5-Point Harness/booster combo for my small almost 5yo

[MarineWife]

He will be 5 on June 9 but he's small. He weighs around 38 lbs. and is about 3 feet tall. To give an idea of how big he will be later, my 8yo is just over 4 feet tall and weighs somewhere between 48 and 50 lbs. So, I don't think we need to worry about him growing out of a harness or height limits too soon but I do like the idea of a higher weight/height limit. We have a Britax Frontier that works really well with the harness but is a pain as a booster (used it with our 8yo for a while). Price isn't a big issue but I would prefer to keep the cost under $150.

What would you suggest?
Edited by MarineWife - 6/2/12 at 10:21am

[chickabiddy]

Does it need to be in a three-across with other seats?  If not, I'd look at the Graco Nautilus and Argos, and the Evenflo SecureKid seats.  If it does need to be in a three-across, then just the SecureKid.  The Argos is typically over $150; you can usually find Nautiluses at that price point; and the SecureKid is almost always under $150.

[MarineWife]

Yes, it's going to be 3 across at least some of the time. The Britax Boulevard RF and whatever we choose for this harness/booster will always been in the truck. The Graco highback Turbobooster will be in there with the other two whenever our older ds goes in the truck.

Why the Securekid over the Graco Nautlius?

[chickabiddy]

It's narrower, so better for three-across.

[MarineWife]

Oh, hm. We had kind of already decided on the Graco. It's a Ford F-150 supercrew cab. Do you think the 3 won't fit?

[chickabiddy]

Turbobooster, Boulevard, and Nautilus?  Maybe.  Probably, even.  But the Nautilus, while a great seat overall, is not known for playing well with others in a three-across.

[MarineWife]

ok. thanks. we liked that one because it converts to a backless, too.

are there any booster combos with harness adjustment without having to remove it from the car?

[chickabiddy]

Graco Argos -- it's basically the Nautilus with a no-rethread harness adjuster.  It's a bit pricier.

[brigala]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 
 We have a Britax Frontier that works really well with the harness but is a pain as a booster (used it with our 8yo for a while).

In my humble opinion, ALL the combination seats are cumbersome when used as boosters. At least, when compared to a dedicated stand-alone booster.

You've already had some great suggestions. In your desired price range I'd take a look at the  Maestro and the Secure Kid. However, I would humbly submit that you probably aren't going to use any of these seats as boosters much, if at all, so if there's a convertible car seat (that doesn't convert to a booster) which you like better, I wouldn't let the fact that it doesn't convert to a booster stop you. For example, if you happen to love the Complete Air or similar nice, tall convertible, you can always worry about buying a booster later. There are nice boosters on the market around $50 and sometimes less. 

[MarineWife]

Yeah, that Argos is pricey.

I have read on here that all the combo boosters are a pain. I only have experience with the Frontier and the Turbobooster for comparison. The problem I have with the Frontier as a booster is that my 7-8yo could not pull the seat belt through the belt positioning shoulder thingie by himself. I had to do it for him. And we had to pull the seat belt all the way out to buckle it and then tighten it up. If it locked at any time before we did that, we had to start all over.

Why do you think we won't use the combo as a booster? I'm hoping that all of these seats can be passed down to LO #3, too. I think the only thing that would preclude that will be the lifespan of the particular seat. Once a child is FF and big/old enough is it a bad idea to put him in a harness/booster combo rather than a convertible?

[chickabiddy]

No -- in fact, it's probably a better idea (for budget and ease of use) to plan on handing down the combination seat for use with the harness and buying an inexpensive dedicated booster for the now-5yo in a year or two.  Dedicated boosters are almost always easier to buckle, and it's certainly cheaper to buy a $50 Turbobooster for #2 than a $180 Argos for #3 when #3 outgrows the Britax or it expires.

[MarineWife]

Ok, thanks.

[brigala]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 
Why do you think we won't use the combo as a booster?

You might. Some people do. What I've found is that most people end up preferring a dedicated booster seat because, as was mentioned above, they're easier to buckle. They're also lighter and easier to move from one vehicle to the next. That's all, really. And yes, there are some people out there who love the Nautilus or the Frontier as a booster, but most people will end up picking something up that's lighter, easier to use, and cheaper. And if you have a younger child to pass the seat down to (in harness mode) that makes a LOT more sense financially than keeping the older child in a combo seat well past harness age and buying another combo seat for the younger child.

[MarineWife]

One thing I like about the harness/booster combos, though, is that they can be LATCHed in booster mode. That seems safer to me than having a loose seat.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

One thing I like about the harness/booster combos, though, is that they can be LATCHed in booster mode. That seems safer to me than having a loose seat.

I don't think they all can, though I know some can.  

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by alegna 

I don't think they all can, though I know some can.

Thanks. I just checked and you can use the LATCH system in booster mode with both the Frontier and the Nautilus.

[eilarie]

Hi,

I was in a similar situation 2 years ago.  My then 1 year old twins needed convertable seats and so what to do with my 4 year old?

I too have a vehicle where I needed three carseats across and struggled with how to properly seat my then 4 year old.  I did not go the route of a harness/booster.

The point that I want to bring up for you is that there are several straight booster seats that use LATCH.  I have the Monteray which is installed with the latch.  I also have the Turbo booster which does not.  However, it has not moved in a way that makes me feel that it is unsafe by not having a LATCH component.

Also, I tend to agree with the others on not buying another harness/booster combo. 

Good Luck,

Eileen