stay in boulevard or move to booster

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mommyof2miracles

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #1

I am so new and have so many questions. My oldest is 2 1/2 and is in a Britax Boulevard and I will be moving my 7 month old to a Boulevard this week. My question is about boosters.

The Boulevard says it goes up to 65 pounds and I have to check the height....something like one the top of the ears come over the side of the seat they are too tall??

But in talking to a few other moms......one of them had Boulevards for her twins and then moved her girls to a Booster when they were 3!?!? because they wanted to be able to clip themselves in an out.
I have also read and saw a terrible video about a child who was in a booster the same as his sister...not a five point harness and they got into an accident and the seatbelt came undone and the boy was thrown from the vehicle and died. How terrible.

So.....what is the best and safest seat for a toddler and young child until they reach the age height and weight to no longer require a seat restraint?

I would like to think that I would keep my girls in their Boulevards as long as possible?? Is it ok that they are sitting higher up say when they are 6 or 7 years old?

What booster is a good and safe one if I need one.

What is the best thing to do as far as transitioning seats if need be?

Thanks

 

Ali

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #2

4 years AND 40lbs is the bare minimum for a booster with vehicle seatbelts, but most children are not mature enough to sit correctly in a booster every single time until age 5 or 6. I would either leave him in his BV and get sister a convertible, or give the BV to sister and get DS a higher weight limit seat such as the Graco Nautilus, Britax Frontier or Regent.

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #3

The Boulevard is outgrown forward facing when the shoulders go over the highest harness setting, the tips of the ears go over the top of the shell (of the seat, not the headrest) or when 65 pounds is reached.

How heavy is your 2.5 year old?

Rear facing it's outgrown at 33 pounds (the new ones are 35 pounds), or when the head is less than an inch from the top of the shell (again, the shell, not the headrest).

No way is a 2.5 year old ready for a booster. Besides, seatbelts are a lot harder to buckle in. My daughter can buckle and unbuckle her harness, but she can't do up a seatbelt. And she's going to be six in a few weeks. You can see her picture in my siggy. She's in a Wizard, the predecessor to the Boulevard. And she's got time before she's done with the Wizard.

Every change in carseats is a step down in safety. Rear facing is safest, and should be done as long as possible. Forward facing in a harness is next, and should be done as long as possible. In a high back booster is next, and should be done as long as possible. Then in a low back booster and should be done as long as possible. Usually when kids are 10-12 years old, sometimes older, they're large enough, mature enough, and their bones are strong enough to be ok in just the car's seatbelt. Remember, the seatbelt was made for the average size adult male. Not at all little kids.

So keep your 2.5 year old in the Boulevard, keep your seven month old rear facing in whatever convertible she goes into until the limits.

Wendy

 

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tanyaandallie

Senior Community Member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #4

It's unfortunate that your friends took their kids out of the high weight harness seats at such a young age and opted for a booster instead. Your instincts are telling you the right thing. Keep your 2.5 year old in a harness. If you can post the 2.5 year old's stats we can give more advice. We need weight and torso height. Sit her against a wall, mark the top of her shoulders and measure from the mark to the floor. What type of vehicle do you drive and do you have a budget for a new seat in mind?

Depending on the size of your 2.5 year old and your personal preference, you could either leave 2.5 year old in the current seat and buy a new BV for baby or buy 2.5 year old a different seat (that will actually keep her harnessed longer) and pass down the BV.

 

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mommyof2miracles

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #5

Thank you for the info. I am learning alot. I def want to keep my 2 1/2 yeard old in the Boulevard as long as possible. I am not looking to change her yet but down the road I will have a better idea about things now.
She is only 28 pounds and about 37 inches tall.
Thanks again.

 

M

mommyof2miracles

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #6

thanks for the reponse.....I def want to keep my 2.5 yeard old in the boulevard as long as possible....and in a five point harness for as long as possible.
Thanks.......

