Experience with High Back booster seats?

[Threefold]

Another carseat ?? :innocent

Ds is 4.5 (turns 5 in Dec) and is pretty petite at 34lbs soaking wet. I feel like I need to replace the convertable Cosco Alpha-Omega he's been in since he was 6 mo old, b/c it is getting near the 5 year mark, and it does not have great side impact protection (wasn't an issue when he was in the center of the backseat, but now he's on the side).
I'm thinking he'd be safe now in a high backed booster, and am thinking of the Britax Parkway or a Recaro (but our budget will probably say Britax :LOL ).
But what do you know about a 34lb-er in a booster, would we be better off getting the Britax Wizard with 5 pt harness?
TIA

[zonapellucida]

I would always go with the 5 pt harness....

[Threefold]

I would always go with the 5 pt harness....
until what age approximately?
Thanks :)

[Irishmommy]

Until at least 40 lbs. You can buy high back boosters that also have the harness, so they are harnessed to 40 lbs, and boostered until 80. My 5yo is 35lbs and still harnessed.

[uccomama]

As your 4.5 year old is a lightweight, I would personally go with the Recaro Young Sport if you can spring for it because you are going to get more use out of it IMO. At at 4.5 and 34 lbs the 65 lb weight limit is really not that important and the Young Sport has some advantages over the Wizard for your situation. The harness slots are just as tall, the seat is deeper which makes it much more comfortable for an older child who tends to have longer legs than a toddler. The Young Sport turns into a fabulous booster, lots of side impact protection and more shoulder protection than the Wiz, it does a great job at positioning the shoulder and lap belt.

I have just taken my 5.5 year old out of the Blvd (the newer version of the Wiz) and put him in the Young Sport and he likes it so much better, it feels far less of a baby seat, he has much more seat depth and it doesn't sit up so high. I personally, am quite comfortable with having six year olds in boosters and especially the Young Sport because of all the protection it offers. I doubt you would get much more time in the Wizard harnessed because of growing out of it by height, and with the Young Sport you have an awesome booster for your DD.

Go here (http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id14.html) to see some some photos of DS in his Recaro Young Sport both using the harness and seat belt, and if you go here (http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id8.html) and scroll down to the bottom picture you will see how he looked a few months ago in the Boulevard.

I hope this helps.

[Threefold]

Wow! Thanks for all the good info. I think we will build buying the Recaro young Sport into this Fall's budget. It is the same price as the Wizard and will work for much longer.
Thanks for all the great info :love

[uccomama]

Wow! Thanks for all the good info. I think we will build buying the Recaro young Sport into this Fall's budget. It is the same price as the Wizard and will work for much longer.
Thanks for all the great info :love

You are welcome. I promise you, you won't regret getting the Young Sport!

[water]

But what's wrong with the Husky? we have my ds, at 42 lbs and 42 inches in a Husky and he will be there, in a five point harness, for several years. The Husky harnesses to 80 lbs!!! So by the time your ds outgrows it, he won't ven need a carsat anymore...

[uccomama]

But what's wrong with the Husky? we have my ds, at 42 lbs and 42 inches in a Husky and he will be there, in a five point harness, for several years. The Husky harnesses to 80 lbs!!! So by the time your ds outgrows it, he won't ven need a carsat anymore...

Nothing is wrong with the Husky, but it is a huge seat so it isn't always practical. I have owned one (I admit I have a car seat addiction), my DD loved, it she called it her "Big Blue Seat", and at eight years old she could still ride in it, but I doubt she would want to and she still needs a booster and will probably need one for another couple of years. The Husky doesn't offer the side impact protection of Recaro, although any 5pt harnessed seat performs reasonably well in side impacts. I actually passed our Husky down to my DS but he hated it. He put up with it for two weeks before he begged me for something else. He didn't feel secure in it, he missed the headwings from his Wizard, which I had sold because I thought he could use the Husky.

Also, don't be too sure your DS won't need a booster after the Husky is outgrown, the maximum height on the Husky is 53", although it fits taller kids because what counts is torso height, it is still possible that a child won't pass the 5 point test for fitting in the car's actual seat so will need at least a low back booster. You might find that by 7 or 8 your DS will resist riding in a harness, I certainly can't see a 10 year wanting too. Boosters are more discreet.