FF Extended Harness recommendation

So, on my suggestion, our parent's group at work held a car seat safety seminar at lunch today. One of my coworkers admitted she has her 2 year old in a booster seat.... But I got her to see that he should be harnessed as long as possible. Now I need your expertise on seats. I've only ever had to install a seat rearfacing and I can tell you what I think of three different seats for that. But I've never had to do a forward facing install yet.

The stats:
He is a very tall two year old. I'm not sure how tall, but I always think he's at least 3, maybe 4 when I see him. He weighs 37 pounds.

So what would you recommend and why?
Which seat do you think would last longest?
What is your experience with installation and other ease of use with the seat you would recommend?
What about comfort of the seat for the child?

Thanks so much!

Graco Nautilus.

The phrase "Harness as long as possible" is really mis-understood by many people and there is really no reason a child of age five/six (sometimes even older, depending on maturity) that a booster is not a resonable and very safe choice. We do not want to see a two year old in a booster, most two year olds are actually RFing which is much safer for everyone, not just LOs. Yet a six year old,40lbs child is perfectly safe in a booster given it is used properly each and every time. Stepping off soap box now...

Yes at two years of age this child should definatly be harnessed as a booster most likely does not fit him properly and the chance of serious injury is very high in the event of an accident.

The Graco Nautilus (GN) is a very good choice, a very good price, and will last the child until he is of apprioate booster age. It has harness slots of approx 18", which will get most children to age six harnessed. It then converts into a High Back Booster (HBB) and then once the HBB is out-grown it converts into a low-back booster (LBB). Wal-Mart and Target both sell the GN in-store It is also most likely the easiet seat I have ever installed-always a plus! Head slump is an issue for some children, others it is not, as it all depends on the vechicle's seat it is installed in.

There are other extended harnessing (EH) seats on the market but IMHO the GN is the most affordable and easiet to install.

Are you sure he's not in a combo seat with a harness?

I run into SO many parents who think that a 'booster' is an safety 1st ff only seat that turns into a booster but can be used as a harness... they are using the harness but calling it a booster.

It's not a combo seat. It's definitely a belt positioning booster. He's using a seat belt. I've discussed this with her to get her to see he should be harnessed.

And yes, I guess it's acceptable to use a booster with a 5 or 6 year old. But I'm obsessive and hoping to harness my daughter to 7! (I'm not asking for her though, I've got enough seats for her!)

Again, keep in mind this child is TALL. I seriously mistake him for a 3 or even 4 year old. So what might keep most kids harnessed to 5 or 6 probably won't last him that long. I did recommend the Nautilus to her actually as she wanted something ASAP and I know of three stores in minutes of here that she can get one today. However, I'm wondering if there's something that might last longer.

The only other EH seat that would last SUBSTAINTALLY longer than the GN would be the Britax Regent. You would most likely get two more years out of the Regent vs the GN, it all really depends on torso height.

Josef is not tall, but he is growing faster than I can keep up with He has mainly been torso and even Mr Torso would make it to age 6.5yrs (give or take) in his Regent. We owned a GN but sold it for a dedicated booster (did not like the fit and he was being "smooshed" both in shoulders and in "other parts") which made him one happy little boy.

If he has a longer torso than most she might want to look at the Regent, but honestly the GN would most likely get him to age five or more in a harness.

Awesome thanks! I ended up suggesting the Nautilus as the best choice given her situation (it's right down the street and she needs it ASAP). I even offered her my 15% off coupon!

I did tell her about the Regent and the Radian (is that a good one), but I've never seen them around here so I didn't have any suggestions to where she could get either one right away. I did tell her she could order them, but then I'm worried she can't test them out before she buys it....

Whichever way she goes, I'm just glad he'll be back in a harness!

My almost 8 year old is still in a regent mainly cause she loves it (not because a booster would not be appropriate for her- she uses a hbb in the nanny's car just fine). She has about 2-3 inches torso growth before hitting the top slots, and weighs about 52-55 lbs depending on the day. She is not short at all, and is either average or tall for her age.

She just has outgrown the nautilus by harness height (we do test fits in stores- who doesn't? ), so it should last him at least till 5 or 6- then can be used as a great booster!