Hi Moms....I have two questions. I think it is time to switch my son over to a booster seat based on his size, but I'm not sure if he's mature enough for it. My son will be 3 in July and is at least 40 lbs right now (he is really tall) and has not been comfortable in his carseat for some time now (the Britax Marathon). I thought about switching him when he turned 2 but decided to stick it out as long as I could. Currently he is taking his arms out of the 5-point harness b/c he says it hurts. If I tighten the harness too much he has to hunch over b/c he's too tall. I feel bad for him, but I do want him to be as safe as possible. What do you moms think is too soon to move to a booster seat? Also, what seat do I buy? I haven't found too much research out there and I want to make an informed decision.
WAY WAY to young for a booster alone. I bought two Graco Nautilus seats for both my boys. Convertible seat up to a 100 lbs. Both boys are very comfortable. I still use a 5 pt harness. Look into it. But please do not just use a booster!
We have two of the First Years Tru Fit and also we have one of the Graco Nautilus' for my 4.5 year old. He is tall and skinny and was just under 40 lbs at his 4 year check up. He loves them both and so do I. The Graco will last forever for him, the Tru Fit will last until 60lbs or so, but by then, he will be old enough (and tall enough) that we can transition him in one of our vehicles to a regular high back booster or just a booster. .
I agree that 3 seems a little young for a booster alone. We purchased the Evenflo Symphony b/c it can be used as a high-backed booster up to 100 pounds. Right now my son is still very little, but it's a great convertible. It can be used rear/front facing as a 5-point then a high backed booster. Under $200.
Do you have the Marathon straps in the highest position? Unless he's got a *really* long torse, he should be fine in the Marathon at 40 lbs.
But if you still feel the need to change seats, I agree with Kelley! I got the Graco Nautilus for my two-year-old and three-year-old. A five-point harness is the safest - they use it in race cars! More and more seats are coming out that feature five-point harnesses for higher weight. The Nautilus goes up to 65 lbs in the harness, and other seats go to 80 lbs! I think Walmart just advertised the Nautilus on rollback for $169 this week. It's a great investment, and then when he *has* outgrown the harness, you can use it has a high-backed booster and then a backless booster, as it goes up to 80 lbs. It's also height-adjustable. It's a fantastic seat!
