Seeking Advice for front-facing boosters (5-point harnes vs high-back booster).

NCMom13

New member
We have a 3.5 year old that is 1 inch from outgrowing her Clek Foonf in rear-facing mode. We have a 6.5 year old (46 inches tall) in a Britax Frontier. We need additional seats for our second vehicle and I am debating Frontiers for both girls vs purchasing a Clek Oobr high back booster for the 6.5 year old, and using one of the Frontiers for the 3.5 year old. I like that the Oobr could also transition to a backless booster in future years but certainly want to make sure the kids are safest right NOW. Any advice?

*Also, the use of certain fire retardant chemicals is of concern to me and plays a part in choosing certain brands. Britax and Clek both use less toxic chemicals (as do a few other brands) so I'm not looking for just ANY car sear recommendations. Thanks!
 
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MelodyoftheForest

Active member
Most kids the age of your older child are ready for a high back booster barring any developmental delays. I would suggest Britax boosters rather than the Oobr if your child is tall or leggy since they provide more leg support. I get wanting to use the same booster in backless mode too. If you can order an Oobr to try and get free returns, I would give it a shot. Otherwise, I would move the Frontier to the second car for the younger child and get Britax boosters for the older one. You could save the difference in price to try a Clek backless booster down the road.
 

NCMom13

New member
So, my top choices for a high back booster are the Maxi Cosi Rodifix, Britax Highpoint, or Clek Oobr. The Oobr is very expensive, but it does not appear that the Britax Highpoint has been rated by the IIHS yet (as it recently replaced the former booster model). We have inflatable seatbelts (Ford) in one vehicle and the Maxi Cosi may not be compatible should we ever need to switch seats around. Any insight or recommendations on any of those concerns?
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
The Oobr has extraordinarily shallow leg support. Some kids don't mind but many find it uncomfortable. We loved the ease of buckling in the Rodifix when we had one (and now adore the same in our Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120.)

You may also find that booster that works best in one vehicle isn't the same as in the other.

If possible, buy from somewhere with easy returns so if you get it and don't like it or it doesn't work for you, you can return for something else.
 

jjordan

Moderator
The lack of IIHS rating for the Britax booster wouldn't dissuade me in the slightest. It didn't take long for manufacturers to figure out how to create boosters that would receive a "best bet" rating and it would surprise me if the Highpoint got anything less when it does get rated. That being said, the IIHS rating is not as important as making sure a booster fits the specific child in the specific vehicle that is being used, so as recommended above, I agree that it's a good idea to order from a place with easy/free returns so that you can check the fit before deciding whether or not to keep the booster.
 

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