School age kids and booster seats?

[jeca]

My DD's are 5 and almost 7 years old and are still in boosters at this point. Can anyone tell me what the top recommended or safety tested booster is for this age? At what age did you stop putting your DC in a booster or carseat. We have been using a high back graco so far. Just wondering what booster seats do you swear by.

[Embee]

Originally Posted by jeca

Can anyone tell me what the top recommended or safety tested booster is for this age?

Sorry, no answers there, but I imagine there is a consumer reports on the web somewhere? We use a Graco as well and are just getting ready to try and take off the back... last time I tried (about six months ago), the seat belt still didn't hit DS in the right place so the back went back on.

Originally Posted by jeca

At what age did you stop putting your DC in a booster or carseat.

Although age is involved, it also depends on the child's size and the type of seat you have in your car. We have a Saturn where the backseat is slanted down in the back so it makes it a bit challenging. DS is on the small side so the booster seat will remain a staple for us for awhile to come I believe. DS is 7 1/2.

Best of luck,
Em

[A&A]

In Utah it is now law to have your child in a car seat or booster until age 8.

We love our Britax Regent. (There is a car seat safety forum on MDC, too.) --subforum called Family Safety.

[alegna]

5 and 6 wouldn't be "older" in my book for boosters. I plan to still have my kids harnessed at those ages- not even in boosters yet.

-Angela

[LynnS6]

The CDC recommendation is to use a booster seat until 58 inches (sitting height 29 inches) and 80 lbs. According the growth curve our ds is on, he'll hit the height limit at about age 9, but he won't hit the weight limit until about age 12! (He's tall and thin.) I have no idea what we're going to do.

[jeca]

Originally Posted by alegna

5 and 6 wouldn't be "older" in my book for boosters. I plan to still have my kids harnessed at those ages- not even in boosters yet.

-Angela

To each their own. They were harnessed until five after that we switched to high back boosters, I'm okay with it. IS aid the same thing when mine we not that age yet. I would just like to get them a new one. My six year old does complain that none of her friends use boosters and she is going into the second grade (I guess that's suppose to matter to me).

[mumm]

I thought the law was 8 years or 4'9". Perhaps that is just our state.

I know my nephew was still in a booster when he weighed 145 pounds because he hadn't met his state's age requirement and he was/is obese and tall.

[velochic]

Originally Posted by mumm

I thought the law was 8 years or 4'9". Perhaps that is just our state.

I know my nephew was still in a booster when he weighed 145 pounds because he hadn't met his state's age requirement and he was/is obese and tall.

My great-niece is also tall and obese. She simply could not fit into a booster (this was right before her 7th birthday that we discovered she was over the limit). We tried to find an appropriate booster. We went to the Sheriff's dept. to talk to their car seat tech about what my niece (the mother) should do. He said that once the child reaches the limits of the booster seat (the highest is 100lbs.) then they should simply go into a seatbelt... that is was more dangerous to be over the limit in a booster.

Our state has the same laws, but there are exceptions.

[Kelly Jene]

Our state law is 4'9" or 90lbs. Ds (7yo) will definitely reach 4'9" way before 90lbs, he's such a small guy.

Even if it wasn't the law, we'd still have him in a booster as the seatbelt does not fit right yet.

[sarahmae1]

My 7yr. old uses a highback Graco turbobooster too, even though NO ONE else he knows has to be in one at his age. Legally, in my state even my 4yr. old could be riding in just the seat belt. He's still harnessed! I think the Turboboosters are good economical boosters.

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by alegna

5 and 6 wouldn't be "older" in my book for boosters. I plan to still have my kids harnessed at those ages- not even in boosters yet.

-Angela

You'll have to see what sizes they are. My 5 year old is 51 lbs, no way would she be fitting in a harness. The highest weight level I found for a harness is 47 lbs which both my kids stayed in until they hit that weight. My 7.5 year old is 54 lbs and he is still in a high-backed booster and will be for quite awhile.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

You'll have to see what sizes they are. My 5 year old is 51 lbs, no way would she be fitting in a harness. The highest weight level I found for a harness is 47 lbs which both my kids stayed in until they hit that weight. My 7.5 year old is 54 lbs and he is still in a high-backed booster and will be for quite awhile.

Are you in Canada?

Not sure if the OP is or not- I assumed not, but I could be wrong...

We have harnessed seats in the US up to 80lbs (the regent....)

-Angela

[craftymom]

Jeca,
This was me too, but then practicality whacked me in the face (can't refuse to host playdates, can't buy a minivan, and I just can't be paranoid because I get so nervous and lose weight when I worry about the might-bes)! Mine are now 5.5 and 8.5, and both in Graco boosters. The 5.5yo only rides in the high back, the 8.5yo usually is in the backless/popup. He prefers the high back for long trips (more comfy for snoozing), but is truly about to outgrow the back. My 8.5yo is more comfy NOT in a booster in grandma's truck--it has a "short" backseat (the kind very uncomfy for adults) and he fits great in it--it also has a built-in seatbelt adjuster. He also has ridden in the back middle of our car without the booster when ds5.5 has friend come home. That seat is funny and feels higher up (that good old back middle), and it works. I cannot get 3 car seats in my back seat safely--I also can't put 2 huge Britax and a third child. There is no way to buckle that 3rd child's belt.

