Hey mamas (and papas)!
To my surprise, my li'l guy - turning 5 in two months - had a growth spurt and I just realized this weekend that he is above the height limit for his Britax Diplomat car seat. He is just about 42" tall but only 32/33 pounds. I was so focused on his hitting the weight limit being so far in the future, I never thought about height. My bad.
So now I am in the market for a booster seat.
I saw that the IIHS rated several boosters but they are all the traditional booster that uses the lap/shoulder belt as the restraint, even the highback ones. I think it would be safer to keep him in a 5-point harness as long as possible, especially with him being so light. But is a 5-point any safer after they move to the booster stage? Isn't that kind of like a car seat for big kids? Do they even have boosters like that or should I look for a car seat that has a taller height limit?
I'd love to hear about what boosters you like best and why. Safety is my main concern, not necessarily how attractive it is, whether it has a cupholder/whatnot, how easy it is to clean, etc.
Also, he still sits in the middle of the backseat, not on the side near a window. Will a booster work in this spot? I have a non-too-exciting 4-door sedan.
Thanks for any help or recommendations! Now off to find new pants as he just outgrew those, too. :)
We have the Britax Frontier 85 that 5-point harnesses until 85lbs. I LOVE it! My LO will be 5 this week and fits in it very nicely and she's 47 inches and 45lbs. It boosters with a lap belt too once they've outgrown the harness.
Check out the Britax Frontier. It is a harnessed booster that can also be used as a seatbelt positioning booster once they hit the harness weight limit (mine stays harnessed to 85 lbs. Not sure the height restrictions on it, but it's a great seat.
40 lbs. is considered a minimum for a booster seat (some newer ones are even 50), and just turning 5 is very young. Safety is your main concern, and that's great!
I would go with the Britax Frontier85. It does convert to a booster later, too. We like to booster around age 7. It's very difficult for a young child to sit properly in a booster, so even if child is at least 40 lbs., that does not mean he/she is ready. Your child has LOTS of time to remain safely harnessed in the Frontier85. Good luck!
We also like the Britax Frontier. We have 2 in each car. My 7 year old is still in his (he's 40lbs).
I'll add to the chorus of Britax Frontier fans!
We love the Britax Frontier. My son is 5 years old and approximately 45" and 47 lbs. He is very comfortable in the seat and sits harnessed. When he's older, if we want, we can convert it to a high back and/or backless booster. We have a Graco Nautilus in our other car, but we like the Britax better. Safety ratings are pretty comparable, so in that regard you'd like both. The Britax is a little more comfortable and a little easier to buckle him into. The Britax is harder to install, so it's not a good choice if you move the seat often.
my daughter has the harnessed booster from graco and it harnesses up to 65 a and high back until 110 so we will be good on car seats
5 point is always safest, that's why race car drivers have harnesses. My super tall and big 7 year old just moved out of the britax frontier's harness. It harnesses to 85 lbs then uses the belt to120. I trust their safety after research and personal experience after a fatality accident.
