Which ffing harness and boosters have the most padding?

[paintedbison]

If I was looking for something with lots of padding/foam, what would be the best choice? I need a seat with a harness for a 4.5 year old and a booster for a 7 year old.

 

[cookie123]

What's the vehicle? Are there any other riders in back with them?

Probably for the 7 year old, I'd do a Diono Monterey. Really comfy, can be latched in and great sleeping head wings.

The 4 year old. Well, the Graco Nautilus, which could have some head slump issues, the Britax Frontier 85, the Evenflo Maestro or Secure Kid. Matthew thought they were more comfortable than the new Baby Trend seat that just came out when he tried them in the store. Sorry, I'm blanking on the name, and also that of the Recaro combination seat. The Evenflos seem really cushy under the butt.

 

[paintedbison]

What's the vehicle? Are there any other riders in back with them?

Probably for the 7 year old, I'd do a Diono Monterey. Really comfy, can be latched in and great sleeping head wings.

The 4 year old. Well, the Graco Nautilus, which could have some head slump issues, the Britax Frontier 85, the Evenflo Maestro or Secure Kid. Matthew thought they were more comfortable than the new Baby Trend seat that just came out when he tried them in the store. Sorry, I'm blanking on the name, and also that of the Recaro combination seat. The Evenflos seem really cushy under the butt.

We have a minivan (nissan quest). Currently my 4 and 7 year old are in the back row and my 2 year old is in the middle. We usually leave the other middle seat folded to make it easier to load and unload everyone. However, in a few months, we'll have a new baby in the middle along with the two year old.

The outboard seats in the third row do not have latch. Only the middle seat has latch. However, the third row seems too narrow to fit two seats next to each other easily. I guess it might be more ideal to have seats needing to be latched in the captain's seats and the rearfacers in the third row. However, I find it absolutely impossible to load a rearfacing kid in the back row and get them buckled, so I don't see another good alternative. Right now, the two in the back can buckle themselves.

My four year old is Matthew, too!

 

[mylittlet]

We have a monterey for our 5y. He loves it. It has LATCH but you don't have to use it. We have used it in our 3rd row and he just has to buckle it when he gets out of it. Works just fine.

What year is your Quest? Do you know where you have tethers? I don't have my LATCH manual handy.

CPST in Iowa
mom to dd11y, ds10y, ds 5.5y (red monterey), dd 4.5y (cow frontier85), EDD 8/17/12 (who knows what??)

 

[paintedbison]

We have a monterey for our 5y. He loves it. It has LATCH but you don't have to use it. We have used it in our 3rd row and he just has to buckle it when he gets out of it. Works just fine.

What year is your Quest? Do you know where you have tethers? I don't have my LATCH manual handy.

CPST in Iowa
mom to dd11y, ds10y, ds 5.5y (red monterey), dd 4.5y (cow frontier85), EDD 8/17/12 (who knows what??)

It's a 2008. There are tethers behind the captains' chairs and behind the center third row seat. I would like the two forward facers to go outboard third row. There is no latch or tether there.

 

[mylittlet]

Is your LATCH in the 3rd row off center? Like towards passenger or drivers side?

If it is totally center you would need a narrow booster for your oldest. It might be hard for your oldest to buckle his booster.

Your tethers are in the same places as mine. I really hate that the 3rd row is only for middle. Not always where I would like it.

CPST in Iowa
mom to dd11y, ds10y, ds 5.5y (red monterey), dd 4.5y (cow frontier85), EDD 8/17/12 (who knows what??)

 

[paintedbison]

Is your LATCH in the 3rd row off center? Like towards passenger or drivers side?

If it is totally center you would need a narrow booster for your oldest. It might be hard for your oldest to buckle his booster.

Your tethers are in the same places as mine. I really hate that the 3rd row is only for middle. Not always where I would like it.

CPST in Iowa
mom to dd11y, ds10y, ds 5.5y (red monterey), dd 4.5y (cow frontier85), EDD 8/17/12 (who knows what??)

