How long do you harness?

hgpswimmer4

New member
How long do you typically harness your kids? My oldest 2 were harnessed full-time till 5.5 then booster training and moved into full-time booster use at around 6. Unless there's space issues, I see no need to wait past 5.5-6 as long as they ready to sit properly cause my kids are 90% height/weight kids.

What about you? What seats did you child move from harness to booster at what age?
 
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stephpook

New member
I generally move my kids to a booster full-time at 6. My oldest rode in a booster in other people's cars at 4, but my second didn't start until he was 5. My third, however, is 5 and is still harnessed full-time because I don't trust him to sit still in a booster yet. Unless he matures a lot in the next year, I'll probably end up harnessing him longer than his brothers. He's tiny, though, so he still has plenty of room in his Radian.
 

oddduck

Active member
Personally, it was the 40lb law here that caused us issues. She's finally above it so we're starting to use a booster now (still keeping a close eye on her weight).
She didn't hit 40lbs until 6.25yrs. She's in a HB Big Kid and Amp.

My DD2 is chunkier and we'll likely start to think about boostering around 5.5, full time around 6 - if all goes well.
 

luvsviola

New member
Oldest started booster training at 5, moved to booster full time around age 6.

Middle child will turn 5 in April and will booster train later this spring when ice/snow is gone. He is small (only 35 pounds) so main seat will be harnessed for awhile, but would like him to know how to sit properly in a HBB for playdates. He is not going to kindy this fall, so there is much less social stigma for him being harnessed than there was for the oldest.
 

sb518

New member
I plan on keeping my DD harnessed until she outgrows her Frontier 90 harness. She is only 4 right now though, so we will see.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
I dunno. My boys boostered when they hit 40 lbs because back then we didn't have HWH seats available. I think that was about age 4 for ODS and maybe barely 3 for YDS. Most kids at that point went straight into a seat belt at 40 lbs, as there were no booster laws, but we chose to use boosters.

My daughter is 3 and would be perfectly "legal" in a booster since she's over 40 lbs. Obviously I'm not boostering her yet (in fact she's still RF in the primary vehicles since we have Radians). She's a particularly defiant/disobedient temperament so I don't see myself putting her into a booster any time in the next year or probably two. I will probably harness her full time until a bare minimum of 5, at which point I might consider booster training. I think her limiting factor will be her size. If she continues on the same growth curve she'll be too big to harness somewhere between 6 and 7 I think.

Personally I prefer a properly used harness over a booster when possible, but there are a lot of factors to consider.
 

christineka

New member
First two boostered at 40 pounds because that's what you did back then and they were great in boosters anyway. 3rd child got me into car seats. He is absolutely brilliant, but was extra impulsive, so he rode in a harness till 10.5 years old. 3rd kid moved toa booster at 8. (If you do the math, you'll realize number 4 kid rode in a booster, while number 3 was still in a harness.) I plan for number 5 to inherit number 3's booster when number 3 passes the 5 step test, which will happen soon, as he already passes in some positions. Then, I intend to pass number 5's seat to number 6 (selling number 6's seat because it has much more life than we need). Number 6 will be harnessed until the seat expires. She will be 6.5 years old. Anyway, that's my grand plan, which is based on getting the most life out of seats I already have and not buying any more, but we'll see.
 

glockchick

New member
Older 3 moved to boosters at minimum weight. I didn't know any better and figured they were safe if the box approved it.

The younger ones have all harnessed longer and longer with me. My 9 year old went into a booster at 4. At least she was pretty mature.

The 7 year old just started boostering full time in the last year or so with me. She's pretty impulsive and I still threaten her with a harnessed seat on occasion.

My youngest will be 6 in February and I'm debating whether or not to start boostering him. He's been in a booster with his dad since he was barely 3 and 30 lbs. :rolleyes:
 

cookie123

New member
Hannah and Brett moved to boostering when they outgrew the harness of their Nautiluses which was 7.5 and 6 if I remember right. Maybe it was 8.5 and 7. It was long, I do recall, because doing up boosters wasn't easy for them or me.
 

Syllieann

New member
My 5yo has never ridden in a booster yet. In the primary vehicle, he will be harnessed until he gets bumped by a younger sib or outgrows his pinnacle. For the infrequent, very short trips in dh's car, we might try a hbb next summer. I'm not really in a hurry to booster and none of the currently available boosters make me swoon.
 

Brianna

New member
J rode in a booster a few times after 3.5, which is sadly legal since NY is 4 or 40. He's 4 now and 99% of the time is harnessed. He's quite the rule follower now so I imagine by 5 he'll be quite ready for a booster. I won't booster him before 5 but ultimately it's his parents decision outside of my car.
 

Keeyamah

Active member
Quinn is 4yrs3mon and is still harnessed in both my Explorer and my mom's van. I'll start booster training him in March or so, when he's 4.5. One set of in laws handles harnessed seats just fine, but the other, not so much. Although, both sets don't have the boys' often, so I should have plenty of time to make sure he is booster ready before he rides with them again.
 

Athena

Well-known member
DD1's first booster ride was at 6.5. Recently, she moved into a booster full time at 7yo when she outgrew her Frontier 85 harness. We converted her FR85 to booster mode and it's working great and gives her some room to grow, unlike most HBB, and she refuses to ride in a LBB (for comfort).

DD2 has never been in a booster.
 

Lenae

Active member
DS started booster training at 4.5. He's been full time boostered since 5.5. He is incredibly impulsive and hard to manage in all aspects of life, except the car. He is an angel in a booster and even sleeps upright.

DD will be 4 in five days and is still RF in our primary car. She is as soft and floppy as a noodle when she sleeps, so I don't see her being in a booster full time until after 6 probably.
 

thekatie

New member
J1 went into a booster early. I honestly don't remember exactly when, but probably the minimum weight for whatever we got.

J2 is 2y9m and still rear facing - boostering is a long way off. He's short and light (maybe 36 inches and -thanks to a recent growth spurt- 28 pounds) so unless he really grows he will stay harnessed not until he outgrows our convertibles but until they expire. I fully plan on using them to the fullest extent I can though, whether that's outgrown first or they expire first.
 

macmomma

New member
My middle child will be 7 next month, 49 lb and 49 inches, he is still being harnessed in his FR85 and will stay in the harness until he outgrows it.
I tried to booster him- epic fail:mad:
 

Genevieve

CPST Instructor
My 7 year old is still in a harness for a few reasons, but ironically, not because he can't handle a booster. It's because I'm lazy (don't want to move his seat), he doesn't care and can buckle the harness faster than a booster, and because I'm not in love with any of the latch able booster choices right now. I bet he'll go from his FR85 harness to a NBB. He's in a turbo booster in DH's car.
 

Baylor

New member
My oldest til3 or4??

My oldest DS til right before 7 th birthday.

My youngest is going to be six and goes back and forth between Monterey and fr85 because he can not sleep and stay up. Completely collapses when he sleeps in the car.
 

aeormsby

New member
Boostered full time at age 6. Both kids were using boosters occasionally or in our 2nd vehicle sometime after they turned 5 and were 40lb.

DD is almost 8 and still in a HBB in both vehicles, I could see that changing sometime over the next year to a NBB.
 

VoodooChile

New member
My oldest bolstered ft at 5 and 40 lbs. My ds is a little over 40 lbs and turns 5 this spring; we'll try the booster with an open mind. If he does fine, he keeps it.
 

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