Heavy vs. light booster (and a latch issue)

bnsnyde

New member
Just some technical wondering...:) If anyone cares to offer thoughts.

Do the pros of the enhanced structural integrity of a heavier booster (say the Maxi-Cosi Rodifix) outweigh the cons?

I am trying to determine the crash dynamics of a super light booster vs. one that's heavy. And, assume that neither is latched in but simply buckled properly, like any booster.

As for an EMPTY booster, well yes, latched in would obviously prevent a projectile. But let's say I could have it buckled most of the time BUT couldn't do so briefly driving home after school drop-off.

I know it feels silly to buy the Rodifix when we can't use latch. It's the design of the seat I need though! So, it is what it is.

My only concerns are 1. In a crash having such a heavy booster behind her back unlatched. 2. Not latching it after school carline (none of the seats there are latched, and we've tried various boosters, but all have been really light). I wonder how much the seatbelt buckle threaded through the shoulder part, at least, would help with the projectile issue.
 
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katymyers

Active member
If you can't use LATCH why not just get a Rodi AP instead of the Rodifix? It's a lot cheaper. As for having it not be a projectile, I'd just really stress how important it is to buckle it back after getting out. Just make it part of the routine for getting out of the vehicle. I'd also say that since boosters with LATCH and without (even heavy ones) pass the test I really wouldn't worry a whole lot about it.


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bnsnyde

New member
AP doesn't appear to have the same design. The base looks different?
The Rodifix seems to have the perfect buckle friendly design for 3 in a row.
 

katymyers

Active member
AP doesn't appear to have the same design. The base looks different?

The Rodifix seems to have the perfect buckle friendly design for 3 in a row.


I see what you mean, the AP has arm rests and the fix doesn't. Otherwise though I still think it would be fine to use it without LATCH.


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gigi

New member
My question would be if it fits flush against the vehicle seat without the rigid latch connected. My Olli sticks way out from the seat it it is in a position without latch, so I don't use it if it can't be latched in.

Personally, I would like a lot of booster wrought behind my kid's back in a crash and have opted for the lighter weight boosters. I love the Rodifix though and might consider it but only where latch is available.
 

bnsnyde

New member
Yes, the Olli sticks out.
But then...when I latch it, it sticks out about the same I think.
So I guess it's OK.
We don't usually latch it (carline) But we can and do for longer trips.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
In the olden days.... There was a weight limit on boosters. 9 Pounds. So like combination seats would absolutely insist you remove everything to become a booster...harness and LATCH had to come out to de-weight it, base off the Alpha Omega... Recaro Start and Britax Bodyguard had seats with attachment (top tether, lapbelt lockoff armrests). Dorel just flat didn't care, they had the Summit at 14 pounds with no attachment option. And from there the weight rule kind of evaporated. I think in the European standards there's never been a weight issue, like the Start never had a top tether, so there must not be a lot of evidence for heavy seats being an injury risk, if any?
But the projectile issue for any time it's unbuckled... yeah.
 

jjordan

Moderator
Even a light seat can be a terrible projectile. I really don't understand why you can't have it buckled in on the way home from school drop-off; presumably the child riding in it is getting dropped off at school and should be taught to buckle in the booster before leaving the car.

As for the safety, it's all speculation because there aren't any studies. I *suspect* that a lighter booster would be safer in a front-end collision, and a heavier booster with more structure would be safer in a side impact collision. But that is just a guess and no one should take it as an expert opinion!
 

bnsnyde

New member
I will see what I can do.

Our drop-off takes about twice as long as other cars. Sometimes, a car has actually gone around us, which is very unsafe and technically not allowed. We don't stall. It simply takes that long for the kids to unload (and they move fast!).

Rebuckling the seat...I will have to see. Perhaps.
The issue does bother me.
I could always pull over after leaving the lot and do it, maybe.
I'll have to find the best solution here.

I truly wish everything could just latch, and easily!

But at the same time, as I stress about the projectile issue, but when I go grocery shopping...it's a van and there is no "trunk." My groceries would likely be horrible projectiles. So there is that, too, which also bothers me. I have not found a good solution for that. I mean, a gallon of milk is heavy! And 15 cans of beans in a pack from Costco. Maybe there is a good solution out there. I prefer the car for the trunk, actually. But during the day I have the van and need it.

edit: Woah, my 8 year old is 57 inches! He grew an inch in a month! So we're at least closer to 5-stepping than before. I'll have to watch him to see how his growth goes.
 

Baylor

New member
I never worried in the van because they were on the floor in the back of the car behind that back seat so even if they are thrown forward they are hitting the seat, I would practically have to roll over to get them out of there.

You could get a cargo net..

I would never have a seat in my car unsecured. IT is either latched or buckled.
Why does drop off take so long? If they are just unbuckling?
I used to have all bookbags or school stuff on the floor of the passenger front seat. They would unbuckle, climb out open door get bookbag and go.

Is there a better way to arrange your car to make drop off easier?
 

bnsnyde

New member
I don't know.
Many kids just hop out the front seat unbuckled.

Right now outboard kid unbuckles his backless and gets out, and pushes seatbelt out of the way (shoulder belt doesn't just retract on its own after being unbuckled).

Then kid behind pushes seat forward, climbs out, and other kid in back climbs out. Then one of the kids pushes seat back so it's not sliding all around.

(and technically my 5 YO hops back in but next year he'll be going to their school, too).

It's not a long process. But it's not super quick.
(They currently have backpacks with them. We could try front seat for backpacks. Not sure if that would add time or not). :)

(Ideal school drop-off, in an ideal world, maybe could be tweaked...but to keep my wee ones RF and allow 2 YO to be outboard (or she won't climb in!)...this is it. The setup is pretty good. Add real kids to a setup, and I've learned that what I think is great, doesn't work well in real life, lol. Every year it'll be easier as there will be another child starting school and in a seat that's easier to use, in most cases.
 

jjordan

Moderator
Honestly, as long as you are doing what you can to be efficient, I wouldn't worry about holding up the car line. If people are frustrated at you taking 3 minutes instead of 30 seconds, well, too bad for them. In the grand scheme of things, that extra 2.5 minutes is no big deal. And if it is, they should get up earlier and get there before you.

It's one thing to be frustrated with someone for taking extra time unnecessarily - that frustrates me too! But safety is important, so the extra time is not unnecessary in this case. :twocents:
 

bnsnyde

New member
So we are keeping Harmony Dreamtime, Sure Ride, Cosco Topside.

We'll simply have to be good about buckling the two boosters.
 
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bnsnyde

New member
I found out A heavy booster can be dangerous, lol. My son dropped the Clek Olli on his foot and hurt it, going into Nan's car! I bet if he'd had a Harmony Youth with him, he'd be unhurt. Or Bubblebum!
 

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