Questions About Car Seats

Hi A.: I have a Five year old that weighs 43pounds and I moved her to one of those tall back booster site when she was 2 and 1/2 and she still uses it and loves it. You can get then at wal-mart fot under 50.00 or target if you perfer. My daughter at 5!/2 is just startinting to want to sit with just the sit belt and no buster chair. These chairs are just right for toddlers.

They have a car seats that have five point harnesses and then you can take all that off and they are a booster you would use the car seat belt with.

Here is a website about when they switch over
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

Here is an example of one that will convert to a booster
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2452277

Call Lone Star Baby and Kids - Frisco, North Richalnd Hills, or Dalls. They are very knowledgable and have a great variety.

Hi, I am a car seat tech and I would love to talk to you about car seats. There is a seat available at Babies R Us ( I can't remember the brand) but, it goes to 50lbs and is only ~$100. It's a great seat and very affordable. It is best to keep your kids in a car seat as long as possible, the harness system is sooo much safer. They can technically go in a booster at 40lbs, but if you were ever in an accident that would not be the safest thing for them. We invested in a Britax whn my daughter was 10months b/c they go to 60lbs and we both love her seat. Good luck! IF you ever have more car seat questions or need your seat checked just goole car seat check. There are many places in the DFW area that do them.

Hi A. -

I noticed that a lot of people responded that you try the Britax. I also noticed in your message that you are looking for something inexpensive. My daughter will be 2 in May and we use the Costco Carseat and it works great. I personally don't think that you daughter is old enough and I'm sure that a lot of doctors would agree, for a booster seat yet. 30lbs is not very big and the only thing holding your baby in a booster seat is your car seat belt across her. If she is as active as my 23 month old she be hanging over your shoulder before you get down the street good because she gottenout of the seat. Here is the link to the one that I use and it is under $50 and does just as well as those expensive ones.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8054...

My son is 28 months and we just upgraded him to a booster seat however it was the one with the back. You just remove the back later when the grow. Its super easy we love the fact that he is safe and we don't have to harness him in. We bought the Graco one it was $40. just check the weight on the seat some start at 30lbs and others don't start until 40lbs. That is why we got the seat with the back.

She's got a little while until a booster seat. We have an Alpha Omega I think it's by Safety 1st or Dorel Juvenile Group. It's far less expensive (and bulky!) than the Britax and will convert to a booster for up to 80 or 100 lbs depending on your model. It has a 5 pt harness and seems to be fairly roomy and comfortable for my son. I think we paid around $120.00 for it when he outgrew his infant carrier.

http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

information about car seats G. W

I did a lot of research before I finally picked the Britax Boulevard. It is pricey, but had all the features I was looking for. In addition, you can use it rear facing up to 33 pounds which was something I felt strongly about. My daughter loves her car seat, and we have been very happy with it so far.

You might want to check out www.carseat.org. There are numerous message boards with all kinds of advice, recommendations for car seats. You can also ask for recommendations about what seats will fit well in your vehicle.

i also have a britax.

one thing i wanted to mention that nobody else did is NEVER use a second hand carseat because you don't know its history. if a carseat has been in an accident, it is no longer safe to use. i see them at garage sales all the time so i wanted to mention it to you.

good luck!

A couple of years ago we got my son a Eddie Bauer car seat made by Costco that goes up to 100 lbs, and then got the same one for our daughter just a month or so ago. They are only about $130 - and actually one of the less expensive ones that we saw at Babies r us. We love them (the new one for our girl is pink and brown, but the first one we got is blue). I think it's the same one that the first post is talking about, but not sure.

Each car seat has different weights and heights. Consumer reports is a great way to find a car seat. Your daughter is probably a great size for a booster seat with a 5 point harness. If you dont want to spend a ton of money, Britax is not the way to go. Consumer reports suggests one right now that is about $100. It is a booster that goes up to like 100lbs, but starts at 22lbs. Its the Eddie Bauer High Back Booster. Check it out!

I have to agree with the Britax (we have the Marathon), although I know you want something less expensive. They go up really far in weight - my girls are 5 (small 5's) and are nowhere near growing out of their care seats. The five-point harness is safer than the other one, and MUCH safer than a booster seat so the recommendation is that you keep her in a regular five-point harness as long as she fits into it.

