Booster recs ?

I'm wanting to sell our Britax Super Elite..it's just 'too much'. We have recently removed it, eldest son is in seat belt only. Rear, outboard, shoulder belt of an Expedition. But I'm still tossing around the idea of putting him back in a booster. Just a smaller BPB as opposed to the mammoth SE. So, what would be your choice for a 49", 62#, 8 yr old?

I've looked at the Britax BPB models. The Starriser Comfy isn't going to give him a lot of time. Not, comparatively speaking, anyway. The Bodyguard and Parkway, of course, are close. The advantage I see of the parkway is the lower weight/height. I can see ds #2 transitioning into that whenever we move eldest out. (#2 is currently in a Marathon at 41" and 36#)

I suppose in all technicalities I could just get the BPB for #2, but, no, I really don't want him out of a 5pt yet. He's 6 and height/weight given above.

But I've been thinking..at current I have 6 yr old in Marathon, 3 yr old (38" 35#) in FPSE and 1.5 y old in RA. I really want to replace the FPSE with another seat. Which means, I can get another Marathon for ds #2 or #3. Let them pick which color they want, whatever. Or ?? go ahead w/a BPB for the 6 yr old? Possibly getting 2 of those...for the eldest two (ages 8 and 6) I already plan to get a Marathon for the now 1.5 yr old.

Ok, I think I've thoroughly confused myself Have I confused you as well? LOL

Let's try this:

What would you do for::
8yr old 49" 62 lb
6 yr old 41" 36lb
3.5 yr old 38" 35 lb
1.5 yr old n/a" n/a lb (between 25-30)
new baby coming in January

Current seats:
Super Elite (would like to sell because of bulk, replace w/smaller seat ??)
Marathon
Fisher Price Safe Embrace
Roundabout
Graco Snugride until outgrown

Input?

Are any of your seats close to expiration?

As far as boosters go, my 7 year old SD at 52" 60# fits best in the Parkway ... the lack of armrests make it comfier for her legs & easier for her to buckle herself without help, plus it allows the seat to fit in tight arrangements the easiest, compared to the Starriser we also have (which she can NOT fit into on the narrowest setting anymore). I like having it also, because my 3 year old does actually fit into it as per the manufacturer's recommended weight/height, so if we have an emergency I won't have to add to our frustration at that moment of uninstalling & reinstalling her Boulevard.

If I could start over from my DD's birth, knowing then what I know now, I'd have had her big sis (then 4) in a Boulevard, big bro (then 7) in a Parkway & baby in the Snugride ... then move baby into the Boulevard at 4-6 months & big sis into the Parkway, leaving big bro the lap-only belt with an E-Z-On ... but that's just me & my thoughts about what I wish I could've done in the car I owned at that time, LOL

Today, in my new vehicle, my 3 year old sits FF outboard in a Boulevard, big sis behind the driver in a Parkway & big bro either sits up front (with the seat moved back all the way) or rear-center with shoulder belt ... depending on his behavior (which he takes medication for). When their mom's new baby comes, big bro will have to sit up front, RF Wizard outboard for infant, FF rear-center Boulevard for my DD, big sis staying behind the driver in her Parkway.

I really don't know what would be best for your kids, vehicle & budget, but these are my ideas for my situation

Ok, for now, (not including your new lb in January, congratulations!) Here is what I would do:
I'd put your 18mo old rfing in a Marathon
and your 3 yr old ffing in another Marathon/decathlon/boulevard
and your 6 yo in the SE. Though you said you'd like to sell the SE, so one option for your six year old is a Graco Ultra or Platinum Cargo. It has a 40lb weight limit, but has pretty darn high top slots, and I'd wager that he'd have at least a year in it before being too tall for it. Oh, duh... keep him in the Marathon and use the Graco Cargo for the 3 yr old. Then when you are ready for the 6 yyr old to move to a booster move the 3 yr old to the 6yo's Marathon.

