Booster seat for use with a lap belt?

[ombra*luna]

Anybody know of one? I drive an older model car and the center back seat has only a lap belt. At the moment I have him on the passenger side in the back seat, because the booster I have (and the others I've seen in stores) needs a shoulder belt threaded through it. He's about 36 pound, 4 years old.

I did see in one store the kind that has no back, just a seat and a bar-type cushion thing that folds up over the kid's lap. That's the type I had for my daughter when she was younger (she's 15 now so it was over 10 years ago) and I was under the impression these are no longer considered to be as safe. The one I had (not sure about the one in the store, since I had my "helper" with me and he wanted to "GO!" ) used only a lap belt. Would that be better than having him on the side?

Also, if I have to have him on the side, is there a safer side? I currently have him behind the passenger seat but that's only because he gets a bit too much enjoyment from kicking the back of my seat repeatedly. (Especially at the end of a long day on the way home. :LOL ) However, if it were safer to have him behind the driver's seat, I could deal with the kicking. Anybody know?

[Trishy]

Booster seats that are compatible with lap only belt use are no longer manufactured or on the market. The last lap belt compatible booster I am aware of being sold was the Britax Laptop that was discontinued sometime in 2002.

Shield boosters (like what you mentioned) are not safe and I would avoid them at all costs.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/shieldbooster.aspx

Use of outboard seats is perfectly acceptable and anyone who has more than one child has to use at least one outboard position. I read somewhere that the passenger side is slightly safer, I am trying to dig up a link

[roundpegmom]

If it is a choice between leaving him on the side with the shoulder belt vs. putting him in the middle with a lap only-stay on the side. I did find some lap only recommendations for future reference:

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/lapbelts.aspx

They just don't intend on us having more than two kids these days! I think it is a minivan conspiracy plot! I have always preferred the kids on the passenger side, just so I can reach them easier to hand them something or look at them. I would say go to your local police dept for advice, but a friend of mine did when she became a grandmother. They were just as clueless as she was about whether she had it set up right

[USAmma]

My car is only 4 years old and it too has only a lapbelt in the middle. So it's not just older cars. I have two kids so my preschooler has to ride on one side with her booster seat and my toddler rides on the other side. The middle seat remains empty because if I put them next to each other they fight. Very distracting to me! :

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by Queenie

Anybody know of one? I drive an older model car and the center back seat has only a lap belt. At the moment I have him on the passenger side in the back seat, because the booster I have (and the others I've seen in stores) needs a shoulder belt threaded through it. He's about 36 pound, 4 years old.

You have already gotten great info from the PPs. I did want to say that at your son's weight he is still within the limits of a harnessed booster, but you need to be sure he isn't too tall for it height wise (tops of ears below the shell of the car seat) or torso wise (shoulders are below the top harnessed slots). If he still fits by height, then why not keep him in a harnessed seat installed in the center with the lapbelt? Best practice is for a child to be harnessed until 40 lbs.

[dallaschildren]

Please do not use a booster seat with a lap belt only. Should you be in a wreck, all of the crash forces will be distributed across your little one's pelvic bone (or abdomen if not properly positioned) and their entire upper body will be floung forward like a rag doll. The lap and shoulder combo help to distribute the crash forces more uniformally, ideally across the pelvic bone and the breast plate. These bones are the strongest in the body. Have you thought of a Britax product or even a Cosco Apex (out in June 2005)? These seats utilize a 5 point harness up to 65 pounds.

DC
CPS tech and mom to 2 sons in seats

[moondiapers]

If he's under 40lbs and is still short enough he should be in a regular carseat, not a booster. Once he's 40 lbs if you can't afford a carseat that uses the harness at a higher weight it's time to move him to the outboard seat with a shoulder strap positioning booster.

[3boobykins]

We have 3 kids in carseats in a Nissan Pathfinder (98). I don't know if this has changed, but SUV's are considered "light trucks" and are therefore not required to have a center lap/shoulder belt. We've been trying to figure out how to solve this issue. We're fine for now, but will eventually need to figure something out. I guess we'll keep shifting the kids around until the youngest has outgrown the center seat, which will be somthing with a 5-pt. harness and higher weight/height limit, and then we'll probably need to get a new vehicle. dallaschildren, do you have any idea of the width of that Cosco Apex? I've considered a Britax Marathon, but I'm not sure it would fit with two other seats.

Sorry to hijack!

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by 3boobykins

...do you have any idea of the width of that Cosco Apex? I've considered a Britax Marathon, but I'm not sure it would fit with two other seats.