The Britax are also very comfortable.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7767641

We use this one and have for a while becuase our 2yr old is bigger & taller than most kids her age.

Here is another option, too. We use this in my husbands car

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8145139

Hey A., I have a 2 1/2 year old and we recently upgraded her and she is about 30 pounds also. I really think it is a little older and heavier but when I put her in a booster seat she fits fine she doesn't look too small for it and I think that is what matters. She has done perfectly fine with it and loves it so much better than her old one. Hope this helps.

You have a ton of advice, but I did not see the seat we just purchased anywhere and I highly reccommend it. My son is 3 1/2 and 37 pounds. Not right at requirements, but we did all transitioning a little earlier as long as we knew he was safe in it. At transitions, we also would take a trip to the firestation and let them look at the way it was in the car and the was he was secured in it and we got an OK from them that he was safe and secure. Here is the link to the one we bought with some great reviews. I searched for 2 months until we decided on this as we did not want to any financially could not invest in a 5th Britax.

http://www.target.com/Graco-AirBooster-Car-Seat/dp/B000PA...

Good Luck!

The laws are saying that kids have to ride in a car seat longer these days and the safest thing is 5 point harness. I found a BRITAX Regent (5 point harness is used on this seat up to 80 pounds) on Ebay for 200.00 new in the box and I LOVE IT!!! my 5 year old is 60 pounds and he LOVES this car seat. We have Britax Marathons for the 3.5 year old and 19 month old. I know you want to save money but really its not worth discounting your childs safety. You can find gently used BRITAX products on Ebay as well. Britax also makes a car seat for larger handicapped children up to 110 pounds and it has head supports. I would NEVER let my kids ride in a car seat other than a Britax. There has been so many stories of kids getting hurt and killed in booster seats because they dont provide enough protection.

Hope that helps...
A.

I had posed a similar question and was told that the rule is 4 and 40lbs for a booster and 8 and 80lbs for the seatbelt. I would suggest trying to find a carseat that will convert to a booster, so you don't have to upgrade in a few years, also try getting the 5 piont harness. Wal mart has one that is fairly inexpensive and the straps come over the shoulders and click inbetween the legs, the straps come together at the chest with another simple "clicking" piece. I am not sure if I am explaining this correctly. bit they put their arms through the straps instead of it going over their head.

looks like you've got a ton of great responses already but I wanted to mention Baby Depot (inside Burlington Coat Factory). My daughter just turned one and that is where we got hers. It has a 5 point harness and will convert to a shoulder belt, and then a backless booster. We hope this will last us, it is an Evenflo and was only $60.

A. I just call and talk to a police officer and his answer was that she could be in a booster seat now as long as she is restrained.So as long as her boosterseat is buckled in she would be ok. Hope this helps you. You be blessed.
J. G

I have a Recaro booster seat for my almost 3 yr old. He's very tall (42 1/2 in.) and the Recaro has side impact head restraints. They make the head restraints for race cars! I looked at their website www.recaro.com and found them at Target.com. Not many stores have them in stock but Target had free shipping at the time so if they had'nt worked, I wasn't out any money. He can fall asleep without the bent neck look and they're very comfortable. They also have the kind that goes from 5 point harness to booster and even with built-in speakers!$$$ We love ours! Good luck with your search.

I agree our children love their Britax car seat just make sure to get one that goes to 65 pound. I know our are the Marathon, but I think they even have some that go to higher weight and heighth.

She cannot upgrade to a booster seat until she weighs 80 pounds or is a certain height.(Check the requirements online) Walmart has some inexpensive car seats that are comfortable and are made to last until children are 80 lbs.

I forget what the weight is that you can switch to a booster seat, but my little girl weighed a little less than yours when I moved her to a booster seat. At the time we asked a fireman friend of ours about the legal age/weight and she was able to move up. Walmart has a good one. I forget the brand, but it is tan and black, and can be a booster with or without a back. It cost us somewhere around $30 a year ago.

