The Best Booster Seat

Britax has a new booster seat called the frontier that has a 5 point harness seat belt but that can also be used with a should harness seatbelt depending on the size of the child. They make excellent products.

I would suggest getting one with the 5 piont harness that straps into the car. When he is old enought you can then remove the harness straps and use it as a booster seat.

I love the Britax seats. They are more expensive, but they are so much better. I had a Graco comfortsport and changed to the Britax Decathalon, it is so much better, I love it.

It's nice to see so many educated responses. So I'll just say my 5 yo just hit 40lb, and still has some to grow before she will reach the hight limit of our 5 point car seat. Just pick a good one that will go 5 point - booster.
A. H

Our three year old has been in a booster seat for about 7 months now, and she just turned three. However, it was very hit in miss in the beginning and we spent a lot of time taking the straps out and putting the straps back in on her seat. I would recommend getting a 5 point harness seat, let your son get used to it and then convert him over to the booster seat. If he sits well, leaves the seat belt alone, and doesn't unbuckle then he will probably do fine like that. I also have co-workers who didn't move their daughters into a booster seat until they were 4. Both of my girls, because of their height moved up early, and did fine with it.

Hello!

Many of the car seat/booster seats are two fold. Most of them have the 5 point harness which can be removed at 4 then they have the seat belt guiders to be used at that time. This is what we did for my now 4 yr old it worked out great and to her it is like a new seat, but we can still use it for our son, when it is time.

I am a SAHM of two great kids a girl 4 and a little boy 1 1/2 I also do child care in my home.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website has great info, and they recommend not putting a child in a booster seat until they're 4. When you are ready to get a booster seat, go to your public library (if you don't already subscribe to this) and look at the Consumer Safety Reports safety rankings for boosters. This is what we did when we were buying our car seats.

We have 2 boys, 19 months apart and due to my 2nd son's growth rate till now, we have 2 of the Safety First seats that convert later on to a seat belt booster. They can be used up to 80-100lbs so it will easily convert for you later. It stays a booster with a back, but once your son is tall enough it has strap adjusters to keep the seat belt where it belongs and not cutting across his neck or face.

Until your child is at least 40lbs and 40 inches tall, keep him in the five point system! With all the research going on about how children's bodies aren't even ready to sit in a car seat until they are of a certain age for development reasons, not just the obvious safety reasons, it is way safer to keep him in the five point as long as you can.
We got both of ours at Walmart a couple years apart, but they're almost identical. Stay away from Cosco ones as Cosco has had major issues in the past with safety recalls.

Hope this helps! Good luck!
K.

My daughter's 3 and I just got her a backless booster. It works great. It's an evenflow and it has a cute little mermaid design. My daughter's fairly big so the doc told me a backless booster would be fine. She's 50 lbs. and 41in. tall. It also came with a strap that makes the seatbelt fit more comfortably. The age limit just doesn't make sense to me. If your child is above the weight and height limit then a backless booster will be fine. They only give the age limit for your kid if they're under the weight and height limits. Just read the box on the boosters. They'll tell you what their limits are.

Before purchasing a booster seat be sure and watch these. I have seen a couple where the children actually "pop" right out the top of the lap belts in an accident. Sadly, there are many of these videos on youtube.com
You won't find me complaining about putting my child in a booster until they are the right weight/size to trigger the seatbelts appropriately. Seatbelts are not the place to skimp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw&feature=re...

I bought an Evenflo Triumph DLX which is good to 65lbs with a 5 point harness. Yes, it is a little bulky-but very close in comparison with the Britax for 1/2 the price. I love the extra padding and the dual side harness adjustments so you can adjust it from either side. It also reclines a bit.

Good luck in your search,
C.

A just turned 3 year old is not ready to sit in a seat belt only seat! He should still have the five point system. There are high back boosters that come with the five point system. I would recommend any of these. Honestly, they are safer in more than less.

H.

you can't yet - he is not 4 the law in MI is 4 yrs and 40 lb..... children age newborn to age three and under 40 lbs have to be in a car seat. A a 5 point harness booster(Britax model) till he/she is too big for it is what I've done. Then I got the Britax High back booster with side impact support (which also helps with naps his head doesn't droop forward) Britax has come out with IMO the best solution in using a 5 pt harness then it will convert to what I now have. (Wish they has this a few years ago!) Here is the link to it http://www.britaxusa.com/products/product_detail.aspx?ID=15

Visit the National Highway and Safety websites, you can see the rankings from testing and I even think what is best for your vehicle size.

Keep in mind that your three year old probably still needs to be in a 5 point harness safety seat - the law states that they need to be in a 5pt. harness until they weigh at least 40 lbs. Also - a 5 pt harness is much safer for your child.

We kept our kids in 5 point harness until the max weight limit listed on the seat...both boys were easily 4 years old.

Hi P.,
I would get a booster seat that starts as a five point system and then switches to a seat belt. Until he's four he needs to be in a five point harness (or something similar). It shouldn't be just the seat belt. Good luck.
Chris

On Saturday May 10th there is going to be a booster seat sale and evaluation at Macomb Mall by Kohls. They are supposed to match you with a booster by the size of your child and the type of vehicle you drive. Maybe you could call mall information to find out the times.

