Booster or keep in a 5 pt??

[rjaeh]

My ds is 5yrs 2 months, he is really complaining about his "boy parts" getting squished. He only has about 1/2" in harness height before he has outgrown the TruFit. He is 44", 45lbs...Pretty long in the torso.

Should we buy him a bigger harnessed seat (like Frontier, etc), or get him a booster??

Note: we are currently doing the car seat shuffle trying to figure out where everyone goes before the newb is here..the place where my ds is sitting does not have a TA. Somewhere I read that it is better for a bigger kid to be in a booster if there is no TA..any thoughts on that???

 

[aeormsby]

I think you could go either way. I was going to say at that age and outgrowing a seat I'd definitely try a booster first. Then I realized that's how old my DS is and I'm definitely not ready for him to be in a booster full time (he doesn't ride in a booster at all yet - but he's not 40lb yet either).

Sounds like you have younger kids who could inherit the seat if you did go with a Frontier. But if you want to try him in just a booster I think that's fine also, and with not having a tether I might try that first. Get something like the Turbobooster and see how he does, it should fit fine and explain to him that he needs to sit properly so the belt can keep him safe. If he can't then go ahead and get a Frontier and hold on to the Turbo for back ups or playdates.

(from my DS who insists on adding a smiley if he's near me when I'm typing) :thumbsdown:

 

[MaKoski]

I personally would go with a Frontier85. New babies tend to set off regresion with older sibblings and I'd hate to have that happening in the car while worrying about a newly boostered kid and a new baby. And you can hand it down.

Tether is required at 65lbs-85lbs for harnessed Frontier.

 

[jnamommy]

How mature is your ds? Can you trust him to sit still ALL of the time and not be out of position to get a toy/snack/irritate a younger sibling? If you can trust him to sit properly, a booster would be a great choice. If you can't, or if you think he might regress a bit with the new baby, then a harness would be better.

 

[gsdguenter]

I personally would go with a Frontier85. New babies tend to set off regresion with older sibblings and I'd hate to have that happening in the car while worrying about a newly boostered kid and a new baby. And you can hand it down.

Tether is required at 65lbs-85lbs for harnessed Frontier.

Yes to that

 

[rjaeh]

How mature is your ds? Can you trust him to sit still ALL of the time and not be out of position to get a toy/snack/irritate a younger sibling? If you can trust him to sit properly, a booster would be a great choice. If you can't, or if you think he might regress a bit with the new baby, then a harness would be better.

He is actually very mature. I think we will try him in one of our HBTB and see how he does. He has ridden in a booster a few times and after a talk about how to sit w/o playing w/ the seatbelt, he was fine.
I have never had any of my kids regress when a younger sibling is born, but if he does, we can run down the road to BBB and get him a Frontier...