Help choosing a toddler seat

[majorgroover]

I have lurked here a long time and I finally joined!

I need suggestions for an inexpensive back up seat for my 4yo. She normally rides in a Frontier, which I love, but I'm looking for something cheap for occasional use in other cars. Right now her backup is a Cosco Scenera but she is nearing the weight limit.

Is there something equivalent to the Scenera but with higher weight limits? I'd like her to stay harnessed but all of the high weight harness options are so much more expensive. I was looking at the Graco high back Turbo booster based on some old lists on this site, but I noticed that there are a lot more car seat options than there used to be. I'm looking in the $50 range for a high back booster but I'd be willing to go to $70 for a harness.

I'd appreciate any recommendations!

 

[bree]

Welcome! I'm glad you decided to join and post.

At only 4 years old, I personally wouldn't recommend a booster quite yet, even as a spare seat. I think most kids reach the level of maturity to sit properly in a booster in the 5-6+ year old range.

Since she's almost 40 pounds (if she's about to hit the weight limit of the Scenera), I'd suggest the Evenflo Maestro. It is a combination seat (harnessed seat that turns into a booster seat), and it has a 50 pound weight limit for the harness and 18" top slots. While it won't last very long in booster mode after the harness is outgrown, it is a great option for those 4 year olds around your child's size who need a harness for another couple of years. It is currently on sale for $67.99 at Amazon, so it would fit in your budget for a harnessed seat: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Maestro-Seat-Booster-Keller/dp/B006PB2CT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339799336&sr=8-1&keywords=evenflo+maestro"]Amazon.com: Evenflo Maestro Car Seat Booster, Keller: Baby[/ame]

 

[Brianna]

Most 4 year olds have outgrown the Scenera by height. Check that her shoulders are even with or below the top harness slots and the tips of her ears are below the top of the shell. If they are, she can ride in it until you get a new seat. If it's outgrown, she shouldn't ride in it again.

I second the Maestro.

Sent from my DROID4 using Car-Seat.Org

 

[majorgroover]

Thank you so much!

I didn't realize that the Scenera might already be too small. I will definitely check before I use it again.

The Evenflo Maestro sounds like a perfect choice for me right now. Not to turn one question into two, but is there another seat that may cost more up front but have a longer life span as a booster? I've been looking over the combination seat spreadsheet and it looks like the Graco Nautilus would fit the bill. But even at a great price ($138), it's twice as much as the Maestro. The Evenflo SecureKid 300/400 look good but there's no info about the height of the highest harness slots or the internal seating height. Are those the right things to be assessing to determine how long the seat will be useful with the harness and as a booster, respectively?

This is so hard but also fun! I hate that money is such a big issue but the reality is that the seat will get very little use so it doesn't make sense to spend a lot unless it's going to be useful for a good while.

 

[Brianna]

The Maestro, SecureKid and Nautilus all have approximately the same top harness slot height. It's possible to gain/lose harness height based on the vehicle it's installed it. The SecureKid has an adjustable headrest which means it will last longer in booster mode than the Maestro. The Nautilus will last longer than the SecureKid in high back booster mode and will also convert to a backless booster. In general, the Nautilus does not fit well as a booster until the harness is outgrown, which could be several years for your DD.

If you do go the Maestro route, you can purchase a high back booster later like the Graco Turbo Booster for around $50. The Turbo fits almost all booster riders very well and converts to a backless.

Sent from my DROID4 using Car-Seat.Org

*edit to add- the Evenflos expire 6 years after date of manufacture, while the Nautilus doesn't expire for 10 years.