Booster for older, tall, skinny child

[Simply_Lucy]

Hi,

My son is 9yo, 54" tall and 68 lbs. He is not required to use a booster in Colorado, but he so thin that I think he should. When in the back seat, there is so much room side-to-side that it's easy for him to move out of a safe position (he wiggles around a lot) and if he falls asleep it's worse. He's tall enough that I don't feel he needs the height of a booster seat, but I'd like to find something to support him side-to-side in the seat and back and to position the belt correctly. Currently I've got him in an Evenflo Big Kid Deluxe, but he'll be too tall for it soon and it almost touches the roof of my car. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Lucy

[angie3096]

My daughter is not big enough for a booster yet, so I don't have any BTDT advice for you. But I have heard that the Britax Parkway is the tallest booster on the market. According to the specs at elitecarseats.com, the interior seat back height can be adjusted up to 30.5 inches. Would that meet your needs? I also hear that they have great side impact protection and are super comfy for sleeping. Is there a BRU near you where you can go look at one?

[soygurl]

The Britax Parkway used to be the tallest booster avaliable. Now it seems there are a few others that are at least as tall if not taller. The Graco Airbooster, The Britax Monarch are two that I know of. But I'm not sure about the booster being near the celing of your car... Maybe consider a travel vest? Either the E-Z-On 86Y or Ride Safer would probably work. Just as long as your vehicle provides adequate head restraint.

[dallaschildren]

Hi Lucy,

Most states child restraint laws are minimal at best. With that said, I am going to venture a guess and say that although your son may meet Colorado law, he may in fact still need to be in a booster seat based in part on his actual height. Every child's body makeup is different so this is where most of the CR laws are inadequate (ie: long upper torso, short upper torso, etc.) Throw into the mix all of the thousands of different vehicles on the road and most children riding without a booster, do in fact still need one. Your son may not need a booster in one car, but in another car, may. How can you test his readiness to go without a booster seat and sit in the vehicle seat like you and I? The test is called the 5 step test. IF your son satisfies all 5 steps, in the vehicle you are testing him in, then he can go without a booster seat. http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm A booster seat MUST be used ONLY if there is a vehicle lap AND shoulder belt in the seating position you are putting him. For optimal safety, it is recommended to seat the least protected (FF), youngest child, in the rear center seating position. That location affords the most protection in a MVC. Lastly, make sure if he is not in a high back booster seat, that he sit in a seating position with a HIGH vehicle back AND headrest to support and protect the neck from whiplash injuries commonly seen in MVC's.

DC

[Mirzam]

I would get him the Graco Airbooster. It seems to fit big kids the best. The thing with the Parkway and the Monach is the seat isn't very deep and it slopes forward which makes it very uncomfortable to kids with longer legs, they also look like they are slipping off it.

Here is a link to a 10 yo boy in various boosters, as you can see the Airbooster fits him the best of all of them.

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

PS: I am in CO and also have a 9 yo the same size as yours in a booster, she does pass the 5 step test in some cars though.