Child hits head on glass in Toyota PU

I was so excited when we got our Toyota Tacoma last weekend since it has a forward facing bench that even has latch and tether hooks. The 19 month old's carseat fit wonderful so we were very happy. On the way home, however, the 8 year old hit her head on the rear window every time we hit the slightest bump. She is in a backless booster seat. Aside from making her wear a helmet , what is the best I can do to remedy this problem?

If she's hitting her head on the glass, then she doesn't have adequate head protection.

She needs to be in a position with a head restraint behind her head. The top of the head restraint should be no lower than the tips of her ears.

If that is not possible (ie. no head restraint), then she *needs* a high back booster for head protection.

She should really be in a highback if there's no support behind her head.

That's what I thought. Any ideas on the best highback booster since she is 8 years old and hasn't had a highback for awhile?

Lots of different choices...

Britax Monarch
SKJP Monterey
Recaro Vivo
Compass B510

Is this your everyday vehicle, or do you have time to wait until the Clek Oobr makes it's debut?

I'm not totally into the booster world yet, so others will have to add some more to that list.

xmascarolmarie said:

That's what I thought. Any ideas on the best highback booster since she is 8 years old and hasn't had a highback for awhile?

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Can you tell us your DD's torso height? Have her sit against the wall and measure up to her shoulders. At 8 ears old, she may be too tall for some high back boosters if she has a tall torso. There are other high back boosters that are taller though.

Thank you! I will measure her in a couple hours when she gets home from school. Thanks again!

Her torso measures a 17 1/2 inches. What highback boosters do you guys think will work the best for us? Thank you!

Here is a list of some of the seats you may want to look at. The taller the belt guide, the longer it will last height wise. Please note that some may fit a child better then others so it is often best to try them out and see which one works best for your child and your car.

Graco Turbo Booster - belt guide fits 19" torso, up to 100lbs

Graco Air Booster - belt guide fits 19" torso, up to 100lbs. This booster is deep so it works well with kids with longer legs.

Compass B5510 - belt guide fits 19" torso, up to 100lbs. Seat folds up so it can be stored easily.

Britax Monarch - belt guide fits 20" torso, up to 100lbs

Britax Parkway - belt guide fits 21" torso, up to 100lbs. Very narrow so it works well in tight spaces. This seat is being discontinued so it isn't always easy to find.

Ricaro Vivo - belt guide fits 21" torso, up to 100lbs

Jane Indy - belt guide fits 21" torso, up to 80lbs. Can use latch to secure in the car

Recaro Start - belt guide fits 21" torso, up to 80lbs. Very adjustable to fit child's size. Can use latch to secure in the car, though I think it does require a top tether.

Sunshine Kids Monterey - belt guide fits 22" torso (though some seats seem to only go up to 20-21"), up to 120lbs. Can use latch to secure in the car.

My 10-year-old daughter is now in a Sunshine Kids Monterey and we love it. It not only grows with the child height-wise but also width-wise. She has plenty of room for growth in it. I love that it is latchable and has two cupholders that slide out of the way when not in use. Her last seat was a Compass B510, but she was pushing the height limit on it. She'll be able to use the Monterey for at least 2-3 more years.

My only concern for your using it in the backseat of the Tacoma is leg room. You would probably not be able to slide the front seat back too far.