Another car seat/booster question..

[juliahenry]

I'm just wondering when we can toss the car seats in favor of a high-backed booster.

dd is almost 4 and tall. I know we're not there yet, but how old/ht/wt to get rid of the armchair in my back seat?

i ask because the package the booster came in says she's already tall and heavy enough to switch, but I don't think so. 

What is the current wisdom on this?

oh, and when can I get rid of ds's backless booster? He'll be 8 in 2 months.

thanks.

[vanillacourage]

To go from a convertible to a booster is 4 years AND 40 lbs. 

I'm going to keep my kids in high-backed versions of boosters as long as possible.  Not sure how big your 8-year-old is but he would probably be fine in a no-back version.

[juliahenry]

Thanks. Yeah, ds is big enough that the boosters with backs are actually unsafe. Most kids stop using anything when they turn 8, but I'm not so sure if that's safe, or just legal.

What are the safety standards re 8+ in boosters or not?

And yes, I could totally google. I'm just wondering if there are any btdt posters on here...

[EmilieMadison]

4 AND 40 lbs, minimum.
Some seats have lower minimums, but that isn't because it's safe, but because parents will buy it. 
MOST kids aren't ready for a booster until around age 5-6. A booster isn't a restraint, it just "boosts" them up so the adult seat belt is in the right place. So, maturity should play a big role in when to switch. Even lots of 5 year olds aren't ready yet because they still fall asleep regularly in the car, they fidget or wont sit still, etc. Being in a booster means the child is responsible for staying in the proper position and most kids aren't ready for that until after age 5. 

[EmilieMadison]

And your 8 year old will need to stay in a booster until they've passed the 5 Step Test (all of them):
1. Does the child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat?
2. Are knees bent comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat?
3. Does seatbelt cross the shoulder properly? (it should be centered over the collar bone)
4. Is the lap portion of the seatbelt low – touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated this way for the entire ride, every ride (awake and asleep)?
Bonus step – feet planted firmly on floor

Some states have an age or hight minimum as well.

Another thing you need to consider is that the child's ears should not be above the seatback of the vehicle or the booster. If your child hasn't passed the 5 Steps yet but is in a backless booster, if the vehicle seat does not have headrests and your child's ears are above the seatback, they need to be in a highback booster.

[juliahenry]

Thanks, EmilieMadison! That's exactly what I need to know!

[melodramatic26]

Sept 25, 2013 15:55:11 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

4 AND 40 lbs, minimum.
Some seats have lower minimums, but that isn't because it's safe, but because parents will buy it. 
MOST kids aren't ready for a booster until around age 5-6. A booster isn't a restraint, it just "boosts" them up so the adult seat belt is in the right place. So, maturity should play a big role in when to switch. Even lots of 5 year olds aren't ready yet because they still fall asleep regularly in the car, they fidget or wont sit still, etc. Being in a booster means the child is responsible for staying in the proper position and most kids aren't ready for that until after age 5. 

what about a "booster" like the Britax Frontier 85? I know it's called a booster, but it seems protected very similar to a car seat. Do they still need to meet the 4 and 40 lbs requirements?

[EmilieMadison]

Sept 25, 2013 16:17:33 GMT -5 melodramatic26 said:

Sept 25, 2013 15:55:11 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

4 AND 40 lbs, minimum.
Some seats have lower minimums, but that isn't because it's safe, but because parents will buy it. 
MOST kids aren't ready for a booster until around age 5-6. A booster isn't a restraint, it just "boosts" them up so the adult seat belt is in the right place. So, maturity should play a big role in when to switch. Even lots of 5 year olds aren't ready yet because they still fall asleep regularly in the car, they fidget or wont sit still, etc. Being in a booster means the child is responsible for staying in the proper position and most kids aren't ready for that until after age 5. 

what about a "booster" like the Britax Frontier 85? I know it's called a booster, but it seems protected very similar to a car seat. Do they still need to meet the 4 and 40 lbs requirements?

