Which Booster is Most Comfortable??

B

bbuffy2000

Guest
Hi,
My family and I will be driving from one side of the country to the other. I have a little guy who is just 40lbs now and he'll be four in September.
I am looking to find out which car/booster seat provides the most comfort for driving really long distances and allows the child to sleep in comfort as well.
Any ideas??
 
ADS

Splash

New member
You need a harnessed seat. Really. Your child is still a bit too young to safely use a booster. Plus, on a long trip with him sleeping, it is NOT safe. When he falls asleep, he's slouch down, flop around, not be seated correctly. It is MUCH better to get him a harnessed seat.
The Cosco Apex is a good bargain seat. Harnesses to a max of 65 pounds and then becomes a decent booster.
The bigger Britax seats are VERY comfy and safe and will allow a lot of sleeping comfort. They're expensive.
The Regent is the biggest harnessed seat available, and very comfy. He can use it with the harness until about 80 pounds. It is well padded and provides some sleeping support (not as much as the marathon or boulevard or decathlon, which are the big britax convertibles, but it's decent).
Depending on how much you are willing to spend... I would probably go with a Britax convertible. It will be the most comfortable for sleeping. But the Regent would be a better deal as far as longevity. Do you think you'll be having more kids? If so then definitely a Britax convertible (if he's not too tall).
If you're looking to not spend much money, then go with the Apex IF you have adjustable headrests and/or high seatbacks in your vehicle (a requirement of this seat) as it doesn't cost much more than a really good booster and it will allow him to be harnessed for much longer, which is a huge safety measure, especially when sleeping. It has an additional foam insert which should be enough padding. It's also a pretty wide seat, so if he falls asleep, you can give him a small pillow to tuck against the SIDE of the seat (not the back) to rest his head on. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with the harness at all.
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
car seat comfort

This is my last child but I don't mind spending the money. How do the Britax convertibles compare to Recaro in terms of sleeping support and comfort?
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
car seat comfort

okay so Recaro is out.
I'm unsure about which Britax to get. I want the MAXIMUM comfort for him as he will be on the road up to 12 hours in a day. We will be making a lot of stops but it's still a long time to be in a seat!
I also need to get a seat that can be used in airplanes as I'm flying across the country in a couple of weeks so that's a five hour flight. I would feel much safer having him in a seat and it would keep him in one spot too! lol Money really isn't of great importance in choosing this seat, more safety and comfort.
 

BABYGIRLLYNDSEY

Well-known member
Hi, I read your thread and I have the Britax Marathon which is great. I have had it with two children now and they are great seats. Very comfortable. The boulevard has the side impact wings in the head area which are great to sleep in. It is more expensive than the marathon. Both are great seats though. I am going to upgrade someday to a Boulevard. When I purchased my marathons they didn't have the boulevard. Happy travels. By the way, Albee's has great deals on their Britax car seats. You can find them at specialtybaby.com
 

Splash

New member
I would definitely go to a local store and try him in the Britax convertibles. Most Targets carry the Marathon, and babies r us normally carries the decathlon and boulevard.
The Boulevard has the side impact wings which would give him the optimal sleeping support, but since he's likely not used to them he might hate it. The Decathlon is VERY plush and is probably the most padded and therefore might be the most comfortable. The marathon is the basic britax convertible but there is still nothing basic about it! Still super plush, very comfortable, easy to use.
Since you mentioned the plane ride, I would have to say to go with the convertibles. The Regent is a great seat that would be perfect and last a long time but it cannot be used on a plane, so it's out.
Try him in those three seats (if you can) and see which he prefers. I hope he still has a few inches left in the harness, as it is typically outgrown by height before weight.
When you decide which one you want, then you can order it online at albee baby and get a decent deal on it. Especially since this is your last child you don't need to worry about it having a bit older manufacture date since he will DEFINITELY outgrow it before it expires! They currently have a pretty good sale going on if you can wait to get it shipped to you. It shouldn't take more than a week.
You might also be able to find one cheaper on eBay NEW IN BOX. Since the manufacture date is not that big a deal right now. Albee does have an eBay store (I think it's baby surplus) and normally has great deals.
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
big problem...

