ready for a booster?

debn · Feb 28, 2005

Our child is 4 1/2 years old, 40" tall and 28#. Are we ready to move into a booster because of height? If so, any recommendations? Thanks.

joolsplus3 · Feb 28, 2005

Nope. NO boosters start at that light a weight, and there are seats that can harness well beyond 40 inches to give your child the added protection of a 5-pt harness a little longer.
"Combo" seats, or "Harnessed boosters" by Graco and Evenflo (such as the Cargo and Chase, but there are many models) easily harness to 46 or 47 inches and a full 40 pounds or close to it, and I'd consider one of those before going to a relatively less safe booster seat. You also can keep using your current seat till the shoulders are *just * above the top slots, regardless of actual standing height, so you may find you have an extra inch or 2 before your current seat is outgrown.

Victorious4 · Feb 28, 2005

My kiddo is 40" 30# ~ some harness slots aren't high enough for her {at least not for the purchase to be of use for more than a shortish while & I like to get my money's worth, LOL} ... but the Graco CarGo have high slots & Britax seats {Marathon, Wizard, Husky} are great for harnessing tall and/or heavy kids. E-Z-On also has an option that might work for you & there are a couple other options coming out by Combi & Cosco sometime in the near future....

Even if your kiddo were "ready" for a booster, harness seats are much safer & even some auto makers {Ford & Volvo} have begun playing around with the idea of making similar harness style belts standard for all passengers!

With a 4.5 year old my personal choice would be the Husky, but it requires a top tether anchor, so if you don't have one and/or can't get a dealer to install one I'd choose the Wizard ... then again if money is an issue the CarGo is a great seat, in which my kiddo has room in the harness still ... as well as the Evenflo Chase.

However, as boosters they are not as good as the Turbo, which requires a child be at least 30# & like all boosters the child must be mature enough not to lean far forward or slip the belt under the arm or behind the back, etc. Even with a retractable locking belt my kiddo managed to reposition the belt....

Perhaps the most important help is that you encourage & congratulate safety above appearance in front of & to your kiddo, letting the child make the final choice from a few specific options =)