When did you switch from harnessed to booster?

momto2princes

New member
Also curious how old and what was the weight/height of your child/ren were when you switched them from harnessed to a booster?

What seats are you using or used?
 
ADS

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
Now that I know better (and have seats available) my 02/03 child is still in a regent harnessed, but is about to outgrow it by height. Her shoulders are just about at the top of the top harness slot, and she is 68 pounds, 48 inches tall, 19+ inch torso.
 

scatterbunny

New member
My daughter used a booster (very) part-time from 4yo+ (she was 43ish inches and 44ish pounds at that point), but she didn't move to a booster full-time until right around her 6th birthday, about 49-50 inches and 50ish pounds.

She was 40 pounds at 3yo, and we got a Britax Husky (precursor to Regent). It didn't install well in our new (to us) vehicle, so we had to sell it when she was 4. We tried a Britax Parkway as a full-time seat at that point, but she was in no way mature enough to use a booster full-time. We got a discontinued) Fisher Price Futura to re-harness her when she was 4.5. When she outgrew that we had yet another vehicle, and got another Husky. She used that until she turned 6, and we felt she was mature enough for a booster full-time.

My dd has always been in the 95th+ percentile for height (since 9 months old), and the 80th+ for weight. Had she been more average, and had they been on the market at the time, I'd have gone with a Graco Nautilus or Britax Frontier over the Husky/Regent. Really, the Nautilus/Frontier would have worked well even as big as my dd is; she would have fit in those (harnessed) to age 6. She's 7.5 now and probably right at/slightly over the Regent's top slots. At one point in her life (ages 2-4) she was all torso, then her legs caught up and I feel she's pretty evenly proportioned now, for her overall height (19.25 inch torso, stats in signature are current).
 

emandbri

Well-known member
Jacob (who is 12 now) started occasionally using a booster at 3 1/2 and then went to a booster full time at 4 years and 44 lbs.

Daniel (who is 9 now) started occationally at 4 and then went to a booster full time at 5 years and 44 lbs.

Benjamin is 5 years 4 months and 45 lbs now and started occasionally a little before 5 and is still in a harness unless he is with my MIL who forgets to tighten his harness :whistle: .
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
My daughter is 6y10m. She usually rides harnessed, but I'm fine with her using a highbacked booster if circumstances make it a reasonable choice (for instance, I wouldn't ask a grandparent to shell out $150 for a harnessed seat for a 15-minute drive).
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
6 years, 3 months old when he finished Kindergarten. He was 40lbs exactly and had been bugging me since his 6th birthday to ride in a booster. He's in the Parkway and does perfectly. :)
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Occasional booster use around 3.5 yrs for all three kids. My kids have short torsos and long legs, so they go straight from the Regent to passing the 5 step in most cars, and continue to use boosters for sleep support on long trips, or for vehicles with low seatbacks.


Becky outgrew the Husky/Regent at age 10, 80#, and 5 foot tall.

Danny still fits the Regent at 9.5 yrs, 70#, and 4'5". He actually fits all our cars now, but is unreliable about keeping still unless he is the only child in the car. He is just *at* the top slot for the Frontier.

Hope has about an inch to go to the top slots of the Frontier at 6yrs 11 months, 78#, and 51 inches. I was going to switch the Frontier to booster mode for good this week, since I have to move the darn thing twice a day,
but she had a fit when I mentioned it to her. She passes the 5 step in the 3rd row of the Armada and does ride there with no booster occasionally. She may be the only one of my kids that has to go full time into a booster, but we have kept her weight stable since July (she had 6 weeks of Prednisone and gained 30 lbs) so I'm hoping she grows in height to match her weight until she is back to her more normal build.
 

Gypsy

Senior Community Member
I start booster training at 4 AND 40.

Dd moved to a booster full time when she was 6 AND 50.

Ds will likely stay in whatever we have because starting later this year, money is going to be very tight, so if he still fits in the seats I have for him, even if he does great in a booster, he will stay in them, or if dd outgrows her boosters I might allow ds to use them more often - it'll just depend.
 

mlbmom

New member
My 11/02 DD was between 4.5 and 5 when we moved her to a booster in DH's (secondary) car.

She's still in the MA in the main car. But we just got a new car, which has thrown all this for a loop.

And I'm starting to acknowledge that we're outgrowing the MA (noooooo). But that's another post.

So figure 6 years and 3 months or so. She's 47 lbs. and 46".

