Help me think about boosters

My older son has been heavily lobbying for a booster seat. He just turned 5. I think it's reasonable to start booster training him in my car (a 2012 Mazda 3), in which he rides infrequently. He's starting to do more riding in friends' cars, so it makes sense to get him booster-trained. He's very tall at 46.5" but he seems to have an average torso (I haven't had a chance to measure it). 5T shirts fit him well. He's built like a broomstick and weighs 43.5 lbs.

But what booster to get! I'm thinking it would end up as our travel booster. I had been eyeing the Harmony Folding Booster - it seems just perfect for airplane travel. The whole "carry the backless portion on, put the back in your checked luggage" idea sounds like a pain. We don't have that much space in our luggage! So I love the idea of a folding highback booster where the whole thing fits in the overhead bin. But is it worth spending $80 (Amazon.com : Harmony Secure Transformer BPB Booster Car Seat, Black/Grey (Discontinued by Manufacturer) : Baby) now that it's discontinued? And it looks like it only gets a Check Fit rating, so I'm thinking no.

I figured I'd just get an Affix but reading threads recently on how some kids find them hard and uncomfortable makes me think I should think about other options too.

Chicco Kidfit? Not exactly the lightest for travel.

The Dream on Me high back booster? Lightweight, slim for possible future carpooling. I like the price! But it doesn't look like it has cupholders. My son *really* wants a cupholder.

My kids both love the Affix! And they went into them after a Frontier with no complaints.


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I can't help for the travel issue, but I keep a Safety 1st Boost Air on hand for my friend's DD who is tall and skinny (not sure exact height, maybe ~48 inches, but only 41lb). She likes it, and it fits her well. It's pretty big though. She's in an Evenflo something in her mom's car, it's much smaller overall.

Get a quality comfy HBB that fits your car (try a parkway or kidfit). Once he is a reliable booster rider, buy a simple backless for travel and friends' cars (harmony youth or topside are good because of slim size and ease of use, but be aware of the Topside's unusual shoulder belt routing).

I love the Harmony boosters. The Topside starts at 40lbs and I have a tiny kid so I bought the Harmony which starts at 30lbs. Bubble bum is great for travel.


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Thank you all for your thoughts! I think I'm going to go with the Affix. It really seems to have a nice combination of features: good fit on most kids; LATCH; 20" top position; headwings that look deep enough for a snooze; nice big belt guide where the belt doesn't bind up or slip out; doesn't require headrest support so less likely to have an incompatibility in a random friend's car; doesn't fall apart like the Turbo when you pick it up; reasonable price point. And my son will be thrilled with the cup holder and pull-out drawer. If he complains about it being too hard, we'll re-evaluate.

In the main car, we'll see how the belt fit is with our un-redesigned Frontier 90 armrests. If it isn't good, we'll probably think about getting a Parkway or Recaro booster or Monterey or something. But I'd like to keep him harnessed awhile yet there.

Travel is the tricky piece. Just about the only time he sleeps in the car is when we travel! So I sort of want an IMMI Go, too. Or an RSTV. But we'll s e how booster training goes. We don't have any trips planned.

My 7yo, who is exactly the same height as your son, rides in an affix in my van. It was the first thing that came to mind when before I got to your last sentence. I think you will be happy with it, particularly since you said it will be used in the less-used vehicle, so comfort shouldn't be a big issue. We just drove from NJ to FL and back and my son didn't complain about comfort once.

I think the Affix is a good choice. The Kidfit and folding booster are so short.