Harness to booster question

[Brie]

Oh @fivedogs...

I am looking at a harness-to-booster seat for C.  He is 2y9m, 33 lbs 12 oz (80th percentile) and 37 inches (50th percentile) and wears a 3T t-shirt.  He has only gained 3 pounds in the last year.

I'm looking at the Evenflo seats, specifically the Maestro vs. the SecureKid.  It looks like the main difference, besides price, is that the Maestro is harnessed to 50 lbs and the SecureKid is harnessed to 65 lbs.

Will I likely need the extra 15 lbs of harness-approved weight limits for the SecureKid or can I save some money and go with the Maestro?

FWIW, he is kind of crazy and I don't anticipate he will be one of those super well-behaved kids that can be booster trained on the earlier side of normal.

[arch01]

My only comment about the SecureKid is to have C sit in it and buckle it. The straps are crazy close together and cut into DS' neck, we nixed it and got a Nautilus instead.

We have chosen to go with the higher harness weight limits so we have the option down the road. I'd rather keep DS in a 5pt as long as possible.

[Deleted]

DS is on the small side, so we went with the Maestro. It's fine for him, and at this rate he won't hit 50 lb for many years (he just broke 30 lb recently at 4 years old).

[bearbaby]

I know you didn't ask for additional input, but we recently switched to the Nautilus and have been quite happy with it. It will convert through high back/regular booster.

DS is massive, and Nautilus will harness to 65 lbs - so I think we'll get good use out of it prior to him being able to safely transition to the high back booster option.

[arch01]

Jul 7, 2015 10:15:56 GMT -5 @cookiemonster03 said:

Based on the growth chart, he will 50 lbs around 5.5ish, so if you think you'll want to harness longer, I'd spend the extra on the Secure Kid.

The super close straps are a "thing" with Evenflos and they don't have harness pads, which personally is a dealbreaker b/c I don't like the red marks on my kids' necks (we have Evenflo convertibles for travel).

You might want to look at the Nautilus/Argos ($125+ depending on color/bells) or Harmony Defender ($100ish) too.

The weird thing about the SecureKid is that the straps are noticeably closer on it and the Sureride than on our Triumph. I wonder if they changed them over the past 3 years since we got the Triumph.

[Ashley&Scott]

Personally I would want the option to harness longer. M is approximately 42lb (~85-90%) now at 3.5yr . He is no where near developmentally ready to be in a booster with a seat belt.

[dcrunnergirl52]

I'd want the option to harness longer. We got the Nautilus b/c DS1 is 50lbs at almost 5 years old and still needs the harness (as does DD). He falls asleep in the car all the time and he sits next to DD and they get rowdy, so I don't trust them not to fool around in their seats when they're up to their sibling shenanigans.

[anaps28]

We have 2 Maestros they have held up well and my kid is comfortable in them. The straps get twisted often, that's the only issue we have ever had with them. I love the price and wish more seats were in this price range.

[Brie]

Jul 7, 2015 12:29:31 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

Jul 7, 2015 10:10:43 GMT -5 Brie said:

Oh @fivedogs...

I am looking at a harness-to-booster seat for C.  He is 2y9m, 33 lbs 12 oz (80th percentile) and 37 inches (50th percentile) and wears a 3T t-shirt.  He has only gained 3 pounds in the last year.

I'm looking at the Evenflo seats, specifically the Maestro vs. the SecureKid.  It looks like the main difference, besides price, is that the Maestro is harnessed to 50 lbs and the SecureKid is harnessed to 65 lbs.

Will I likely need the extra 15 lbs of harness-approved weight limits for the SecureKid or can I save some money and go with the Maestro?

FWIW, he is kind of crazy and I don't anticipate he will be one of those super well-behaved kids that can be booster trained on the earlier side of normal.

LOL, this is DD2.  

Do you need a new seat for him?  Has he outgrown his or do you want to pass it down?  

I would measure his torso, as pp said.  But most combination seats have a max harness height of 18-18.5 inches, so unless he has a super long torso, you have several options (if his torso is really long, you are looking at a Frontier or a Sureride convertible).     

