thinking of getting an extra booster seat

[MarineWife]

i have 2 children, 4 and 7, (plus the baby but this doesn't apply to him). right now we have one child seat for each of them installed in the van that i use most of the time. it would be nice to have an extra seat for our other vehicle so my dh could help with transporting kids to and from activities. at first i thought we could just move the booster, britax frontier. i think both the older boys could ride in it in the booster mode. then i realized if my dh took my 4yo in the booster i wouldn't have anything for the 7yo to ride in in the other vehicle.

so, two questions, even though my 4yo is still in his harnessed britax boulevard, would he be ok in a high back booster? he's about 36 inches tall and weighs about 34 lbs. if so, what booster would you recommend for a 7 yo and 4yo to share? my 7yo is about 48 inches tall and weighs about 43 lbs. (both small guys)

[cameragirl]

It looks like your younger son could use a Frontier seat as a forward-facing harness at that weight and height. DD is tall and heavy enough to use it as a booster, but we keep it strapped in like a regular seat for safety reasons. I absolutely love the seat compared to other boosters, so I would recommend another if you can afford it. They're definitely worth the money since they will last to age 10 for most children.

[MarineWife]

We can't afford another Frontier. The only reason we got the one we did was because my oldest son got into a serious wreck with the child seats in the car so our insurance company payed to replace them. Also, I want to be able to easy use it for both my 4 and 7yo so I need a seat that they can both use in the booster mode.

I guess if the 4yo isn't big enough for a booster, we could get another FF harness to stay in the other vehicle and just move the booster from vehicle to vehicle for the 7yo if needed. I have to admit that using a booster without having it latched in makes me a little nervous. The Frontier doesn't work very well in the Sienna as a booster if I use the LATCH system.

[cameragirl]

Ah, I gotcha. Britax definitely isn't cheap. I don't know if this will help, but it looks like several of the more affordable seats were on the best bet list for 2010.

2010 IIHS BOOSTER EVALUATION RESULTS

Best Bets

Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback)
Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback)
Clek Oobr (dual highback)
Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback)
Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)
Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback)
Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless)
Evenflo Maestro (combination highback)
Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback)
Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless)
Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback)
Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback)
Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback)
Recaro Vivo (highback)
Recaro Young Sport (combination highback)
Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback)
The First Years Pathway B570 (highback)

Good Bets

Britax Parkway SG (dual highback)
Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless)
Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback)
Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback)
Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback)
Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback)

NOT RECOMMENDED

Eddie Bauer Deluxe (combination highback)
Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (highback)
Evenflo Express (combination highback)
Evenflo Generations 65 (combination highback)
Evenflo Sightseer (highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual backless)
Safety 1st All-in-One (3-in-1 highback)
Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (3-in-1 highback)

http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr090810.html

[MarineWife]

thanks for that list. it's sometimes confusing trying to find the correct car seat. it seems either there are several that have very similar names or maybe the stores don't put the entire name on their websites or maybe they are named slightly differently for different stores.

[DahliaRW]

If your 7yo is using the frontier as a booster anyways, I'd buy him a dedicated booster for that vehicle.  The turbobooster is inexpensive and works well for most kids, but you could also look at the probooster, monterrey, parkwaysg, etc.  Then I would put your 4yo in the frontier harnessed and move the harnessed seat that the 4yo is currently in to the other car.  Then the 7yo can move the booster back and forth as needed and your 4yo has a seat in the other vehicle.  And, you only have to buy one booster still.  

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by DahliaRW 

If your 7yo is using the frontier as a booster anyways, I'd buy him a dedicated booster for that vehicle.  The turbobooster is inexpensive and works well for most kids, but you could also look at the probooster, monterrey, parkwaysg, etc.  Then I would put your 4yo in the frontier harnessed and move the harnessed seat that the 4yo is currently in to the other car.  Then the 7yo can move the booster back and forth as needed and your 4yo has a seat in the other vehicle.  And, you only have to buy one booster still.  

hmm...that is a good idea.

what's so great about the turbobooster? it seems a lot of people recommend that one.

what about the evenflo big kid amp (i think that's the full name)? it costs less than the turbobooster. i had an evenflo convertible before i got the britax and i really liked it. it was so easy to use.

[chickabiddy]

The Turbobooster is frequently recommended because it provides a good belt fit on most kids.

The Evenflo Big Kid Sport (or Amp) is a fine booster as well.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by chickabiddy 

The Turbobooster is frequently recommended because it provides a good belt fit on most kids.

The Evenflo Big Kid Sport (or Amp) is a fine booster as well.

this is an example of the names confusing me. here;s what i was looking at: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11468531. i think it's available at the store here. i really don't want to buy another car seat online. i just realized the evenflo amp listed above is backless. i need a highback b/c the one vehicle does not have head rests.

[LynnS6]

Ok, what I don't get from that list is why different version of the SAME model get different ratings. So, one version of the Graco TurboBooster gets a 'best bet' and two versions have 'good bet' -- but they have the same specifications on the Graco site. Good thing my oldest is out of a booster (5'1") and my younger fits well in her TurboBooster.

[cameragirl]

The manufacturer's make the list confusing by using the same name for two different models. Backless and High Back or combinations are completely different - so they should not have the same name. High back models are generally safer for young kids, and backless is okay for older kids. I won't use a backless for my 5 year old, though I know some parents that do. Then again, we have enough firefighters and other first responders in the family that it is a sticking point for us.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by cameragirl 

The manufacturer's make the list confusing by using the same name for two different models. Backless and High Back or combinations are completely different - so they should not have the same name.

i agree. confusing.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by cameragirl 

The manufacturer's make the list confusing by using the same name for two different models. Backless and High Back or combinations are completely different - so they should not have the same name. High back models are generally safer for young kids, and backless is okay for older kids. I won't use a backless for my 5 year old, though I know some parents that do. Then again, we have enough firefighters and other first responders in the family that it is a sticking point for us.

Yeah, but they had different ratings for the same high back boosters! My 7 year old is in a high back. We only use the backless one that we've got occasionally.

[cameragirl]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

Yeah, but they had different ratings for the same high back boosters! My 7 year old is in a high back. We only use the backless one that we've got occasionally.

That's strange, because you wouldn't think the belts or latches would be different based on color or anything else minor.

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

Yeah, but they had different ratings for the same high back boosters!

I saw that. The Graco Turbobooster Crawford (dual highback) gets a "best bet" rating while two others, the Sachi and Wanderer, only got "good bet" ratings. very strange. wonder how the collect data.

i forgot to mention, according to the pic that site has for how a seatbelt should fit i need a booster. the seatbelt almost always cuts across my neck rather than my shoulder, even with the adjustable shoulder height at the lowest setting.

[MarineWife]

i got a turbobooster. i found one at target so it will be easy to return if i need to. i changed my mind about getting an evenflo after their latest debacle with a supposed breastfeeding video they put online.