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #7

Excellent.

At her size she could even rear face.

Wendy

 

J

Jan06twinmom

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #8

I hate hearing stories about people who put their babies in boosters seats (or forward-facing) too early. Like the stories you heard about, children can be seriously injured or killed because of these decisions.

You are doing a great thing by asking these questions and protecting your two miracles! I thought that this information about why the 5pt harness is safest might be helpful for you... http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4211/Car_Seat_Safety:_5-point_Harness_is_Safest.htm

I have my 3 1/2 year old rf in her carseat still because she's a little peanut. Your 2 1/2 year old is small enough to be rf in her carseat and we could answer questions and give you information if you have any.

But even if you decide not to put your older child rf, consider keeping your baby rf beyond a year and 20lbs. I'm attaching a video link that explains why and a recent article about research on rf that was published in Dec 07.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8

http://www.fortwayne.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/SE/20071210/NEWS/712100332

HTH
Melanie

 

keri1292

Well-known member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #9

If you decide to remain FFing, the most economical choice would be a FFing only seat such as the Britax Frontier or Graco Nautilus for your oldest. Then, you can pass the Blvd. to the bambino. Both are baseless and lower profile.

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #10

I too would recommend getting your oldest a new seat and passing the Boulevard down to the baby. I think it would be your most economical choice. I'd recommend the Britax Frontier or the Graco Nautilus. Both are great seats that will keep her harnessed for a long time and then convert into a booster when she outgrows the harness.

 

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mommyof2miracles

New member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #11

For now my 2.5 year old is ok in the Boulevard right? When should I consider moving her to one of the other seats you suggested?

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Jul 6, 2008

• #12

I'd move her when her younger sibling needs the seat or when she outgrows it.

While the Boulevard has a 65 lb weight limit, I don't know of any 65 lb kids that fit in it. Almost all seats are outgrown by height before weight. She has outgrown it forward facing when her shoulders are above the top harness slots.

The reason I recommend getting her another seat is because there is no way of knowing if she will be able to sit in a booster seat safely when she outgrows the Boulevard. I'd hate to see you spend the money to buy a second Boulevard for your youngest and then have to go out and buy another harnessed seat when your oldest outgrows the Boulevard.

The Frontier offers similar side impact protection like the Boulevard's wings do, which is why I recommended it. It also has a 9 year life span which gives you a longer span of use for the money.

 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus

Staff member

• Jul 7, 2008

• #13

The OP has two Blvds. based on her thread in the Installation forum so it sounds like she's set for a while for both kiddos unless she needs another seat or seats for a second car.

 

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wendy1221

New member

• Jul 7, 2008

• #14

You probably have at least 3 years of use left in the Boulevard before she outgrows. I wouldn't even think about a new seat until then. We LOVED our Boulevards here, too. My ds2 just moved to a Regent from his, ds3 is still in his Boulevard (but he weighs 35lbs, so is a lot bigger than your dd, who isn't much younger. lol. He would still be rear-facing if he were as little as your dd.)

 

Misty-Bug

New member

• Jul 7, 2008

• #15

Jeanum said:

The OP has two Blvds. based on her thread in the Installation forum so it sounds like she's set for a while for both kiddos unless she needs another seat or seats for a second car.

Click to expand...

I see that too.
So really to the OP.....
I don't think you need to worry about seats yet. I would turn your oldest DD back RFing cause she is so tiny, until the limits of the seat. I don't personally own a britax so someone can tell you the limits. But I do know it is recommended to the weight and the height. As long as she is lower then the seat shell by an inch or more then she would be fine to RF.
Your other DD can just continue to use the second one. Worry about DD1 needing a bigger seat once she outgrows the current one she is in. that is just my :twocents:

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Jul 7, 2008

• #16

Ready for a booster?

In the same area of the forum where that thread is posted you should find another article about the benefits of ERF You can also click my screen name to link to my homepage....