Graco Turbo Booster safe for my 4 year old?

Unregistered · May 3, 2015

We have purchased my 4 year old daughter the PD194386A Graco Turbo Booster w/ safety surround. She is 43 pounds and 43 inches tall. It seems to fit her perfect and our cars safety belt seems to fit exactly where it should on her and the seat. I have two concerns. Is it ok that the back of the seat leans forward with her when we brake hard? Also, is she old enough to be in this booster or does she still need to be in a 5 point harness? According to the manual she is well in the age, weight and height requirements, but some individual reviewers and websites say a 5 point harness is still needed at 4 years old. She's certainly the size and body strength of an average 5 year old but now I'm worried. : /

jellopanda · May 3, 2015

Hi! For the most part, we as techs recommend that kids stay harnessed until about 5-6 years old, because most 4 year olds lack the maturity to remain properly positioned.
Boosters put all of the responsibility of staying in position on the rider, and most 4 year olds are still pretty impulsive and will slouch, lean, slide, or wiggle out of position. You know your child best, and if you think that they can stay in the proper position 100% of the time, it is up to you to have your child riding in a properly fitting booster.

joolsplus3 · May 4, 2015

Give her a few more rides and see how she behaves. Sits still, stays upright when sleeping, etc. In a couple of drives or so, she will get used to riding in a "moving" seat and it won't fly forward and sideways as much.
If you find you are reminding her *constantly* to sit properly, there are harnessed seats that should still fit her fine, like the Nautilus, Argos, Pioneer, Frontier, or Secure Kid.
Sometimes I still have to threaten my own kids with harnesses and tell them to get their knees off the airbag in the dashboard; it's a lifelong endeavor to keep them safe in a seatbelt, instead of in a harness where they can't move.