My 8.5 has a seated height of 27", my 5.5yo is 22" (he came into the booster last year when he outgrew his harness seat that fit soooo nicely in the car, boo-hoo!). They are both all torso in height, with short legs, so THANKS to whoever posted that info. They are both like their grandpa

My 8yo has many friends still in boosters. We all make it very casual and normal--I have 2 pop-up boosters in my car, and the 8yos ride in those. I actually don't give them a choice, and they just sit. I think the law here is 6 or 60, but they constantly advertise 4'9" on TV. FWIW, my 8.5 yo is 57 pounds! With ds5.5's friends, everyone is in boosters with a few in harnesses. We have never had kids tease, I think I am lucky.

Just about every state has different laws.

E: can't spell

Originally Posted by jeca

To each their own. They were harnessed until five after that we switched to high back boosters, I'm okay with it. IS aid the same thing when mine we not that age yet. I would just like to get them a new one. My six year old does complain that none of her friends use boosters and she is going into the second grade (I guess that's suppose to matter to me).

[wendy1221]

My oldest will be 9 in 3 weeks and he's still in a high back booster, even though the law here says till 8 or 80lbs, and most people interpret that to mean 8yrs. He weighs about 60lbs I think and is average height for his age. There are boosters that go up to 120lbs. My almost 5 year old is in a Britax Regent after outgrowing by height his up to 65lb harnessed seat (he weighs less than 40lbs, though, just has a REALLY long torso.) I didn't think he was ready for a booster. The Graco Nautilus came out just before I got him the Regent and I may have gotten that instead if I had seen it before I got the Regent. It looks like a really nice seat and converts to a hb and lb booster after the harness is outgrown. My almost 9 year old is just barely too big for the harness if that gives you an idea of how long it will harness. And like I said, he's average size for his age.

He's in a $60 Britax Parkway booster we got at Albeebaby.com. It's one of the collegiate ones, I think Georgia Tech. We chose by color, not school. http://www.albeebaby.com/britax-park...niversity.html He was VERY uncomfortable in his Graco Turbobooster b/c the back was too narrow for him. Even though the Parkway looks narrower and takes up less space, he's MUCH more comfortable in it. And the wings are nice to nap in on long trips. It's amzing how little space it takes up. If I had room issues and needed 2 in boosters, it's a great seat. This one is also similar, I think: http://www.albeebaby.com/fisher-pric...-tan-tech.html But it has armrests, which are unnecessary and take up more room, imo.

[Lisa85]

5 and 6 wouldn't be "older" in my book for boosters. I plan to still have my kids harnessed at those ages- not even in boosters yet.

-Angela

ITA. Not too mention there's still a good chance my peanut may even be rearfacing still. It really is in your child's best interest to remain harnessed as long as possible. There's a youtube video on this but I don't have the link handy.

Unless you're not in the U.S.* there are quite a few good options for high weight harnessed seats. Britax Regent, Britax Frontier, and Radian off the top of my head.

*Not that you can't find quality seats elsewhere, just that I'm not knowledgeable on seats legal in other countries to know which ones would/wouldn't work.

[mumm]

Originally Posted by Lisa85

ITA. Not too mention there's still a good chance my peanut may even be rearfacing still. It really is in your child's best interest to remain harnessed as long as possible. There's a youtube video on this but I don't have the link handy.

.

A rear facing 6 year old? If you have the link about that I'd be curious. I haven't seen a kid that old rear facing since the volvo wagons had that trunk seat that faced out the back window!

What I've read shows that after the age of 2 kids are just as safe in a booster with a car seat belt as in a 5 pt harness. I feel safer keeping my kids in the 5 pt harness much longer, but haven't actually seen that it is either helpful or hurtful so I go with my gut.

[Kiddoson]

Originally Posted by Kelly Jene

Our state law is 4'9" or 90lbs. Ds (7yo) will definitely reach 4'9" way before 90lbs, he's such a small guy.

Even if it wasn't the law, we'd still have him in a booster as the seatbelt does not fit right yet.

Yeah that. DD is almost 8 and we just went back to the booster. she will stay in it a while.

[BelovedK]

Moved to family safety

[an_aurora]

Originally Posted by mumm

What I've read shows that after the age of 2 kids are just as safe in a booster with a car seat belt as in a 5 pt harness. I feel safer keeping my kids in the 5 pt harness much longer, but haven't actually seen that it is either helpful or hurtful so I go with my gut.

Good lord, I wish that Freakonomics guy would just disappear and take all his media with him :

A two year old IS NOT SAFE in a booster. Period. Sorry to be rude, but that guy just chaps my hide and this is the third thread in two days that I have read about him.

To the OP, you want a booster with good SIP that adjusts nice and high. The Recaro Vivo, Britax Parkway or Monarch, and Sunshine Kids Monterrey are all very nice boosters. Children need to remain in boosters until they can pass the 5 step test.

[jeca]

Originally Posted by an_aurora

G
To the OP, you want a booster with good SIP that adjusts nice and high. The Recaro Vivo, Britax Parkway or Monarch, and Sunshine Kids Radian are all very nice boosters. Children need to remain in boosters until they can pass the 5 step test.

Thanks!
I'm not interested in switching back to a 5 point harness we did it until they were five and now that they are all in school the high back booster is what works for us. I just didn't research it and now I would like to know what's the best out there since I'm looking for new carseats.