Booster Seat

At what age did you put your child into a booster seat. My son is 4 year and 3 months and is 40 inches tall and weighs about 38-39 pounds. I just put him in a high back booster using the adult seatbelt - we have the Graco One.

What is everyone else using?

 

At 4.5 we put DD in the Britax booster. It seemed to be comfortable and safe. She loves the side wings - she can nap on longer trips.

 

At 4 years old we moved my oldest DD to a graco turbo booster.

 

Regardless of the age, weight, or height, the longer you can keep a child in a harness car seat, the safer the child is. My 4.5 year old is still in a Harness seat- yes this is the fourth seat for her, but I do believe it will be the last one. First it was the Graco Snugride, then the Triumph, then another harness seat, and now a fourth harness seat. In her current seat, she can use the harness up to 65lbs. I cannot recall the name of the seat right off the top of my head, but if anyone wants to know, I can go check the seat.

 

Dh and i just went to the highway patrolman's house tonight, got our new carseats and got shown how to install them correctly! For the 1yo twinks we got convertables that are still rear facing, they are about 19lbs and 24 inches tall. RaeLynn is 4 and 3 mnths 33lbs and I am not sure on the hight but he said she was still good in her five point and to come back after the summer to get the highbacked booster.

BTW, I dont know what other states do this (I posted once in the FY forum) but in MT the highway patrol gives out free carseats when yours are ready for a move up!! And they install them for you... we just got an hour long lesson on child placement and all sorts of things... very very educational, we were doing alot of things "wrong". I suggest everyone do it!!

ETA: Taylor is 6, 45 lbs and about 3 1/2-4 feet tall, she is in a regular booster now. Siera 8, 60lbs and 4.6 feet is now just in the back seat no booster at all.

 

I will be keeping mine in a 5 pt. harness as long as possible. We have the Sunshine Kids Radian seats that go to 65 lbs. Mine are only 34 and 36 lbs now at 3.5 so hopefully they will be in them for a few more years. I will also keep Elizabeth rear facing as long as possible. She is in the same seat.

 

Ours have been in the high back turboboosters since just before they turned 3. They had both reached the weight requirement, and were too tall for their convertables. All of my friends in our neighborhood have switched at the same point to the same seats.

 

Agree with some of the previous poster. All experts and the AAP advice you to keep your child in a harnass at least until age 4 AND 40lbs. Seats like the Radian and the Regent accomodate harnassing way beyond that age (easily up to age 6-eight) so your child doesn't have to be a booster at age 3 or 4. My oldest was 39lbs and 40 1/2 inches at age 3 (95% for height and weight since birth), and no way I was putting her in a booster. She's in a Radian 65, loves the seat, with room to grow.

Some videos to watch about extended harnassing:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ...ted&search=
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59s3PjcntQ...feature=related

Or watch this video. The child in front is in a booster, the one in the back in a harnass:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKbrM...feature=related


My heart aches for these parents. I know my child is safer in a harnass and she'll be as long as possible. My twins were rear facing up to 15 months (and way over 26lbs). I turned them ff because I couldn't my twin girl in the middle (I hurt my back very badly twice within a short amount of time). I can only have 3 across, but my oldest couldn't get there with rear facing seats. Now my oldest is in the middle. It works well and at least they rear faced longer than necessary.