Booster for 36lb 5yr old?

[Unregistered]

We have a nanny starting soon and are debating buying a new carseat for her car. We have three children. The 1 and 3 yr olds will be in Radian 100s. We are debating what to do for our newly turned 5 year old. I was planning on keeping her in a harness until she hit 40lbs but I'm not sure when that will be. Is she too small/young for a booster? She weighs 36lbs and is 42 inches tall. I think she would do okay behavior wise. She does fall asleep sometimes but this would only be for short trips so she is unlikely to fall asleep. The nanny has a passat. Would another radian be our best bet or should we get a narrow booster? Since we are going to spending at least $200 for another radian I want to make sure it is a good choice and that a booster isn't an option. Thanks.

 

[petriescz]

Could you put your 5 year old in one of the Radians and buy an inexpensive rear facing seat for the 1 year old?

 

[Patriot201]

I would be fine putting a five-year-old in a booster, especially because it won't be her full-time seat. I'd take a look at the Graco Turbo or Evenflo Amp.

If your DD doesn't do well in a booster, I'd do what was suggested above-- put the 5yo in a Radian and get a cheap RF seat for the baby.

 

[aept]

Could you put your 5 year old in one of the Radians and buy an inexpensive rear facing seat for the 1 year old?

I second (third?) this, as a booster will probably be pretty annoying to buckle in a 3-across in the passat. Save booster training for a parental car where you can be sure to monitor and enforce safe booster riding rules.

I am assuming the kids' carseats will pretty much stay permanently installed in the nanny's car? If they have to come in and out a lot then maybe the booster would be a more convenient option as far as installation, but less convenient for getting your 5-yo buckled and unbuckled for each ride.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

[An Aurora]

The Harmony HBB is nice and narrow and fits my 32 lb 5 yo and 36 lb 7yo well.

 

[Kat_Momof3]

what vehicle will the nanny be driving them in? if they have to be 3-across, harnessed is easier than booster. I'd probably put the 5yr old in one of the Radians and get a Guide 65 for the youngest to use in the nanny's car.

 

[trippsmom]

I think it would be a great booster-training opportunity. I would make sure the nanny knows the proper fit so that she can monitor her. If the booster is difficult in the three-across, I would do as suggested and buy a less expensive rf seat for the baby so the 5yo can have an r100. Any of the boosters mentioned above combined with a Scenera or Titan would be about half or the cost of another r100.

 

[Patriot201]

what vehicle will the nanny be driving them in? .

The OP only says a Passat. Not sure what year.

 

[littleangelfire]

Passat is fairly small right? I'd avoid a booster simply because as a PP mentioned, it's a pain in the neck to buckle boosters in a three across. So if you don't have to, I wouldn't. Either have 5 year old use a radian and get 1 year old a Scenera or Tribute, or get a Safe Rider Travel Vest. It would be perfect because it will definitely fit three across the backseat and is very easy to move from car to car.

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I hadn't even thought about getting a different seat for 1 yr old but that make sense. I think we will pursue that and then start booster training in our car. Although I currently have three accross in a '12 Odyssey... not sure how the booster would work in there with trying to buckle... might have to start using that 3rd row.

 

[wendytthomas]

My husband has an Audi A4, which is the Audi version of the Passat. Three across is TIGHT. When we've done boosters back there it's been hard to buckle them in. But three Radians will fit. Or two Radians and a Scenera or maybe Apt for the baby.

Wendy