Ok so my husband and I live in South Korea, of course the laws of driving here are way different then in the US. I just recently had a WIC appointment and when I go they usually get his weight and height. Right now he is in the 50 percentile for his weight at 22lbs at 11 months old and in the 75th percentile for his height at 29 1/2 inches long. He a little above average for both and on his car seat it says that he's out grown it. The car seat holds up to 22lbs and up to 29 inches. So my husband and I have decided to buy a convertible booster seat in a couple of weeks when we get our car, because right now we don't have a car and are stuck using taxis til we are given the car. Which kind of booster seat would you moms recommend?
You should find a seat that will allow you to rear face. Just because the laws are different over there doesn't make it any safer.
Convertible seats and booster seats are two different things. Convertible seats can be rear facing or forward facing. sometimes they can also function as a booster seat later. Booster seats do not have a harness of their own and only function as a booster for the seat belt.
Your son should continue to rear face at his age. The minimum legal time (in the US) to turn a child to front facing is 1 year or 20 pounds, whichever comes last. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations actually recommend keeping kids rear facing until 2 years because it is much safer. I don't know what Korean laws are but I have lived there also and given the way people drive would have opted for the safest thing possible:)
There are some inexpensive seats by brands like Cosco (available at Walmart) that work well and can be used front facing or rear facing, usually up to 40 pounds front facing. There are more expensive seats that hold kids for longer (up to 80 or more pounds front facing) or convert to booster seats later. Your son would definitely be unsafe in a booster seat right now-- they are for kids who can sit up straight and remain in place on their own and have outgrown seats with harnesses.
Check the local laws- you need to be sure that you adhere to them. If you have a Korean car you may need to use a Korean seat. There are several websites www.carseat.org and the safety forums at mothering.com that may be helpful.
I would find a convertible seat that is not a booster for now. Your son should Rear Face at least til he's 1, but the current US recommendation is to the limit of the seat. Many seats now go RF to 35 or 40 lbs and then FF to a higher limit like 65 or 70. We have a Britax Marathon, but we have two and don't typically move them, so I'm not sure how easy it is to install over and over and over, frankly. I don't think it's too bad because DH does it all the time after camping trips when he's used the van. I really like it, though, and so does DD. She's 2.5 and still RF and has a lot of room to grow.
As a military family, you might move again before the seat doesn't fit anymore, so I'd invest in a good one that you can use the whole lifespan, and not just get what's on the market where you are currently.
First Years True Fit, It can be refacing up to 35 lbs and is very high rated. Check out Wal-Mart.com for great pricing.
We love Britax seats. They are more expensive, but I believe they're one of the best you can buy.
Here's a great link on their site where you enter your child's info and it tells you which seats would work:
http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/fit-my-child
Whichever carseat you go with just make sure your son is still rear facing until a year old.
