Ideal seat for 5 and 40 lbs? Harness or booster?

bnsnyde

New member
If you had to choose, would you go booster or harness? Say child just turned 5 and is 41 lbs., and can sit properly in any seat and does not sleep in them.

I am simply curious. I have the said child (middle seat, middle of 2011 Odyssey) so it's a very protected position. She is in a FF Radian, seatbelt install.

To say older studies found no difference between booster and harness doesn't really help me. I'm not convinced. There will be different stresses on different parts of the body, and the type of crash will apply. I keep worrying that in a head-on her neck load would be too great. But then again, in a side-impact, she'd be better off.

Few boosters fit in this spot. Cybex X-Fix seems to and we have that in blue. If the Kiddieworld booster does, I'd be willing to use that, too (comes in a cooler girl color). I was going to wait until she's 6, and probably still will. So there is nothing out there to indicate I should worry about neckload beyond mere speculation about Dale Earnhardt?
Thanks!
 
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LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
To say older studies found no difference between booster and harness doesn't really help me. I'm not convinced.

Unfortunately, that's really all we have to go on. Anything else is just speculation.

A five-point harness will spread forces over a greater portion of the body, which is probably a good thing. The harness might increase neck loads, which might be a bad thing. Or it might not.

Like you said, the type of crash comes into play, but we can't control that.

Use what works for you.
 

VoodooChile

New member
I let my own dd move to a booster at 5 years and 40 lbs. We only have 2 children and no space issues (Honda Pilot and Mercury Mountaineer), and she was ready. I was fully prepared to reharness if needed but she's been a good booster rider for 2 years now.
 

bree

Car-Seat.Org Ambassador
If you had to choose, would you go booster or harness? Say child just turned 5 and is 41 lbs., and can sit properly in any seat and does not sleep in them.

I am simply curious. I have the said child (middle seat, middle of 2011 Odyssey) so it's a very protected position. She is in a FF Radian, seatbelt install.

To say older studies found no difference between booster and harness doesn't really help me. I'm not convinced. There will be different stresses on different parts of the body, and the type of crash will apply. I keep worrying that in a head-on her neck load would be too great. But then again, in a side-impact, she'd be better off.

Few boosters fit in this spot. Cybex X-Fix seems to and we have that in blue. If the Kiddieworld booster does, I'd be willing to use that, too (comes in a cooler girl color). I was going to wait until she's 6, and probably still will. So there is nothing out there to indicate I should worry about neckload beyond mere speculation about Dale Earnhardt?
Thanks!

It's my understanding that there aren't any studies, older or otherwise, comparing harnesses and boosters for older kids that show that there is no difference in safety. For example, there's research showing kids 4-8 years old are safer in boosters than seat belts alone, but there isn't research comparing 4-8 year olds in harnesses to the 4-8 year olds in boosters. So, it is the absence of data that causes the concept that there is no difference between harnesses and boosters rather than studies showing that there is no difference between them.

I prefer 5 year olds harnessed, but that's obviously just a personal opinion. :)

(There's some Swedish study showing kids who are moved to boosters at a younger age are more likely to be injured in a crash, but that's comparing apples to oranges, because it's comparing RF to boosters, not FF to boosters. I also believe it was looking at 3 and 4 year olds. AFAIK, that's one of the few (if only) studies that's not comparing boosters to just seat belt use. I hate to cite a study and run without sharing the link, but I won't have the time to hunt it down this week. I'll try to come back with the link next week, or maybe someone else has it bookmarked and can share it. It's not necessarily relevant, but since I brought it up, it seems weird to just mention it without sourcing it.) ETA: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv19/05-0330-O.pdf
 
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mommyfrog

Active member
I try to follow the NHTSA recommendations as well as I can. So we rf until they outgrow their seat (almost 4 for my youngest), harness until they outgrow their seat (7.5yo is just now boostered), and booster until they fit the seat belt (9.5yo is still boostered and will be for a while yet). If you follow the recs for rf and booster, why would you not for harnessing too. Not YOU specifically, but YOU in general!!
 

christineka

New member
I know that either is safe and therefore, would choose to use the radian as long as the child fits comfortably. I would not go out and buy a new harnessed seat, but would not discontinue using the radian unless there was some good reason to do so. I had my 8 year old in a booster and she sat just fine, but I put her radian back and like that much better. I know she's safe in either. I just like the way she sits in the radian better.
 

KaysKidz

Senior Community Member
Would I buy a harnessed seat for a 5yr old 40lbs kiddo? Only if they couldn't sit in a booster correctly. Otherwise, I would likely buy a booster...and have done just that. Both my 5.5yr olds are in Monterey's, and neither had outgrown their harnessed seats. I just needed the flexibility of a booster for moving between rows on a regular basis (I had shoulder surgery and can't install seats easily). They fit well, and are doing well at sitting correctly. They needed a fair amount of reminding in the beginning, but seem to be getting it pretty good now. At this point, I plan on letting them remain in their boosters even after I fully recover.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
If I already had a seat, I'd probably keep using it at that point until child outgrows it. Especially if it is not really a booster friendly spot.
 

bnsnyde

New member
I had shoulder surgery too and always have to be careful with how I move it! Then my back hurt from taking the Safestop off the Radain. Ug.

But I just plan to keep using the Radian for now. It's really a good fit for that spot, besides the annoying fact that front to back motion is more than other seats (though I tug pretty hard I guess). Probably not too much movement by the standards. Just...I wanted it perfect and it's not going to be with seatbelt install.
 

bubbaray

New member
I chose to booster both of my girls at 5 and 40.

For 5 and 40, compliant and staying in position, I *personally* prefer boosters, but wouldn't tell a parent they were *wrong* to choose a harness.
 

melniemi

New member
If I had a 50# 5yo, I might booster. 40# seems too small for me. My nearly 6yo is creeping up on 40#s. I don't plan on boostering her any time soon. She has plenty of room in her fr85 and I don't need to pass it down yet ;)
 

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