Question Recommended booster seats?

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here looking at carseat/booster options (2006!)! =)

I was hoping someone could give me a quick rundown of what the latest and greatest booster seats out there.

Here’s my current situation:

We have 2 Britax Roundabouts that my son uses in our cars (he’s 3 yrs, 31lbs, 39 inches tall).

My mom watches my children while I work, and in her car, she has the Evenflo triumph for him.

All three of us use the Recaro Young Sport (I think that is what it’s called) for my daughter. My daughter is 5.5 yrs, 51lbs and 47 inches. Currently, the Recaro has been converted into its seatbelt (booster) mode, out of the 5pt harness mode.

I noticed my son has pretty much grown out of the Truimph. I was thinking I’d convert the Recaro back to the 5pt harness and have my son use it now. I’d like to buy new boosters for my daughter.

She’s in kindergarten now, so she doesn’t spend as much time with my mom, but I’d like to get my mom a seat to have whenever she wanted/needed, and have it be easy to take in and out of the car when she’s not using it. That being said, I would like to not spend $200 on a booster that she’ll only use occasionally, but then again, I’ve also bought 3 Recaros because I thought that was the safest for the price at the time (2006) for my children.

I’m more interested in a seat belt constraining booster for her, but if it comes with the option to convert to a 5pt harness, we just wouldn’t use it…

My mom drives a Jeep Cheroke. My husband a Ford Explorer and I drive a Dodge Caravan.

What would you recommend? I’ve been searching/reading the site, and I’ve seen a few things to look into (such as the Britax parkway which I CANNOT find! bummer) and the Graco nautilus… am I on the right path??

Thank you!

The Parkways have been discontinued, which is why you're having a hard time finding them.

However, I think your best option would be to continue using the Recaro booster for your oldest child and buy your son a different carseat that could keep him harnessed longer. 4 years is the bare minimum we like to see kids in boosters; they are much safer when harnessed. If you get him a Nautilus, it will convert to a booster once he's outgrown the harness, and the harness will get him to a more appropriate booster age. :thumbsup:

I don't know anything about the Recaro seat you currently have (I don't know anything really about Recaro seats except the Vivo). Does it only harness to 40 pounds? If so, I would suggest the Graco Nautilus for your son. THat will harness him at least until 6 years old (my 8 year old still fits), and then it will become a high back booster, and a backless booster.

I don't know where in MD you are, but Buy Buy Baby in ROckville have parkways in store and online. They are one of the few places that still have some left (only purple). I personally like the Recaro Vivo more than the Parkway (and I do have both).

NannyMom, I'm in Southern MD, about 1.5-2 hrs from Rockville.

He's not in the Recaro right now, he's in the Evenflo. I need to check how much the harness goes up to, I need to check. My daughter is in the Recaro, but not using the 5pt harness (she uses the seatbelt).

I don't have a problem keeping him in the Britax Roundabouts that we have, but I really want him out of the Evenflo in my mom's car. It's really gotten worn and the Recaro in my mom's car is just sitting there empty for the most part...

Defrost, that was my plan, to put him in the Recaro, but use the 5pt harness, NOT the seatbelt. So that's why I was looking for something else for my daughter, but maybe I'll just get him the nautilus and keep her in the Recaro...

The Recaro Young Sport only harnesses to 40 pounds, which is why Defrost mentioned the Nautilus for your ds instead; it has taller top harness slots (so will last longer by height) and a 65 pound harnessed weight limit (so will last longer by weight), and converts to a highback and backless booster.

Your ds is just 31#, though, so he should have quite some time in the Young Sport harnessed. How "3" is he? If he won't hit 40# until 5ish, I'd pass the Young Sport down to him and get a dedicated booster for big sister.

The Recaro Start and Jane Indy Plus both go to 80 pounds. The Start does not come in pink, AFAIK, and it does not have rigid LATCH, only a top tether. The only highback boosters with rigid LATCH are the Indy Plus and the yet-to-be-released Clek Oobr. The backless Clek Olli also has rigid LATCH.