Not dallaschildren, but I believe the Apex will be 20.5 inches wide, so wide, but not as wide as a Britax Husky which is 22 inches.

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by 3boobykins

We have 3 kids in carseats in a Nissan Pathfinder (98). I don't know if this has changed, but SUV's are considered "light trucks" and are therefore not required to have a center lap/shoulder belt. We've been trying to figure out how to solve this issue. We're fine for now, but will eventually need to figure something out. I guess we'll keep shifting the kids around until the youngest has outgrown the center seat, which will be somthing with a 5-pt. harness and higher weight/height limit, and then we'll probably need to get a new vehicle. dallaschildren, do you have any idea of the width of that Cosco Apex? I've considered a Britax Marathon, but I'm not sure it would fit with two other seats.

Sorry to hijack!

Here is a carseat measurements site:
http://www.carseatdata.org/csnumbers.html

It lists the Marathon as 19.5" wide.

It is fairly easy, IMO, to fit a Marathon around other seats because it sits "higher" than a lot of convertables, so while it's base is wide it then narrows and then widens again "above" where other convertable seats are high.

We have had three seats in the back of an Escort (two Marathons at one point) without "real" problems.

[chickabiddy]

My Britax Husky, which has a 5-point harness good to 80 pounds, has instructions on how to install with just a lap belt (haven't tried it myself, but apparently it's designed to work). It does say that if you install with the lap belt you need to use the tether strap.

I know you said your car is an older model, but I had tether anchors installed in 2 1995 Fords (labor was free as a "community service" and the anchors were about $6 each) -- just call a dealership or search on the manufacturers' websites.

[ombra*luna]

Thanks for all the advice. His old seat says it can be used to 40 lbs/40 inches and he's not quite either, his head does come over the top so I thought he'd be better in the booster. I like the idea of a 5-point harness that goes to 80 pounds, I will have to go shopping alone, specifically for a carseat and spend some time on it. Does anyone know of which stores sell the Britax seats?

Thanks!

[chickabiddy]

The Husky is $219.95 at www.onestepahead.com; coupon code MAYBDAY gets you 15%; and if you join www.ebates.com you'll get an extra 6% back (total $175.74 plus tax and shipping). That's the best price I found.

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by chickabiddy

My Britax Husky, which has a 5-point harness good to 80 pounds, has instructions on how to install with just a lap belt (haven't tried it myself, but apparently it's designed to work). It does say that if you install with the lap belt you need to use the tether strap.

I know you said your car is an older model, but I had tether anchors installed in 2 1995 Fords (labor was free as a "community service" and the anchors were about $6 each) -- just call a dealership or search on the manufacturers' websites.

The installation for a Husky is complicated because there are many different variables, so please read the manual very carefully! FWIW, with a lapbelt install you have to install it with the recline bar, using the short belt path and as chickabiddy said it MUST be tethered, so if you plan to install it in the center lap belt only position you need to get a tether anchor installed before you can use this seat.

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by Queenie

Thanks for all the advice. His old seat says it can be used to 40 lbs/40 inches and he's not quite either, his head does come over the top so I thought he'd be better in the booster. I like the idea of a 5-point harness that goes to 80 pounds, I will have to go shopping alone, specifically for a carseat and spend some time on it. Does anyone know of which stores sell the Britax seats?

Thanks!

The seat is outgrown when the top of the ears go over the top of the back.

I recommend going to a local store that will let you try the seat in your car to make sure it fits. The Husky is a HUGE seat.

[dallaschildren]

I wanted to clarify a few things that PP's had gotten incorrect.

Britax Husky: The recline bar MUST be installed unless you have tethered the seat OR you are utilizing the "short route" using your lap belt only.
My recommendation is to ALWAYS tether if possible (as does Britax), HOWEVER, you MUST use the tether if installing the Husky via the "short route" using the lap and shoulder. The reason for this is the installation the short route, takes the shoulder portion of your vehicle belt BEHIND the seat versus under the cover to the front side of the seat or under the cover across the seat. Obviously in this position, the shoulder belt is not positioned to hold the top of the seat and prevent excess excursion as if it was tethered(excursion is the amount of space the top of the seat moves forward). Thus the tether is REQUIRED.
You MUST tether the Husky if your child weighs 50 pounds or more (however once again...I recommend tethering all seats for increased safety).
Do not use the # 2 buckle position until your child weighs MORE THAN 50 pounds.

