Booster Seat - Woodland,CA

Hi S. ~ I just switched my daughter from the britax marathon to the britax parkway booster she's 5 & loves it.... she is just a little over 40 lbs and tall. one of the things that I really loved about the britax is the secure guard it looks like a belt in the middle between the legs that works w/the seatbelt (works with the vehicle safety belt to prevent the child from sliding under the lap-belt portion of the safety belt (submarining) during impact, thus minimizing the risk of abdominal )injury. I purchased the booster from chitchatbaby.com w/a coupon it came to 95.99 free s/h no tax.

http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/parkway-sg

It varies by state. In California, it's now at 4 years and 40 lbs. The Marathon should last you for quite a while, although by kindergarten you may want to consider a booster. If your child has playdates after school, other parents will not be keen on installing a full size car seat to go to their house. Boosters are the standard by that age.

The bare minimum you want to change a child to a booster seat is 4yrs and 40lbs. Under that and children are at a 75% higher risk of suffering severe head and abdominal injuries, and submarining under the seat belt in a crash.

The Marathon will fit him until he hits 65lbs ,his shoulders go over the top harness slot, or his ears are level with the seat back. It fits most kids to age 6, so until he outgrows it, keep him in it.

It probably varies by state. Where I live a child must be at least 40 lbs, 40 inches and 4 years old.

I am not sure what the weight/height limits are for the marathon but I would use it for as long as you can. A child has to be atleast 40 lbs to use a booter seat. Age is not as important as size!

I am not moving my son until he is at least 5 y/o as i have come across to many in memory videos on You Tube about children under the age of 5 dieing in car wrecks because boosters are not 'made' for childen under 5 (though most boosters will say they start at 3 y/o). A booster doesn't need to be 'installed' by a professional as all you do is put it on the seat (facing the correct direction) & put the seat belt over the child (& through any belt positoners that are on the booster - if it is a high back booster). the child must also be able to leave the seat belt alone & not move it around or unbuckle it.
Always read the instruction manual about weight & height restrictions & requirements.
Your child is safest in a car seat for as long as you can keep them there.
If you child is like my boys & is out growing his/her carseat or the car seat is about to expire before your child is 5 y/o I would check out the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 car seat. It has a 5 point belts that hold a child up to 65 lbs. & the slots go higher than any car seat that I have found! You can find it at Walmart & Target for about $150 (it is well worth the price for the safety)!

I hope this helps!

God bless!

Go to www.carseat.org for laws for each state. Please get a car seat check as well. It's amazing how many people have car seats installed incorrectly! You can find an inspection site on that same website.