So, with all of that said, I've changed my mind, LOL.
Put the 18 mo old rfing in the Marathon (or Roundabout)
3yo ffing in Roundabout (fits until top of ears over top of shell) OR ffing in new Graco Ultra Cargo/Platinum Cargo
6yo ffing in Marathon
This way you purchase only one (or two) new five point seat(s) and one bpb for the 8 year old. When new baby is ready to move out of snugride put him/her in the Roundabout and move whichever child was using it into the other option I listed.

Does your 8 yo pass the five step test?

• Does he sit all the way back against the car's seat?

• Do his knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat?

• Does the lap belt naturally rest below his belly, touching the top of his thighs?

• Is the shoulder belt centered across his shoulder and chest?

• Can he stay seated like this for the whole trip?

It's a very unusually tall and strong 8 year old who fits all of those parameters, kwim?

Here is a letter I recently emailed my sister who is looking for a second bpb for her 7 yo dd who is currently in a Bodyguard. (you can just ignore the comments about getting a girly cover, LOL)

"Ok... here are some of your choices for another booster for Rowan. All but one are about $100. This page has photos of many of the ones on the list, and photos of real kiddos in them: http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/


Of course there is the Britax Bodyguard. It's a great seat, but heavy and difficult to buckle in a side by side situation. With patterns like the Pretty Paisley and the denim, it's come a long way in 'coolness', but the closeness of the head wings makes fitting headphones in there rather tricky and in some instances headphones are a must. It supposedly has that built in spot for them, but it's hard to use.

The Britax Parkway is the newest Britax booster. It's a nice fitting seat with side impact protection, too, yet the covers are a little limited just yet. Unlike the BG, though, it does have the coveted cup holders. The *lack* of armrests makes it particularly easy to use and has become the total FAV of the techs on the boards. I am looking forward to experiencing one in person one of these days when I am up to such things again. for photos look here:
http://www.specialtybaby.com/br20pabocars.html

The Graco Turbo booster(avail at Target/BRU plus online) is very popular and easy to find in many places. It is also a perfectly fine seat, just be sure when you look at them to get a new one. The older ones (like in Mom's car) have shallow head wings, but the newer ones have nice deep wings You can tell by looking, usually. (and some cute patterns, too! like the Flower Power(floral and denim http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=8498FLO&CategoryID=1) and the disney princess reversible) It has memory foam on some models, and yes, it has cup holders.
It *does* have arm rests, which make it more difficult in a side by side situation, but they are nice for comfort. One plus is that the back is removable, so it's easier for carpooling and travel. Also, the base is larger and fits older kids well.

The Jupiter Komfort Kruiser is also a nice comfy booster, made entirely of eps foam. It's recently discontinued, but is still fairly easy to find. It's one of the comfier seats available. One step ahead sells a version with memory foam for even more comfort.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=551

The Combi Yorktown (also avail at Target and BRU) tends to fit bigger kids well, but lacks padding. It is bigger (and thus comfier) for older kids, so it is worth looking at.

The Compass b500 'folding booster' is somewhat popular, too. It is height and depth adjustable and it folds for traveling or storing in a trunk (but a backless booster can be used that way, too). A plus is the pivoting arm rests.
The review is here:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=2392

(that you will not be happy with me for mentioning, LOL) is the Recaro start. By far the most expensive of the bunch,(around $300+) it is made of the same stuff our own automobile seats are made of, and thus is really really comfy, not to mention safe. I believe it is the only booster on the market that is approved to use a tether with. It has great appeal in that regard, but also has a pretty steep learning curve for use.
http://www.babytrend.com/carseats/Recarocarseat.htmhttp://www.recaro-nao.com/INDEX_FRAMES.HTML
and go to 'young seats' to read all about it. If you are seriously considering it, then this link compares it to a Bodyguard:
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=2579&highlight=recaro

READY TO SHOP????
Ok, look at www.babycatalog.com to start as I think they are having a sale, then try www.babyage.com
some other options are www.babycenterstore.com and www.babyuniverse.com and I believe www.specialtybaby.com (or maybe it's called www.albeebaby.com) is having a sale at the moment, too.
For me, well, I'd have it narrowed down to a Britax Parkway or Bodyguard or a Graco Turbo with SIP.
Oh, and she has a birthday coming... have you seen this? (toss the doll, but keep the seat! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005BP9Y/103-9320847-5191862

Happy looking!"

