Question when did you change to a booster seat?

davina_21 · Jul 12, 2013

Just wondering when people made the switch to a booster seat. I am trying to decide if my son is ready for a booster but it seems like everyone on this site is harnessing for a long time but everyone I see outside in the world is already boostering by my son's age.

Part of me wants to booster because I am so tired of buckling him in but I realize this is not a reason to switch if he is not going to be safe. I know lots of people say their kids can buckle themselves in but mine cannot. He can unbuckle but not buckle unless the straps are loose and then I have to readjust the straps anyway.

5 years, 4 months
40.0 lbs (we are in Canada so he is JUST meeting the 40lb min for a booster - another reason to keep him harnessed)
44" tall
14.25" torso
currently FF in a Radian XT and Frontier XT

When did you switch your child to a booster and what seat did you choose?

featherhead · Jul 12, 2013

I switched my dd when she was 5 years 8 months. I basically waited till she hit 40 lbs.

msg221 · Jul 12, 2013

I think I am going to wait until the kids are 6 before considering full time boostering but maybe later this year I will let them use the booster for short trips (for the 3 kids who will be 5.5 and 5 years, 4 months by that time) just to see how they do. Nour is the smallest at just 36 pounds and probably the one who would be least likely to sit properly so I'm just not comfortable with boostering her. The only one who has complained about still being in a "baby seat" (his words) is Ethan. The compromise his parents are making is buying a FR90 for him for his birthday this month since it looks more like a "big kid" seat than the Britax Advocate Ethan is in now.

HappyHoo · Jul 12, 2013

At around 4.5 and 40 lbs I did let DD start riding in one for carpool purposes once/wk for 5-10 min.

In one of our vehicles, she started using a booster regularly around 5.5. I needed the Radian for DS to stay RF and she had outgrown all of our other harnessed seats at the time except for the Nautilus.

Slowly moved to booster in both cars around 6.5 but harnessed for long trips until she turned 7.

I did have issues with her getting wiggly at times, so harnessing for long trips until almost 7 worked well for her. But she was ok with shorter trips at 5.

Guessing I will follow a similar path with my DS although not sure when I"ll start booster training him.

Athena · Jul 12, 2013

We started letting her ride in a HBB for occasional rides in a secondary car at 6.5 yo (and over 40 pounds). In my car, she is harnessed until she outgrows the FR85 (on top slot, so probably until 7 or 7.5). She actually prefers her FR85.

hedgefun · Jul 12, 2013

Don't have kids, but kids who ride in my car must be at least 5 to ride in a booster. I prefer that they are 40lbs as well.

Does your DS have the maturity to sit properly when boostered? (Sit properly = not wiggling around so the seatbelt isn't properly positioned). That's another big factor in determining his readiness.

Stelvis · Jul 12, 2013

At 4.5 we started booster training to prepare for a vacation during which he would need one. He had outgrown our GoHybrid. Now at almost 5 he occasionally rides in the Affix for short trips. That way he's ready in case of carpooling, etc. when he starts kindy. His primary seat is still the FN85 and will be til he outgrows it.

krasota · Jul 12, 2013

We bought a HBB for our second car when he outgrew the Scenera 40RF while FF. He was about 5.5y, 35 (ish) pounds. He still rides harnessed in our primary car most of the time because it's a PITA to buckle a booster next to his sister's convertible.

aeormsby · Jul 12, 2013

DD started using a booster in our 2nd vehicle (mostly short trips around town/to school occasionally) when she turned 5 and was 40lb.

A couple of other things to think about - sleeping in the car, it's much easier for them to stay in position in a harnessed seat vs a booster (and if it's generally long trips for sleeping switching back to a harnessed seat for trips is an option). And more important, will he stay sitting correctly every time you're in the car?

It depends a lot on the child, like I said, my DD started using a booster in one vehicle shortly after she turned 5. DS is 5.5 and still harnessed in both vehicles, I just don't trust him yet and he still falls asleep on occasion.

