Car seat/booster to switch between cars for school car pool

[Unregistered]

My daughter is 3 yrs old and weighs 33 lbs. I am looking for a car seat or booster that can easily be moved in and out of cars without threading it every day. I can't do pickup because of work so different friends are doing evry day and I don't want them to have to install a car seat everyday. I understand a 5 point harness is best but is their any that are easy to install for this situation? It's literally a 5-7 minute drive no highways...

 

[TechnoGranola]

Do you know what models/makes of vehicles it will be installed in? And will it need to fit next to any other seats?

In Canada, we believe strongly enough that boosters are for heavier (and older) kids that our boosters here have a 40 pound weight minimum. So I'm biased in my thinking and wouldn't put a 33 pounder in a booster. Her weight and size put her at higher risk for submarine under the belt. Add to that that she's only 3 and is unlikely to be mature enough to sit properly for the entire ride.

A seat that installs easily with LATCH will likely be your best bet. Forward facing seats should always have the top tether attached as well but you could save that step if you got her an easily installed rear facing seat as you don't need to tether it then (unless you're in Canada and buy a G4 Britax seat).

 

[1mommy]

If you need an easy to install seat I would suggest the Evenflo Symphony DLX with the Surelatch. It self-ratchets which makes it easy to install most of the time. If you just want a simple and cheap lightweight seat (and aren't sure if everyone's car will have latch) I would recommend the Evenflo Sureride, its light weight but easy to install. Please try all other options before putting your daughter in a booster, it is unsafe for her age, and depending on what state you live in might be illegal.

I would suggest you watch "Belle's gift" on Youtube

and read this article

http://carseatblog.com/24432/why-3-year-olds-have-no-business-riding-in-booster-seats/

Also please keep in mind that most accidents happen close to home. Only 1% of all accidents happen 50+ miles away.
http://www.calculateme.com/car-insurance-articles/where-accidents-happen.htm

 

[Unregistered]

If you need an easy to install seat I would suggest the Evenflo Symphony DLX with the Surelatch. It self-ratchets which makes it easy to install most of the time. If you just want a simple and cheap lightweight seat (and aren't sure if everyone's car will have latch) I would recommend the Evenflo Sureride, its light weight but easy to install. Please try all other options before putting your daughter in a booster, it is unsafe for her age, and depending on what state you live in might be illegal.

I would suggest you watch "Belle's gift" on Youtube

and read this article

http://carseatblog.com/24432/why-3-year-olds-have-no-business-riding-in-booster-seats/

Also please keep in mind that most accidents happen close to home. Only 1% of all accidents happen 50+ miles away.
http://www.calculateme.com/car-insurance-articles/where-accidents-happen.htm

Thanks for your advice. I know it is so much better to have her in a five point harnesss and accidents can happpen anywhere. What about a booster that has a five point harness are they easy to install?

 

[TechnoGranola]

Thanks for your advice. I know it is so much better to have her in a five point harnesss and accidents can happpen anywhere. What about a booster that has a five point harness are they easy to install?

A forward facing harnessed seat is the same to install whether it's a convertible or a combination seat. You need the lower anchors or seatbelt and a top tether for a forward facing harnessed seat.

I believe all seats in the USA can be used without the top tether, with an increase in head excursion in a collision (and head injuries not being something you want a child to have) but that is only with a seatbelt install. When using the lower anchors, you must use the top tether as well. And someone from the USA, please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

This is why I suggested putting her rear facing with the lower anchors with a seat that doesn't need to be at 45 degrees. The next easiest would likely be forward facing with the lower anchors and top tether. She needs to be in a seating location with a top tether then so knowing what vehicles she'll be riding in would be helpful as some don't have top tethers and lower anchors in all seating positions. So a seatbelt install could be required in some vehicles.

 

[TechnoGranola]

Any of the Britax seats with ClickTight are really easy to install with the seatbelt. That may be your best bet as you don't need to worry if there are lower anchors in the seating position, don't have to worry about them not getting the seat tight enough as ClickTight does all the work, don't have to worry about whether the seatbelt locks or not or if the driver knows how to lock it or remembers to lock it, and while using the top tether is optimal, I think it can be used without in the USA until 65 pounds. I'll go double check that though.

I seem to recall one of the techs here said a Click Tight install was really quick. Like under a minute quick. They will need to take time initially to learn the install though.

The Frontier 90 would be the cheapest model with Click Tight and converts to a booster when she outgrows the harness.

ETA: from the manual it appears that the seat can be installed without top tether until 65# regardless if you're using seatbelt or lower anchors

 

[nannykates]

Would it be possible to leave the seat installed in their car? Evenflo maestro, or securekid 300/400 would probably be a good for that.

 

[TechnoGranola]

Would it be possible to leave the seat installed in their car? Evenflo maestro, or securekid 300/400 would probably be a good for that.

I read her post that a different friend was driving the child each day so the seat had to move into a different vehicle daily. Hopefully I misread though as leaving a seat in the car would certainly be a simpler solution.