Booster question

twinone

New member
Thanks for all the info, I am really learning so much !!

I am curious how come some boosters have a slot to hold the seatbelt at a good level (like the one below)

Is one type better than the other ?? Does any one type help for a better fit or to help the belt not to cut into the child's neck?
pTRU1-2997566dt.jpg


And some have a hole for the belt (like below)

pTRU1-2996453dt.jpg


And some have no slots or holder?

pTRU1-2996642dt.jpg
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I wouldn't use a booster that doesn't have a slot. I think there are still one or two floating around the market, but most do have slots.

The first one you pictured, the Eddie Bauer, we would recommend you NOT use that as a booster, only a harnessed seat. As you pointed out, there are thin strips for the seatbelt to go through. The belt can have trouble retracting because of how slim they are, plus not fit the child well enough.

The Graco Turbobooster, the second one, is a fine booster. Probably one of the most common ones we see. It has large open guides, is reasonably priced, comes in fun colors, and kids and parents like it.

The Parkway, the third one you showed, does have guides, you just can't see them in that picture. The Parkway is one of the few boosters with true side impact protection, and it doesn't have armrests, making it easier to buckle in next to another carseat, or where space is tight.

Here's another picture of the Parkway where you can see the guides.

2331.jpg


HTH

Wendy
 

kfelaco

New member
I had both the Eddie Bauer booster and the Graco CarGo booster, both with guides like booster pic#1. The belt wasn't able to move through the guide at all, rendering it useless to allow the belt to tighten up in a crash. I have since purchased the Parkway, which has nice open guides for the belt to move freely.....HTH
 

twinone

New member
More ?

Thanks. So stupid questions

Ok so something like the Apex is pretty much a waste as a booster because I do not see anything guiding the seatbelt, looks like the belt would just sit in between the headrest and the top of the seat itself ???

So with the guide (like on the parkway) how does it adjust to the childs so as to not cut them in the neck area, by adjusting the headrest?


pTRU1-2996505dt.jpg
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Thanks. So stupid questions

Ok so something like the Apex is pretty much a waste as a booster because I do not see anything guiding the seatbelt, looks like the belt would just sit in between the headrest and the top of the seat itself ???

So with the guide (like on the parkway) how does it adjust to the childs so as to not cut them in the neck area, by adjusting the headrest?

The Apex has integrated guides built into the headrest, I believe in the back. I can check with my friend's on Tuesday if you need me to. It's ok as a booster, not great, but it's ok.

The Parkway adjusts by lifting the headrest, yep. So does the Turbobooster, the Compass I think, and most other of the open guide boosters. The ones with the thin slots generally have more than one because they are fixed.

Wendy
 

lovinwaves

New member
Wendy,
Any other reason why you or other techs dislike the Eddie Bauer seat? I see those seats quite often. Is that seat different than the AO & AOE?
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
The AO and AOE are three in one seats, RFing, FFing, booster. The one that's pictured here is a Summit, a combination seat.

The AO has a high RFing weight limit going for it. But that's about it. The FFing slots are low, and they only harness to 40 pounds. Then the booster guides are dismal. Plus their marketing is that it's the only seat you'll need (for the AO/AOE). It only lasts for six years, so parents are either going to use it past the weight or height limits FFing, or switch to a booster too soon, or end up using it expired thinking it IS the only seat they need, etc. For the price ($120-$210) you can certainly get a better higher weight convertible seat (the Radian and FP SVD fall in this category) and then a dedicated booster.