Mel
 

Maedze

New member
Bean the First started booster training after his fourth birthday, when he was 42 pounds. He does remarkably well in it. The first few times, reveling in his freedom, he tried leaning out of position. All it took was the Patented Mothering Look of Death and some hostile gesturing and he didn't repeat the experiment.

He's fine for short term rides (under 20 minutes). Any longer and he falls asleep, and when he's asleep he's likely to slump out of the shoulder belt even when it's locked.


He won't be going into full time booster use until he outgrows the Nautilus, which will probably be around his sixth birthday.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Piper is harnessed still with me, but she rides in a booster now in Nathan's car. She just started last month or the month before. So she was 6, 38 pounds. She's in a Parkway in there and a harnessed Nautilus with me.

Wendy
 
Michael was harnessed from 4 1/2-to almost 6. (before I knew better he was in a booster at 3-4 1/2).
He moved to a booster permanetly again at 6 years old, 4'2, 50 pounds. I hate that he is in a booster, but he sits so nice.
He uses a britax Parkway, FPSV, Graco Turbooster

Logan will be harnessed till he outgrows the nautilus that he is getting next week. Not sure when I will let him go in a booster, he is 34 pounds, 4(the end fo this month). I am thinking he will not go into one for occassional use till at least 40 pounds(which may be 5 years old). I rather keep him harnessed in every car till at least 6 years, 50 pounds.
 

cowgirlsmommy

New member
Now that I know better (and have seats available) my 02/03 child is still in a regent harnessed, but is about to outgrow it by height. Her shoulders are just about at the top of the top harness slot, and she is 68 pounds, 48 inches tall, 19+ inch torso.

I thought they're shoulders couldn't go past the bottom of the slot.
 

Minniemouse

Senior Community Member
Beth started w/ a booster part time at 4.5yo as an emergency seat when I was pregnant w/ Ben. We practiced w/ a Turbobooster for about 2wks before Ben's birth and then gave it to my friend to keep in case she had to pick Beth up while I was in labor! She was riding in a Husky in both my (primary vehicle) and dh's cars.

Once we realized her Husky didn't fit well outboard in dh's '95 Jetta (no switchable retractors and I didn't like the install) so we sold the Husky to a friend and moved her Turbobooster to dh's car. She still sat in a Husky in my car.

After my crash in December '07 (vehicle totaled), we replaced the Husky w/ a Nautilus. This past November (2008) Beth outgrew the harness by height and she is now sitting in the Nautilus in "booster" mode.

She was 7.5yo, 62lbs, and 49" when we switched her.
 
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stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
Occasional booster use at 6 yrs. Full time booster use at 7 yrs, 56 lbs (no idea of exact height, but he is average). He is in a Parkway right now, but might be switching to a Monterey if it will fit in our van.
 

MustangMama

Active member
My DD is still harnessed in a Graco Nautilus. She just turned five and is about 40" and 40# even. She rides in a Graco TurboBooster in DH car only once or twice a week.

I am planning on keeping her harnessed at least for another year or so :)
 
U

Unregistered1

Guest
A will be 6 in May. She is still riding harnessed in the Graco Nautilus. I just moved her to the top slots last week, she just barely needs them, so she'll be in that until she outgrows it in height (definitely won't be in weight, kid is tiny). After that I will be using M's outgrown turbobooster in my car and the Nautilus in booster mode in my mom's car. If I find someone good to give the second Nautilus to I may buy another turbobooster - I really like that seat.
 

Girly_Qs

New member
Well, we're *just* beginning to think about moving dd#1 - she'll be 6yo this week, she's 48" (long torso, though I don't know exact measurement) and about 42lbs. She's currently in a Britax Regent (still fits fine).
 

mykidsmylife

Well-known member
Johnathon is 6 yrs. 43-45lbs and 49" tall. He is still harnessed in his Apex 65, but will move to his booster full-time within the next 6m. Most likely before baby girl gets here in May.
 

mommaon112903

New member
Well, when I put Josef in his GN this am I was saddned to see he needs the last slot :-( He hardly ever rides in it, so I knew the time was coming, but was hoping to make it thru the winter before we had to start booster training. He is ALL torso, but barely weighs 40lbs at just over 5yrs of age. We are most likely going to get a Recaro Vivo for him since I am not impressed at all with the GN in booster mode, even for two-three times/week he is in the GN. But for now and booster training, the GN will do. He still has *hopefully* a year in his Britax Regent, as he is on the third slots
 

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