Car seat vs booster - radian specific

[dizzycooks]

We have several radians and I love them, but as is common dd1 is almost at the height limit (straps are at, no longer above) her shoulders. She’s 42lbs and 6yo, do I move her to a backless booster? Is there any reason I should do a highback at this point? She doesn’t meet the weight requirement to use the radian as a booster seat (50lbs). What else should I be considering?

[gastro]

My son is also 6 and tall but not quite 50lbs. We had diono for him but switched to a high back booster because I wanted a belt path by the shoulder and he’s just more comfortable in it than the backless booster (we have a few backless Gracos in DH and grandparents cars that are min 40lbs I think). We went with a Maxi Cosi Rodifix.

[penguingrrl]

In general it’s a good idea for a new booster rider to have the extra support a high back booster provides. The graco turbobooster is a good seat that generally gives good belt fit to most kids in most cars and is relatively inexpensive.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I'd definitely do high back booster till they are used to it. I still have my 8 year old in a high back booster unless we're carrying it with us to ride in someone else's car.

[dizzycooks]

Doesn’t it become a flying object if they aren’t actually in it? I do a lot of driving without her in it and she’s in the back row so it would go forward to all of her siblings. I can’t get back there to buckle it when she’s not there. I suppose I could teach her to buckle it when she gets out? Also, are they typically very narrow? I was hoping to have the option of putting it three across with a keyfit22 and another radian100.

[gastro]

Jan 16, 2018 22:42:05 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

Doesn’t it become a flying object if they aren’t actually in it? I do a lot of driving without her in it and she’s in the back row so it would go forward to all of her siblings. I can’t get back there to buckle it when she’s not there. I suppose I could teach her to buckle it when she gets out? Also, are they typically very narrow? I was hoping to have the option of putting it three across with a keyfit22 and another radian100.

Our HBB has latch.

[momin2013]

Jan 16, 2018 22:42:05 GMT -5 dizzycooks said:

Doesn’t it become a flying object if they aren’t actually in it? I do a lot of driving without her in it and she’s in the back row so it would go forward to all of her siblings. I can’t get back there to buckle it when she’s not there. I suppose I could teach her to buckle it when she gets out? Also, are they typically very narrow? I was hoping to have the option of putting it three across with a keyfit22 and another radian100.

We have a couple of Evenflo seats, and I'm pretty sure the manuals say for HBB mode to pull the seatbelt across the seat and latch it when the seat's not in use (we're still using Latch in FF).

[penguingrrl]

You should definitely teach her to buckle it herself when she gets out. As far as three across, it’s doable but tough with boosters because buckling in gets tricky.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I bought a high back booster for my car that latches in to avoid having to buckle it every time. For the boosters in the cars my kids are in occasionally, I tell the people to keep the booster in the trunk when a kid isn't in them, but I can tell you my dh has the booster sitting on his back seat without being buckled like 99.9% of the time. I don't think it moves around at all. Obviously it would be a projectile were he in an accident, but that is a risk he apparently feels like taking.