Question Help picking booster for convertible!

I drive a 2005 PT Cruiser convertible w/ latch & tethers, bucket style back seats, seat back is tall & shoulder strap comes from top of seat (26" from seat bottom). Have 1 dd (13-1/2 & no more car seats), 1 ds (just turning 6, approx 50 lbs, 42" H). Have Britax Marathon (super tight install) that he still barely fits in, but now he sits too high for my comfort level & his feet are cramped against the front seatback & he hits his head on the soiler bar when he gets in & out. Carseat in DH's SUV is Cosco Eddie Bauer 5pt/booster. Son is too big for 5pt, and I tried it in my car as booster & didn't like. Height is better, but is tippy & when he isn't in it and I put the top down it almost flew out of the car! Hard for me to remember to belt it in when he's not in car. So need new car seat & here are my contenders w/ pros & cons:
High back booster or backless? Will head rests on high backs catch in the wind & constantly shake him or be dangerous with wild movement when he's not in it? Will the shoulder strap still be too tall with a backless booster? Will he be safe enough in a backless booster? Why are so many carseats in black & dark grey! :-( Black, dk grey, & red are too hot against skin w/ top down, fade, & show every crumb - ugh! Most light colors are girly. Would like this new carseat to fit him until he doesn't need one anymore.

Sunshine Monterey booster: Cons- Haven't seen in person, upholstery is bad colors, how sturdy is the back? Seems big & heavy. Biggest pro - can use latch to keep it in the car! & reviews say it has lots of padding.
Graco turbo booster: Con - no latch, back moves like a bobble head, seat padding a little thin. Pro-can get brown boy upholstery, better price. (or backless)
Ride Safer Vest: Con- haven't seen in person so don't know if my son will wear it, looks like a pain for in/out errands, would he be really hot in it during summer w/ top down? Pro -can toss in trunk, good for taking on trips/public transit, solves shoulder strap & sitting too high issues (although he probably won't be able to see out the windows). Need to tether it?
Clek Ollie: Con - haven't seen in person so not sure how if rigid latch will leave gap behind booster seat, no cup holders (my car only has 1 in the back seat & he can't reach it from his carseat). Pro - has latch.

Can I loosly attach the latch straps on my Cosco in booster mode to keep it from flying out of the car?

Would greatly appreciate some input! Thanks.

You cannot LATCH your Dorel seat.

I would prefer not to see a newly 6yo in a backless booster.

I would go for a Monterey or a Graco Nautilus in one of the lighter grey combos.

1. You can not use latch with the cosco booster
2. Not sure what you mean about the shoulder strap sitting high. Do you mean it rests on his neck when he uses the cosco seat in the convertable? If so, that is a problem with the booster, not the car.
3. I wouldn't recommend the turbo booster in this case, since it can't be latched and it sounds like that is important in this situation.
4. The RSTV would probably not be the most convenient for short trips.
5. I'm not personally comfortable with a turning 6 year old in a backless for daily use if they have high back options that the child fits in.
5. The Monterey is an excellent booster, well padded, no cover problems that I know about since its been released, great SIP, and can be latched. It is heavy though and you don't like the covers.
6. Another option would be the Clek Oobr (I don't even know if its out yet though and I don't recall whether it can be latched). Very sturdy though,m supposedly relatively lightweight, and probably the best cover options of any booster out there. Its Oobr expensive though (pun totally intended ) and I don't know if that is a factor for you.

7. Another option is to get a HWH combo seat, like the Frontier. If he's just outgrowing the Marathon, he should have loads of room in the Frontier. Then he can use it in HBB mode, which can be latched, and is the tallest HBB available.

In your shoes I would consider either of the following harnessed seats: Britax Frontier or Graco Nautilus

or the following boosters: Sunshine Kids' Monterey or (not yet released) the Clek Oobr. It sounds like being able to secure the booster to the seat is an important feature to you.

I also would not put a six year old in a backless.

I wouldn't consider the vest for a full-time seat situation. Too uncomfortable.

The dorel (eddie bauer) booster you have is a notoriously awful booster and I wouldn't use it in either car.

I meant that the seat belt shoulder strap is mounted high in the car & non-adjustable - I am 5'0" and barely tall enough for it to not cut me across the neck, so I was concerned with a backless booster that he still wouldn't be tall enough for it to be positioned correctly. There is no problem with it routing properly through the bracket on the cosco carseat.

I was really hoping to find a carseat for under $150. I will look into some of alternates that you suggested, but I was kind of hoping to move him into a booster & something that is less bulky than his Marathon. The other problem with the Marathon is that he can loosen his straps by reaching down & holding the release up while he leans forward. We had the big you can't do that discussion!

If he does that despite warnings, he is not ready for a booster.

I think the Monterey would be ideal for you. It sits fairly flush on the seat, converts to a backless for when he's older, and secures to the vehicle via LATCH.

Can anyone tell me if the back on the Monterey is sturdier than the Graco turbo booster which is quite wobbly? My other concern is the big headrest blowing around in the wind.

What do you all think of the Safeguard Go Booster? Can it still use the latch in booster mode?

Thanks,
T

The Monterey is SO much sturdier than the turbobooster! Plus it expands on the sides to fit the child. The headwings are so much better as well. My Turbobooster was $70 and the Monterey about $130, and it was worth every penny. My daughter uses the TB GracoPedic in my dh's Dodge Grand Caravan and the Monterey in my Odyssey. When we go on trips, I have her use the Monterey because it's so much sturdier and when she falls asleep, her head doesn't bob forward like in the TB. We also had the Marathon, but she was too tall for it by age 3.5 and will just now be 5 next month.

In your case, either the Nautilus (about $144 on Amazon.com) or Monterey would be a good option.

Vicki
new tech

Unregistered said:

Can anyone tell me if the back on the Monterey is sturdier than the Graco turbo booster which is quite wobbly? My other concern is the big headrest blowing around in the wind.

What do you all think of the Safeguard Go Booster? Can it still use the latch in booster mode?

Thanks,
T

Click to expand...

The SafeGuard Go is backless in booster mode and I would not recommend it for a 6 year old.

I was thinking he would use the Safeguard Go with the harness (it says up to 60 lbs). I thought it might be a good option because it uses latch & the top tether and low profile would keep it from catching in the wind when the convertible top is down. It looks like it mixes the small size convenience of a booster with the safety of the latch & 5 pt. It also looks easy to travel with. Was wondering how it compares safety wise, ease of use, etc.