nautilus as a booster without removing straps?

[LiLStar]

Is this okay? dd is 4 and is pretty tall for her age.. not sure exact height, but taller than a lot of kids a year older than her. she's also nearing 50lbs. I plan to keep her harnessed to the limit of her seat, but I'm wondering about situations like, maybe being picked up by someone else at preschool which she starts in the fall. Unfortunately, knowing how to correctly install a carseat (and caring enough to take the time to do so) seems to be a minority trait. The most likely person I'd think to pick her up besides me is my SIL (my nephew will be in the same class), and I don't *in a million years* trust her to install a carseat correctly. So I'd think she'd be safer in a booster than harnessed in a really badly installed seat. So, that said, is it okay to use the nautilus as a booster and leave the straps in? (and not buckling them, of course, just pushing them to the side or whatever) 

[bobandjess99]

The manufacturer does advise you to take the straps out if you use it as a booster.  However, I will say that I did on a few occasions make the "parental decision" to use it with straps in in booster mode, rather than tear the seat apart only to have to put it back together a few hours later.  I personally can't see how it would be dangerous, and while as a tech I have to advise you to follow the manual, it's ultimately your decision.  

If it was going to be a rare, once in a lifetime emergency thing, I would say certainly using the seat properly as a booster, even with the harness in,  is way better than as a poorly installed harnessed seat.  But if it is going to be even an occasional thing, like once a week, twice a month, etc, then purchasing a cheap dedicated highback booster such as the Graco Turbobooster (they go on sale for $35-40 sometimes) to have as a backup seat for those occasions is going to be the best solution :) 

[DahliaRW]

I wouldn't leave the straps in for booster use when giving it to someone else.  There is a good chance they will use the harness adn teh seatbelt which is a huge no no.  Better to just invest in an extra, inexpensive, dedicated booster.

[LiLStar]

Hmm, yeah, I guess finding a turbobooster on sale is probably the best bet. Oh, and if I were leaving a nautilus with straps at the preschool for someone to bring her home in, there would *definitely* be a conversation and specific instructions before hand! 

[LaughingHyena]

We have a similar harness to booster seat. I have used it as a booster with the straps still in place a few times. Either moving it to another car or when I realised DS was to heavy for the harness but did not have time to take it out. I don't feel that moving the harness out of the way impacted on the way the seat belt fit. though DS did complain that it wasn't very comfortable.

I don't know that I would give it to someone else like that though, just seems like it might cause confusion.

From a practical point of view if someone were going to be driving my kids I'd prefer to have a spare booster. Our seat is nice but much much heavier than the other high back booster we have.