Input on Seatbelt Fit

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cmm7

New member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #1

S has reached the point of having NO extra room for growth in the Turbo and her ears are past my seat when it is backless. As long as she doesn't grow she can continue to use the Turbo. If she does do you think it is a safe fit for her in the seatbelt? It seems as though it is to me, but this is with the little clips found in my car so I don't know if that should make me more hesitant?

Oh, and I did put Z in the MA as you can tell from the background. She named it her owl seat (since it is gray and white. I never thought of this but she is right) and loves the HUGS. She got a kick out of them being called that and kept hugging them. It was adorable. She is only on the 2nd to top slots and says she likes this seat better since the straps don't rub her neck (in the CarGo they come from 2" above her shoulders and which makes them rub).

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #2

The seatbelt is sitting higher up on her than I would like to see. Hopefully her torso won't grow substantially and she can continue to use the Turbo for awhile longer.

 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #3

I do prefer the lap belt be more on the lap than the hips, but if you can feel her bones under the belt, then she does pass -- her feet are flat on the floor, right? If not, then that's another reason to wait....

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #4

Does anyone know what backless booster boosts kids up the least?

 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor

• Aug 1, 2008

• #5

I'm not 100% comfortable with the fit of the lap portion either - it's not horrid, but not ideal either. The shoulder belt seems to fit her fine though.

BW1426 said:

Does anyone know what backless booster boosts kids up the least?

Click to expand...

The Clek is pretty low profile isn't it? Not sure if it's shortest or not though.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #6

I just measured my Turbo bottom, from the floor up to the seating area. It sits about 4.5 inches high. The Clek Olli is angled, not perfectly flat, and it's about 4 inches high at the bum, about 5 inches high at the knee. I'm not sure if there's a backless that sits lower on the vehicle seat than that.

I'm also not thrilled with the fit of the lapbelt, and I know there's been talk of the lapbelt riding up too high in a crash on kids who do pass the 5 step test but who have not hit puberty yet, something about the hip bones not being developed enough to hold the lapbelt low in a crash. The armrests/lapbelt guides on boosters are supposed to act as hip bones, holding the lapbelt down where it should be. Julie--I think it was you who posted that information awhile back?

The Turbo is one of the shorter highback boosters, and if the backless puts her up too high for adequate head support, I would probably find a taller highback when she does fully outgrow the back on the Turbo. :twocents:

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #7

How high up does the Canadian Oto go? It looks really slim to me.

Could you get a Monterey to fit three across? What else, besides the Frontier, would be tall enough?

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #8

The Britax Parkway, Recaro Vivo, Recaro Start and Sunshine Kids Monterey are all taller than the Turbo. The Frontier, in booster mode, is, as well...but I wouldn't personally spend almost $300 on a combo seat to use it in booster mode. The Recaro Start can be found for $200, and people think that's too expensive for a booster.

I'd probably go with a Vivo or Monterey in this situation, though. Both are very tall (I think Monterey is taller). The Monterey becomes a backless, but I'm not sure how tall the seating portion of the Monterey is, so I can't say how it will work backless for the OP's dd (whether or not it would sit her up too high for adequate head support from the vehicle seat).

 

BW1426

Well-known member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #9

scatterbunny said:

The Britax Parkway, Recaro Vivo, Recaro Start and Sunshine Kids Monterey are all taller than the Turbo. The Frontier, in booster mode, is, as well...but I wouldn't personally spend almost $300 on a combo seat to use it in booster mode. The Recaro Start can be found for $200, and people think that's too expensive for a booster.

I'd probably go with a Vivo or Monterey in this situation, though. Both are very tall (I think Monterey is taller). The Monterey becomes a backless, but I'm not sure how tall the seating portion of the Monterey is, so I can't say how it will work backless for the OP's dd (whether or not it would sit her up too high for adequate head support from the vehicle seat).

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I was just trying to come up with the cheapest route possible as the PP is the babysitter for these kids.

If the Parkway is taller, I think that would be a great option. I'm not sure as though the monterey would be doable for three across if that's a necessity.

 

scatterbunny

New member

• Aug 1, 2008

• #10

BW1426 said:

I was just trying to come up with the cheapest route possible as the PP is the babysitter for these kids.

If the Parkway is taller, I think that would be a great option. I'm not sure as though the monterey would be doable for three across if that's a necessity.

Click to expand...

I didn't even look at the signature to see she's the sitter, not the mom, and that she might need to fit three-across. Thanks for catching that.

I agree, the Parkway is probably the best choice for a booster taller than the Turbo, that should fit three-across.

 

C

cmm7

New member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #11

Thanks, everyone, for your input. Next time I have her I will check out if the seatbelt is on her hips. It looks that way, but I will feel it. I am off to VT at the end of August, so I really want to avoid buying a seat to use for three weeks. Hopefully these last few growth spurts are it until then. She was a click down 2 weeks ago!

 

TerisBoys

Well-known member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #12

IF you DO need a backless - the Cosco Ambassador is rather low profile and should 'boost' her less than her Turbo. It's also a good seat to puzzle 3-across. And it's inexpensive - my Big Lots has them for $12, most places sell it for $15-$20.

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #13

What's the law by you? By me it's 8 or 80, so she'd not be legal in just the seatbelt.

Wendy

 

C

cmm7

New member

• Aug 3, 2008

• #14

Here it is 8 or 4'9" and she is 4'8" so if she were to grow she would meet the height requirement by law.

I will look into the Cosco Ambassador, too.

Thanks!