Question Booster or no booster in new car?

TXDani · Sep 3, 2009

I am getting a new car in the next week or so and handing my MDX down to the hubby.

It is a large SUV and has two captains chairs in the middle row and a 3 seater bench in the third row. Side curtain airbags in all 3 rows and all 5-star crash ratings.

What would work best for me is to have my two boys (2 & 4) harnessed in the captains chairs and put my 8 year old daughter in the third row. I really don't want to climb all the way in to buckle a boy up in the third row and having them in the middle will help a ton in the preschool drop off/pick up lane.

But, the problem is...in the third row my daughter does not fit with a booster. A booster puts her head over the headrest. I moved the headrest up but couldn't get it to go high enough to be in the middle of her head.

She weighs around 80lbs (?) and is very tall and physically is the size of a 11-12 year old. I just don't know if I am comfortable with her riding without a booster even if she passes the 5-step test in the third row, which she does.

If it was your child would you put a harnessed boy in the third row and put her in a booster in the captains chair or would you feel comfortable with her riding without a booster?

Pixels · Sep 3, 2009

Would a HBB work back there?

Amaris · Sep 3, 2009

Will the middle row have a small seat between the captains chairs by any chance?

JerseyGirl'sMama · Sep 3, 2009

If she fits in that seat without one, and is capable of staying put the entire ride, I see no reason why she needs a booster.

Lucky you! What are you getting?

mylittlet · Sep 3, 2009

Our extremely tall older kids moved out of boosters this year. They are 7y and 8y and have passed in some cars for years. We evaluate all cars and then decide. When a booster makes for a bad fit we checked w/o the booster and they fit, so we made the change. If she can sit fine w/o and pass the 5-steps then I would be okay with that.

Maedze · Sep 3, 2009

JerseyGirl'sMama said:
If she fits in that seat without one, and is capable of staying put the entire ride, I see no reason why she needs a booster.

Lucky you! What are you getting?

:yeahthat: If she fits the seatbelt without a booster, she fits. If the booster makes the fit WORSE in any way, definitely don't use it.

If you're not 100% sure, you can post a picture of the belt fit to get other opinions.

TXDani · Sep 3, 2009

pixels99 said:
Would a HBB work back there?

She has outgrown all the HBB's I have tried her in.

Amaris said:
Will the middle row have a small seat between the captains chairs by any chance?

No, we are actually buying this car to have a walk way to the third row so thats a good thing for us!

JerseyGirl'sMama said:
If she fits in that seat without one, and is capable of staying put the entire ride, I see no reason why she needs a booster.

Lucky you! What are you getting?

Thanks girl! Whenever taking a big step like this, booster to NO booster, it helps to have a bunch of other carseat obsessed moms tell me all is good with the choice I am making.

I guess I need reassurance that what I am doing is a good safety choice. Yet I have no other problems telling other parents whats okay and what isn't. LOL

I am getting a Cadillac Escalade ESV

...my husband is making a fuss about getting something "not so flashy" because he is worried about the kids and I getting carjacked in the big bad city of Houston.

LOL...if he wins, which he better not, than it will be a Yukon XL Denali.

pippi2077 said:
Our extremely tall older kids moved out of boosters this year. They are 7y and 8y and have passed in some cars for years. We evaluate all cars and then decide. When a booster makes for a bad fit we checked w/o the booster and they fit, so we made the change. If she can sit fine w/o and pass the 5-steps then I would be okay with that.

Thank you for your input!

Maedze said:
:yeahthat: If she fits the seatbelt without a booster, she fits. If the booster makes the fit WORSE in any way, definitely don't use it.

If you're not 100% sure, you can post a picture of the belt fit to get other opinions.

She definitely passes the 5 step test, it is just weird to think of her riding around 100% of the time in no booster. I am now, after all these replies, 100% comfortable with it though. Thanks!

tanyaandallie · Sep 3, 2009

If she passes the 5 step test I'd allow her to sit without.

KaysKidz · Sep 3, 2009

If she's too tall to sit there with a booster, it won't be long before she's too tall without one and you'll have no choice but to move her to the captains chair and put a car seat in the 3rd row. Just something to consider as she grows.

Maedze · Sep 3, 2009

KaysKidz said:
If she's too tall to sit there with a booster, it won't be long before she's too tall without one and you'll have no choice but to move her to the captains chair and put a car seat in the 3rd row. Just something to consider as she grows.

I dunno about that. Boosters can introduce three to four inches of torso height growth or even more. That's a good 6 to 8". That may be more than the child's max adult height! In any case, it would be another 5 or 6 years before it's a concern.

bobandjess99 · Sep 3, 2009

I k now it seems scary, but honestly, a booster is to make the adult belt fit properly. If she fits in the adult belt properly, she fits.
If it's getting 5-star (and i assume "GOOD" iihs??) crash ratings, then really, she's going to be about as safe as she can be in a new vehicle loaded with safety features, high crash ratings, and fitting properly into the lap shoulder belt.

