Car Seat to Booster transition

Discussion in 'Childhood and Beyond (4+)' started by Katiebelle, Jul 23, 2009.

  1. Katiebelle

    Katiebelle Well-Known Member

    My boys are tall and slender at five and a half years old. They're currently in older versions of these forward-facing convertible seats. They weigh 36-37 pounds, and are 44 inches tall. My carseat book says to switch them to the booster when they reach 43 inches and 40 pounds. Their shoulders are both above the slots where the shoulder straps go, but I'm sure we've got several months before they get to the weight needed to move them up, and by that time they'll have added more height too. We're not in a position to buy another set of carseats right now. What should I do?
     
  2. KCMichigan

    KCMichigan Well-Known Member

    I talked to my Pediatricain about this....my girls are 40 in and 30 & 34 lbs. The height for their carseats is 40 inches.He said the height is more important since the shape if the seat effects its ability to protect (shoulder harness/back-head rest) and to switch them to a booster that would take 30 lb and 40+ inches. We wont hit 40+ lbs here for a long time.....

    We are planning on getting boosters as a 'gift' from grandparents since we cant afford them at this point, but for safety reasons- need them. IS that an option? To make them more appealing to the girls- we are getting a fun 'pink pattern' instead of the dull grey we have now.

    Our local police station also 'donates' boosters a few times a year (but for the 40lbs and over-they weigh you). I would call around and see what they reccomend since ours also does 'saftey seat' checks for free to make sure you install it correctly (a big problem) and are trained in car seat safety. Our local Lions/Kiwanis clubs have also done 'free' boosters at different time of the year.

    Call your local Dr office, child care clinic, and /or the DMV (they also do car seat checks around here).
     
  3. Becky02

    Becky02 Well-Known Member

    Unfortunetly it sounds like they have out grown their carseats and they really should be put into new ones. They could use regular booster seats now. We got out girls these boosters and we finally took the backs off of them a couple of months ago. Then they will use these until they are out of boosters. So this would be the last booster you would have to buy. They also sell one that doesn't have the back to it but I think your boys are just a little to small for it.
     
  4. Julie L

    Julie L Well-Known Member

    We have the same boosters as PP. They were in them before 40 lbs because they were too tall for their forward facing seats. Ethan is 7 and still only weighs about 46 lbs. Cassie weighs more, but is about the same height. They now use backless boosters in DH's car and have for a while - his seatbelts are set lower. We are getting ready to take the backs off of the ones in my van as they are tall enough that they don't need the belt positioner any more.

    I won't take them out of boosters when they turn 8 either. They don't get out until they are tall enough for the seatbelt to fit properly without it. I look at more how the belt is fitting them for their height than their age or weight.
     
  5. ljcrochet

    ljcrochet Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I would check the owners manual and see what it says in turns of height. Most say when the straps are at a certain point, or if the head is above the frame. Not every child of the same height is built the same. Some kids are more legs then torso, so they can use a car seat longer then a long torso kid. I hope that makes sense.
     
  6. Katiebelle

    Katiebelle Well-Known Member

    Thanks for your replies, guys! We have some backless boosters for DH's car that say they're good from 30 pounds that we could use, but I always thought that they weren't quite as safe as the backed ones for some reason. Are backed boosters safer?
     
  7. Julie L

    Julie L Well-Known Member

    I think all the backed boosters do is to provide seat belt positioning for kids that are still too short for the seat belt to fit properly while sitting in the booster. It shouldn't be across their neck. It should run diagonally from shoulder to hip. When I would raise the back on mine, it just raised the headrest and the seatbelt so that it fit properly.

    When I take the backs off, I will check the car headrests to make sure they are pulled to the right level to be behind their heads.
     
  8. Chrissy Nelson

    Chrissy Nelson Well-Known Member

    I bought the girls Safeguardgo seats. They can use the harnesses till 60 lbs. I know they look like nerds still using harnesses but it is safe. Plus they turn into boosters after that.
     
  9. jjzollman

    jjzollman Well-Known Member

    We've got our 5 year old in a 5pt harness, too (Marathon in one car, Regent in the other). Nerdy, yes? But safest.

    I think the Safeguardo seats sound like a great option, especially since they convert to a booster. 40lbs is the minimum weight required by law (at least here) for a child to be in a booster seat.
     
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