The Sunshine Kids Monterey has flexible LATCH, and is another good highback to consider.

ok, now i understand!

my son turned 3 in aug. he's in the 90% for height, but only 50% for weight. so he may be in that seat for a while.

my DD is also in the 90% for her height - do you think she a good candidate for the natilius?

Defrost, that was my plan, to put him in the Recaro, but use the 5pt harness, NOT the seatbelt. So that's why I was looking for something else for my daughter, but maybe I'll just get him the nautilus and keep her in the Recaro...

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Oops, sorry, I missed that part!

It's kind of hard to say - both plans should work. Getting a Nautilus for your son will get you a seat with more use than the Recaro, but getting a different booster for your daughter could get you more use, too.

Bridget in MD said:

I don't have a problem keeping him in the Britax Roundabouts that we have, but I really want him out of the Evenflo in my mom's car. It's really gotten worn and the Recaro in my mom's car is just sitting there empty for the most part...

Click to expand...

You say he's outgrowing the Triumph, but he still has growing room in the Roundabouts?

According to the CDC clinical growth chart for boys 2-20, he won't reach 40# until after age 5. Since the Young Sport is really a great seat, IMO, I'd move him to that.

Also, keep an eye on his fit in the Roundabout. Even though he's well below the weight limit, he could outgrow it by height before weight (when shoulders go over top slots, the seat is outgrown by height).

Your daughter is a bit shorter than mine, but seems to be longer-torsoed, if she has outgrown the Regent (mine still has a smidge of room). I would look at the Recaro Start, Recaro Vivo and Sunshine Kids Monterey. These are the tallest highback boosters, in my experience. The Recaro boosters are highback only, they do not become backless boosters. The Monterey does become a backless. The Start is the most adjustable (headrest height, shoulder wing width, seat depth) and has a top tether. It's very heavy and sits up higher than most other boosters. The Monterey has width adjustable side wings, too, and has flexible LATCH.

Your daughter has outgrown (by height) the tallest harnessed seat on the market, the Regent, so the Nautilus would not be a good choice for her, since she's already too big for the harness. I'd focus on the best booster for your situation, for her. :thumbsup:

The roundabouts look like they are in way better condition than the triumph. The triumph (especially the straps and teh foam under the cover) looks like its been through the war. I feel like the Roundabouts were a better made carseat and look brand new compared to the Triumph.

As for fit, he looks like he sits down farther in the RA, thus giving his head more room from the top. In the ET, I feel as though the seat cups him, and that his ears are very close to the visibility point where one would say the child has outgrown the carseat.

Then again, maybe I'm just saying that b/c I honestly wished I had just bought a 3rd RA instead of the ET - I've never been as pleased with that seat as I have been with my RAs... I hate the way the straps tighten (and now he's figured out a way to loosen them to snake his arms out), the foam inside the seat has started to break off, and the straps are showing signs of fray. My DD used that seat - it's almost 6 yrs old, and I know that is the exp date, so I decided I'd get rid of that one first, have him use the recaro in my mom's car, buy my DD something else, and then take my time to find what I really want in our two primary cars... so if I end up getting three more of the same seat, that's fine, or if i end up getting 1 different, that's ok too. The Recaro is a good seat, harness or sb mode, and we have 3 of them that were purchased in 2006, so they are relatively new and in great condition. i'd like to use those seats, but just have them fittest to the appropriate child. =)

car seat research really makes me batty. there are SO many choices and I always feel like I am making a life-altering decision! I guess b/c I feel that if I made a poor, uninformed decision, my life will be drastically be altered and NOT in a good way!

Jenny, do you think it would be a better choice to keep my daughter in the Recaro and get my son the Natilius, as mentioned above? that way he'll be in a harness until he's ready to move up...?