To this point, DD has been in a 5pt harness in a Marathon. She RF til 35lbs and the seat goes FF to 65. But she's so tiny that she's likely to need a new seat before she hits the 65 limit due to the seat's expiration or her length.
So I'm just curious about what other people suggest. We have a van and a small sedan. I'd like some informative responses on high backed vs low or no backed boosters. I expect DD will have to be in some sort of booster well into elementary school. We have a couple of years yet, but I like to plan ahead. I'd like something that will take us all the way to next limit without having to buy another seat.
Thanks!
My husband also wonders how plastic expires. http://www.thecarseatlady.com/choosing_a_car_seat/choosin...
I tell him that he feels more strongly than I do about getting her ears pierced and I feel more strongly about this. It's a risk I am unwilling to take.
Have any of you had issues installing the Frontier?
Don't worry, I'm just looking right now. I am not moving her til she either outgrows it or the current seat expires.
The expiration is a break down of the plastics being in the car and the extreeme temps.. going from cold to warm bieng in the cars for years.
It is not a risk, I am willing to take.
It's always safer in a 5-point harness, so stick with what you have as long as you can. In my state (and every state is different) the minimum requirements for a booster are age 4, and 40 lbs and 40 inches.
Once you go to a booster, I don't think there is any safety difference between a backless booster and a high-back booster. But my son thinks the high-back booster is more comfortable.
Added:
No issues with the installation in our Mazda CX9. I think the longevity of it is worth the price. I know she's safer with a 5 pt harness - so we've kept her in it for a long time. She's over 4' and about 52 lbs and is still quite comfy.
I have an almost 7 year old who is in a 5pt harness Britax Frontier. She's not small for her age, but I feel like she's safer. She has friends friends who ride with just the seat belt and they don't sit properly and the shoulder belt doesn't hit them properly, so they put it behind them or under their arm. We're about remove the harness and use the Frontier as a booster and I'm not sure how long we'll do that.
We have a cheaper high back booster and a no back booster as well and I don't really like either from a comfort and fit standpoint. I think the Frontier provides some nice support and is overall pretty comfy for her.
I left my daughter use a backless booster, in a captain's chair, when she was 3 1/2 and just over 30 lbs. She had WAY too much movement. I was a nervous wreck.
At age 6, my daughter was only 40 lbs. She began asking for a big girl booster because she thought her current seat was too babyish.
We chose to go with the Britax Frontier 85, just this past January, because our Britax Marathon expired (used it from Jan. 2007 - Jan. 2013)
This is the one we purchased. Had it delivered to our door. My daughter is now 45 lbs and still using the harness.
http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Frontier-Combination-Booster...
The Frontier has anchors to lock the seat down for when it is in booster mode. I really like that option. We have another high-back booster ($30 at Target) and it moves all over the place when she isn't in the car.
I also have the frontier. My daughter remained in the five point harness until she was ten and then transitioned to using it as a high back booster. I am a safety fanatic which is why I had her in the 5 pt harness until she outgrew it. She says the seat is very comfortable. It is a heavy car seat so it isn't easy to move from vehicle to vehicle. I would definitely get two. Installing it in my van was pretty simple.
We also have the Britax Frontier and love it. Our almost 8-yo is still using it w/ the high back and I'll hold out as long as possible. The high back does separate from the seat when you just want to use the booster bottom.
We also have a van and a small Lexus sedan. Fits fine in both. But I don't remove it because once installed, it's hard for *me* to get back in properly. For my husband, it's fine. If you were going to be moving it from car to car, you may have a problem. We just bought two and leave them intact in each vehicle.
You've gotten alot of responses-they make me feel better! My child will be 5 in a couple of weeks and we have a high back booster in my spouses car that we just switced to because she outgrew that seat. My car has a built in booster but for trips outside the local area we still have the 5 point harness. I think that as long as they still fit in the harness I would, & will for mine, keep them in it. High back booster allows for better belt-positioning and gives children head protection if your vehicle does not have head restraints or they are not big enough to reach them.
Good luck
Maybe someone can tell me different, but I honestly believe the expiration dates are arbitrary. As long as it was new when you bought it and it has never been in an auto accident, I don't see where the integrity could break down. Now I agree that technology does improves over time, but I don't think a car seat's would as fast as say a computer's.
I admit I cringe when I see an old style car seat so if the expiration date moves people to get rid of those dinosaur ones I am all for it.
Off my soapbox...
The purpose of the booster is nothing more than to position the automobile's seatbelt in the proper position across your child. I don't think backless or a high back booster makes a difference in the grand scheme of things as long as you don't have a tall child.
With that being said, there is nothing securing your child to the seat other than the safety belt. If you were in an auto accident and the seat belt failed, your child could potentially be launched. With the 5 point harness, the seat is bolted to the car's seat so there is double protection. There are You Tube videos of parent's warning of this difference.
First you must go by state laws of how long you must keep her in the 5 point harness, After that it is up to you how much safety measures you want to take and for how long (by keeping her in the 5 point harness).
Personally at 4 it is a little more convenient to swap the 5 point for the booster, especially when it comes to play dates and carpooling issues. It all depends on what level of protection you desire.
She does not meet the weight requirements for a booster. Keep her in a 5 pt. harness seat. Better safe than sorry.
I recomend keeping her in the 5 point harness til she is at least 5. Before then studies show that being in an accident before the age of 5 with the cars seat belt can cut their insides in half. That's even with using a belt positioner or booster. We used this http://www.gracobaby.com/Catalog/Pages/ProductListingPage.... My daughter used the 5point harness til she was a little over 7 years old. Then she used the belt positioner til she was 8 which is when she didn't need anything in the back seat anymore. Now she only uses a booster if the belt in the car digs into her neck or her knees don't bend at the edge of the seat. Hope this helps.
I'd harness until at least 5, ideally 6. If the seat expires (plastic breaks down so straps could rip out in an accident, killing the child), then you need a new seat, of course.
Go with high-back until age 8. Don't worry about buying something to last. You can get a no-back booster for $10 on sale anytime down the road, but that's best for ages 9 and up. The high-back helps the child sit properly (very important for booster riders), and many higher-end ones offer better side-impact protection. No point in skimping on safety when it comes to your child. Good luck!
The Frontier could be a great option, too!
Officially I don't know if there is a safety difference between high back and no back boosters but the high back definately seems safer. The child seems to fit in the high back booster rather than seeming so loose (like w/ a no back booster). Some no back boosters seem much wider (others do not) than necessary and that also makes them seem less safe (especially with kids of a smaller build).
