Booster question

I need help in finding a new car seat for my daughter. The problem is that she is 2 and already 37 inches tall and 35 pounds. I want a booster with harness in it. All of the boosters that I keep looking at only go to 40 pounds. She is going to get over that weight really soon! I need some help. I really don't want to spend a whole lot. I am really hoping to find one that is $50 or less. I am thinking that she is long torsoed. It is so hard to tell on a little one though. She is in 4T pants, but shirts I have to get 4/5 in little girls, at least. Thanks!

There is no harnessed seat that goes past 40 pounds and costs less than $50. The least expensive higher-weight harnessing seat is the Cosco Apex65 at about $100, and the next is the Graco Nautilus at $130 on sale. IMO, the Nautilus is well worth the extra money, because the harness straps are significantly higher and therefore it will not be outgrown as quickly.

:yeahthat:


I also want to reassure you that a 35 pound two year old is not abnormal! Growth will slow down radically this year. My own nearly 3 year old has been hovering at roughly 32-34 pounds for 9 months now.

Barring a huge growth spurt, I am willing to bet you have plenty of time to save up for a seat that harnesses over 40 lbs.

What seat is she currently riding in? I ask because many 40 lb seats have rather short top slot positions, and if she needs a 4T in shirts she may be too tall for the seat even if she fits weight wise.

My dd was 37 inches and 33 pounds shortly after her 2nd birthday, 38 inches and 35 pounds at 2.5, and hit 40 pounds at 3 years, 4 months old. She's consistently been in the 95th+ percentile for height and the 85th+ (usually 90th-95th) for weight since 9 months old. And, at 2, she was pretty-long-torsoed, too. She outgrew most 40 pound weight limit seats by height before weight because of the long torso. When shoulders go over top harness slots, the seat is outgrown by height, regardless of overall height, regardless of weight.

Knowing what seat your dd is riding in now, and how she is fitting it (where her shoulders are in relation to top slots), plus what vehicle you drive (year, make and model), and if you have other rear passengers or carseats, will help figure out what might work best for your situation.

As Chickabiddy mentioned, the cheapest options that harness beyond 40 pounds are the Cosco/Safety 1st Apex (which can sometimes be found for around $80 online at Albee Baby) and the Graco Nautilus. The Apex requires vehicle head support at least up to the tips of the child's ears, and it's a bit wider than the Nautilus, with lower top slots (so less height growing room). Both have 65 pound harnessed weight limits, both convert to belt positioning booster seats (the Nautilus becomes both a highback and backless booster).

Yeah, if the kid has the time in her seat now, I'd save up and get an apex.

However, if that doesn't work with the vehicle, then I'd try to come up with the cash for a Britax Regent or apply to the kyledavidmiller.org foundation.