I've been searching for a lightweight, not-too-bulky booster seat for travel with my 4 year old (39 lbs, 43 in), and really not liking my options. At home, he's in a Clek Foonf (FF), and while I'd be fine taking a carseat rather than a booster, the Clek is just too heavy. We just got back from 6 weeks of summer travel with rental car company boosters, and I learned from that experience that he probably still needs a 5-point harness as he won't always sit properly with just a belt positioning booster.
It seems like Evenflo Maestro and SecureKid boosters might be what I'm looking for functionally, but they seem really bulky for travel and somehow not that high quality. The Britax options seem a little better but are too heavy. When my son was younger, we loved the Combi Coccoro, and I just wish I could find a bigger version of that--well-made, sleek, lightweight, easy to install. We bought the Cosco Scenera after he outgrow the Coccoro, but he's pretty much outgrown that, plus he finds it incredibly uncomfortable and I never really liked it anyway. And I tried the Ride Safer Vest last winter and actually returned it--he was so uncomfortable and seemed to just be swimming in it. Plus, on this particular trip, we were in an old van in Argentina and I just didn't feel like the vest gave him enough protection. Maybe I should reconsider...?
If I found the perfect non-harness booster, I could maybe be swayed, as long as it was high-backed with excellent protection around the head (he's vastly improved his sitting skills since the beginning of the summer). Before our trip, I wanted to get the Maxi-Cosi Rodifix, as I trust that brand and like the portability, the high back and safety features, the LATCH installation (so the booster stays put, although after further thought I can see the advantage of using just a seatbelt with a belt-positioning booster when you're in and out of cars when traveling), and the fact that it did NOT convert to a backless booster (seems like a hassle if you're moving the booster around a lot). The reason I haven't bought it is the new consideration of wanting a harness, plus that fact that it's suddenly very hard to find! The price tag also didn't make me jump for joy, but really if I found a seat I actually wanted, the price wouldn't be my main concern.
Any advice? Is there a booster out there that I just haven't seen? Am I overlooking an important consideration or focusing on the wrong things?
It seems like Evenflo Maestro and SecureKid boosters might be what I'm looking for functionally, but they seem really bulky for travel and somehow not that high quality. The Britax options seem a little better but are too heavy. When my son was younger, we loved the Combi Coccoro, and I just wish I could find a bigger version of that--well-made, sleek, lightweight, easy to install. We bought the Cosco Scenera after he outgrow the Coccoro, but he's pretty much outgrown that, plus he finds it incredibly uncomfortable and I never really liked it anyway. And I tried the Ride Safer Vest last winter and actually returned it--he was so uncomfortable and seemed to just be swimming in it. Plus, on this particular trip, we were in an old van in Argentina and I just didn't feel like the vest gave him enough protection. Maybe I should reconsider...?
If I found the perfect non-harness booster, I could maybe be swayed, as long as it was high-backed with excellent protection around the head (he's vastly improved his sitting skills since the beginning of the summer). Before our trip, I wanted to get the Maxi-Cosi Rodifix, as I trust that brand and like the portability, the high back and safety features, the LATCH installation (so the booster stays put, although after further thought I can see the advantage of using just a seatbelt with a belt-positioning booster when you're in and out of cars when traveling), and the fact that it did NOT convert to a backless booster (seems like a hassle if you're moving the booster around a lot). The reason I haven't bought it is the new consideration of wanting a harness, plus that fact that it's suddenly very hard to find! The price tag also didn't make me jump for joy, but really if I found a seat I actually wanted, the price wouldn't be my main concern.
Any advice? Is there a booster out there that I just haven't seen? Am I overlooking an important consideration or focusing on the wrong things?
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