Ok, so all of the ones I mentioned are high back boosters. If you are considering a low back booster (or no-back) then your choices are slimmer (as are your expenses!!) but then there is absolutely NO side impact protection other than what your vehicle offers. The Graco Turbo and the Cosco High Rise are readily available and cost only $15-20 or so.

Well, what do you think?

My 8 yr old does fit quite well with the shoulder belt, sitting in the 3rd row seat of the Expedition. The seats are narrower than even the 2nd row. I didn't like the way he sat in that one so moved him back to the rear. So I have him outboard, 3yr old in FPSE center, then 6yr old in Marthon driver's side outboard all in 3rd row.

The problem I'm seeing is he still sleeps in the car a lot! Thus, I'm considering putting him back in a high back booster.

My original plan was/is to move the baby to the RA when ready and get a new Marathon for the now 1.5 yr old. This, I am certain of. This WILL happen.
This, just all got me thinking about the others hehe The FPSE has another couple years in it I believe, it's in good condition and all, I'd just rather have another Britax. (ok, call me a carseat snob, I don't care LOL) So thought, if I could afford to do so, I'd like to get another Marathon for that one. Which got me thinking about the 6 yr old...do I leave him in a Marathon or do I give that back to the 3 yr old and get a booster of some sort for the 6 yr old. Then I saw my 8 yr old sleeping in the vehicle again..argh..ok, that's not gonna work, he needs to go back into something with support around his head.

Ok, let's think on a time line here...I won't need a Marathon for the 1.5 yr old for a while yet. Baby due in January, won't be ready to move to the RA for...let's say...6 months ?? So, that puts us at a full year until that change happens.
So, maybe I could get at least one other seat between now and then ? If so, I should probably go w/a BPB for the 8 yr old, eh? Which? We'll have 3 in the rear, remember. Now, IF...IF I were able to get another in that time...ok..lets shoot for after the 1.5 yr old gets a Marathon, let's replace the FPSE...with ?? And for whom? The now 3 or 6 yr old??

Ok, it's just too early in the morning for all of this, my brain hurts hehe

Thanks for the recs/ideas, I'll read them over again later.

Here's what I think I'd do

• Get a Parkway for the 8 year old - I've heard at least 1 tech in private forum say that even most adults would be safer in boosters (assuming they're within the manufacturer's weight & height recommendations, which your child is)
• Get a Starriser Comfy for the 6 year old - it has EPS foam & the width can be adjusted & can also be used backless ... or if you have a lap-only belt you could get a Kid-Y harness with backless RideRyte booster from www.ezonpro.com
• Marathon FF for 3 year old
• 1.5 year old RF in Roundabout
• Snugride for newborn

Eventually, you can hand down the RA to the newborn, MA to 1.5 year old, the SRC or Kid-Y/RR to 3 year old, PW to the 6 year old ... & so on until they expire

more ideas

Oh Gosh, the FPSE is one of the best carseats ever made. I LOVE my FPSE, easily as much as my Britax, if not more. It's not particularly well padded, but it installs like a charm in any vehicle I have ever tried it in. It has extra wide straps, built in lock offs for ffing and rfing, the bar on the outside and more. It was definitely ahead of its time. I think you will find that most techs agree on this one... it's a GREAT seat and I think it's awful that FP stopped making them.
FWIW, Fisher Price gives their seats and 8 year expiration date and they stopped making them in 2001, I think. Check the date on your seat, you might have a quite a bit of use left in it!
SO, if it's not expired, then I'd move the infant to the fpse in May or June in the second row, keep your now 18 mo old rfing in the RA in the 3rd row, Your 3 year old ffing in a MA in the third row and your 8yo in a Parkway (easiest to buckle) in the third row where he can be helpful with the other two. Then your six year old in a MA in the second row where he can be helpful with the new baby.