TXDani · Sep 3, 2009

bobandjess99 said:
I k now it seems scary, but honestly, a booster is to make the adult belt fit properly. If she fits in the adult belt properly, she fits.
If it's getting 5-star (and i assume "GOOD" iihs??) crash ratings, then really, she's going to be about as safe as she can be in a new vehicle loaded with safety features, high crash ratings, and fitting properly into the lap shoulder belt.

You are right and I guess I should find it comforting that she isn't going from a HBB to no booster so it isn't like she is loosing a ton of protection at once.

IIHS hasn't tested the vehicle or any of its twins but NHTSA gave it all 5 stars.

TXDani · Sep 3, 2009

KaysKidz said:
If she's too tall to sit there with a booster, it won't be long before she's too tall without one and you'll have no choice but to move her to the captains chair and put a car seat in the 3rd row. Just something to consider as she grows.

If it comes down to that I am okay with it but with no booster she has a lot of growing room. I would assume that she would be ready to sit in the front seat by the time she outgrows the third row...hopefully!

bobandjess99 · Sep 3, 2009

If it truly makes you uncomfortable, you coudl always put the 4 yo in the back row and teach them to buckle themselves. I'm not familiar with your family..does your 4 yo have a special need that might make him unable to buckle himself? IS it just that he is in a particularly hard-to-buckle seat? With some practice, I think many 4 yo could learn to buckle many seats. MY dd has been buckling herself in her nautilus since she was 3. At 4.5 she could buckle the frontier.

TXDani · Sep 3, 2009

bobandjess99 said:
If it truly makes you uncomfortable, you coudl always put the 4 yo in the back row and teach them to buckle themselves. I'm not familiar with your family..does your 4 yo have a special need that might make him unable to buckle himself? IS it just that he is in a particularly hard-to-buckle seat? With some practice, I think many 4 yo could learn to buckle many seats. MY dd has been buckling herself in her nautilus since she was 3. At 4.5 she could buckle the frontier.

He can buckle himself in his Frontier but he is the one kid who constantly complains in the third row that he feels sick. I get carsick very easily so I believe that he really does feel crappy sitting back there so he stays up front. Also he uses the drop off lane at school and it is easiest to have him right by the door. I am really okay with it now...I just needed a little reassurance I think!

scatterbunny · Sep 3, 2009

Okay, I agree that the advice I give parents is that if the child passes the 5 step test, they are fine without the booster...but I also believe that a booster provides additional help keeping the lapbelt low in a crash, something that is uber-important before puberty starts, before the hip bones develop enough to keep the lapbelt low. I think lots of kids may pass the five step test pre-puberty, but I also think in many cases, if those children were in a crash, the lapbelt would ride up more than it would if a booster had been used. JMHO. :twocents:

Although my 95th+ percentile 8yo is the size of her 10yo friends, I have not come across a seating position yet where she truly passed the five step test. Even if she did, I would choose to keep her in at least a backless booster until the seatbelt actually fit worse with the booster than without, to utilize the "false hips" of the booster, so the lapbelt will not ride up too high in a crash.

So, in your situation, I would put the oldest harnessed child in the third row and work on self-buckling, and put your dd in a captain's chair in a backless booster until she's closer to puberty. I know it's not a popular opinion, but it's absolutely what I would do.

ETA-just read that your 4yo can buckle himself, but he gets carsick in the third row. That does throw a wrench into things, doesn't it?

JerseyGirl'sMama · Sep 3, 2009

DaniCPST said:
Thanks girl! Whenever taking a big step like this, booster to NO booster, it helps to have a bunch of other carseat obsessed moms tell me all is good with the choice I am making. I guess I need reassurance that what I am doing is a good safety choice. Yet I have no other problems telling other parents whats okay and what isn't. LOL

I am getting a Cadillac Escalade ESV...my husband is making a fuss about getting something "not so flashy" because he is worried about the kids and I getting carjacked in the big bad city of Houston. LOL...if he wins, which he better not, than it will be a Yukon XL Denali.

YW.

I totally understand, thats why I asked your opinion on ERF with Jersey.

Cool choices. I am so excited for you. :thumbsup:

And OMG, Maedez :yeahthat: 'd me!

crunchierthanthou · Sep 3, 2009

DaniCPST said:
I am getting a Cadillac Escalade ESV...my husband is making a fuss about getting something "not so flashy" because he is worried about the kids and I getting carjacked in the big bad city of Houston. LOL...if he wins, which he better not, than it will be a Yukon XL Denali.

I'd be fine with it. My 9 yo niece passes the 5 step test in the 3rd row of their 07 Yukon (same as the current design, I believe). The belt fits fine and she's just average height. :thumbsup:

now, second row... that's another story.

Question Booster or no booster in new car?

TXDani

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Pixels

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Amaris

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JerseyGirl'sMama

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mylittlet

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Maedze

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TXDani

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tanyaandallie

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bobandjess99

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TXDani

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