How old was your NOW teenager when they no longer used a carseat and what seat was it?

zactayaus

Well-known member
For those of us with teenagers I was just wondering how old your NOW teenager was when they no longer used a carseat. I know things were a lot different even back then and I know for myself I was not as educated about carseats as I am now. Also do you remember what the last seat was that they used?

My oldest DS who is now 17yrs used a carseat until he was 6yrs old (which at the time where I live was virtually unheard of). The last seat he used was a combo seat made by Century. It was a highback booster type seat with no head wings no side wings (literaly a flat seat). It had a harness that could be removed so that you could use the seat as a booster. I don't remember what the harness weight or height went up to.

If anyone knows the seat I'm talking about and has a picture of it please post one if you can.
 
ADS

seatchecker

Senior Community Member
It was probably a Century Breverra (p 17 below)

http://www.carseat.org/Pictorial/3-Five- Point-np.pdf

My oldest is almost 16, and she was out of a seat at 4, I am guessing (can't remember that far back) - but she went back into a booster at ... 6? and stayed there until almost 11 (she is fairly short). It was a RightFit until she hit 80 pounds, and I am not sure what she went into after that (but she asked for a seat w/a 100 piund limit so she didn't have to use the regular seatbelt alone) - my memory stinks!
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
The Brevera? I had one! The law here was 4 yr old, so that is what I did. I also had that seat, and the wonderful one that had a built in lap only belt. My one and only new seat was the Renolux.
 

bethng

Active member
oh my. Gosh I am not sure. I bet I had her in a booster seat ASAP though. yikes. scary I have no memory of that. She did have a tshield century though when she was younger. I bet I put her in a low back booster. But I really cant recall.
 

scatterbunny

New member
My little sister is 14 now, born when I was 14, almost 15. I clearly remember her carseats. The last one she rode in was a Gerry Double Guard shield booster. She only used it until about 6, maybe 7, IIRC.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Well, my teen is just now 13, so not as good an example of "back in the day." But he used a booster until he passed the 5-step test, which means he quit using one around age 9 or 10 in our little VW Golf, but kept using one until age 11 in our Chevy Astro.

He's been in a booster since age 3, though. And his first one was a shield booster.
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
My 15 year old never used a car seat. :mad: She rode around in a cardboard box on the floor of the vehicle and then went straight to a seatbelt. :mad:

Needless to say, I was not her mother at that time and she is lucky they were never in a collision or sudden stop. I only met her when she turned 4 and she was definitely riding around in a seatbelt at that time.

She is very tall (5'10" now) and fit the seatbelt correctly by the time I learned about CPS when she was 8 years old.
 

mominabigtruck

New member
My 13yo sister had a gerry shield booster in my mom's van but when I bought my truck when I was 17 I bought her a backless tb so she could sit in the front and see out the window:eek: She was probably 6 or 7 at the time.
 

racesmom

Senior Community Member
My oldest is 14.5. He was turned FF at 14 months in a used overhead shield seat. Around 3.5, he went into a shield booster (also used). Once he was too tall for the shield booster (tip of ears over the low bench seat backs) he went into a l/s with a seat belt adjuster. He must have been about 4.5, becasue he was still in preschool. Thankfully, less than a year later, at about 5.5, I was told about the dangers of seat belt adjusters and the need for a belt positioning booster. I quickly went out and got him a Cosco HBB. He used that for about a year, then went onto a Britax StarRiser/Comfy. He used that until he fit the seat belt. He was 10.10 y/o when he was allowed to go without a booster in my car. He continued to use a backless in dh's car for about another 9-12 months.

