Question Best seat for 5 year old?

[Persephone]

My son is turning 5 and we're wanting to update the seat he has in daddy's truck (which happens to be the seat the hospital gave us 5 years ago, not sure what brand) he's 43.5 pounds right now.

I have a Graco Nautilus in my van (5 point yet).

I'm not really sure I want to go to a booster yet, he's so skinny. So I'd like to know what seats are good, but not going to cost me near $200.

I don't want to pay an arm and leg but I don't want to go cheap in this area.

(Babies R Us's trade in event starts next Friday, so I want to have my ducks in a row by then!)

 

[Brianna]

Evenflo Maestro or Evenflo Securekids 300 or 400 would be good options. Maestro harnesses to 50 pounds, the others to 65. They have roughly the same top harness slot height as the Nautilus.

*ETA the Nautilus is on sale for $125 at target starting tomorrow if you'd prefer another one of those.

Be sure the seat he's in now in his dad's car isn't expired, there should be an expiration date molded into the shell of the seat. If it is expired, don't let him ride in it again.

 

[Persephone]

I should have added that I don't want to have to buy another seat for him after this one. So something that goes to a booster would be great.

 

[Brianna]

The Maestro is outgrown in booster mode around the same time it's outgrown in harness mode. If you'd like, you can take a pic of your son using the Nautilus in booster mode and post it for opinions on if it will make a good booster for him.

 

[Persephone]

The Maestro is outgrown in booster mode around the same time it's outgrown in harness mode. If you'd like, you can take a pic of your son using the Nautilus in booster mode and post it for opinions on if it will make a good booster for him.

Would you go to a booster already?

I'll try to take a photo later.

 

[Brianna]

A just turning 5 year old I wouldn't put in a booster, not until much closer to 6. A picture may give us an idea of if it will work well as a booster for him in the future though.

 

[Brigala]

It's not likely that a car seat he was given at the hospital at birth still fits him. It would be very unusual for them to pass out a free car seat to a newborn baby that works for kids over 40 lbs.

Depending on how often he's in Daddy's truck, how long the rides are, I would consider a booster for him so he can start "booster training." If it's infrequent, short trips, this might be a good transition for him so in a year or so the idea of being in a booster isn't so novel. It's very convenient if by the time a kid is about six years old you can throw a booster in a friend's car and know your child will sit up straight and know how the seat belt is supposed to be buckled. But that takes training ahead of time, and IMO five years old and over 40 lbs is a good age to start. UNLESS you feel he's really not ready for that responsibility, even for short trips. In which case I'd probably pick up another Nautilus. They're supposed to be on sale at Target next week.

 

[Kaitsmom]

I think Target will have the GN starting tomorrow for $125. They dont always make great boosters though. A HBB is relativly cheap though and you could sell your GN on Craigslist for more then the cost of a booster if you wanted to.