Car Seat Question

What age can I legally and safely put my DS1 in a booster? He was at the doctor the other day and he alreay weighs 37 lbs! :icon_eek: He is a big kid. 3'3" tall. Everyone thinks he is 4 years old and are shocked when I say he's only 2! I have a Graco seat that goes to 40lbs. Could he be put into a booster? I hate to buy another car seat...but I want to be sure he is safe (above all else). Thanks!

 

big doesn't equal mature unfortunately.

Berkley has always been massive, she was 43 lbs and 40.5" tall at her 3 yr check up.

But a booster wasn't safe for her yet because even though her bones and muscles were longer, doesn't mean they're stronger. Just like a newborn, a 10lb newborn isn't developmentally more mature than an 8 lb newborn. KWIM?

I didn't move Berkley into a true booster until she was closer to 5, she's still in one now even though she's the size of an average 8 yr old {she just turned 6}. She's about 60 lbs and 50" tall now, easily legal to use just a seatbelt here.

 

I would say it depends on the booster. Are you talking the 5 point harness, high backed booster or just the little booster seat that uses just the seatbelt as a restraint?

My son is 3yr3mo and is in a highbacked 5 point harness booster. He will be in this one a while. At 3 his weight was 38lbs and 37-38 inches tall.

My opinion, no way would I put Gabe in just the seatbelt type booster till he outgrows this 5pt booster. Heck, I'd have him in a 5point harness till high school if I had a choice about it.

 

J&H moved from their carseats to high back 5pt booster seats around 3 1/2. They just went to regular seatbelts with those seats a couple of months ago (a little over 5 yrs old) when the straps reached just barely below their shoulders. The boosters in my husbands truck are still well above their shoulders, so they still use the 5pts in those.

 

I was assuming she meant just the booster seat, like the bottom booster thingy, not a booster carseat.
My response reflects that assumption just in case.

 

QUOTE(rheamay @ May 9 2007, 02:05 PM) [snapback]248728[/snapback]
What age can I legally and safely put my DS1 in a booster? He was at the doctor the other day and he alreay weighs 37 lbs! :icon_eek: He is a big kid. 3'3" tall. Everyone thinks he is 4 years old and are shocked when I say he's only 2! I have a Graco seat that goes to 40lbs. Could he be put into a booster? I hate to buy another car seat...but I want to be sure he is safe (above all else). Thanks!



Legally, it depends on what state you are in.

Personally I still have my five year old in a harnessed seat. It is just so much saver, hundred times saver! I you can afford a new seat. I would get a Fisher Price Save Voyage Deluxe seat, it harnesses to 55lbs, that should help you get him to an acceptable age for a booster. Albeebaby sells them for about $140 with free shipping. It is just like a Britax Marathon but with a few less features and $100 less.

 

Mine have been in the High Back Boosters with the seatbelts since just before they turned 3. They were too tall for their convertable seats, and the Graco high back boosters are good from 3 years and 30 lbs. Now at not quite 5, Jon is almost too tall for the highback booster, and will probably be in the regular booster soon.

 

My boys are almost 35 lbs....so I get you!!!

I just put them in the Safetey first Apex 65....it holds them in a 5pt harness until they are 65 lbs and half the price of Britax. The seat also holds the booster lap belt option until 100lbs.

They love them!!

I got them on sale at Albeebaby.com for 100 incl shipping (each).

good luck!

 

I suggest a alpha omega 3-in-1 it seats to 100 lbs and has a 5 point harness. We just bought these for our girls as a second set for the expedition.

 

I moved DS to a larger, harnessed carseat.

We got him a Britax Regent, which is huge. However, my concern was torso height, as DS is long in the torso. This had the highest harness slots. It's quite $$, but I know, with the girls to follow, it will be used for 6 years ---- making me get my $ worth.

Then, because it was a real pain to move to other cars (and because our twins are after DS), we got a second big harnessed carseat --- the Sunshine Kids Radian (170, incl shipping through Albeebaby). It is narrower, doesn't have the same height in harness straps, but still gets pretty tall. It is also okay for use in an airplane.


We went with the harness b/c I wanted the safest option. A child who falls asleep and slouches will not be properly positioned in a seatbelt. My DS is also likely to unbuckle himself from a standard seatbelt.


One other consideration for us? We never had to buy either the infant seat or the convertible seat. We got the infant seat as a gift, and DH's company gives a seat to new parents. So, these were really the only carseats we've had to buy ourselves. I fully understand the financial drawbacks!