Talk to me about inflatable booster car seat and seat belt adjusters

[amberskyfire]

I posted another thread a while back about safe travel while visiting family on the mainland. Since I will be flying alone with the kids, I can't carry two car seats for both, so the general consensus of the other thread was to bring a car seat onto the plane for my 1 y/o and to bring an inflatable BubbleBum booster seat for my 5 y/o to use in the car when we get to TX.

So I was shopping for the BubbleBum on Amazon and saw these seatbelt adjusters

http://www.amazon.com/Brica-Seat-Belt-Adjuster-Gray/dp/B004LE8ZLW/ref=wl_mb_hu_m_1_dp

and though they looked better than a booster and are MUCH more affordable for me. I was disheartened by the reviews, however. A few say that the product is not safe because the lap belt is pulled up too high by the device since the cross-strap type of seatbelts do not retain their tension. I was wondering if this product would be safe to use if I installed a seatbelt locking clip on the belt while using the seatbelt adjuster. I have the metal locking clip that is commonly used for car seats in vehicles without a L.A.T.C.H. system. The tension adjuster would keep the lap belt firmly down in place over the child's pelvis like the seatbelts in an airplane stay tight.

Would that then be as good an option as using the BubbleBum? I'm no safety expert, but it seems like using the locking clip would be additionally safer since the child could not wiggle around in the car and loosen the lap belt which should be nice and low over the thighs.

So can I/should I use the locking clip with the seatbelt adjuster? And if not, for some reason, can I/should I use the locking clip while using the BubbleBum to keep the lap belt snug and low? Or is there a reason why this is a big no-no?

Mahalo for the help!

(and just in case anyone is unsure of what the locking clip is for some reason, here's a photo: http://www.amazon.com/Graco-4045-Seatbelt-Locking-Clip/dp/B0002ADQOU/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1357716185&sr=1-1&keywords=car+seat+buckle)

[LaughingHyena]

I would not use one of those. I've seen a few kids using them and I think it makes the seatbelt fit worse. They seemed to pull the shoulder part of the belt away from the next but because the child is not tall enough it still starts way above their shoulders and they can slip out easily even when awake. As the reviews say it also brings the lap part of the belt up across the tummy rather than over the hips.

I haven't seen one in a crash but I don't really see how a strip of fabric and 4 snap fasteners would keep the belt in the right place with so much force involved.

[chel]

Agree with pp, those things don't provide the proper placement over the hips/thighs. The clip just prevents the belt from sliding.
Cost wise, a $12 backless booster would be better.

Are you borrowing seats at your first location. Maybe order some type of backless booster online and have it shipped to the family that is picking you up (assuming seats cost more in hi and your selection is limited)

[amberskyfire]

Yeah, I read that it doesn't hold the belt over the lap. That's why I was asking if using a belt lock would work with it - because it makes the lap part of the belt only so long so it stays low over the thighs.

No, we are not borrowing seats. I'm taking a car seat for the 1 y/o and taking an inflatable BubbleBum car seat for my 5 y/o unless I can find out if the belt adjuster is safe with a belt lock.

[chickabiddy]

Belt adjusters are not safe for children and locking clips are not a substitute for a proper booster.

[TiredX2]

Are you meeting family there?  An easier solution might be to ask them to pick up a backless booster to just use there.  You can generally get them for under $20 at Target and they are often on sale.  Then you wouldn't need to worry about the transport, you'd save money over the bubblebum, and your child would be much safer than the alternative.

[amberskyfire]

We have to get the BubbleBum. We are meeting family there, but we will not just be going there. We are flying out to another state as well and no one there that can get a car seat for us. We'll be staying with my grandmother who does not drive. We're being picked up by a shuttle at the airport (which is really a van) and then they will drive us the few hours to my grandmother's (who does not drive) then we will be driven back to the airport in the shuttle. I'll need a booster for the van. So I'm taking the little one's car seat and then the inflatable booster for the big kid so I can bring it on all of the planes. We are flying on like 8 different planes. YEESH! But we won't be in cars much except the ride from the airport in TX, the ride in the shuttle and my daughter wants to go to the zoo, so there's an extra ride. Plus a short trip to my uncle's lake from my grandmother's house out in the country, but there are almost no cars out there.

I think we are going to not get the seat belt adjuster and go with the BubbleBum. I will be flying with the kids by myself so 2 car seats is an impossibility for me and I won't check one for safety reasons.