Booster recommendations for a REALLY big kid.

Minnesota

CPST Instructor
Local Public Health office is requesting help locating a booster seat for a kid who is 110 lbs, 6 years old, 4'4." He is obviously quite overweight and the
regular booster seats are too narrow for him.

Booster seats are not my forte. What would you suggest trying?
 
ADS

Maedze

New member
Harmony backless at TRU for 19.99

Backless, obviously, is not ideal but it should fit his girth.

They could try a Monterey too, it's a high back, but not quite as wide and significantly more expensive.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Yeah -- I don't love 6yos in backlesses, but he's certainly big enough.

Harmony backless.

I drove a child who is about the same height but 20 pounds lighter in my Monterey and she pretty much filled it up -- I don't think it would work well for a child his size.
 

Minnesota

CPST Instructor
Doesn't the Harmony max out at 110 pounds? This thing needs to last him another five inches or another couple birthdays in order to meet our 4'9" OR 8 years law in Minnesota.

I'm asking his Public Health Nurse/Case Manager if there is a plan in place for controlling/reducing his weight, but it sounds like there are multiple impediments at work for this family. Much dysfunction.

Is there any booster that supports a higher weight & is wide? Or would you ever advise continuing to use one beyond its weight limits?
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
The Parkway suggests 120# but does not enforce an upper weight limit (but I don't think it would be a good fit on him), and the Monterey is rated to 120#.

Using a booster above the weight limit is technically misuse, and having a child that size in seatbelt only is misuse as well. Given that there are really no good choices, I would, without a doubt, go with using a backless booster above the stated limit.
 

Maedze

New member
Doesn't the Harmony max out at 110 pounds? This thing needs to last him another five inches or another couple birthdays in order to meet our 4'9" OR 8 years law in Minnesota.

I'm asking his Public Health Nurse/Case Manager if there is a plan in place for controlling/reducing his weight, but it sounds like there are multiple impediments at work for this family. Much dysfunction.

Is there any booster that supports a higher weight & is wide? Or would you ever advise continuing to use one beyond its weight limits?



Weight limits on backless boosters are really a red herring. Since they are not restraining the child, the limit is sort of meaningless. A 110 pound booster won't shatter if a 120 pound kid is sitting on it, and in an accident the forced is directed up and away from the booster, not down on it.

If the alternatives are a poorly fitted seatbelt or a backless booster above the stated weight limit, I'll pick the latter and won't feel the slightest bit of concern about it.
 

Minnesota

CPST Instructor
Okay, thanks to you both for making me feel better about one of those "tough choices" situations. I'll pass on the recommendation for the Harmony backless and see how that works for them.

Thanks again!
 

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