Seatbelt or 5 pt harness

Discussion in 'Childhood and Beyond (4+)' started by MusicalAli, Apr 5, 2010.

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Are your 5 year olds in a 5 point-harness or a seatbelt booster seat?

  1. 5 pt harness

    42.1%
  2. Seatbelt booster

    57.9%
  1. MusicalAli

    MusicalAli Well-Known Member

    Just curious as to what people are doing. We were in 5 pt harnesses until this past December when we had to move Becca into one of the boys' seats. The boys are technically big enough for boosters and seat belts at 45 lbs and 44-45 inches tall and are responsible. Only problem is when they fall asleep in the car (see post in 2-4 board) and they flop over. Financially we can't go back to a carseat and I also think it would cause an uproar from the boys, though they'll do what I tell them to do anyway :)
     
  2. Username

    Username Well-Known Member

    I don't currently have a 5 year old. But I voted what my kids were in at age 5. DD moved out of her 5-pt harness at about 6ish when she got too tall. My 9.5 year old and 7 year old are in booster seats. The 9 year old has a backless booster. The "babies" are obviously still in 5-pt harnesses.
     
  3. BellaRissa

    BellaRissa Well-Known Member

    My girls are almost 6, but a little smaller than your boys. I absolutely, positively would not allow them to ride without a 5 point harness. I am pasting a link to one of the many, many internet sites devoted to encouraging the use of 5 point boosters. This one is from EliteCarSeats.com.

    http://www.elitecarseats.com/New-on-ECS/5-point-harness/index.cat


    One passage from the site states:

    As a conscientious company that deals directly with the safe transportation of children, we urge parents to keep their children in car seats with a 5-point harness for as long as possible. A 5-point harness is an undeniably safer option than a booster seat that uses a lap and shoulder belt restraint. While some parents - let alone kids - do not like the idea of a five or six-year-old still using a "baby seat", a 5-point harness is absolutely the safest way to transport a child that is 80lbs. or less in an automobile.

    I needed to buy boosters to leave in Orlando - we visit there frequently & taking the carseats back & forth was difficult & I worried their seats would be damaged from all the handling. I bought good 5 point restraint full back seats for about $100. They are not as comfortable or cozy as our daily carseats - but they were easy to install, they slept comfortably on the late evening ride back from Disney & the beach & I felt much better that I would have with the regular seatbelts. At least watch the videos comparing safety between the seatbelts & 5 pt restraints - you mat become convinced and solve your problem with them napping in the car. Good luck!
     
  4. sharongl

    sharongl Well-Known Member

    Mine have been in boosters with seatbelts since they were about 3. We used the high back boosters until they were 6, and Jon was too uncomfortable--his legs were pushed out too far due to the back. With the high back boosters, there is a curve to the back that did keep them upright if they fell asleep. They are now counting the days until they turn 8 and no longer need a booster seat. Jon fits now without a booster, but knows he much wait until his birthday to ride without it.
     
  5. jjzollman

    jjzollman Well-Known Member

    My 5.5 year old is in a 5pt harness - a Britax Regent - and will be for quite awhile still. :) I have no plans of moving him to a booster any time soon.
     
  6. lharrison1

    lharrison1 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    This is the same for me.
    My 5.5yo is a tiny thing!! only weighs 35lbs so at this rate she will be in a 5pt harness until she is 10 years old!!! :rotflmbo: Fine by me!!!!
     
  7. FirstTimeMom814

    FirstTimeMom814 Well-Known Member

    We are in the Graco Highback boosters. My kids are huge, so I am comfortable with the decision.
     
  8. summerfun

    summerfun Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I do not have a 5 year old at this point either, but when my oldest DD was 5 she was in a high back booster with the seatbelt. I am sure my twins will be in a high back booster and using the seatbelt at age 5 as well.
     
  9. ktfan

    ktfan Well-Known Member

    My five year old is in a booster with a seatbelt and one of the twins is. The other twin is so tiny she is in a harnessed booster. None of them have fallen asleep in the car since they were under three so I have no advice about that. Sorry!
     