Here's Race at 8.5, 4'6" and about 60 lbs.
raceinsrc_jpg_w300h400.jpg
 

HEVY

New member
Ok my dd is about to be 23yrs but she only used a seat till about 2 maybe 2 1/2. We never really had a car after that age, when we were in a car she used a seatbelt.
 

libranbutterfly

New member
My brother is 11, I remember he had evenflo infant seats, and I don't remember any seats after that at all :eek: I totaled my car w/ him in the front w/ the shoulder strap behind him at three. I (23) used an overhead shield until between 4-5, but it was mainly because they got a new car, and it didnt have a backseat (a suzuki samuri) and they mae me a little bench and bungeed my seat onto it until the back seat came in. I used the OHS from birth.
 
i don't have ateenager but i remember my little brother being 4 an in what would be considered a no back booster. it was made by fisher price it was tan and was actually made of plastic ans the belt just when under the armrests. i tried to find a picture but i can't
 

daycaremom2002

Active member
My DD is 14 1/2. She was in a Gerry double guard shield booster by 2 (came out of a Century Tshield seat that we had washed with bleach and recovered :eek:) and then we put her into the new thing on the market. A gerry harnessed booster. She rode in that for a couple years, then she was back into the double guard. I think she was out of the by 4 into a seatbelt with those triangular adjustors that you just put the seatbelt through to keep the shoulder belt off their face. Then I think she went into a Right Fit at about 5 and used that for a very, very short time.

I am so glad we didn't get into an accident.
 

celtic1885

New member
My teenager, 17 on Easter, had a car seat that was acutally ordered from my folks from our insurance company - it was a Century and I think it had a t-shield. It was so big that on the way home from the hospital the straps were above her head. - back then the hospital didn't check. We borrowed a car seat from her dad's coworker - had thin metal legs (and I'm sure it was a used one for them as well) a couple months later we got a "bucket" seat for her from his step-sister when her son outgrew it - want to say it was graco/evenflo. she was in a low/backless booster with the lap "bar" that "guided" the seatbelt, probably till at least 6/7. didn't think it was that long but thinking back it actually was. Scary to think she rode in a Uhaul truck cross county seat belted at 6!
Babies in snugride and EB 3-1, soon to be in MA by the end of the week.
EB/Scenera in spare car!
 

aisraeltax

New member
my 17 yo was probably turned FF at 1. :( i dont think he was in a carseat after. i know right before his 6th birthday we drove to Boston and he wasnt in a seat then. how lucky we all were,huh?
 

zactayaus

Well-known member
My 17yr old was turned FF at only 6mon old :eek:. That was the recomened age to turn kids forward at that time. He was in a century convertible carseat with they overhead tray.
 

monzogary

Senior Community Member
My now 16 yo was about 6 or so when she was out of her shield booster (Cosco Grand Exlporer). When she was 9 and I took my car to have my middle dd's infant seat checked, she went back into a booster (Evenflo Right Fit) and stayed in it until she was 12, almost 13 when she finally had a growth spurt and fit without it.
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
My son is 15 and FF'd at 9 months, then we were in our car accident. That is what caused all his GI problems.
 

daycaremom2002

Active member
My 17yr old was turned FF at only 6mon old :eek:. That was the recomened age to turn kids forward at that time. He was in a century convertible carseat with they overhead tray.


My 14 yo was FF by 6 mos also. She was in the Tshield Century with a 'cushion' to hold her up high enough for the shield to be under her chin instead of in front of her face
 

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Forum statistics

Threads
219,656
Messages
2,196,898
Members
13,530
Latest member
onehitko860

You must read your carseat and vehicle owner’s manual and understand any relevant state laws. These are the rules you must follow to restrain your children safely. All opinions at Car-Seat.Org are those of the individual author for informational purposes only, and do not necessarily reflect any policy or position of Carseat Media LLC. Car-Seat.Org makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis. If you are unsure about information provided to you, please visit a local certified technician. Before posting or using our website you must read and agree to our TERMS.

Graco is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Britax is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org! Nuna Baby is a Proud Sponsor of Car-Seat.Org!

Please  Support Car-Seat.Org  with your purchases of infant, convertible, combination and boosters seats from our premier sponsors above.
Shop travel systems, strollers and baby gear from Britax, Chicco, Clek, Combi, Evenflo, First Years, Graco, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Safety 1st, Diono & more! ©2001-2022 Carseat Media LLC

Top