Question LATCH boosters

mom2bnjl

Member
Hi,

I'm looking for our first booster seat, to start booster training our oldest daughter. I'm starting the search now, even though we won't be buying one for 6 months or so, because I want time to research everything.

She will be 4 yo soon, and is 35 lbs/40 inches tall. She follows directions really well, and this summer will be in Dad's car for 10 minutes a day, without her younger siblings, which would be ideal for being able to keep an eye on the training. She's currently riding in a FFing Britax Advocate CS in dad's car, and a Recaro ProSport (in harness mode) in mine. I don't want to move the ProSport, as she's really happy in it in my car, and that's the car she's in 95% of the time.

I think I'd like one with LATCH - mostly because in Dad's car, it's a 3 across, and not having to buckle it when she's not in the car will be easier - she sits in the middle since her younger sibs are still RFing. Also, it'll need to be no wider than 20".

Doing a search in this forum, I saw some discussion (from 2010) about the pros/cons of rigid LATCH for a booster. Also some info re: submarining, and the pros of the Britax Parkway for dealing with this.

So - is there any more recent info about the type of LATCH and safety? I know Recaro is coming out with a LATCH booster this spring, and Clek, any others people love? I saw the Cybex booster on sale online, but marked discontinued... Any new research on stopping submarining? Is it really an issue if the kids have the belt properly positioned? (That's the main reason we'd like to work on it this summer - Dad can check position every few minutes at the stoplights, and he won't have any other distractions in the car.)

Thanks!
 
ADS

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
Most four year olds are not ready for boosters, even in short situations. But you can try.

The Parkway has a 40 pound minimum. Unless she gains that weight in six months you can't use it. Too bad, as the under 40s are the ones who would be more likely to benefit from the SG clip.

If she's in the center unless he has a dedicated set of LATCH in the center it's unlikely you'd be able to use rigid LATCH. You need the anchors to be 11" apart. Not more. Rigid LATCH is not adjustable for width.

From 30 pounds with LATCH you can look at the Graco Affix, Clek Oobr, Diono Monterey.

I don't know about using LATCH in the center of a car that doesn't allow center LATCH, to be honest. I don't know that I've heard a definite answer. Hopefully someone else will know. What car does your husband have?

Again, I'd be wary, but if she's well over four when this happens it might be an ok start. Most kids are ready by about their sixth birthdays.

Wendy
 

mom2bnjl

Member
Dad has a dodge caliber, although we are perpetually on the hunt for a different used car for him. Maybe we will wait and train in another year or two - it just seemed ideal in terms of having one kid and one parent and a short trip with lots of lights to check positioning - not sure when the stars might align like that again. Any thoughts on the type of LATCH? Thanks.
 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I don't think one is better than the other. Rigid may offer more benefit in a side impact, which is not to say that properly tightened flexible connectors don't offer any. I have both. I find the flexible LATCH easier to attach generally, since it's not just a matter of pushing the connectors onto the anchors. You need to wiggle it to get it past the cushion of the seat, line up, have one side done up and not the other, etc. If I had LATCH guides with me ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Regal-Lager-050054002-Cybex-Guides/dp/B004L5LKZE"]Amazon.com: Cybex Latch Guides: Baby[/ame]) then rigid would be much much easier. But since I left mine home it's annoying. I have a Clek Ozzi with rigid LATCH I move at least once a month, if not more. It's not a huge deal, but the rental car we had last month took about three minutes to get the rigid LATCH done up. Flexible with hooks would have taken me 30 seconds. Flexible with premium connectors probably would have taken about 90 seconds.

If the US had more rigid LATCH seats I'd carry the guides with me and hand them out like candy. Europe uses rigid LATCH a lot more. So in the US it's not a big deal.

Wendy
 

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