Booster recommendation needed

Carter's Mommy

New member
Booster recommendation needed for a 5 year old 41 pound little girl who is mature enough to sit properly and not squirm.

I'm asking on behalf of someone else, so not sure of her height. The cars they have are a Subaru Outback and Honda Civic as well as Grandma's Oldsmobile. I don't know the years though, so can post more details later. Also, money is not an option when it comes to safety!

I started looking myself (my DS is only 2 and still RF'ing in his Blvd, so I'm not too familiar with boosters). Anyway, there seem to be a lot of convertible boosters that harness up to a certain weight before needing to rely on the cars seat belt. If it were my DS, I'd definitely want to keep him harnessed as long as possible.

There's also a huge range as far as price go, so I'm looking forward to your guys' opinions and advice.
 
ADS

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
So, they're willing to keep her harnessed, but want a seat that will convert to a booster? Graco Nautilus would be a good option in that case, or the Cosco Apex, but the Apex requires vehicle head support behind it once the child is a certain height, and since they'll be moving it between cars I wouldn't recommend it.

If they're absolutely dead-set against a harnessed seat, they should look for a dedicated high-back booster seat. It will fit better (more safely) and be more comfortable (less chance of her wiggling to an unsafe position) than a combination seat. Proper fit is very important with boosters, because the child will have more freedom of movement. So, for example, if they get a booster seat that doesn't position the shoulder belt properly and it rides up on her neck, she'll be uncomfortable (not to mention unsafe) and more likely to put it under her arm or behind her back (definitely unsafe!)

Other things to consider when looking for a booster:

She should use the high-back booster until she outgrows the back; high-back boosters provide some side-impact protection whereas a backless booster provides none.
They should also be aware that a booster requires a lap/shoulder belt.
High-back boosters made by Cosco (also sold under different names like Safety 1st) require vehicle head support behind the booster; other brands reinforce their high-back boosters and can be used without vehicle head support when used with the back.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I agree... I'd push for them to get the Nautilus... it's not expensive and will harness her longer and then be a great booster.

but if they are dead set, I like the Britax Parkway or Graco Turbos for smaller booster riders.
 

Carter's Mommy

New member
Here's updated information from an email I received from the mother:

"Thanks for all your help! We have no preference for the harness or seat belt unless one is safer than the other. We would get two seats, 1 for each car and not move them. We'd like to buy them next week. We have a Subaru Outback 2005 and a 2003 Honda Civic. She is 41 lbs. and is 3 feet 7 inches tall."

I know harness is safer and will make sure to forward her the videos. So, which seats should she get? I know the "safest" seat depends on how it fits in the car, proper installation, harness vs. shoulder strap, etc. but they are willing to pay whatever they need to for that "safest" seat. So, Apex, GN, Britax???

Thanks so much for your help!
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
I'd personally go with two Graco Nautilus' given that she is willing to harness, and it LOOKS like a booster, which is important to a lot of kids.
 

Bren&Elise'sMom

New member
We really like our Graco Nautilus, and DS has been great about being re-harnessed, he loves his new 'race car seat'. He is 6.6 yrs old, 47 lbs and 3' 11" or 47 inches. We are very glad we got this seat, it will last us for awhile to come since it becomes a nice booster, we had planned to just get him a new booster but when I found out there are high weight harness seats I knew this was the way to go.
It was very easy to install with the seat belt, couldn't LATCH it since he is right at the weight limit of 48 lbs for the LATCH. I installed it in my 2004 Kia Optima, driver's side outbound, it was easy to get it really tight, the seat fits great, and doesn't move at all once the locking clip is in place. I really like how the head rest adjusts up and down to get a great custom fit for the child.
His old seat is a little over 5 years old and I was quite out of the loop when it came to car seats, I didn't know how great they are now, his old seat was a combo seat that harnessed to 40 lbs then was a booster, it says on the seat to 80 lbs, it is just a solid shell and didn't adjust at all or have belt positioners.
I was looking for info on convertible carseats for 7 month old DD but also found out about this great seat for DS!
 

abacus2

Well-known member
We really like our Graco Nautilus, and DS has been great about being re-harnessed, he loves his new 'race car seat'. He is 6.6 yrs old, 47 lbs and 3' 11" or 47 inches. We are very glad we got this seat, it will last us for awhile to come since it becomes a nice booster, we had planned to just get him a new booster but when I found out there are high weight harness seats I knew this was the way to go.
It was very easy to install with the seat belt, couldn't LATCH it since he is right at the weight limit of 48 lbs for the LATCH. I installed it in my 2004 Kia Optima, driver's side outbound, it was easy to get it really tight, the seat fits great, and doesn't move at all once the locking clip is in place. I really like how the head rest adjusts up and down to get a great custom fit for the child.
His old seat is a little over 5 years old and I was quite out of the loop when it came to car seats, I didn't know how great they are now, his old seat was a combo seat that harnessed to 40 lbs then was a booster, it says on the seat to 80 lbs, it is just a solid shell and didn't adjust at all or have belt positioners.
I was looking for info on convertible carseats for 7 month old DD but also found out about this great seat for DS!

It's great that you have a new safe seat for your DS :thumbsup:. We love our Nautilus, too. However, a locking clip shouldn't be needed on a 2004 vehicle. Seatbelts have been required to lock in some way for car seat installation since 1996. See "Do I need a locking clip?" for great information on how to figure out how your belts lock.
 

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