I got my son his booster about 1 yr ago and I did A LOT of research on what was the best for the money and we found that EVENFLO (I think that is the spelling) was the best about $100 or cheaper with coupons or where you buy it we got ours from babies r us probably more expensive place, but we need it ASAP. Anyway, I don't know the model # but it is black and the seat padding is very small black and white checkers. It is 5 pt system and when he gets big enough the 5 pt seat belt comes out and you can use the regular seat belt. Which is why we went with this model. I see the other moms also talked about some of the other features and their kids boosters and this one also has moveable arm rests, pillow, and a cup holder. Good luck!!

It depends on how tall he is, and if the seat belt will rub on his neck.
I don't remember what brand my DD is but I just bought it so I'm sure there is more. It is bright pink and says very important princess on it. It comes in black for boys I think.
I really like it cause it straitens out to get into 2 door cars. |_ to | The only thing I don't like about mine is the arm rests don't swing out. The best thing I like is the head part wraps around far and when she falls asleep her head reasts relly nice on it. I also like the 2 cup holders.

compass makes good booster seats. They won an innovation award with the style. It folds in half for easier transporting, but is still strong and sturdy for the car. There are several different styles to choose from as well. Target.com sells these booster seats, as well as other places. Google compass booster seats, and you should be able to find a retailer that carries them; I found mine at The Baby's Room. Good luck

-L.

Hi P.,

An excellent choice for the money you will be spending is the new Graco Nautilus. It's a front facing car seat only, which harnesses until 65 lbs, then transforms to a high back booster, then a regular booster.

I will be purchasing this seat for my son when he outgrows his evenflo deluxe which only goes to 40 lbs front facing.

You have received excellent advice, and I think the most important thing people are telling you is that your 3 year old son cannot be in just a booster with a seat belt yet.

I wanted to let you know we just purchased a new car seat/booster all in one for my 3 yr old son. It is a new car seat by Graco called Nautilus for $150.00. They can be in the 5 point harness system until 65lbs! That is the safest way to go! I will be keeping my son in that harness system for as long as possible. I would check this seat out! We love it and so does my son. We purchased ours at BabiesRus and Walmart might have it too. Hope this helps! S.

Well, I personally don't have a preference, but my kids prefer the one that lets them use the seatbelt. In fact, I just had to go buy another one yesterday for my 5yr. old. (bringing my up to 4 boosterseats in my car now!) I swear, I think these carseat companies have lobbyists in congress...

I would say consider your car's seatbelts and where your son will be sitting because the ones that let you use the seatbelt mostly have to use a shoulder strap to be really secure.

Hi P. -

We have combo forward-facing carseat/booster seats for our sons (I think they are made by Evenflo). Our boys are 21 months now and in the 5-pt harness forward-facing carseat. When they are older (and taller), we can remove the harnesses and use the seatbelt across them. We got them at Babies-R-Us.

Make sure you know the standards for height/weight/age before you use the shoulder strap kind. I think he is still too young for that.

Dana

P.,

It really depends on the child height and weight. I personally like the 5 pt harness seats. I would not spend a lot of money on them because he will not use it that long. By the time he is 5 he will want us the booster seat not the high back one. Well at least both of my oder boys did. I like the 5 pt harness because you can still use the tether and or seat belt to secure the seat in if you go with the other kind you can only use the seat belt.
If you have a a child who has trouble sitting straight up or not scrimmy(sp) then the seat will tilt and fall over. I had trouble with my oldest doing this so my second child I bought the 5 pt harness. Also remeber if your in Mi. There is going to be a new car seat law in July I think. That children up to the age of 8 or 49 ft tall will have to be in a booster so keep this in mind when you are picking one out.

At 3 years old he's not ready to sit properly in a booster. Sadly, the low weight limits on boosters just make the booster companies more money...it's not safe. I really recommend going to www.car-seat.org. Car seat technicians will recommend seats based on how big your kids are, your car, and what your price range is. A really popular seat right now is the Graco Nautilus that a few people mentioned. Your son can use the harness part now, and then when he's too big for that he can use it as a booster seat. It's about $150. Walmart, Target, Meijer, and BRU are going to be carrying it, the trick is to find it in stock! Like I said it's very popular, so call first. Your son really needs to be in a harnessed seat. They contain the body much better than a seat belt alone. There's a reason adult race car drivers use them. Even if your son is large for his age, he would still have to sit perfectly still and keep the shoulder belt in the right spot (which is required for the booster to be effective) the entire car ride. That means no reaching for fallen toys, no leaning over to annoy his sister, no falling asleep, etc. It's not worth the risk.

At 3 years old, your son is not old enough and I'm guessing not big enough to go without the 5-point harness system! My son turned 3 in January and is not even close to being ready for a booster. He's in the same carseat he was in at 8 months old (the one we bought after he outgrew his infant carrier seat). It was rear-facing until he was a year old, then we turned it around. You're just going to have to have 2 full-sized carseats in the backseat for a while! They're only little once. Don't try to make them grow up too fast! Good luck with your search!

P.,

A few years ago when I was faced with the same decision, I opted for a Cosco seat with a 5 point harness that could be used with or without the harness. By the time my kids outgrew the harness, they were old enough to want to use the seat belt. Becuase the seat could be used either way, I didn't have to buy another seat for just the seat belt. My son is 8 and stil using the seat.

Hope this helps.

K.