MOOKs, carseat Q!

[Deleted]

Can I ask, what kind of seat is your 4 year old in?  Or older than 4?  What were they in around age 4?

My DS1 is currently in a high-backed convertible booster, at the moment he is wearing it with the 5-point harness.  I'm not sure when he will grow out of this and switch to using the seatbelt.?  It's much safer, right? to use the 5-pt harness?

As you know the carseat rules in Australia SUCK and are so lax.  Most of my friends have already switched to a short booster with the adult seatbelt.

So I wondered what you were doing?

[Deleted]

The carseat people say the are ready for a seat belt in a booster when they it fits correctly (lap belt on thighs, shoulder belt across chest), they can sit properly the entire ride, not fall asleep and a few other "tests". It's more a maturity thing from what I understand

ETA: I think they usually say around 5 or 6. Harness is safer if they dont use the belt correctly but if it's used correctly, it's just as safe

[thedahliharpa]

We just switched H from a convertible to a harness/belt combo but she will remain harnessed for a long time. She is too immature and small to use the belt. We just put her in the new Britax Frontier 90 and it is great.

[charlielove]

Claire is in a Britax Frontier 85 SICT (high back booster) with the 5 point harness. She can use the harness up to 85 lbs. I have no idea when I will stop using that, I know it is a lot safer to use it, especially when they are still so small.

[tuck]

Holden is in a high back booster (and has been for a while). She fits in it perfectly well, but she's probably technically too immature to be in it. She's 47 inches and about 48 pounds. But, she sat in Sadie's Britax Roundabout 55 on airplanes, and she fit perfectly (after I adjusted the belts, of course).

[nilex0102]

Nick is in a high back booster with the five point harness and I have no intention if changing that anytime soon. He seems comfortable too.

[kkfeb04]

5 point harness is safer. We have the Graco Nautilus which is a 3-in-1. It will eventually get to be a backless booster.

[Deleted]

Thanks ladies, that's what I thought.
I did have a "discussion" with someone yesterday who said, "it's so much easier now he's in the adult seatbelt - he can get himself in and out! You should do it too"

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Have I mentioned this before? There are no five-point harness seats here for H's age/size/weight class. This is one of the many reasons the place that shall remain nameless gave me anxiety attacks. Here is her seat. She's been in it since she outgrew her RF seat, which was March 2012.

cybex-online.com/de/carseats/solutionx2.html

[musiclover]

Adam is only 36lbs and will be 5 in October. He is so tiny. He still usedshis convertible carseat with a 5 point harness, he does not complain and it's such a safe seat. DH bought him a booster and wants to convert him, but I am holding out till he is closer to 40lbs.

[devonpow]

At 4 H was in a Britax Frontier high back booster using the 5 point harness. He turned 6 in April and we just switched over to using the sseatbelt with it instead of the harness. I plan on keeping him in the frontier at least until his next birthday, then maybe we will go to a backless booster (here in MA they have to be in a seat/booster until age 8)

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 17, 2013 5:31:13 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Jul 17, 2013 0:36:57 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Have I mentioned this before? There are no five-point harness seats here for H's age/size/weight class. This is one of the many reasons the place that shall remain nameless gave me anxiety attacks. Here is her seat. She's been in it since she outgrew her RF seat, which was March 2012.

cybex-online.com/de/carseats/solutionx2.html

Can I mail you one? I totally will if you want.

A five-point harness? How would I attach it it to the seat?

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2013 0:36:57 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Have I mentioned this before? There are no five-point harness seats here for H's age/size/weight class. This is one of the many reasons the place that shall remain nameless gave me anxiety attacks. Here is her seat. She's been in it since she outgrew her RF seat, which was March 2012.

cybex-online.com/de/carseats/solutionx2.html

I am being partly serious and partly tongue in cheek.

Germany is in Europe! Their carseat laws have to be safe, right?

[Dorothy Zbornak]

This is the safest seat in its class. You bet your sweet asses that I did long and hard (heh heh) research.

But those car sear slores kinda got to me ....