I think that's it for clarifications. As for the Cosco Apex...I posted pictures here awhile back when I found out the seat was being released. I will try to dig them up...I had the dimensions on there.

Dallaschildren
CPS tech and mom to 2 sons in seats

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by dallaschildren

I wanted to clarify a few things that PP's had gotten incorrect.

Britax Husky: The recline bar MUST be installed unless you have tethered the seat OR you are utilizing the "short route" using your lap belt only.

Actually, the Husky can ONLY be installed using the short belt path with a lap belt so you must use the recline bar.

This is what the latest manual states:

Always use the recline bar when installing restraint in vehicle using short route with vehicle lap belt.

Britax changed the rules for lap belt installation a while back so that you can no longer use the long belt path with a lapbelt installation which necessitates the use of the recline bar.

As for the Cosco Apex...I posted pictures here awhile back when I found out the seat was being released. I will try to dig them up...I had the dimensions on there.

Don't you believe me about the width? I too have the information pdf. on the Apex. The complete dimensions are:

Width: 20.5"
Height: 27.5"
Length: 22.0"
Weight: 13.40 lbs

[/QUOTE]

[dallaschildren]

Originally Posted by uccomama

Actually, the Husky can ONLY be installed using the short belt path with a lap belt so you must use the recline bar.

This is what the latest manual states:

Britax changed the rules for lap belt installation a while back so that you can no longer use the long belt path with a lapbelt installation which necessitates the use of the recline bar.

Don't you believe me about the width? I too have the information pdf. on the Apex. The complete dimensions are:

Width: 20.5"
Height: 27.5"
Length: 22.0"
Weight: 13.40 lbs

[/QUOTE]

BUSTED. Yup, you caught me. I typo'd and did not put lap/SHOULDER "short route" when I said "the recline bar must be installed unless you have tethered the seat OR you are utilizing the "short route" using your lap belt only."
I did not mention the now defunct "long route" lap belt install technique at all, so as not to confuse anyone since it is not recommended any longer. I refer to the lap belt install as "short route" because that is exactly how Britax refers to it in their manual. Sometimes less information is better. Car seat installation is confusing enough.
As for the width dimension you quoted...it has nothing to do with my not believing you. I'm sure you were kidding. It's just that I have answered a bunch of questions here and posted a whole lot of information over the years. My focus was on my prior post regarding the new Britax models and the Apex, and I couldn't remember if it contained all of the dimensions. My comment was all about my thinking out loud and in writing, and not in doubting your width number.
Are you a CPS tech?

[dallaschildren]

Just a quick note.... the Cosco Apex release date was recently pushed back to late 2005. So no May-June 2005 release as Cosco previously reported. Cosco is acting very mysteriously about this seat. What is weird is they had the prototype out and in full view at a safety convention in March and now they pretend as if it doesn't exist or that they know nothing.
I know a lot of you have PM'd me and we've discussed this seat. So I thought I would let you all know the status. It is very frustrating. Not everyone who wants their kids to remain in a 5 point harness for longer than 40 pounds, can afford the Britax models. I was so excited. :

Dallaschildren
CPS tech and mom to 2 sons in seats

[Mirzam]

BUSTED. Yup, you caught me. I typo'd and did not put lap/SHOULDER "short route" when I said "the recline bar must be installed unless you have tethered the seat OR you are utilizing the "short route" using your lap belt only."
I did not mention the now defunct "long route" lap belt install technique at all, so as not to confuse anyone since it is not recommended any longer. I refer to the lap belt install as "short route" because that is exactly how Britax refers to it in their manual. Sometimes less information is better. Car seat installation is confusing enough.
As for the width dimension you quoted...it has nothing to do with my not believing you. I'm sure you were kidding. It's just that I have answered a bunch of questions here and posted a whole lot of information over the years. My focus was on my prior post regarding the new Britax models and the Apex, and I couldn't remember if it contained all of the dimensions. My comment was all about my thinking out loud and in writing, and not in doubting your width number.
Are you a CPS tech?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I was kidding!

Unfortunately I am not yet a tech. I would love to be but I haven't been able to take the course because of childcare issues. It is pretty much impossible for me to be away all day when I have to take the kids to school at various times during the day, judo and other activities.

Anyway, I hang out with a bunch of CPSTechs and advocates in cyberspace where discuss all the latest info and bitch and moan! I also have a website which compares many of the boosters on the market today, if you ever need to refer someone who needs to make a booster decision!
Here's the link.

BTW, have you heard about the new Recaro seats due out June 1st The Recaro Young Sport and The Recaro Young Style.