I would probably look at a harnessed seat with a higher weight limit than the Maestro since he is in a higher percentile for weight than height.  

Another option is a Sureride convertible (19" top slots, 65-lb weight limit) and then an inexpensive booster.   

csftl.org/evenflo-securekid-review/

www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=67
docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdHpYd2k4RlQ1TnhUSGx4VEZaY09KUXc&hl=en#gid=0

Thanks!

We are playing musical carseats now and ditching the infant seat.  When all is said and done, we will have P RF in a Nextfit (H's car) and Britax Advocate Clicktight (my car) and C FF in a Safety First Onside Air (H's car) and unnamed H2B seat in my car.

We will have to replace the Safety First seat fairly soon, too, weight-wise, and also looking to some seat/s to keep with my ILs.

The Sureride convertible is a great idea.  I could probably get two, actually, and leave one with my ILs because either kid could fit in it.

[linz]

Jul 7, 2015 12:47:52 GMT -5 Brie said:

Jul 7, 2015 12:29:31 GMT -5 @fivedogs said:

LOL, this is DD2.  

Do you need a new seat for him?  Has he outgrown his or do you want to pass it down?  

I would measure his torso, as pp said.  But most combination seats have a max harness height of 18-18.5 inches, so unless he has a super long torso, you have several options (if his torso is really long, you are looking at a Frontier or a Sureride convertible).     

I would probably look at a harnessed seat with a higher weight limit than the Maestro since he is in a higher percentile for weight than height.  

Another option is a Sureride convertible (19" top slots, 65-lb weight limit) and then an inexpensive booster.   

csftl.org/evenflo-securekid-review/

www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=67
docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvfUm4x64h3AdHpYd2k4RlQ1TnhUSGx4VEZaY09KUXc&hl=en#gid=0

Thanks!

We are playing musical carseats now and ditching the infant seat.  When all is said and done, we will have P RF in a Nextfit (H's car) and Britax Advocate Clicktight (my car) and C FF in a Safety First Onside Air (H's car) and unnamed H2B seat in my car.

We will have to replace the Safety First seat fairly soon, too, weight-wise, and also looking to some seat/s to keep with my ILs.

The Sureride convertible is a great idea.  I could probably get two, actually, and leave one with my ILs because either kid could fit in it.

Not sure how soon you planned to buy but if you get 2 Surerides thru target this week you'll get the $40 gc. My mom just bought 2 for her car.

[barefootcontessa]

I would go with what allows for the longer harnessing. I still have my big 5.5 in a harness because I am less than confident he would sit properly in a booster. I wish I could still harness my 7 year old because he still does not sit properly.

[Deleted]

Brie I know this seat is not one of the ones you're considering, but I really like our Britax Frontier ClickTight. Super easy to install, plenty of room to grow into. I think it's a 5pt harness to 65 pounds?

[mushmouse]

Jul 7, 2015 10:41:57 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

I'd want the option to harness longer. We got the Nautilus b/c DS1 is 50lbs at almost 5 years old and still needs the harness (as does DD). He falls asleep in the car all the time and he sits next to DD and they get rowdy, so I don't trust them not to fool around in their seats when they're up to their sibling shenanigans.

Is this the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1?  Does he sleep ok in it?  I read a review that said the head falls forward in the seat - has that been your experience?  Thanks!!

[dcrunnergirl52]

Jul 7, 2015 14:26:51 GMT -5 mushmouse said:

Jul 7, 2015 10:41:57 GMT -5 dcrunnergirl52 said:

I'd want the option to harness longer. We got the Nautilus b/c DS1 is 50lbs at almost 5 years old and still needs the harness (as does DD). He falls asleep in the car all the time and he sits next to DD and they get rowdy, so I don't trust them not to fool around in their seats when they're up to their sibling shenanigans.

Is this the Graco Nautilus 3 in 1?  Does he sleep ok in it?  I read a review that said the head falls forward in the seat - has that been your experience?  Thanks!!

Yes, it's the 3-in-1. He does fall asleep in it, just like he did in his Marathon, and his head does fall forward but I don't worry about it. He's harnessed and doesn't complain about it.