Thank you so much for all of your help and suggestions. I will probably go with the Boulevard or Decathlon if I can.

I live in Canada and a lot of these places won't ship to me. I would need to find someone in the US that it could be shipped to and then forward it on to me...and quick because our flight is two weeks from tomorrow!! aaahhh!
 

scatterbunny

New member
Oh, you're in Canada! That makes the choices much easier. At 40 pounds and over 3.5, with no other younger siblings, I'd be hesitant to spend so much on a Canadian Britax Marathon for only a couple of years' use--but I wholeheartedly agree with the others, you don't want a belt positioning booster for a 3 year old, or even for most 4 year olds! And especially not for a long road trip.

But in Canada you have options we don't have in the US: Graco and Evenflo combination seats harness to 48/47 pounds there, and have tall top slots that will accommodate most kids to that weight. Other combination seats (Cosco, Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st) only harness to 40 pounds, and on top of that have top slots 2-3 inches shorter than the Graco and Evenflo seats, so most kids can't even reach 40 pounds in the harness before getting too tall for it.

the Graco Ultra or Platinum CarGo will probably be your best bet, it has the deepest side wings of the Graco and Evenflo seats, good for sleeping on road trips. :)
 

Splash

New member
Yes, if you are in canada then definitely go with a Graco or Evenflo. The Britax is more comfortable, but since you're only legally allowed to use it to 48 pounds, then that is just a TON of money for comfort only, since you'll get the same use (or close to it) out of a graco or evenflo.
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
car seat comfort

I have the graco right now but his head bobs all over the place when he's asleep.
see I'm not too worried about spending the money on it, because I may be able to re-sell it later. I'd rather worry about him being really comfortable and he doesn't seem to be his current seat.
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
I didn't realize that you can only use it legally to 48lbs. There has to be another one out there that has all the comfort I need and can be used for a longer period of time. I'm so confused now :(
I had my heart set on a britax or recaro
 

scatterbunny

New member
Unfortunately Transport Canada only allows harnessed seats to be certified to 48 pounds. No way around it, legally. :(

You have the Graco CarGo now? Which version? What vehicle is it installed in, what seating position? It does have a recline mode, but I'm not really familiar with it so I can't give you specifics on how to find it.
 
B

bbuffy2000

Guest
You're probably thinking I'm being really silly/stubborn but I am still leaning towards still getting Britax and using it until he's 48lbs and then turn around and sell it.
I want him to have the most comfortable ride when we are driving for four days.
Am I being crazy here???
 

scatterbunny

New member
No, not silly or stubborn--just wanting to do best by her child! :) If he's really uncomfy in the CarGo and you can't figure out the recline (or if it's already reclined and it just isn't enough), you could go with a Marathon if the price isn't a huge deal to you. I just couldn't imagine spending $350 on a seat that would only be used for 1-2 years, even if you could sell it later.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I know this is probably too late for you now. But I too was in a spot trying to figure out what to get. How tall is your ds? Mine was 42" and 39lbs when I decided to go with the Recaro start. First I bought the Britax Husky now Regent and love it and it's very comfy for ds to sleep in and such and will last a long time........that's in my minivan that's what we use most of the time. I needed a secondary seat and he out grew the secondary which was a Graco Platinum Cargo at 40" and 37 1/2 lbs.

So I went and tested the Recaro Start and at first I wasn't sure how he would do. But after some talking to him about how important it was to sit still and keep the shourlder belt positioned as mommy showed him he understands. In fact daddy has put him in and the strap had become low but really I think he grew another 1/4 inch and he started crying and telling daddy that it was wrong. Well, daddy came in and said what are you doing to him he's all freaked out that his belt is wrong. So I went out there and sure enough the belt wasn't across his shoulder as it should have been so I raised the upper back part up to fit him.

