Still trying to figure out which booster.

[elijahsmama1]

Thinking it's going to be a booster and need to figure it out. Any thoughts on the Sunshine Kids Monterey booster? I really like that it secures with latch and has side impact protection. Are there any other boosters that have latch in that price range? I haven't found any yet but maybe someone knows of something. TIA

[chickabiddy]

A few thoughts -- LATCH does not confer any safety advantage. It is a convenience. I have a LATCHed booster and I like it, but I wouldn't hesitate to use an unLATCHed booster (in fact, I do in husband's car) if it was a good fit.

"Side impact protection" is a term developed in marketing departments, not engineering departments. There is no standard for "side impact protection". Any seat can claim it regardless of what it offers, and some seats that do offer decent protection don't bother with the terminology. Look at the seats. Look for good deep headwings with energy-absorbing foam.

And most importantly, look for a seat that fits your child well. In another post you write that your son is 43#. The Monterey, while an excellent seat, does not usually fit small booster riders well, and IMO/IME, a 43# child is a "small booster rider".

[elijahsmama1]

Originally Posted by chickabiddy

A few thoughts -- LATCH does not confer any safety advantage. It is a convenience. I have a LATCHed booster and I like it, but I wouldn't hesitate to use an unLATCHed booster (in fact, I do in husband's car) if it was a good fit.

"Side impact protection" is a term developed in marketing departments, not engineering departments. There is no standard for "side impact protection". Any seat can claim it regardless of what it offers, and some seats that do offer decent protection don't bother with the terminology. Look at the seats. Look for good deep headwings with energy-absorbing foam.

And most importantly, look for a seat that fits your child well. In another post you write that your son is 43#. The Monterey, while an excellent seat, does not usually fit small booster riders well, and IMO/IME, a 43# child is a "small booster rider".

Thanks for the advice. I'm just very worried and want to make the right choice. I watched the video on the Britax site about side impact so it freaked me out. Can you give some examples of seats that don't state side impact protection but that you feel have it? I will go and look for ones that have the deep headwings and foam but I'm concerned I might have to buy online due to stores not having enough inventory to look at.

[mamaw/two]

I am also looking at getting two monterey's for my 8yr old and 5 1/2 yr old girls. I haven't gotten to see them in person, but just bought a radian 80xtsl for my 3 1/2 yr old and am VERY impressed with it (it seems alot solider than my britax's), sound's like the monterey is very similar to the radian. The side impact thing really freaks me out too, and I love that the side wings on sunshine kids are reinforced with aluminum. I was able to see the parkway at a baby store and it seemed very flimsy, I found out that it's made in china, unlike the other britax's that are made in the usa. I'll be watching this thread...