Question How tall were your kids when they 5 stepped?

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Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #1

How tall were your kids when they moved out of their boosters (passed 5 step test)?

 

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HEVY

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #2

R was 56 & 3/8 inches and 9.8 yrs, in a 2000 Windstar. I think they make them more child friendly.

 

tiggercat

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #3

Meg is 57in and still doesn't 5 step in most vehicles.

 

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NVMBR02

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #4

Ds is about 58 inches and 5 steps in the third row of our Pilot and is close to 5 stepping the the 2nd row He has a ways to go in our Fusion. DD1 is 63 inches and 5 steps in all the vehicles she rides in on a regular basis.

 

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Mysweethoneybee

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #5

My son is 4'11" and he five steps in only a few vehicles. Like in my husbands Mazda truck he has five stepped for a year. In a ford taurus and mercury sable he just started five stepping. And in the Dodge Caravan where he rides most often he is not even close. But in the Dodge Caravan the seat belt doesn't fit right on my 17 year old who is over 6 foot tall. So I am not sure if anyone ever 5 steps in the back seat of a Dodge Caravan.

 

thekatie

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #6

I wasn't comfortable with fit in most vehicles until J1 was more like 61 inches (just an inch below me).

 

christineka

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #7

Mine were 5' before they 5 stepped in most positions. 4'10-11 for the smaller-fitting places.

 

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Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #8

Thanks for the responses. Is it possible for a kid to outgrow all boosters before they 5 step? If it comes to it, would you violate the height restriction for the incognito? I know height matters a lot for 5 stepping, but does weight enter into it at all? Does a wider kid fit sooner than a skinny kid? Thanks!

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Aug 10, 2015

• #9

I ignore the height limits on my seats... they are based on 'most people' fitting the seatbelt at 57", and the regulations saying they need a height limit on the label, not on dummies failing crash tests at one or two inches taller (there aren't that many dummies with all those size ranges!).
Anyway, in sedans and third rows, my kids were about 57", in captain's chairs they were closer to 5ft before they fit without boosters.

 

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jaemom

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #10

Athena said:

Thanks for the responses. Is it possible for a kid to outgrow all boosters before they 5 step? If it comes to it, would you violate the height restriction for the incognito? I know height matters a lot for 5 stepping, but does weight enter into it at all? Does a wider kid fit sooner than a skinny kid? Thanks!

Click to expand...

I would think so. My ds1 is 11, 57" and 66lbs. My ds2 is 10, 56" and 75lbs. I have noticed that the seatbelt fits different on ds2' even though he is only 1" shorter than ds1. The extra 9 lbs and wider hips/shoulders changes the belt fit.

 

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arly1983

New member

• Aug 10, 2015

• #11

I agree with weight changing things. My 10.5 yr old surprised me by 5 stepping in most positions at 4 ft 10.5 ins (58.5 ins) and 100 lbs. I really wasn't expecting it.

 

jacqui276

New member

• Aug 11, 2015

• #12

DD was 58" when she started 5-stepping in my vehicle (and at that point all of our boosters provided a poor belt fit as the shoulder belt was off her shoulder). She is now 11 and 60"/87lbs and 5-steps in every vehicle I have tried her in recently.

 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin

Staff member

• Aug 11, 2015

• #13

My son started fitting in some vehicle seating positions a few years ago. In others, he still doesn't fit. He's currently around 80 lbs, 4'9" tall at 10 yrs + 3 months. He is also right at the limit of a Frontier 90 CT.

This is in the 3rd row of a 2016 Honda Pilot. Lap belt fit is marginal but probably acceptable without a booster and the shoulder belt is just barely on his neck.

 

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Athena

Well-known member

• Aug 11, 2015

• #14

Thanks for all the responses! Wow, I'm surprised how many of your kids were 5 stepping when shorter than my DD is now. Honestly, based on her fit at that size, I had assumed no one actually 5 stepped by 57". But maybe the issue is more that my girls are very, very slim, because the lap belt was definitely on her belly at 57". Based on age, she *should* be getting hips soon, so I can hope. I really don't want to be stuck putting her back in the FR85.

 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin

Staff member

• Aug 11, 2015

• #15

Athena said:

Thanks for all the responses! Wow, I'm surprised how many of your kids were 5 stepping when shorter than my DD is now. Honestly, based on her fit at that size, I had assumed no one actually 5 stepped by 57". But maybe the issue is more that my girls are very, very slim, because the lap belt was definitely on her belly at 57". Based on age, she *should* be getting hips soon, so I can hope. I really don't want to be stuck putting her back in the FR85.

Click to expand...

Vehicles vary a lot, and even seating positions within a vehicle vary. For example, some of third row seats are short, so can allow knees to bend sooner than captain's chairs. Other third rows have long buckle stalks and awful shoulder belts, so it may negate any advantage of a short seat cushion.

 

mping

New member

• Aug 12, 2015

• #16

My 9 yo is 56 in and 65lbs and 5 steps in a crv and in my husband's truck and in my friend's tiny Toyota. But that's it. I'm getting her an Incognito so as not to violate the height restriction on most nbb. Harmony wouldn't give me a straight answer on their 57in height limit but basically told me she doesn't need a booster anymore :/



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bnsnyde

New member

• Aug 12, 2015

• #17

Anyone know if a new Odyssey 3rd row middle or outboard is better for 5 stepping? He could sit in either depending where we stick 4 YO's Sure Ride.


New (tallish) 9 YO is 57 inches in a Topside and the fit is weird (low on thighs), it didn't get high CR marks...but it's the ONLY seat that fits there. No room to even route a shoulder belt, so Topside it is. Wonder if he'd be better off without soon, short of changing our setup again.

 

mping

New member

• Aug 12, 2015

• #18

I don't like the middle seat for anyone due to the belt coming from the ceiling.


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mping

New member

• Aug 12, 2015

• #19

Have you tried an Incognito?


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bnsnyde

New member

• Aug 12, 2015

• #20

Way too hard for him to buckle Incognito with our 3 in a row. We tried. The second slot never got slid through.

My 7 YO just went in Aunt's Pilot outboard second row, in an older Harmony backless, and she's too tall for it! Woah! Was way too high! Too light for an Incognito though. I might give aunt a Harmony Youth? I totally did not expect this. Is the Pilot crazy or was the booster crazy? She is shorter than brother who is 57", by a few inches.

Someone will always get stuck with the seatbelt from the ceiling. At least now it's a FF seat so no worries. The Kiddyworld booster is so perfect a fit for the 8th seat it's impressive. Belt fit was A plus!
Have not tried a backless there.