Anyone want to recommend carseats?

[sugarbear]

After my car accident last night, I'm completely overwhelmed with paperwork and phone calls on top of my actual work. Can you just tell me what to buy?

DS1 is almost 5 and has been in a 5-point harness. Should I just get him a high back booster with a regular seat belt?

DS2 is 2 and will forward face from now. He weighs about 35 pounds.

[sugarbear]

Oops, wrong board!

[catfish]

I definitely recommend using car seats.

[penguingrrl]

I'm sorry you had an accident! Hope everyone is okay!

For the 5 year old, he may be able to move to a high back booster with seatbelt. Is he over 40 lbs? If so, it's mostly a question of whether he'll sit correctly at that point. There's no evidence a harness is safer than a properly used booster for a kid who is 5 years/40 lbs+.

For the 2 year old, if you're planning to forward face anyway I would look at the britax pinnacle, britax frontier, graco argos or nautilus, harmony defender or evenflo platinum evolve. All of those are 5 point harnesses with reasonable height and weight limits to get him safely to a booster stage then become high back boosters. Some also become backless boosters, but not all. The biggest question to pick between them really is budget as all are equally safe assuming they're installed and used correctly.

[debatethis]

Apr 1, 2015 11:20:14 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

I'm sorry you had an accident! Hope everyone is okay!

For the 5 year old, he may be able to move to a high back booster with seatbelt. Is he over 40 lbs? If so, it's mostly a question of whether he'll sit correctly at that point. There's no evidence a harness is safer than a properly used booster for a kid who is 5 years/40 lbs+.

For the 2 year old, if you're planning to forward face anyway I would look at the britax pinnacle, britax frontier, graco argos or nautilus, harmony defender or evenflo platinum evolve. All of those are 5 point harnesses with reasonable height and weight limits to get him safely to a booster stage then become high back boosters. Some also become backless boosters, but not all. The biggest question to pick between them really is budget as all are equally safe assuming they're installed and used correctly.

Ditto but I would probably add in the Diono Radian as a contender because it can switch from a regular car seat to a high-back booster so the 2 year old could get a lot more use out of it.

[penguingrrl]

Apr 1, 2015 11:41:17 GMT -5 debatethis said:

Apr 1, 2015 11:20:14 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

I'm sorry you had an accident! Hope everyone is okay!

For the 5 year old, he may be able to move to a high back booster with seatbelt. Is he over 40 lbs? If so, it's mostly a question of whether he'll sit correctly at that point. There's no evidence a harness is safer than a properly used booster for a kid who is 5 years/40 lbs+.

For the 2 year old, if you're planning to forward face anyway I would look at the britax pinnacle, britax frontier, graco argos or nautilus, harmony defender or evenflo platinum evolve. All of those are 5 point harnesses with reasonable height and weight limits to get him safely to a booster stage then become high back boosters. Some also become backless boosters, but not all. The biggest question to pick between them really is budget as all are equally safe assuming they're installed and used correctly.

Ditto but I would probably add in the Diono Radian as a contender because it can switch from a regular car seat to a high-back booster so the 2 year old could get a lot more use out of it.

A lot of kids outgrow the shell and harness of the radian long before hitting the 50 lb minimum to use it as a booster, though. My oldest had two years between when her ears hit the top of the shell and she weighed 50 lbs and my middle had over a year. And they're both proportional as far as height/weight ratios. That's apparently a pretty common problem with that seat.

[hocus2]

I think penguingrrl pretty much covered it.

I just wanted to add that I have my 5 year old in a 5 point harness. I know she could be in a booster but I like our car seat. It fits her just fine and prevents her from slumping over when she sleeps in the car which she does fairly regularly on longer trips. I do use backless booster for her in other people's cars or in cabs.

[DarcyLongfellow]

My 5.5 year old is in a Britax Pioneer. She's using it as a 5 point harness, then we'll use it as a highback booster later. I love the seat!

No advice for the 2 year old. My almost 2 year old is in a First Years True Fit Premier, but I don't think those are even made anymore.

[rosebud]

My almost 4 year old has a Nautilus for each car. It's a 5 point now, then a high back with seatbelt, then a booster.

[lattelady5]

DWP lurker and CPST. PG pretty much covered it. How 5 is your 5 year old? Newly 5? Closer to 6? Is he wiggly and impulsive or more of a rule follower? Does he slump when he sleeps? What is his weight? I have no issues with a 5 year old in a booster as long as he can sit properly 100%. I would recommend a high back booster as most kids do much better with the transition from a harnessed seat.

The diono convertibles rarely work in booster mode and if you don't plan to RF you lose their primary function. I wouldn't recommend one for already FFing kiddos

So either combo seats for both or a combo seat and a hbb booster. If you have a budget you'd like to stay within, I'd be happy to recommend specific seats

[granthamite]

My almost 7 year old (in 2 months) is in a Diono Radian 100 still in the harness position. He's 50th percentile for his age - around 50 lbs, and his shoulder is still below the top strap level. He could probably get another year in it as a harness, but we may switch to a booster this summer. Sorry about your accident! I was in one last week too, with both my oldest and his best friend (in boosters) so I'm looking to replace those. My understanding with insurance is that they like you to replace them with something similar, then submit receipts.