S/O rear facing - how long will you keep them in a 5 pt. harness?

Massachusetts passed a law last summer that:

We bought the Graco Nautilus seats that will accommodate my girls up to 65 pounds in the 5 pt. harness. I plan to keep them in the 5 pt. as long as possible, especially after watching all of the videos recently!!

Are you going to keep yours in a harness longer than your state law states?

 

We also have the Nautilus for my 4 year old and plan to use until 65 pounds which could be quite a while (he is currently 39 pounds)
My 2 year olds are still in Britax seats and will stay until 33 pounds.

 

We have the Britax Regent for our 5 year old and it goes until 80lbs, not sure of the height limits. We most likely won't keep him in it until then but he'll be in his 5pt for at least another few years, I think.

 

My 5-year-old is also in a Nautilus, and is still harnessed comfortably at 45+ pounds. I thought about switching it to booster mode recently because I thought it would be easier in kindergarten carpool line, but she can get in and out of the harness easily herself, so I'll keep her harnessed for some time yet.

I am fairly comfortable with the occasional trip in a friend's car in a high-back booster, though. But, she'll be 6 in January, and she knows how to sit properly in a booster.

My little ones are in Radian 65's, and they'll be harnessed for a long, long time to come. They're pretty heavy, actually, around 35 pounds or more -- but hopefully they don't gain another 25 pounds before they're 5, at least.

 

Our Britax Boulevards go up to 49 inches & 65 lbs, and I plan to keep them in these seats probably until they reach one of those limits. However, I may switch them to a different 5-point harness seat if these begin to seem uncomfortable to them (I can't imagine them in these seats at 49 inches and 65 lbs... but I guess maybe it's possible!). I probably will keep them in a 5-point harness probably until at least age 6 or 7.

 

As I mentioned in the original thread, we switched to a booster after their 5th birthday. We had the Radian 65, and they were well below the weight limit (although Aaron is now pushing the height limit). But the buckle cut into their groin, and they could not longer sit comfortably. Maybe other families do not have this problem?

 

We have Nautilus seats. My boys can do the buckles fully on their own now (fasten and unfasten) pretty quickly so there would be nothing gained by switching to boosters at this point. When they get too tall or complain that the seat is uncomfortable, then we'll switch.

 

All still harnassed here too. My oldest is 5 years 4 months, still harnassed in a Radian, she'll stay in there for at least another year. Then I may need to Radian for one of the twins, because one Marathon is about to expire. They don't sell the wide range of seats they have in the States here, especially the harnassed seats with high weight limit. I am pretty sure my oldest will outgrow the height before the weight. She's currently 48lbs, the twins are about 36lbs.

 

YES!! FL does not have a booster law after the 4 and 40# to be out of a carseat. However, Leah is still in the Britax Marathon and about to turn 5 and is 44#. I will leave her in the Marathon until she starts Kindergarten next year and then go for a high back booster permanently. She does ride in a booster now to school (2 miles) up the road. But for every other ride, she is in a 5 pt harness. Although its a pain to have to keep getting her in and out, I just couldnt live with myself if we got into an accident and there was something I could have done to prevent it. ardon:

 

My twins are in Britax blvds. they will be until they are 65 pounds or until the buckle starts to be uncomfortable on their legs. At that point I will buy another 5pt harness if they are not 65 pounds OR a booster if they are. Right now my girls are so tiny I do not see them reaching 65 pounds until they are 8.

 

I kept my two older ones in it until they couldn't fit height wise. My 9 yr old weighs 56lbs and is only 48inches tall so she still is in booster. My 6yr old is 42lbs and about 44inches and he just got out of a 5pt. Mitch and McKenna are just 30lbs and like 36inches so they will graduate college I am sure in a booster... I can't remember what the name of my 5pt ones are, they are from Eddie Bauer and are able to move the top part up pretty high.

 

They will outgrow their car seats at 40 lbs. This is also when Kentucky state law says they can be in a booster seat. There is no way I can afford another car seat between this one and a boost, so we will be switching to boosters then. I've looked into the seats that convert from a 5-point harness to a booster, but they are so much more expensive! I hate that it has to be an issue, but it just is. As it is, I'm going to have to hope they reach that 40 lbs mark around a birthday or Christmas.

BTW, I found this comment on the Kentucky State Police website funny: "One of the most common mistakes made is to place a child in a vehicle seat belt too early. Your child needs a booster seat if the shoulder belt crosses your child's face or neck." I'm 5'7" and I have to use a special clip to keep seat belts from cutting across my neck! I'm all legs, so I seem short when I am sitting. Maybe I need a booster? :lol:

 

Stacy, look at the Graco Nautilus, they're harnassed seats (up to 65lbs) that convert into a booster and they're not that much more expensive and a lot of safer. Some people on here found great deals for these seats

 

With coupons and the twins discount at BRU, we got the Graco Nautilus for about $130 per seat. I wanted to get the Britax Frontiers, but they were $120 more than the Nautilus. And I like that the Nautilus is a steel frame.

I'm so glad to see so many people keeping them in a 5 pt. longer than some states require. :good:

Cathy, it sounds like your guys are just tall. My girls are pretty tall, so I'm wondering realistically how long they will sit in these seats.

 

Thanks for trying to help. However, expense is very relative. What isn't very expensive for one person...

I paid about $50 for the car seats we have now and when we buy boosters they will probably be in the same price range. A Graco Nautilus runs around $150 (I did see them for $140, but that is the lowest). That is a huge difference, even if I could find them on sale.

 

In "my car" (aka, the van), the boys are in the Britax Marathon 5 point harnesses and will likely be there until next summer. I could not afford another 5 point harness seat for "dad's car", so we have high back boosters in that car for the short trips to the donut shop on saturdays and when he drops them at school (yes, I know accidents can happen any time, any where). They are about 42/43 inches and 42 and 44 lbs so they are within the "guidelines". We use the van almost all the time. Next summer, I will likely move them to the boosters in the van so Becca and the new baby will have the Marathons. The other car seats we have from when the boys were little are approaching "expiration".

 

A slightly cheaper option than the Nautilus but one that would harness your kids for a while longer and then be a good booster is the Apex 65. I found it online for $90, and I think sometimes it might be a bit less at Big Lots. The only thing about the Apex is that it requires a vehicle headrest behind it.

 

Long long time.

Mine are still in their Marathons @ almost 5 and will be for a very long time.

 

We have the Nautilus, too, and I have no plans to take them out of the 5 pt harness until I have to(65 lbs is what is stated on the website, so that will be for a long time). They just seem so snug and safe and they don't complain.