The current car seat laws state the a child must be in a forward facing car seat until they are 5 and 40 pounds. so I would suggest getting a forward facing car seat that buckles with a five point harness they have them at walmart for $45. They make the carseats that convert to a booster it is recommened that your child uses a booster seat until she's 4ft 9in. If your child likes something like say Dora you can always make a slip cover to get her more excited about riding. My daughter has princess crowns on hers. Good luck

I purchased the Britax Marathon for both of my boys. Yes, it is a little more pricey but they both love their car seats. They are larger and sit up alot higher than most. Both of my boys; now 32mo's and 15mo's can see out the windows in our Nissan Murano. I purchased mine off of Ebay, new, in the box, w/a warranty for under $250. I actually had a pretty severe wreck when my first son was only 14mo's and the car seat held up GREAT. I took it to the fire station after the accident and they said it looked better than new and I did NOT need to purchase a new one or send that one in for any repairs. Like I said, it did cost more than I expected but it has been well worth the $$. BRU offers a seat cover for only $19.99 for travels so we take both car seats w/us on all of our plane rides. You can check them at the luggage countere and they do not count as a piece of luggage. God is good:):)

Hi There! I was at Sam's this weekend and saw a really nice Eddie Bauer car seat. It looked really safe and compfortable, and it even converts to a booster seat! They had it on sale for I think $64. I was wanting to get it for my son (2.5 yrs), but we already have three seats, one for me and my husband and one floater for the grandparents. I really don't like the one we bought for the gp's. The other two are evenflo's. We got them at Babies r us for $130 each.

You should definitely get your daughter out of the seat she is in asap, over head shields (what you are using) can actually be dangerous.

Boosters are for BIG kids, you want to keep your child in a harness as long as possible. Putting a child in a booster seat too early can cause serious damage if you were to ever be an an accident (even a minor one)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04 - here is a great video about why you should keep your kids in a 5 point harness.

I would consider the Graco Nautilus for your daughter, it harnesses to 65lbs, and then will convert into a high back booster, and then later on down the road can be used as a backless booster.

You can also look into a Britax Regent, since your daughter is forward facing at this point. (Technically at her weight she could still be rear facing, which is quite a bit safer, but thats a whole other topic)

Please avoid all the Eddie Bauer/3-in-1 car seats, they suck and most kids grow out of them by height long before they reach age 3, which means you would have to move them out of the harness earlier than necessary.

Also, PLEASE avoid using consumer reports for making choices when it comes to car seats, they honestly have NO CLUE what the heck they are talking about.

If you have any other car seat related questions, please feel free to private message me (I am a certified car seat technician) or head over to www.car-seat.org - there are tons of people over there with a wealth of information.

Gracco makes one that is a car seat then turns into a booster. It has like 3 seatbelt holders on either side. It worked great for us.

A.,
Check out Consumer Reports for which ones have the best safety record. It will also give price range and best buys. I understand the money issue just please remember that this purchase could potentially save your child's life and please, please keep her in a safety seat until she is large enough to go to a booster and then lastly, a seat belt in the BACK seat. Small children should not ride in the front seat ever.

Booster seats are for kids who have reached 40 lbs., but I put my son in one a few months ago and he is around 35 lbs. He just turned 4. She seems a little young for one, I think. She may not like the car seat, but it is for her safety and that is a nonnegotiable at my house. If you really want a different one why not buy a gently used one at Once Upon a Child. You could save some money that way and please her, too.

If she is over 30 pounds get her a booster. She will love it and be able to puckle herself like big girl.

Try to find a five point harness system that upgrades to a shoulder belt system and then eventually booster seat only. This was the best thing I bought, and it is in the closet waiting on the next one to use it! At this age they still really need the five point and take the time to work the buttons to see what is easiest for you to use. Target, wal-mart, K-mart all have the same stuff, about the same price, usually you can find one under $75.00. Good Luck!

I just bought my son a Graco - Nautilus 3-in-1 MultiUse Car Seat, and whish that I had gotten it long ago. He loves the cup holder, "handles", and there are little "cubbies" that he can hide toys in. It has the 5 point harness for up to 65lbs, and they can stay in the booster for upto 100lbs. It is very popular right now, so it can be hard to find. I did find a few at Wal-Mart on 820 and Rufe Snow. (Amazon was sold out, as was Walmart.com). It runs $145.00, so not the most expensive, but also not the cheapest. Good luck.

