To switch to a booster or not...?'s

[Jilian]

I need some carseat advise from you wise mamas. I'm currently pregnant with baby #2, DS will be 4 yrs 4 mos when the baby is born. He is currently in a Britax Marathon and I planned on switching him to a booster seat and giving the Marathon to the baby. Now I'm not so sure. DS is about 34 lbs and average height for his age. He still has plenty of growing room left in the Marathon. After reading several thread on this forum I'm not sure I should hurry him into a booster.

What would you do? I'm now considering getting the new baby a Britax Roundabout (because they are better for babies) and leaving DS in the Marathon. We drive a Honda Accord so space isn't too much of an issue. Any suggestions?

[JamesMama]

I'd go with the roundabout or buy a 2nd marathon for baby #2...Or if you have the space maybe a Regent for DS1?

[williamsmommy2002]

I kept both of my infants in infant carseats until about 6-8 months and then we went to the marathon. Ds1 just turned 4 and is about the size of your ds and we have no plans of switching seats for him anytime soon. Also depending on how long you have had the Marathon, you will probably want to buy another convertable carseat for baby #2 before they go into a booster because of the age of the carseat.

I would go ahead and buy a Roundabout or Marathon for this baby.

[moms3kids]

i have been looking into what seat to get my new baby... Not ttc yet! LOL and have looked at pics of 2/3 month olds in a full size britax seat, there is no way they fit... and even a roundabout looks to big as well. We are going to get our baby a safeseat1 that hold them till 30lbs... so a year or more most likely... that would put your ds over 5 and more mature for a booster seat and your baby can go in the marathon the as long as it's not expired (6 years... ) HTH

[alegna]

I would keep him in the marathon. If you want a convertible for the baby I'd get the boulevard with the infant insert.

-Angela

[UnskulinMama]

Originally Posted by moms3kids

i have been looking into what seat to get my new baby... Not ttc yet! LOL and have looked at pics of 2/3 month olds in a full size britax seat, there is no way they fit... and even a roundabout looks to big as well. We are going to get our baby a safeseat1 that hold them till 30lbs... so a year or more most likely... that would put your ds over 5 and more mature for a booster seat and your baby can go in the marathon the as long as it's not expired (6 years... ) HTH

Our now-four month old actually fit quite well in the roundabout at about 3 weeks old (and he was fine in it before that really). He's alot happier in it than in the infant carseat as well. I think he enjoys being a bit more upright.

[brewgirl]

nak

what about the decathlon? it has the nice infant insert to snuggle the wee ones in and goes to 65 pounds harnessed, so you'll be able to use it longer than the roundabout. also has 3 position crotch strap and is the same size as the marathon. albee baby online has some on sale for around $220

[Jilian]

What is the difference between the Decathalon and the Boulevard?

[alegna]

The Boulevard has side impact protection and a dial to move the straps without rethreading.

-Angela

[SomedayMom]

Have you had your Marathon for 4 years? They expire after 6 years, so your new baby will need a new seat anyway. I'd keep your son in the Marathon for a while and buy a new one for the baby (a bigger seat, probably a Decathalon or Boulevard if you are going to use it from birth).

[thepeach80]

The only difference w/ the RA is that the back is lower and it only goes to 40#, the bottom strap slots are still too high for an infant. I actually meant to take pics of Ilana today in ours to show people. I put her in a Boulevard last week at 6#13oz and she looked terrible. There's no way I'd put her in that seat full time till she was much bigger. She's in a Safeseat now.

[Jilian]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

I put her in a Boulevard last week at 6#13oz and she looked terrible. There's no way I'd put her in that seat full time till she was much bigger.

Really? It says it is ok for use starting at 5 lbs. That's a dissapointment, I was excited about getting a Boulevard after reading this thread.

[Drummer's Wife]

I'm in a similar situation and have been trying to figure out what to do.... anyways I want to keep my 20 month old rf for much longer so I can't pass his marathon down to the new baby for atleast another year.

I'm planning on starting with an infant seat and then if the baby outgrows it before a year then I will end up buying another convertable (I've decided on the Blvd over the other's).

[alegna]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

I actually meant to take pics of Ilana today in ours to show people. I put her in a Boulevard last week at 6#13oz and she looked terrible. There's no way I'd put her in that seat full time till she was much bigger. She's in a Safeseat now.

Did it have the infant insert in? I've been wondering how much difference that really makes.

-Angela

[dallaschildren]

Originally Posted by Jilian

Really? It says it is ok for use starting at 5 lbs. That's a dissapointment, I was excited about getting a Boulevard after reading this thread.

My opinion. Keep your DS in the Marathon. Do not put him in a booster seat. Get the Boulevard and if additional support is needed temporarily (they grow so fast), roll up 2 receiving blankets or 2 cloth diapers, place one on either side of your babe vertically and make sure the tops of both do not go higher than the tops of his/her ears. Nothing around the neck, nothing on top of the head (except what may come with the car seat you end up choosing). You can achieve babes comfort and get that "cocooned" and snug feeling this way coupled with the Boulevard's infant insert.
I personally think the Roundabout can be a waste of money. It only goes to 40 pounds so to achieve safest practice by keeping our DC's in 5 pt restraints for as long as possible, the RA doesn't do that and is almost as much as Britax convertibles that go to 65 pounds and much more $$ than other brands which also go to 40 pounds.