Wendy
 
S

Sue

Guest
Booster seat question

HI I am new to the group
my daughter is 3 and about 45 pounds, my question is at what age can you comfortably use the seat belt and not the 5 point harness. It is tough when she has alot of clothes on to buckle her in
some people say she is too young for the seatbelt. we have a graco carseat/booster seat. I want what is best for my daughter
Please send any helpful info
thanks
sue
 

SPJ&E

New member
HI I am new to the group
my daughter is 3 and about 45 pounds, my question is at what age can you comfortably use the seat belt and not the 5 point harness. It is tough when she has alot of clothes on to buckle her in
some people say she is too young for the seatbelt. we have a graco carseat/booster seat. I want what is best for my daughter
Please send any helpful info
thanks
sue

Most kids are not mature enough for a booster until they are about 5 years old. It's very important for them to sit still and leave the belt properly positioned on their bodies.

Your daughter is over the limit for most 5 pt. harnesses, BUT there are some that harness past 40 lbs. The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe goes to 55 lbs., the Britax Marathon, Decathlon, and Boulevard, go to 65 lbs., and I believe the Radian and Apex go to 65 lbs. as well (someone will correct me on that if I'm wrong). Those range in price from about $150-$300. One of those would be your only option in keeping your daughter harnessed, rather than in a booster.

You said your daughter is 45 lbs. and you have a Graco seat, which means she is already over the weight limit for the 5 pt. harness and should not be using it. As far as the buckling her in with a lot of clothes on, she shouldn't have "a lot" on. Put her in her seat in her regular clothes (pants and shirt, not too thick), buckle her in, and tighten the harness snugly. Take her out and put her coat or whatever on and if you can get her buckled in without loosening the harness at all, it's safe...if not, it's too thick for her to wear in her seat and it makes it unsafe. You could always have her wear her coat to the warmed car and then take it off before she gets in her seat.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
That's not a Summit, just a Eddie Bauer Highback Booster. :)
I don't like the Coscos beside the Apex (and even that peeves me, with the headrest requirement in the car) and Scenera, personally, because the top slots are low, the moveable headrests on the AO/AOE/Summit can't be used in the top position with the harness (I think they are wrong to put so many kids in jeopardy with seats they know fail the standard but are so easy to misuse). I had a booster like the very first one shown, and it held the belt off my child's shoulder and chest, and pushed the lapbelt up too far on the tummy. The Parkway or Turbo fit much better in terms of keeping the belt running smoothly on the shoulder and chest, and the lapbelt low on the thighs. That little slit is awkward to thread the belt through and often sticks (they are getting better). The Graco Cargo is different, it's SUPPOSED to clamp the belt in place, it's like a rubber locking clip that should hold the belt firmly on the child. I think it suffers from not being well attached to the seat...the cover ends up getting pulled off and that can cause the belt not to retract well over the child (or people misunderstand how it's supposed to work, and thread it improperly and it gets slack in it and that keeps the belt loose over the child...either way, it's generally not the best design!).

:)
 

beki33b

New member
You said your daughter is 45 lbs. and you have a Graco seat, which means she is already over the weight limit for the 5 pt. harness and should not be using it.

Just wanted to point out that if Sue lives in Canada and has a Graco CarGo (or maybe other Graco booster combos), her dd is not overweight. In Canada, it is rated to 48lbs. (But that's not to say that it is automatically safe to use to 48 lbs in the US. Canada has different tethering laws, etc.)
 

twinone

New member
Thanks for all the info and advice.

I went today and checked out the Parkway and was impressed.

So now to decide between the Parkway and the Compass B510. I like how the Compass has a full back when the headrest is raised, not just a strip in the middle. Does anyone know if the max height on these seats is the same? I know the older models of the Compass was shorter than the Parkway.

I am going to get a Radian for now to use till my dd grows out of it height wise and then pass it down to her brother. Need a new booster now for using in other people's cars on short trips
 

Tara

New member
I *think* the Compass has a lower max height...but don't quote me on that. The info is floating around this forum somewhere hehe
 

scatterbunny

New member
It doesn't matter what the stated height limit is, it matters how tall the boosters adjust. The old-style Compass (B500) was shorter than the TurboBooster and MUCH shorter than the Parkway. I heard the new Compass (B510) is taller than the old Compass, but not sure how it compares to the other highbacks.
 

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