help me pick a booster for Nolan

[Babywearing Meghan]

He is 5, 43 lbs, and booster training and doing very well. We had to go on an emergency trip to LI (2 hour drive) and I realized his maestro harness strap was severely frayed, which I had been using htis way and never realized. I put him in Fiona's Vivo for the ride, and she used a harmony backless. He did great, so now I am thinking of getting him his own booster. I do not want to spend a ton, I am on a turbo booster budget. It needs to be able to be used with no head rest behind it, because the head rests in my venza push the seat back of high back boosters forward. so I have to remove them.

I am looking at the evenflo big kid amp, and the harmony high back one (the name escapes me, but I just saw one today at target and liked it) also of course there is turbo booster.

The vivo is a good fit all over for him. It has been a while since i looked at this stuff, do they still make vivos?

 

[ketchupqueen]

They do still make Vivos. In the same price range there's also the Affix, or the Turbo with Safety Surround, both of which are same-ish as Vivo generally is price-wise, but fit like the regular Turbo (but have the advantages of LATCH in the Affix, or SS in the Turbo SS.)

 

[2BunniesMommy]

We have 3 of those mentioned, between you and ketchupqueen.

Our regular Turbo is used once a week, sometime a little more in MIL's car. Great fit since age 5 and around the same weight as your son and still a great fit now at almost 8 years old and about 56lbs. Only complaint is that the back falls off.

Our Evenflo Big Kid Amp is in our main car. She had been using a Frontier85 in highback booster mode, but when we got this car, with short buckle stalks, it was too hard to reach to buckle in it. She chose it for looks alone, but it was on the short list of seats I was ok with. (We also needed a seat that doesn't require head support behind from the car for the same reason as you do.) The Turbobooster seems just a bit more substantial than the Amp, but we have complaints at all with the Amp. It is super easy for her to buckle and provides a nice belt fit.

We also have Turbo with Safety Surround in DH's ride. When we go on long trips we move it to the car because she says it is a bit more comfy. No complaints at all about it, if you want to go into that price range.

I would love for her to have a LATCHable booster in my car, but she is pretty good about remembering to buckle her seat in and she feels that have a LATCHed booster is the same as going back to a 5 pt, so I will let her win that one, since at almost 8 she sits happily in a highback.

No experience with the Harmony high back or the Vivo. (But of course you do with the Vivo.) A friend has the folding Harmony high back if that is the one you are looking at. She doesn't like it, but I can't remember why.

 

[Babywearing Meghan]

might be worth stretching the budget a little for another vivo.. those seem to always be our go to boosters in our family.

 

[Babywearing Meghan]

but not sure the husband would agree.. we just had to replace our hot water heater Thursday lol

 

[Babywearing Meghan]

the harmony one I was looking at was the harmony v6 high back and I saw one at walmart called the harmony dream time booster which is a better price. anyone know the difference between them?

 

[munchkin]

How big is your dd? Would it be better to get her a new booster and pass your current vivo down to your SS?

 

[Babywearing Meghan]

the vivo he is using that was hers is getting close to expiring, and the other I had got ruined in the hot water heater disastor so honestly I kind of have to get him one soon. Fiona rides in that harmony backless most of the time now anyways. she is getting close to being too tall for the vivo now.

 

[mommyfrog]

So maybe give him the Vivo you have and save for another to buy before the current one expires.

 

[happiness-and-balance]

So maybe give him the Vivo you have and save for another to buy before the current one expires.

:yeahthatlove:

 

[HappyHoo]

How does the Maestro fit as a booster?

Since you're stopping using the harness for a reason other than him outgrowing it, I wonder if using it as a booster could buy you some time to save more.

 

[happiness-and-balance]

How does the Maestro fit as a booster? Since you're stopping using the harness for a reason other than him outgrowing it, I wonder if using it as a booster could buy you some time to save more.

Good point! IME, although the Maestro makes a reasonably well-fitting booster on most children, the harness feature and booster feature are outgrown almost simultaneously with some children. How long did your son have left to grow in the harness? (I.e what slot was he on and with how much room).

Edited, totally thought this was a question from someone new to boosters, forgive me, I haven't had coffee yet.

 

[Babywearing Meghan]

should I be trying to get him a higher weight harness maybe? he is on the top slots and has about half an inch

 

[Patriot201]

If he is able to sit correctly in a booster, and the booster fits him well, I wouldn't have an issue with a five-year-old in a booster, especially when there are possible financial limitations.