Wait... I don't understand. Why would the latch interfere with my oldest buckling? I would not have anyone in the middle seat. I can harness my middle child in the other outboard seat without using the latch and tether, right? I don't think it is possible to put a booster next to a harnessed seat in the back of the car. I tried with a friend's radian and that didn't even work. The only possibility for fitting two next to each other that I have figured out is to use two radians. Even that doesn't seem to work well, though.

 

[Patriot201]

If you don't have a usuable tether for the harnessed child, I would suggest a Graco Nautilus. It did fairly well in tests without a tether. A tether is always preferred, though.

 

[paintedbison]

If you don't have a usuable tether for the harnessed child, I would suggest a Graco Nautilus. It did fairly well in tests without a tether. A tether is always preferred, though.

Hmmm. Are there any besides the nautilus that did well? We have one and aren't crazy about it. Why the heck don't they put tether's behind all the seats??? Sigh.

Is it safer to put an almost five year old in a booster if there is no tether option? Boosters don't have to be tethered, right?

I could put the harnessed seat in the middle back for now and put the booster and rearfacer in the captains' chairs. Then, maybe when the baby comes, I could put the five year old (he'll be five when baby gets here) and seven year old in the seats with no tethers and the two little ones in the seats with tethers?

 

[Patriot201]

Hmmm. Are there any besides the nautilus that did well? We have one and aren't crazy about it. Why the heck don't they put tether's behind all the seats??? Sigh.

Radian? ProSport (maybe)?


I would prefer to see a five-year-old in a harnessed seat. Could you put the five-year-old in one of the captain's chairs and put your oldest and third children in the third row? You could always load the rear-facer through the tailgate. Lots of people do that. If that won't work and you want to put your five-year-old in a booster, just make sure you buckle the boosters in when they are not occupied.

 

[paintedbison]

Radian? ProSport (maybe)?


I would prefer to see a five-year-old in a harnessed seat. Could you put the five-year-old in one of the captain's chairs and put your oldest and third children in the third row? You could always load the rear-facer through the tailgate. Lots of people do that. If that won't work and you want to put your five-year-old in a booster, just make sure you buckle the boosters in when they are not occupied.

My two olders can buckle themselves. Once I have two in the captains' seats, I will barely be able to get to the third row. I attempted loading through the tailgate and it seems impossible. There are head rests (I don't think they will come out) that leave very little room to go over. Besides that, I don't think I'd be able to buckle the child. How do people do that? I'd have to empty whatever is in the trunk (stroller, etc) and stand in the trunk and attempt to finagle over the seat. I can't imagine doing that multiple times every. single. day.

 

[mylittlet]

The reason I was asking about how your LATCH was in the 3rd is if you want to keep #2 harnessed. In some minivans the LATCH is more towards one side (like the passenger side), so you could put #2s seat in with the LATCH depending on his weight and put #1 outboard in outboard spot.

As for a just turned 5y in a booster, that has to be your choice. Our ds moved to a booster full-time at just 5y, because his Husky was expiring and he was almost to tall for the harness on the frontier85. It might have harnessed him 6m and was double the price. So we made the choice to move him to a booster he has done well. He has a monterey. He is 60# and 50". His booster is LATCHed in so he doesn't have to buckle it in. It is very important they rebuckle there boosters in.

Our baby will be in the 3rd row middle spot when our #4 outgrows her frontier85 in harness mode. Its a lap belt only spot and baby will be the only one in a harness at that point. I know it won't be the easiest, but it will be the only way to have everyone safely in my minivan.

CPST in Iowa
mom to dd11y, ds10y, ds 5.5y (red monterey), dd 4.5y (cow frontier85), EDD 8/17/12 (who knows what??)

 

[cookie123]

Maybe you could stick the baby in the 3rd row with the 7 year old. If you're using an infant seat, it would be easy enough to load it back there. That would get you to a better booster age for the 5 year old. Make sure your booster riders have a good fit on their seat belts, and that they are mature enough to stay in position


http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/default.html