually, the crazy stinkers even stayed awake the last time we took a 12 hour drive to FL Is it typical for them to have to work to keep it from tipping though? I wouldnt want him to have to do that.

the fit in the nauti is GREAT... if you took out the harness and moved the headrest down one notch, it'd be a perfect fit on him.

I say he's ready when he turns 6 (get him a probooster in whatever color he wants and make it a birthday present!)

whether or not they have to work to keep it from tipping or if it's tippy at all is purely dependent on the vehicle seat... in my 05 dodge caravan captain's chair, it's no issue at all. In the third row (which I only tried once), it's HORRENDOUS (but most boosters there are tippy because the bench is contoured on each side and so they tend to tilt toward the middle... the probooster is just worse than most because of the narrow bottom)

jessi f said:

Thanks so much, that does help DS really struggles with sitting still at the table, reading books, ect. but I've never noticed him seeming to need to move in the car.

Click to expand...

My DS is the same way. Sitting still is something he just can't do. But he's a different kid in the car and I wonder if it's the speed, visual distractions and / or music that seems to satisfy his sensory needs. Even as a baby the car has always been my haven with him.

Good luck!

the lower click fit just makes me see his shoulders are on the narrower side... so yeah, a turbobooster (current or new), or a recaro booster would be ideal for him.