  10. TD

    TD Well-Known Member

    my kids are older, but at 5, they were both in 5 point harness's. The car seats I owned at the time allowed them to use the seats until they were 45" tall, so I waited until they hit the height limit to move them into the boosters. My son was 5.5 when he moved to the booster because of his height. My daughter was 6.5 when she moved because of her height. Neither of them weight much though (son is 42lbs at 6 and daughter is 49 pounds at 9)
     
  11. DATJMom

    DATJMom Well-Known Member

    My 5 year old is in both. We have a Britax Marathon that she rides in most of the time. And we have a Graco Turbobooster that she rides in to school that is about a mile away. That way she can get in and out by herself while in the carpool loop and I dont have to stop and park to load her in and out.
     
  12. mommyto3girls

    mommyto3girls Well-Known Member

    My twins were in highback boosters with the seatbelt at a little over three. They are now in the backless boosters with the seatbelt. They will be 7 next week and have started the countdown until they turn 8 and don't use the booster anymore. LOL All of my girls are tall.
     
  13. Callen

    Callen Well-Known Member

    My 5.5 yr olds are still in 5pt. I have no plans to move them to a regular booster for a very long time.

    My 8+ yr old is in a high back booster.
     
  14. sghaley

    sghaley Well-Known Member

    My 6 year olds have been in a high back booster with seat belt since they were 5. They had outgrown their 5 pt. seats and we made the decision to go to boosters because they technically were old enough and big enough and we did a lot of car seat shuffling, so the booster seemed to make more sense. If I had to go back and make the decision again, I would most likely keep them in 5 pt harness longer. It is just so much more secure.
     
  15. 4jsinPA

    4jsinPA Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I wish mine would grow so they could get to the booster. My 10 yr old is still in a booster (only 50inch and 55lbs) My 7 yr old is in a booster and the babies will be 5 (gulp!) this month and they are both in 5pt harness. He is 32lbs and she is 33lbs and they are both roughly 38-39inches so I think they will be sitting in them on their wedding day too....
     
  16. dfaut

    dfaut 30,000-Post Club

    They are considering raising the ages in Colorado for how long a child needs a booster! I can't remember what it was at this second (have to feed some breakfast!) but I'll look it up!
     
  17. Babies4Susan

    Babies4Susan Well-Known Member

    My duo just turned 4. But we recently invested in 3 sets of Graco Nautilus seats to keep them in the 5-point harness for a long time to come. They will most likely still weigh under 40 pounds at age 5 (32 and 30 pounds right now). I'll keep them in the 5-point harness for as long as I possibly can.
     
  18. tracyob

    tracyob Well-Known Member

    Here is another site that is very helpful:
    http://www.carseat.org/
     
  19. dfaut

    dfaut 30,000-Post Club

    We have both. They primarily ride with the 5 pt. harness, but on the rare occasion they are in my DH's car they have to be in the booster with belt and they sometimes ride in one in my car when we have extra kids in my car. Depends. They are going to use those 5 pt. harness as long as I can manage!!
     
  20. jenn-

    jenn- Well-Known Member

    Nathan has been in a high back booster since he was 4.5ish. William just switched last month to one (so at nearly 6). Technically William is still under the weight for his harness, but the buckles on it started acting goofy so we just switched. He is very happy to ride in his booster like is "younger" brother .
     
  21. Minette

    Minette Well-Known Member

    Mine are not 5 yet, but we're about to buy Graco Nautilus seats, so they'll be in a 5-pt harness until (hopefully) 65 lbs -- that could be till they're in middle school! :laughing: (Well, I have no idea, but they seem to only gain a few lbs a year, and they only weigh 35 lbs now -- they're outgrowing their current Britax seats by height, not weight.) Even when they're technically tall/heavy enough for a booster, I want to keep them in the 5-pt as long as possible.
     
  22. Amanda

    Amanda Well-Known Member

    Mine only went to boosters/seat belts around Christmas, they were 5.5 and are bigger than average.
     
  23. KCMichigan

    KCMichigan Well-Known Member

    My girls are 4.5 and in a Graco Turbo booster. They outgrew the 5 point we had heightwise. Our Pedi suggested the booster w/ a back & head rest. My girls are tall and skinny ( 41 & 42 inches and 32 & 37 lbs). We were concerned about the weight, but PEDI said it was safer to do the booster than the Graco 5 point harnesses we had (height limit was 40 inches) since you could get neck injuries if they exceeded the height.
     
  24. melissao

    melissao Well-Known Member

    Same here! Mine ride in the 5 pts. in my car. Sometimes on the weekend they will run an errand with DH in his car and use boosters then or when carpooling with friends.
     
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