Another car seat recomendation needed, please

I need help figuring out car seats/boosters for my kids. Please feel free to give your opinions on what I should get and why. Please keep in mind that I have a limited budget so unfortunately the Britax seats are out of the question.

I have 2 kids, my soon to 5 year old dd (B-day is in May) who is 42 ½ inches and 38 pounds and my soon to be 3 year old ds (b-day is in April) who is 37 inches and 30 pounds. My daughter is currently riding in a Cosco Juvenile belt positioning booster seat and has been since she was 3 (it is rated 30 pounds plus and said on the box it was for a 3 year old). My son is riding in an Evenflo Triumph, which he seems to be getting too tall for although it is good for up 40 pounds and 40 inches. My daughter does sit correctly in her chair and does not move around, my son however is a different animal. There is no way that I would ever consider him ready for a booster which brought me to this board and I am now horrified that I put my daughter in one when she was 3. Anyway I need some seat recommendations.

I would like for my son to be in a 5 point harness for longer but I also do not have a lot of money to spend on car seats. I do have a little bit of time before I need to get one, 3 inches to grow. So is my best option to get a car seat that will last longer and then get a booster? Do I get a harness that turns into a booster?

Is my daughter okay riding in her belt positioning booster? Are there better boosters out there? The one I got was rated best on Consumer Reports at the time.

I am driving a 2003 Ford Explorer.

Thanks for the help!

In my opinion as a technician, your daughter is not Ok riding in a booster seat at her weight, even if she sits well in it. The problem with the stats listed on the boxes, is that they are the minimums and not the recommendations. For instance, they say you may turn your child forward facing at 20lbs and 1yr old, but the STRONG recommendation has been for many yrs to rearface until the maximum on the seat (30-35lbs)


I would put your daughter in a Graco Nautilus. This seat is a FFing combination seat, meaning it only goes Forward Facing, starts out with a harness (the Nautilus harnesses to 65lbs) and then after the harness is outgrown it turns into a booster.

here is a quick link to a Nautilus:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8112222

(I haven't checked to see if it's on sale somewhere)

For your son, since he is under 30lbs my first recommendation would be to get him rearfacing. The Triumph you have right now only rearfaces to 30lbs and is outgrown forward facing at 40lbs. I would recommend the new version of the seat, which is called the Evenflo Triumph ADVANCE. The Advance Rearfaces to 35lbs, and the harness goes to 50lbs.

Here's a link:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5933974

Are those Ok for your budget?

Thank you Melissa, I appreciate your feedback and opinion. I have looked at the Nautilus and I am impressed with all of the feedback and that it is so much less expensive then the Britax models. I know that a harness is best but I am also wondering what the best boosters are, and if her current one is a good one. If I do get her a Nautilus it would be for the primary car and we would probably still have a booster in my husband's car for emergencies and what not.

For my son, I don't think rear facing is an option. He has been facing forward for the past year and a half and he very much wants to be a big boy like his sister. Would the Nautilus work for him too? Or are there other options?

Thanks,
Laura

what kind of booster is your daughter in? I know you said Cosco but that is just the manufacturer, they make quite a few models of seats. Do you still have the manual to the seat to tell me the name of the model that it is? Is it a high back? A low back?
First word of advice is to never go by Consumer Reports for carseat advice
As far as boosters go, the Nautilus has a good booster on it, with good headwings and fit to child. If you're looking for a separate booster, I'll let others chime in on that because I have a younger child and haven't used any personally. I know the Britax Parkway is recommended, but since you're looking for cheaper seats, I *think* the Graco Turbobooster is one that is well liked.

If you're going to keep your son Forward facing, then yes I would put him in a Nautilus as well.

A good solid highback booster isn't a bad choice for a 5 yo, IMO...maybe something like a Britax Parkway or Regent, or the new Sunshine Kids Monterey is coming out that you can LATCH in place. I'm not sure which model booster she's in now (Dorel makes a lot), but if it's backless it's not very safe, and if it's a one-piece highback it's probably not making the belt fit properly, and if it's a 2 piece highback it doesn't offer very good side impact protection.

Nautilus would be great for your 3 yo...it would be great for both of them, and it does become a good booster later... that way they could be the same, both harnessed in their special racecar seats (a harnessed seat top tethered--your car has top tethers and they should be used---is only second to rearfacing as the safest option)

is there any reason why you are wanting to move your son out of his Triumph? He still has 10lbs to go weight wise. Are his shoulders close to the top slots?

If your son still has some time in his triumph, you could just buy one Nautilus, put your daughter in it for now, keep your son in his Triumph until he outgrows it, and then when he outgrows the Triumph, put your daughter in a booster then and give the Nautilus to him.
That is *if* your son will still fit in his Triumph for a while.

Your son will outgrow the Triumph when the tips of his ears go over the top of the shell, or when his shoulders go over the top slots (make sure you put your fingers through the cover to feel where the slot in the shell is).

Do you have headrests in your Explorer? Or high seat backs? If she's in a Dorel booster with an adjustable headrest, and you don't have tall seat backs or headrests, then no, she's not safe.

Would two Nautiluses go over well for you guys? One for each of your kids?

Wendy

Thanks for all of the advice and insight. I will try to remember all of the questions.

I do not know the model of my dd's booster off hand I will have to go outside and take a look. It does have a back and the back is removable when she gets older. My Explorer does have headrests.

My ds has not outgrown his Triumph yet but he is getting close in the height and I want to be prepared for when he does. Money is tight and is going to get tighter over the next few months.

It sounds like you guys really like the Nautilus. I like the idea of buying it for my dd now and then when DS outgrows the Triumph she can then go to the booster. I would have a hard time buying 1 $150 car seats right now.

Thanks,
Laura

Her booster is a Cosco Protek, any information on those?

Thanks,
Laura