The terminology can be confusing because some seats have a 5 pt harness, but converts to a booster. But when referring to a "booster", there is no harness. JUST the adult seat belt. So that can mean either a dedicated booster that never had a harness, or a seat where you've removed the harness and are able to use it as a booster. 

So, the Britax Frontier is not a booster when you are using the harness. But when you remove the harness, it is in "booster mode" and functions like a booster. Hope that makes sense. 

[jssymom14]

thread takeover!

EmilieMadison my car was hit in a parking lot hard enough that it knocked the radiator loose and had to be completed replaced. I had the base to the infant seat (Graco) in the car but my car was parked and the car was pulling in to park in front and anit-lock brakes siezed causing them to slide into me. I am guessing they were driving fairly slow and normal as owner of car is one of my admin and kind of anal, I was in my classroom when this happened so didn't witness it. Would I need to replace the base or get a new carseat through insurance? I have to talk to the claim agent tomorrow and was wondering if I should mention it.

[EmilieMadison]

Sept 25, 2013 16:50:00 GMT -5 jssymom14 said:

thread takeover!

EmilieMadison my car was hit in a parking lot hard enough that it knocked the radiator loose and had to be completed replaced. I had the base to the infant seat (Graco) in the car but my car was parked and the car was pulling in to park in front and anit-lock brakes siezed causing them to slide into me. I am guessing they were driving fairly slow and normal as owner of car is one of my admin and kind of anal, I was in my classroom when this happened so didn't witness it. Would I need to replace the base or get a new carseat through insurance? I have to talk to the claim agent tomorrow and was wondering if I should mention it.

First, I'm glad no one was in your car! Graco says you must replace your seat after "any type of crash", which would include this one. Contact your insurance agent/agency and ask them if they will just reimburse you after you purchase a new seat, or if they send you a check first. 

[idoinjuly]

@emiliemadiso, sorry, but I have a question too! I just got a part time job, so we need to make sure my h's car is equipped to handle both kids for when the need arises. Currently, the kids hardly ever ride in his car, but we do have a Costco Scenera in there. DD is 4 and 44 pounds. Can't remember her height, maybe 42 inches? Should I buy another Scenera or something like this?

www.amazon.com/Graco-Highback-TurboBooster-Seat-Spitfire/dp/B004GEC8LU/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1380147382&sr=1-2&keywords=booster+seats+for+toddlers

[EmilieMadison]

Sept 25, 2013 17:19:25 GMT -5 idoinjuly said:

@emiliemadiso, sorry, but I have a question too! I just got a part time job, so we need to make sure my h's car is equipped to handle both kids for when the need arises. Currently, the kids hardly ever ride in his car, but we do have a Costco Scenera in there. DD is 4 and 44 pounds. Can't remember her height, maybe 42 inches? Should I buy another Scenera or something like this?

www.amazon.com/Graco-Highback-TurboBooster-Seat-Spitfire/dp/B004GEC8LU/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1380147382&sr=1-2&keywords=booster+seats+for+toddlers

Your LO probably isnt ready for a booster yet. But no point buying a convertible seat like the Scenera, either, so I'd suggest a FF only harnessed seat like the Evenflo SecureKid 300 www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Securekid-300-Seat-Booster/dp/B006PB2CR2?tag=carseatorgstore-20&tag=carseatorgstore-20

[formerlyak]

Sept 25, 2013 16:00:16 GMT -5 EmilieMadison said:

And your 8 year old will need to stay in a booster until they've passed the 5 Step Test (all of them):
1. Does the child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat?
2. Are knees bent comfortably at the edge of the vehicle seat?
3. Does seatbelt cross the shoulder properly? (it should be centered over the collar bone)
4. Is the lap portion of the seatbelt low – touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated this way for the entire ride, every ride (awake and asleep)?
Bonus step – feet planted firmly on floor

Some states have an age or hight minimum as well.

Another thing you need to consider is that the child's ears should not be above the seatback of the vehicle or the booster. If your child hasn't passed the 5 Steps yet but is in a backless booster, if the vehicle seat does not have headrests and your child's ears are above the seatback, they need to be in a highback booster.

I wouldn't have met this requirement until like high school! LOL!