Would you booster a 4'8", 95 pound 11 yo?

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Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
If the child doesn't pass the 5-step test, absolutely.

The overall height is a little short to use just a seatbelt. I would be surprised if a 4'8" child passed all five steps of the 5-step test.

I would use a backless booster if you have headrests in the car. :) I would prefer a high-back, but a low-back would probably be adequate.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
<runs off to measure ds...>

Yes :)

I have him in a highback booster in our car with no airbags (highbacks provide a huge safety advantage in side impact crashes, you really don't want that head to be striking the window or door). A no-back is fine too, it will still prevent seatbelt syndrome (the lapbelt cutting into the abdominal organs)...

A good highback choice might be the Sunshine Kids Monterey, good No-backs would be the Cosco High Rise (Ambassador at Walmart), Combi Dakota, or Clek Olli.
 

TerisBoys

Well-known member
If you have headrests, a Cosco High Rise or Ambassador are nice, roomy seats for bigger kids. Evenflo Big Kid backless is another seat that suits bigger kids better, and the Combi Dakota is also nice and roomy.

FWIW - my 5'2", 89# 12yo rides in a Big Kid.
 

lms6241

New member
We have headrests and side curtain airbags. Everything looks right when she uses the seatbelt but she is short and solid that I wondered if there was a booster that would work for her weight. Now my next dilemma is to figure out what will fit in my Jetta with a Marathon and a 13 yo.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
I'd try the High Rise/Ambassador... it's low on the armres side so that it's usually pretty easy to mesh next to other seats and buckle...plus it's cheap and comfy :)
 

lms6241

New member
Are there any seats that go over 100 pounds? I know she'll be even closer to the 100 pound limit with her clothes and shoes on.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
The Sunshine Kids Monterey goes to 120, Britaxes don't really have an upper weight limit, they say 'about 100'... the others go to 100 and those of us with heavier kids have decided that the lesser of two evils (that is, going above the weight limit when the booster is merely boosting, there's no plastic seat shell with a harness to rip out from the weight being over the limit, versus risking seatbelt syndrome from the lapbelt cutting into a child who's too small for the belt), is to use the seat above the weight limit.

(sorry about that looong parenthetical sentence, lol)
 

TerisBoys

Well-known member
High Rise meshes nicely with a MA :) The arms fit under the shell, and the shape of the MA/cutouts on the HR make buckling fairly simple.

I even did 3 across in an Escort - SR/C, FF MA, High Rise!
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
My oldest rode in a high back until she was 5'2" tall. We had an older car with very short seat backs, so she had to use a high back for whiplash protection. She's pretty short torsoed though. Her favorite one was the Evenflo Confidence.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
My oldest is taller and heavier and he uses a cosco prospect. I'm not happy with it though the shoulder belt still isn't in the right spots. My options are very limited though since nothing is wide enough. I bought a monterey for him but he was too tall to use it as a high back and he said it wasn't comfortable to use as a low back because it wasn't wide enough.

I suspect that if I do ever see a fronteir in person I might be coming home with it, after getting the short monterey I'm not buying any more seats without seeing them in person.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
You might find that the Graco Air Booster works well. It's wider than the Turbos. I know ours fits well next to a Marathon - the widest part of the Air is at the front, which puts it kind of "in front" of the Marathon's base. It fits older kids very well. The only trouble is, they're not making it in backless version - so you have to pay $$ for a highback and then just use it as a low-back if your child's outgrown the back.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Huh? I must've missed that. What happened?

There have been many threads about it. Sunshine kids claim the seat has 22 inch belt guides and the headrests has 12 possitions but when peoeple got them they weren't that tall.

Mommy2five was able to get hers taller, and others have ones that are tall without a fight.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=45121&highlight=monterey+inch

Here is a poll.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=47785

Some people get 12 positions and others get 11.
 

BabyKaykes

New member
If they needed it - YES.

Says the "mean" stepmom who boosters her 110lb, 5'3", almost 15yo because she's always putting the shoulder belt behind her. She's in the Combi Dakota.
 

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