need new seat

[Dobber]

need new seat

Looking for a new child seat. Ford Expedition. Ford says no LATCH currently but retrofit coming later this year. May be a year from now for all I know, so while nice, LATCH may not be significant for me.

Child is 2.5+ and very tall. Not yet 40 lbs, but seems ready for a bigger seat. Shoulders are about even with top harness slots. Seems to slouch even when straps are tight. Currently using Britax Roundabout. VERY happy with its history and usability. Considering Britax SuperElite and Century Breverra Classic. Prior one because of experience with Roundabout, latter due to forum reading and user opinions.

Any recommendations? Advice? Curse words? Anyone?

 

[Caviller]

Re: need new seat

The SuperElite is a good choice, and has the highest harness slots (21") and harness weight limits (80 lb. with tether). It is a front facing seat which does not convert to a belt positioning booster.

I think you can find combination models with more features than the Breverra Classic. There are no front harness adjustments on this model, and the harness can be a hassle to adjust even after you've removed the seat. Plus, the seatbelt routing path isn't as nice as some others and the straps can twist easily. It will be a safe seat when installed properly, but it may be a bit more difficult and time consuming to ensure a proper fit each time.

For example, the Century NextStep MX isn't much more expensive, and has many more features. It will also work with their EZ LATCH kit if you do get a LATCH upgrade. Others to consider are the Evenflo Express Comfort Touch and the Graco Cherished Cargo. All of these models convert to a belt-positioning booster at 40 lbs, and have top harness slots around 17" (The Roundabout is about 15" for comparison). All of these are much less than the SuperElite in any case.

Some others may have more comments on these seats and their distinctions.

 

[MariTwinMom]

Evenflo Express Comfort Touch Booster Car Seat

Does anyone have any safety information, or experience, with this booster? My twins are 3.75, and almost 40 pounds, but are definitely ready for bigger seats than what they've been in! I like the padding, and the drink holders...but where do I find out if they're *safe*?

 

[Caviller]

It IS Safe

I have no personal experience with this booster, though I have heard many good comments about it. All carseats sold on the market provide a reasonable degree of safety, provided they fit your child and vehicle well, and you use them properly.

You may have heard that this seat received a warning from Consumer Reports. When used as a belt positioning booster (above 40 pounds), they felt the child could create enough slack in the seatbelt to reduce the safety. Of course, with proper supervision, this should not be a problem. Children should always be monitored in any carseat. If they release a buckle or squirm out of the straps, they can reduce the safety of any model.

 

[kymberlee26]

Re: need new seat

I would say that you either want a harnessed booster (least expensive option) or the Britax SuperElite.

Out of the harnessed boosters I usually recommend, the Evenflo Express Comfort Touch has straps that are least likely to twist. This harnessed booster has a top slot height of 17", as previously mentioned. Some others to look at are the Century NextStep (MX or DX model), Graco Cherished CarGo and Century Ascend. Though, if your child tends to be tall and thin you might want to skip the CarGo as its deep wings tend to hold the shoulder belt too far away when used as a belt positioning booster. I also like the Express because its shoulder belt guide is molded into the seat and allows the shoulder belt to move much more freely than other seats out there. Too, there are two crotch buckle positions, which can help eliminate a slouching problem. If your child tends to be tall you may find that you need to purchase a separate booster later on.

The Britax SuperElite is a harnessed forward facing only carseat whose top slots are at 21" and whose harness goes to 80 pounds. You may find that this seat gets you farther than a harnessed booster just because it is taller than the other seats mentioned so far. But, it is more expensive at about $199 and currently hard to find as it is a fairly new seat.

HTH - post back if you have further questions.

 

[kymberlee26]

Re: need new seat

At 3.75 and "almost 40 pounds" I would not consider a harnessed booster unless they are closer to 30 or 35 pounds as they will not be able to use the harness for very long. Do you think they are mature enough to keep the positioning required of a booster? If so I would get them belt positioning boosters. Do you have headrests in your car? Then a simple backless booster such as an Evenflo Right Fit or Galaxy 2000 will work fine. If you do not have headrests or if your children tend to sleep in the car then you need to consider a high backed model such as a Galaxy 2000 high back, Komfort Rider GTX or Britax Starriser/Comfy. I would also recommend the Fisher Price Safe Embrace booster but as they have stopped making carseats this may be impossible to find.

Of course, a harness is safER and if you want to keep your children in a harness you might consider the Britax SuperElite (~$199). This is a harnessed forward facing only carseat that goes up to 80 pounds with the harness (though must be tethered after 50 pounds. If your children are just about 40 pounds and not mature enough to keep the positioning required of a booster then you will need to consider this seat. There is one other higher weight limit seat available but, again, is made by Fisher Price and may be impossible to find. This is the Fisher Price Futura 20/60. Understand that this comes in both a 5 point and a trayshield model. The 5 point is generally recommended as a safER choice.

HTH - please post back if you have further questions.

 

[PassatHelp]

Isofix booster for Passat?

My dealer said I can upgrade my 2000 VW passat wagon to Isofix with the new anchors. Is there a booster which can use this new system?

 

[PassatHelp]

Is Isofix the same as LATCH?

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[carsafety]

Yes.

More information here:

www.car-safety.org/latch.html

 

[carsafety]

Re: Isofix booster for Passat?

Yes, you can retrofit LATCH/ISOFIX into your Passat. The part you need is a small bar with two bolt holes in it. The VW part number is listed as ZVW 269 002 (R), but if you have 4-motion you will need part ZVW 269 003 (L) instead. Installation didn't look too difficult, but it apparently does require you to remove the seat cushion.

As stated in the other posts, the only booster option right now is a newer Century combination booster using their EZ LATCH kit. Once you switch to using it as a belt-positioning booster from a harness (40 lbs.), you don't gain much with LATCH except for holding it in place when the child move in and out of the seat.