Dallaschildren
CPS Instructor and momma to 2 sons in seats

[thepeach80]

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...arseats086.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...arseats087.jpg

I didn't take the HUGS off which would've helped, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable. Britax likes the straps to be at least close to baby's shoulders. The bottom slot is 10", Ilana is between 7-7.5" if I had to guess for torso.

[Jilian]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...arseats086.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...arseats087.jpg

I didn't take the HUGS off which would've helped, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable. Britax likes the straps to be at least close to baby's shoulders. The bottom slot is 10", Ilana is between 7-7.5" if I had to guess for torso.

Thanks for sharing. She looks lost in that huge car seat.

[Electra375]

I am just way out of the TIMES for carseats and boosters -- I went on-line and looked at pictures and I noticed the Britax Boosters do not have straps like a carseat!
I have 3 "boosters" and they are all 5 point harnesses (Century, Graco, and Cosco). They were made for those who have out grown the forward facing carseats, purchased in 2001 & 2002.
My rule of thumb, when their head reaches the top of the carseat (or any other carseat restriction such as weight), they move to one of my 5pt harness "boosters".
I have never used a booster with the adult seatbelt for a small child under 5. My kids are super skinny, lean and tall, so by age 2 their heads are going above the carseat edge. My oldest never did sit in a booster with an adult seatbelt b/c his head was over the edge of what they made then by age 5.

Anyway, I see I need to do some research on carseats, boosters etc.

Looking at the options - if your child still meets the requirements to sit in the current seat you have (and will get more than 6 months more use out of it), then keep him there. If you are going to end up replacing his carseat in 6 months, just do it now. Otherwise you will end up buying a 2nd carseat for the baby and then turn around and buy a different seat for your almost 5 yr old - 2 additional purchases vs. 1 and they are $$$.

http://www.babyuniverse.com/pro/baby...Go-Wilbur.html
This is very similar to my "booster" (mine is just a few years older), it has the option to use it w/ the adult seatbelt, but has it's own 5 pt harness system. I would think something like this would make you feel better about safety than the adult seatbelt alone for a small child.

[oliviagoddess]

Latch anchor system warning

Electra375 wrote:
"I am just way out of the TIMES for carseats and boosters -- I went on-line and looked at pictures and I noticed the Britax Boosters do not have straps like a carseat!
I have 3 "boosters" and they are all 5 point harnesses (Century, Graco, and Cosco). They were made for those who have out grown the forward facing carseats, purchased in 2001 & 2002."

What you are describing is a convertible carseat/booster combo. You are using it as a carseat (not a booster), but make sure to check the owner's manual (or their web site) to see if it is weight / height rated for how you are using it (carseat). It is intended for people who will take the straps out after their child has outgrown the carseat and it can be used with the seatbelts as a booster. If the top of the strap is below the shoulder, then the seat is too small for the height.

Just so everybody knows, if you are using Latch anchor to secure your carseat to the car, it is intended for children up to 45 pounds, assuming your carseat weighs in at 3 pounds (most Britax are 5+). So if you are keeping your child in a carseat, make sure to secure the carseat to the car with a seat belt (and use the top anchor point). Otherwise the carseat could detach from the anchor in a crash and go airborne.

My daughter is 6 and is still in a carseat, the Britax Wizard - side impact that is rated to 65 pounds (similar to the Boulevard, but no baby pads) and 49 inches height (4 foot tall). Check your owners manual to see what the max height is for your seat. They do have a model that goes up to 85 pounds but same height (Marathon, I think) for heavier children, or those with disabilities that need to be restrained in a car longer for their protection.

When she is too tall, we will probably go with the Parkway booster, the Monarch is for the "plus" size crowd and gives too much sliding room for a skinny minnie. Both are rated to 100 pounds and 60 inches (5 foot tall). I think it is important to have the high back booster when you move up from a carseat.

My rule of thumb for kids and cars:
rear facing as long as possible (we switched at 1 1/2 years, when her legs were just too long)
carseat as long as possible
high back booster as long as possible

[wednesday]

The advantage of a Roundabout from my POV is that, since it's smaller, it fits better rear-facing in smaller cars. In a Honda Accord I don't know if it makes a difference. If your Marathon fits rear-facing than I would think you could go with another Marathon or similar size seat. But if the MA is jammed up against the front seat when rear-facing, a Roundabout may work better.

We had a borrowed infant carrier until DS was 4 months--he outgrew it at that point and that's when he went into the Roundabout. He stayed in that until a little after age 3. He still had some room to grow as far as the harness strap height but he had begun complaining about the "babyness" of the seat and he LOOKED uncomfortable in it, like it was too small. So we recently replaced the RA with a Sunshine Kids Radian--this was after trying the Britax Regent and finding it was too massive for our vehicles.

With our next child I expect we will do a similar thing--infant carrier at first (probably longer than 4 months as they make them to go up higher in height and weight now). Then something like the RA which will fit rear-facing in a smaller sedan. Then a bigger kid seat like the Radian. After looking really hard at the 3-in-1 type products that are meant to be used from birth to booster age, I'm just not satisfied that any of them really meets our needs in terms of ease of use, reliability, and being a good fit in a smaller car.