IF, though, your 18 mo old is too big to rf in the RA, then I'd FF the 3 yo in the RA and RF the 18 mo old in a MA.
If your six year old is not too tall for the MA, then keep him there, but if he's getting too tall (shoulders above top slots, tops of ears above top of shell, or over the weight limit) then I'd consider putting him in the Super Elite for at least a year before moving him to a bpb as well.

8 years on the FPSE eh? Ok, I think we got it in 2000. Pretty sure that's when it was...it was for my 6yr old around the time he turned one, ready for a convertible.

Dh had mentioned putting the baby in the FPSE as well. The little ones just sink down in there SOOO much. I just thought they looked more comfortable and not as swallowed up in the RA.

Ok, I'm almost sold on getting a Parkway for my eldest as soon as I can. Leaving everything else as is for now. I know the FPSE is an excellent seat..I just so love the Britax and I don't mind paying the extra $$ for them..I guess I have just become too much of a carseat snob about them.

So, sell the Britax SE and get the more managable Parkway. Then after the baby, when s/he is ready to move up, we'll decide FPSE or RA and move the child currently in that seat, accordingly. At that time, getting another seat. We'll just leave it at that. LOL Why DO I torture myself in trying to think of all these things at once? I mean, yes, good to plan ahead, but geesh, I'm getting a wee bit carried away aren't I? hehe

Thanks for listening to my rambings

Oh and for the suggestion of moving the 6 yr old up to the middle when the baby comes. That just might be a good idea. I had just planned on keeping him in the rear w/the other 2 boys. But I just might be able to move him up. The baby would be in center postion, lap only belt, of course, he could go outboard behind driver in even a BPB if we go that route with him. Then eldest brother could continue to help in the back row. He already helps the 3 yr old. Yeah, that'd work! Thanks Melanie

I'll have to start trying the 6yr old in some boosters now. I'm not real near a Britax dealer, but I can at least get an approximation of where he 'fits' using seats at WalMart, TRU and such. Then whenever I do get to the Britax dealer, if they have the boosters there, I'll compare to that. I don't remember them having the boosters there before though. They sell them, order them in, but don't have any on display. Last we were there... 1-2 yrs ago

One thing to consider, if you are going to keep your six year old in a harnessed seat, then I would put him in the center and the new baby in the outboard position. The reason for this is that we always want the least protected passenger in the more protected position. The baby is more protected by the very act of being rear-facing. The switch to ffing reduces protection significantly (as does the switch to a booster, and then the switch to nothing, sigh... each "graduation" in car seats is a step back in safety, unfortunately).

If, of course, you determine that your six year old has the maturity to sit in a booster and is ok without the five point harness, then all of the above is irrelevant with a lap only belt in the center, LOL! (and really, I'd consider a Graco Platinum Cargo as one of the seats in your car, for either the 3 yo or 6 yo. It also tends to be a tech favorite recommendation as meshes well with other seats and works great in a 3 across situation, is quite comfy and totally easy to use.)

Aaah ok, gotcha...on the 6 yr olds position. I hadn't even thought about it that way.

I do believe, even now, the 6 yr old is capable of the BPB responsibility. But, we'll just see how he fits, how things go when we get 'there'. Like you said, if he's in a BPB, he'll have to be outboard anyway.

I'll look for the Graco this evening. WalMart would probably have that one right? I've had a Graco Cargo in the past. I think it was about when we got the FPSE for my now 6 yr old, we had gotten the Cargo, still used with harness, for the now 8 yr old. We still have the seat, though it may be a bit rough, and no longer has the harness. Might as well just get a whole new seat. And, well, you said 'Platinum' I'm assuming that means a new/better model anywho. I'll check into it. I was going to ask weight/height on that, but, I'm practically headed out the door, so, I'll just discover for myself LOL