Booster vs Ride Safer travel vest

[mom2PJS]

I am considering a booster for my 5.5 year old for the trip from Kindergarten to the babysitter's house (2 miles) for the 2 days a week I have to work.  I have been reading about the Ride Safer Travel vest and honestly for her weight (37 pounds... hoping she can get closer to 40 pounds in 2 months :/) it seems like it might be a better option, but it looks complicated.  Does anyone have any experience with these? I can't have a dedicated seat in the babysitters car.  She is very safety conscious, but I'm worried about the constant seat shuffling of my Boulevard (which is a huge pain to install in my vehicle.)  I  wasn't really planning on boostering her until she outgrew a FF harness, but I think it might be the right thing in this situation.  Travel vest? Booster (if so which ones fit low weight kids best?) Deal with it and juggle harnessed seats?

5.5 years, 37#, 42.5 inches, 15 inch torso, FF Britax (65) or a Graco Nauitilis

Thanks for the help

[Maedze]

The vest has a learning curve, but most children can be taught how to use it correctly (my 5 year old daughter can buckle herself in the RSTV now without prompting).  

Honestly, though, for a safety conscious 5 year old, a regular booster is a perfectly fine option, and very safe.  I'd pick whichever one you feel confident will be used correctly by both the sitter and your daughter.    

Boosters that fit smaller riders well include the Graco Turbobooster Highback (don't forget to put the screws in the armrests), the Recaro Vivo, and the Clek Oobr (although that's a bit spendy for a twice a week sitter's seat!) 
 

Originally Posted by mom2PJS 

I am considering a booster for my 5.5 year old for the trip from Kindergarten to the babysitter's house (2 miles) for the 2 days a week I have to work.  I have been reading about the Ride Safer Travel vest and honestly for her weight (37 pounds... hoping she can get closer to 40 pounds in 2 months :/) it seems like it might be a better option, but it looks complicated.  Does anyone have any experience with these? I can't have a dedicated seat in the babysitters car.  She is very safety conscious, but I'm worried about the constant seat shuffling of my Boulevard (which is a huge pain to install in my vehicle.)  I  wasn't really planning on boostering her until she outgrew a FF harness, but I think it might be the right thing in this situation.  Travel vest? Booster (if so which ones fit low weight kids best?) Deal with it and juggle harnessed seats?

5.5 years, 37#, 42.5 inches, 15 inch torso, FF Britax (65) or a Graco Nauitilis

Thanks for the help

[LynnS6]

We put our dd in a high back booster when she hit 5.5 because she was 45 lbs. and well past her Marathon. She's done really well. I think I've only had to reminder her a couple of times not to slouch or lean way over to the side.

I'd be very comfortable with that for a safety conscious kindergartener.

[grumpybear]

Our LO's have almost the same stats and we use the RSTV on occasion. In our experience, it is not complicated at all. You just basically thread the seatbelt through it.

[mom2PJS]

Thanks for the help. You guys are awesome. 

By safety conscious I was referring to my sitter LOL, but my 5.5 yo is mature and listens well so I'm sure she is safety conscious too. I think she is probably more ready for a booster than I am :) I think after researching I will go with a Turbobooster, but if the RSTV goes back down to $62 (back up to $102-$120 while I researched) I might get one just to have a spare for travel or putting another child in the car, it seems like a convenient tool for the arsenal. 

[EviesMom]

We have the ride safer vest and plan on getting one for DS soon as well. Hoping to find a deal, because it is spendy. DD is able, at 7, to buckle herself in and get herself back out. It looks more complicated than it is, because they put buckles on both sides so it works with a shoulder belt coming from the left or from the right. She and DS race right now to buckle/unbuckle from her vest and his radian. Takes about the same amount of time for them! :)  

[DahliaRW]

For travel, the vest hands down.  For a quick ride with the babysitter a couple times a week, a booster is going to be easier to get in and out of, IMO.