Phineasmama · Jul 12, 2013

My oldest is 6.5, turning 7 this winter, and she will most likely be boostered full time as school starts in the fall. She's been "in training" for a couple years now though!

VoodooChile · Jul 12, 2013

Dd was about a month past her 5th birthday. She had just hit 40 lbs. We never switched back to harness for long trips or anything.
Ds just turned 4 in March, so he hasn't ridden in a booster yet. He's bigger than dd was at this age though, just about 39 lbs. I'll let him try when he turns 5 and see how he does. He's been asking for a booster since before he turned 4 (like ALL the kids at preschool are in boosters and he notices these things), and I told him not when he was 4, and then only with very good behavior). He's more impulsive than dd was at this age but is really calm and good in the car.

Lemonade · Jul 12, 2013

DS I waited until he was 6.75....but that was when he hit 40 lbs. I still put him back in his Frontier harness for a road trip in April. DD is just turned 5 and about 38 pounds. I let her ride in a booster for short rides on slow roads.

I think my criteria is at least 5 yrs old, at least 40 pounds (or really close to it), and mature enough to sit properly. With re-harnessing for lengthly road trips.

2BunniesMommy · Jul 12, 2013

DD1 started using a booster just once in a while with MIL at 5y4m, then in my car right around 6 and then in DH's closer to 6 1/2, maybe 6 3/4. She stayed harnessed longer in his because it was the only one we went out of town in.

DD2 has riden in a booster 4 times, as for really short time periods and is not ready yet. She will be 5 in October and is 43 lbs.

Carrie920 · Jul 12, 2013

My older son went to booster mode in his frontier at 5. He is tall and solid and behaved beautifully from the start. A lot of his friends were in nbb at age 4 so he was thrilled to use the seatbelt. Now at just about 6.5 we are going to traditional boosters. A nbb in my car and a hbb in DH car. He is so excited

but he's also ready!

My younger is almost 3 and just moved into the frontiers and also has a ff radian.

jess71903 · Jul 12, 2013

Gage started just recently, at 5 years 10 months and 46lbs. I thought it would be great for him to buckle himself, only, he totally can't. Now, he does have some motor planning and coordination problems, so maybe that's it, but yeah. Hasn't made my life much easier.

cookie123 · Jul 13, 2013

Yeah boostering made it harder for me to buckle them in when Hannah and Brett started in boosters. Now that they're 9 and 10 they occasionally still need help in a tight 3 across in my car. Matthew has totally failed booster riding. He can't sit still to save his life. He is 5.5. I just got him a Frontier 90.

julia94115 · Jul 13, 2013

At 5 yrs 4 mths....when she outgrew her FR85 !!

davina_21 · Jul 13, 2013

Thank you everyone for your replies!

I feel pretty confident that my son would be able to sit still and I would definitely be moving him a HBB. I think I am going to leave him harnessed for now. I have a Frontier so we can change that to booster mode any time. My Radian XT is an older one with no booster capability so we will need to replace it.

I am putting in a pre-order for the new Parkway SGL. I went to compare them side by side and I felt the Oobr seat depth was too short for his legs already. Then I saw online that the Parkway has been redesigned and I love the new seat! Now just have to wait for August for it to come. Once we get that, I will start booster training him for short rides.

mumof2 · Jul 13, 2013

my daughter was 5 years 7 months she weighs approx 47lbs

she still fits the radian however we wil be using the 2nd radian to put into my husband's car so he can drop our 3 year old off when he goes to kindy in the mornings.

she has done really well..so far have only used it to go to and from school and picking her brother up from kindy in the afternoon.

bnsnyde · Jul 13, 2013

My child was 6.5, in a FF Radian. We kept the harness one length; that seat is hard to tighten. We kept it very tight, though he did buckle and unbuckle by himself.

We did a booster (Oobr) for a few months.

But now at 7 we went back to a harness, in a Frontier 90. I needed a harnessed seat in that position. And the Oobr was too shallow, in my opinion.

Question when did you change to a booster seat?

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