My son is 3 years old and weighs 32 pounds. I found a booster seat that says it can be used at 30 pounds. Is this a good choice for an extra seat in Grandma's car? His main seat is an Evenflo Chase in my car.
No. Your son is way too young and too light to use a booster seat. The minimum for booster use should be 4 years and 40 pounds. A child less than 40 pounds doesn't fill out the seatbelt well and can submarine (slip under the seatbelt) in a crash.
My daughter is 3 1/2 and weighs 38 pounds. She needs a new seat as her only goes to 40 pounds. Is the Highback Graco Turbobooster a good seat?
Yes, that is a nice booster, but not for your daughter. At only 3 years old, she too young for a booster and should remain in a harness. The minimum for booster use is 4 years and 40 pounds. However, many children aren't mature enough to sit properly the entire ride until 5-7 years old. I would suggest the Graco Nautilus, Safety First Apex 65 (If your vehicle has headrests), or the Britax Frontier. They will all keep your daughter in a harness longer (up to 65, or 80 pounds). They can also convert to a booster once she's old enough.
Here are some videos on children that were too small for the booster seats they used.
Isabelle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYDasLZh1Tk&feature=related
Another for Isabelle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xbTw&feature=related
Kyle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ&feature=related
Kyle's family on Good Morning America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDnBO76RFM&feature=related
Toni http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59s3PjcntQ&feature=related
Those videos are not saying booster seats are bad, or that your child needs to be in a harness forever. They're simplying showing you what can happen if a child is too young/small for a booster; even if they meet the minimum requirements on the seat.
If you want to support a group that donates high weight harness seats to families that can't afford them, please visit the Kyle David Miller Foundation http://www.kyledavidmiller.org
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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12 comments:
I don't know how to email you so I'm posting my q here...
My son is starting school next year and will be driven by someone else. He is about 30 lbs currently, and as such needs to be harnessed. We currently have an Evenflo Chase and I need to get another carseat for the other car. I prefer not to spend as much as we did on the Chase, but I can understand it.
The problem is that the driver has a Camry, and 3 carseats/boosters in the back. She needs the carseat to be narrow enough that she can buckle in the 2 kids who will be using boosters. I see from your reviews that the Graco CarGo is narrow. What other narrow carseats are there? I don't need any frills -- he won't be in the carseat for more than 20 minutes at a time. Thanks!
What are the other seats in the Camry? What year is the camry? How old are the other children and about how much do they weight?
You might also want to ask the question at www.car-seat.org. There will be more people there familiar with what will fit in a Camry.
Thanks for that tip...I haven't been on car-seat.org for a while; I forgot about it.
Camry is probably around an 01 by looking at it. She's not yet sure which seats she'll have in there. She has a 6 year old in a low back and someone else is bringing a high back...I was just wondering if you knew which FF carseats have a narrow footprint...
The Radian would be your best bet for narrow. But it's an expensive seat. The Graco Cargo would probobly be your best bet for an inexpensive narrow combo seat.
hi, your tips and video links changed my mind. Thank you
I'll take a look at the Cargo -- also the Combi Coccoro was suggested to me.
I have to compare plushness, but the Combi Connection I have seems very comfortable for my baby...if I'm spending this amount, it might be worth it to get a more comfortable FF car seat so I can use it on long trips (my son complains about his Chase)...thanks for your input. I'm also waiting to hear what carseat.org users have to say :)
annonymous, I'm glad my blog helped you :) It is here to help inform caregivers and keep children safe.
LN,
I did see your post on c-s. Glad they had some great ideas for you.
Hello, my son is 6.5 years old and weighs about 68 lbs. In Connecticut, where we live, a child must remain in a booster until they are 6 and 60lbs. In my mind, what is required by law and what is the safest for a child are not necessarily the same thing. Especially since I see that other states have requirements that children stay in their boosters until age 8. When is it appropriate to take the booster seat away?
You're right. There is a big difference between legal and safe. A child no longer needs a booster when the child can pass the 5 step test. Usually between 10-12 years old.
1- Sit with back flat against the vehicle seat
2- knees bend comfrtably over the edge of the vehicle seat (w/o scooching butt forward)
3- lap belt rests low on the hips, not on the stomach
4- shoulder belt rests on the middle of the shoulder. Not cutting into the neck
5- they can sit that way for the entire ride
My child is just over 2, but is over 40lbs. Due to his weight can he use a booster seat now?
Anonymous-
No, a 2 year old is not safe in a booster seat. Young children can submarine under the seatbelt, or even be thrown out. Two year olds are also not mature enough to sit properly, causing the seatbelt to not protect them in a crash.
If your current carseat only goes to 40 pounds, he needs a high weight harness seat. Some examples are: Evenflo Generations 65 ($99), Graco Nautilus ($145-180), Britax Frontier ($250-270 I think). If your vehicle has headrests, you could also use the Safety 1st Apex ($95-120).
If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me at kegutierrez@yahoo.com
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