Here is a link if you want to do a little research about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-3-in-1-Car-Seat/dp/B...

What about getting her a booster seat instead.

You can find them at your local Burlington or Try Target
But bottom line you need to get your sweetie pie a booster seat so she can feel comfort.

P.S. You may spend up to 55 to 65 dollars for a toddler booster seat.You and your husband may have to pay half and half on her a booster seat.

So just remember you want whatever price that`s going to make your daughter comfortable.

She can upgrade to a booster at 40 pounds. My favorite carseat of all was the Britax Marathon. It keeps them in a 5 point harness up to 65 lbs. It had been in two minor fender benders, with most seats you are supposed to replace them after any kind of accident. The last wreck totaled my Jeep, so it was time for another one. Now my 41 pound 5 yr old has a Britax Parkway. It's just uses the seatbelt. Check around. I found the best prices on both of these using www.froogle.com. Here is a link to the cheapest one on the site.

http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-marathon-convertible-car-...

Yeah, I actually know this one! I became certified in child passenger safety as a part of my old job. I suggest you look for what is called a "Combination" car seat. That means it can be used as a forward-facing seat (i.e., has a harness), and when your child reaches the weight limit, the harness can be removed, and the seat functions as a booster seat. Although all carseats have to meet the same national safety standards, some are definitely better than others! I suggest you look for a seat with high weight and height limits so you can use it as long as possible. Five-point harness systems are the absolute safest (that's what race car drivers use!), so use the harness as long as the weight limit allows. Children need to stay in booster seats until seat belts restrain them in the right places--across the hip bones and across the breast bone (NOT across the stomach and neck!). There are many 11-13 year olds who really should be in booster seats because they are small/short. You might try to let your daughter sit in the car seat at the store and see how easily you can work the straps, and how snuggly it fits her. I would avoid any with trays (I hate them too!). Hope this helps! :)Katy

My daughter is only 10 months old so I haven't had experience with a booster seat for her yet, but I have with my 5 year old Niece. She was about 3 years old when she moved from a front facing car seat to a booster seat. Even after that she would use her car seat at times because it reclined and didn't make her neck as sore as a booster seat when she fell asleep on a long car ride. As for a car seat, my duaghter and niece both had one with 2 straps (one to go over each arm) and they would buckle together and then buckle into the strap between their legs. My daughter loves hers! She thinks she's a big girl! My niece loved hers also. She never had any problems unless it was just a long ride and she was tired of being in a vehicle at all. Toys R Us and Babies R Us have very plush car seats and boosters which is where I got my daughter Abbie's, but if you're on a budget, I've seen a lot of the same brands that are just as plush, at wal-mart for a better price. Graco and Safety 1st are two brands. I would recommend maybe letting your daughter sit in the display car seats and maybe she can tell you which one makes her the most comfortable. Hope this helps!!

We have an Eddie Bauer which cost I think around $60-70. It is a 5 point harness for now and then changes to a booster seat when the time comes, so you get more for your money. It has arm rests, a head rest and even a drink holder. We had a car seat like you described when my first son was a toddler. We went to a car seat safety carnival at our church and was told not to use that kind and they traded ours out for a 5 point harness.

Be careful when the carseat says it is good for up to 80 lbs with a five point harness; it may have a harness but not all carseats are approved to continue to use the harness past 40 lbs. Graco came out with the Nautilus recently that is approved for the harness to be used up to 65 lbs. You can buy it at Walmart for about $125.

I did a lot of research on car seats, my son is one year old and is 23 pounds. I wanted to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as possible. We purchased a Britax Regent, it is forward facing only and goes from 22 pounds to 80 pounds. It was pricey, but all the people that I have spoken to and all of the reviews have said that it is well worth the money. Hope this helps.

H.

britax without a doubt. well worth every penny you spend on it.

If your child is 30 lbs, you can probably go with a booster car seat that just uses the car's seat belt. You would need to look at the weight requirements on the booster itself. You can find this information online, or at the store. Most of the booster seats start at 30 lbs. This will hold your child until she is 100 lbs. The only problem is that she will figure out how to unbuckle herself. Be sure and put your child locks on your back doors.

Britax...they can hold up to 80 lbs. Boosters are that safe.