I love the Recaro start now it's a great seat as a secondary and I will be taking it with us on our trip back to Wisconsin. But I won't be able to use it on the plane because it does need to be tethered at the top just as the Husky and Regent is not airplane regulated. I love the fact that the head and back are both adjustable on the Recaro, the width of the shourlder is adjustable, it has head wings for comfort and side impact protection, the hip area is adjustable and the seat bottom pulls out as they get bigger plus they have head phones in the head area so they can plug in their dvd player or game boy or what ever and listen to it themselves. I want to get the stirups for him for his feet to be propped up on when he gets older but for now it doesn't bother him and he loves sitting in it. And he doesn't undo the buckle until I tell him it's ok and occasionally he can't reach the buckle to unbuckle I have to help him with it. And in some cases they may not be able to reach it at all.

Plus the seat is a titanium steel not plastic like a lot of the other booster seats and has way more adjustments for a more personal adjustment for the individual child.



bbuffy2000 said:
Hi,
My family and I will be driving from one side of the country to the other. I have a little guy who is just 40lbs now and he'll be four in September.
I am looking to find out which car/booster seat provides the most comfort for driving really long distances and allows the child to sleep in comfort as well.
Any ideas??
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I forgot to add that my son turned 4 on March 1st and I got the seat a few months ago.

Unregistered said:
I know this is probably too late for you now. But I too was in a spot trying to figure out what to get. How tall is your ds? Mine was 42" and 39lbs when I decided to go with the Recaro start. First I bought the Britax Husky now Regent and love it and it's very comfy for ds to sleep in and such and will last a long time........that's in my minivan that's what we use most of the time. I needed a secondary seat and he out grew the secondary which was a Graco Platinum Cargo at 40" and 37 1/2 lbs.

So I went and tested the Recaro Start and at first I wasn't sure how he would do. But after some talking to him about how important it was to sit still and keep the shourlder belt positioned as mommy showed him he understands. In fact daddy has put him in and the strap had become low but really I think he grew another 1/4 inch and he started crying and telling daddy that it was wrong. Well, daddy came in and said what are you doing to him he's all freaked out that his belt is wrong. So I went out there and sure enough the belt wasn't across his shoulder as it should have been so I raised the upper back part up to fit him.

I love the Recaro start now it's a great seat as a secondary and I will be taking it with us on our trip back to Wisconsin. But I won't be able to use it on the plane because it does need to be tethered at the top just as the Husky and Regent is not airplane regulated. I love the fact that the head and back are both adjustable on the Recaro, the width of the shourlder is adjustable, it has head wings for comfort and side impact protection, the hip area is adjustable and the seat bottom pulls out as they get bigger plus they have head phones in the head area so they can plug in their dvd player or game boy or what ever and listen to it themselves. I want to get the stirups for him for his feet to be propped up on when he gets older but for now it doesn't bother him and he loves sitting in it. And he doesn't undo the buckle until I tell him it's ok and occasionally he can't reach the buckle to unbuckle I have to help him with it. And in some cases they may not be able to reach it at all.

Plus the seat is a titanium steel not plastic like a lot of the other booster seats and has way more adjustments for a more personal adjustment for the individual child.
 

scatterbunny

New member
The Marathon cannot be called "uncomfy" at all, with it's plush cover and thick comfort padding under the cover, but the DC and BV have added padding inserts. I seem to remember some controversy over using the inserts with older kids, but I don't remember what the concensus was on that.

They are all three built on the same shell/base, so they should recline the same level in the vehicle.
 
U

Unregistered

Guest
I just want to point out that most kids will outgrow the harness of the Boulevard (so all of the others as well, the BLVD is what I have though) in height WELL before they reach the weight limits. My almost 7 year old is 49lbs and is too tall for the Blvd. I had my friend's 4 yo in it yesterday and I will never put him in it again. He was very comfy, but the straps were even w/ his shoulders at their highest setting. Granted, he is a VERY tall 4yo, I'd guess him to be 47" tall, but I can't imagine any kid fitting in the Blvd at 65lbs. They'd have to be very very fat or have an abnormally short torso. jmo. If I were going to spend the $$ on a Britax for a 4yo, I'd get a Regent.
 

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