Locking seatbelt in booster mode

I know my daughter is a few years away from needing a booster, but I will probably start booster training around age 5. We just bought our van and will have it many years, so definately when she's we start booster training and most definately when she is in a booster full time.

It's a Dodge Grand Caravan. It's my first ever car without switchable retractors which bums me out. I have heard so many times to lock the seatbelt on boosters if your child needs some reminders to sit nicely or is sleeping etc.

So what do people do if their seatbelts don't lock. The caravans have those dumb locking latchplates which I know some people love but I hate. I can't even picture any other option. If it doesn't lock, it doesn't lock. Is that a pretty good assumption?

Aren't there some boosters that lock the seatbelt themselves? I thought someone here had a booster that you could lock the seatbelt on. Like it was a mechanism on the booster itself.

I have no clue why I am worrying about this now. I need to snap out of it!

Is it maybe the Start that locks? I'm not sure.

I would not worry about the locking feature. Locking the seatbelt is really just a reminder. My dd likes it locked b/c she is so used to the harness. We started booster training at 4.5 and she really does not need the seat belt locked. She sits fine regardless. She was a bit freaked out in my sisters car b/c it has locking latchplates. I had to explain to her that it's perfectly fine if her seat belt is not locked. My guess is your dd will be just fine without locking the seat belt, esp if you don't start the booster until age 5.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. You know not to transition her to a booster too soon, and I'm also guessing you'd invest in a HWH seat like the Regent if when she outgrows her Recaro she isn't mature enough for a bpb. Basically my point is that because it's 'you', and you know better I wouldn't worry about it.

Now funny enough IRL at seatchecks I have wanted to show parents how to lock their bpb'd kid and b/c of the locking latchplate situation on the extremely popular pre-'08 ('07 ?) Chrysler vans I've been less than content a good many times. Think the barely 40lb 3yr old in a 3-in-1 converted to booster mode here.

Don't get me wrong, the belt is perfectly safe (shoulder portion locks on impact) but I know what you mean about younger kids and bpb's...

Anyway, I *think* (major guess) it's the Start that has the belt lockoff. Defrost will know for sure. IIRC she bought one to use in her 3rd row b/c of a unique seatbelt situation in her Mazda 5.

Anyway congrats on the new-to-you vehicle...

Yes, it's the Recaro Start with a shoulderbelt lockoff. :thumbsup: I loved it in my 99 Windstar with locking latchplates.

Scatterbunny already confirmed that it's the Start with the shoulder-belt lock-offs, but I wanted to add that I wouldn't worry about it (and I certainly wouldn't buy a Start for that reason alone).

My boys all "booster-trained" in our Chevy Astro that has locking latchplates. (And two of them were 3-ish at the time. ) Even if the seat belt locks at the retractor, kids still need guidance and reminders - they can still wiggle out from the behind a locked belt, too. If you do have locking retractors, it's a nice reminder, but it's definitely not the main priority for booster-training.

Thanks so much guys! I know that if she can't sit, she'll be in a harnessed seat and well....she'll fit in a harnessed seat until she goes to college....seriously..... LOL

I have no clue why I am worrying about this already. She's a tiny kid. If she can't sit correctly she'll stay in a harness and I don't need to worry about trying to *find* a seat that fits a bigger child-she'll fit in everything still by booster age. In fact, I doubt she'll even be 40 lbs by then, so I probably shouldn't worry.

It's good to know others didn't really need to do it. Makes me think I don't even need to sweat it

But thanks for the tips!

One last dumb question. I want to get the Young Sport (start...whatever the harnessed combo seat is! I can never remember) I know they talked about raising the weight limit in the future, but even if they don't she doesn't need the weight.

Does anyone know if that makes a good booster? I'd love to start her in booster training in a very confined seat like that and I love the fact that I can try it in booster mode and if she doesn't do good, can put it right back into harnessed mode. I don't have to buy another seat just to "see" if she can sit correctly.

The Young Sport harnesses to 40# with 17ish inch top slots, and it does seem to make a darn good booster, though I haven't seen/used one myself (just looked at pics and reviews posted by others). It does not have shoulderbelt lockoffs like the Start, but it has the typical deep wings of Recaro seats.

When the Young Style and Young Sport came out, I knew of at least one kid who really loved the Sport as a booster better than the Style...I think it's great for skinny kiddos :thumbsup: