which HBB fits in '98 4Runner?

[Unregistered]

The lovely local store we went to for our last carseat purchase, where they let you bring demo seats out to try fit in your car, has closed. So I would love some help. We have a 98 4Runner (no LATCH), and want to move my son up to a high back booster. Have a Britax Frontier, but will be moving little sister into that one (harnessed). I think the length of the strap from attachment under the seat to buckle is long, because we have tried using the Frontier as a seatbelt-only booster but i was uncomfortable with the plastic of the seatbelt part/latch that clicks into the buckle riding on the plastic of the carseat when used in that mode. Anyway, would love some help on something that will fit into our car well, or at least hints about what to measure about the seat shape and size vs. the car's seat configuration that will help! Thanks so much!
also, my son is 8 and 48" tall, around 43 lbs. My family has made comments about it seeming "babyish" to keep him in a harness this long (though they have not been parents in 20 years or more). We have just done the same thing for so long that i haven't thought about it! Should I be looking for something else entirely?
(considering Compass, Parkway, Monterey, maybe Turbobooster but we have felt secure with our Britaxes!)

 

[EmmaCPST]

I don't have a lot of experience with day to day booster use, since my son isn't anywhere near booster age, but from my experience fitting other kids, the Parkway is one of my favorites. It's generally easy to buckle, doesn't have any weird rules about head support, and has great fit on most kids and adjusts nice and tall.

Diapers.com also offers free returns, so if you want to order something you can always send it back if you don't love it.

As an aside - have you had tether anchors retrofitted? They can be added to the outboard positions, part# 73709-12010. Go to carseat.org (different site than this one) and click on Toyota/Lexus tether anchors on the bottom right and it will take you to a form where you can request they be retrofitted for a $5 donation to Safety Belt Safe through your local Toyota dealer.

 

[Unregistered]

Thank you! This forum is SO helpful!! I am leaning toward the Parkway now, since reading that the Compass B570 (the other one that I liked the best, since it folds, has Latch, adjustable armrests, and is a bit cheaper) is wide inside. My son is slim and won't need all that room. So I think we'll try it.
Thanks for the info about the tether anchors, I had no idea they could be retrofitted--we actually have always used the cargo anchors (metal loops) on the floor of the cargo area behind the outboard seats (for FF). But I was never sure if that was actually part of their intended purpose. I wouldn't mind having LATCH retrofitted if it could be done--I have looked for info and not found any.
Anyway, thanks so much!
Janet

 

[EmmaCPST]

Definitely have an actual tether retrofitted - cargo loops aren't rated to the same weight allowances that a tether is and you don't want to use one as such. The retrofit is pretty quick and easy in that vehicle though!

Unfortunately, you cannot have lower anchors retrofitted, but you can and should have the top tether anchors done. If you like the Parkway and think you might at some point have a vehicle with LATCH, you can get the Parkway SGL and it comes with LATCH anchors.