RSTV? Boosters? Something else? 4.5 years old

I have two 4 1/2 yr olds. DD is 40 pounds. DS is 34 pounds. They have outgrown the Sceneras by torso height.

I need something for our several upcoming trips by plane, after which relatives will pick us at the airport in their cars. I will be traveling alone with the kids so I'm reluctant to drag along our Radians or Britaxes. I need something I can handle on my own.

I don't mind spending money on the RSTVs if they are really something that will work for them for several years to come. Are they relatively easy to use once you get the hang of them?

Are these multiple trips all to (roughly) the same place? If so, I would probably buy a new carseat for each child that can 'reside' there and be used during those trips. Ideally the person who is picking you up at the airport could install them beforehand. (Or worst case he/she watches the kids while you install them in the airport parking garage.)

Some of the Evenflo seats (Maestro, SecureKid) are relatively inexpensive and convert to boosters later, so it would not really be money wasted -- especially for the convenience.

If the trips are not to the same place, another option would be to get RSTVs or backless boosters that they can bring as their carry-on or "personal item" on the plane and then use in the car at the destination.

I've never used the RSTV so hopefully other folks can chime in on that. For boosters, I know that it's common to want to see kids be at least 4 years and 40 pounds before using a booster, but there are some (e.g. Diono Santa Fe and Harmony Literider) that have a 30-lb. minimum.

You would need to exercise your parental judgment about whether the kids are ready for a booster, and then get them "booster trained" so that they know about staying in position. For a backless booster the vehicle head restraints would also need to provide adequate coverage -- coming up to at least the tops of the ears. (Not an issue in most late-model cars except sometimes in the center or in foldaway third rows.)

All of these options leave you without anything on the plane, and FAA does recommend using a carseat until 40 pounds, but at least one of the kids is there already and the other is close. (My 35-lb. daughter fit in the seatbelt just fine on our last trip, though I used a carseat anyway because I'd already taken it onboard. Of course each kid is different and seatbelt dimensions can also vary slightly.)

Thank you. These trips are to many different places, so leaving a car seat with Grandma won't work (which is what we used to do when they fit the Sceneras, and it was very convenient).

I believe my kids absolutely would sit correctly in boosters, especially since we will always have two adults in the car, one of whom can sit in the back if necessary. I am concerned about their size though making boosters an unsafe choice given submarining, especially for the smaller kid. Are backless boosters even an option at this age? Al the cars have headrests, so we're good with that.

I really don't see myself being able to drag two Maestros through the airport all by myself, especially where we have to switch planes a lot. This would be really only a last resort if we cannot come up with another safe option. Checking the Maestros is an option, but obviously that doesn't thrill me either.

We have CARES for the plane and that has worked well for us in the past.

So I guess it comes down to whether the RSTV or HBB or backless boosters or checked Maestros are safe enough at these ages/weights. If not, I will have to drag Maestros onto the plane for them.

Unregistered said:

Are backless boosters even an option at this age?

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I guess that's a judgment call. NHTSA's suggested minimum for boosters is age 4. Most folks would probably tell you to wait till age 5 or longer if possible (or until they outgrow their harnessed seat) but those discussions are usually in reference to regular daily travel, not occasional out-of-town trips.

Speaking for myself personally as a non-tech, I don't see a problem with a mature 4-year-old using a backless booster during short-term trips. (And we have done so -- my daughter used a Bubble Bum at age 4 for a couple of short taxi rides in France.) It is an acceptably safe choice as long as the child meets the age and weight requirements for the booster, has been booster trained, and has an adequate head restraint.

Hopefully someone can comment on the RSTV. I know some people find them to be the perfect solution for exactly these sorts of situations.

I use an RSTV daily for my oldest (who is not much bigger than your kiddos). It has a learning curve, but once you get it down, it isn't bad. If you think you'll be stuck in a vehicle with a lap belt only, the RSTV-2 has the top tether option so you can use it with a lap belt.

Overall I've been very pleased. They can't move as much as if they'd be in a backless booster, there will eventually (I think in the next few weeks actually?) be an attachment so it can be used on the airplane also. I plan on buying a second one so that both boys can use it when we fly to Germany again next year (because, well, two radians and a scenera was a bit much, even with 1 adult per child!).

HTH

If you've searched RSTV in the archives, you'll have seen my posts about using it with my 5-year-old. I find it fiddly to use but easier than hauling a carseat or booster. It worked much better for us tethered than without, but my kid is very wiggly. The tether really helped her to stay in position.

Thank you very much for the responses. I ordered two RSTVs and am very pleased with them. My one concern is the lack of side impact protection. I searched some old posts about this but I'm wondering if there is any updated info about SIP.

My kids are pretty good about not wiggling so I feel comfortable with that aspect.

Unregistered said:

Thank you very much for the responses. I ordered two RSTVs and am very pleased with them. My one concern is the lack of side impact protection. I searched some old posts about this but I'm wondering if there is any updated info about SIP.

My kids are pretty good about not wiggling so I feel comfortable with that aspect.

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Glad to hear that you like the RSTVs. We are trying to decide if we should use one for our 4.5yo/35lbs DD. We will be driving in icy conditions so I want to make sure its extremely safe to use. I'm concerned about the SIP too and was wondering if she's seated in the middle does that make SIP less of a worry?

I have used the RSTV for my older daughter when traveling a few times. I like it but she doesn't. We tend to travel to hot destinations (Costa Rica) for example. She always wanted to see out the window and couldn't and would get hot in it too.