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 17, 2013 6:34:28 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:25:37 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

A five-point harness? How would I attach it it to the seat?

lol...a whole seat

Oh! That's very kind of you to offer, but her seat is really fine.

I am thinking about getting a seat for Butterbaby in the U.S., though, that he can use RF and FF with a five-point harness until he's 20. Do you guys know if there are any seats in the states that can be used with an Isofix (those are the anchor things inside the seat of a car)?

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2013 6:37:45 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:34:28 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

lol...a whole seat

Oh! That's very kind of you to offer, but her seat is really fine.

I am thinking about getting a seat for Butterbaby in the U.S., though, that he can use RF and FF with a five-point harness until he's 20. Do you guys know if there are any seats in the states that can be used with an Isofix (those are the anchor things inside the seat of a car)?

Lol!

I just saw one the other day that allowed for a 21 year old passenger to rear face and have a nice cold beer at the same time.

Isofix is the same as latch, right? Ours are only good to 40 pounds.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 17, 2013 6:42:05 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:37:45 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Oh! That's very kind of you to offer, but her seat is really fine.

I am thinking about getting a seat for Butterbaby in the U.S., though, that he can use RF and FF with a five-point harness until he's 20. Do you guys know if there are any seats in the states that can be used with an Isofix (those are the anchor things inside the seat of a car)?

Lol!

I just saw one the other day that allowed for a 21 year old passenger to rear face and have a nice cold beer at the same time.

Isofix is the same as latch, right? Ours are only good to 40 pounds.

Is it? I don't know! H's seat has these hook jobs on the back where it could be attached to an Isofix ... if we had one in our car. And her seat goes up to 80 lbs.

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2013 6:48:20 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:42:05 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Lol!

I just saw one the other day that allowed for a 21 year old passenger to rear face and have a nice cold beer at the same time.

Isofix is the same as latch, right? Ours are only good to 40 pounds.

Is it? I don't know! H's seat has these hook jobs on the back where it could be attached to an Isofix ... if we had one in our car. And her seat goes up to 80 lbs.

Well, they are clearly the same concept. But I bet there are some weird engineery reasons you can't use latch on isofix.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Jul 17, 2013 6:55:46 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:48:20 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Is it? I don't know! H's seat has these hook jobs on the back where it could be attached to an Isofix ... if we had one in our car. And her seat goes up to 80 lbs.

Well, they are clearly the same concept. But I bet there are some weird engineery reasons you can't use latch on isofix.

*sigh*

If only there were a group on Facebook where all of my carseat wet dreams could come true ...

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2013 6:56:42 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:55:46 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Well, they are clearly the same concept. But I bet there are some weird engineery reasons you can't use latch on isofix.

*sigh*

If only there were a group on Facebook where all of my carseat wet dreams could come true ...

Snort.

I'll make a group for you: I'll call it "people who aren't jerks and don't want your kids to die OR for you to go completely broke buying airplane tickets and car seats"

[Dorothy Zbornak]

The whole airplane bit still boils my blood. I cannot think of a real reason to rearface your kid in an airplane unless incidents of getting into a wreak while the plane is still on the ground is common enough for people to worry about.

[livinreality]

Jul 17, 2013 6:42:05 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Jul 17, 2013 6:37:45 GMT -5 Dorothy Zbornak said:

Lol!

I just saw one the other day that allowed for a 21 year old passenger to rear face and have a nice cold beer at the same time.

Isofix is the same as latch, right? Ours are only good to 40 pounds.

The Radian goes higher on the latch system but I can't remember if it is 60 or 80... We are no where close to either

[livinreality]

At 3.5 DS1 is in 5 a pt. radian and will be for a while, but DS1 can buckle himself in I just double check, he also can unbuckle himself but that is not allowed. We will switch to a booster around 5 maybe? DS2 carseat changes to a booster so they will switch carseats, then we will buy a backless booster.

Honestly until the convertible booster is unsafe/ uncomfortable I am not sure why people change in primary cars (I guess I could see getting one for grandmas car as they are cheaper and smaller).