# When did you move your child from a 5 pt restraint to a booster?



## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

We had moved my 5.5yr old to a high backed booster, but I'm thinking we should move her back. She's 43 in. and 38 lbs. I was thinking about getting one of those carseats the goes up to 80 lbs for the 5 point restraint. Then she could use it for the next year until Miss A would star using it.

I'm interested to hear what other people do.


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## nicole lisa (Oct 27, 2004)

38 pounds is a little early. Especially given a 2 pound gain could take a year. I moved DS into a booster at 40 pounds, which is what the seats in Canada required at the time. Now there are seats which harness higher so I would have kept him in one a little longer.

But really it's not height or weight only. There's a test you can do to ensure the seatbelt is hitting where it should. That should be the deciding factor in booster vs seat.


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## thriftyqueen (Mar 2, 2006)

My DS was 5, but was a little over 40 lbs. I was so nervous to move him to the booster. I would have kept him in the 5 point longer if he wasn't getting too big for it!!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

In our family kids will remain in a 5pt harness as long as there is a reasonably practical seat that they will fit in that has one.

Just like rf. They rf until they've outgrown rear facing.

They stay in 5pt harnesses until they've outgrown the options.

Right now our plan is to go to a nautilus or regent after dd outgrows her boulevard. She will stay in them until they are outgrown. Hopefully by the time we get ready to buy that new seat though there will be more choices out there.

-Angela


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## Lovenest (Apr 12, 2006)

I would keep any child in a 5 point as long as possible.


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## nicole lisa (Oct 27, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
They stay in 5pt harnesses until they've outgrown the options.

How old is your child in the seat right now? There are seats which harness up to 65 pounds. DS is turning 8 in a couple of months and only 46 pounds. There's no way he'd still be in a harnessing seat even though he could be for a few more years. No way would any of his friends' parents be willing to install a carseat every time they wanted to take him swimming or to a movie.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nicole lisa* 
How old is your child in the seat right now? There are seats which harness up to 63 pounds. DS is turning 8 in a couple of months and only 46 pounds. There's no way he'd still be in a harnessing seat even though he could be for a few more years. No way would any of his friends' parents be willing to install a carseat every time they wanted to take him swimming or to a movie.

Dd is almost 4 now. But frankly I don't care what the kids think. It's non-negotiable. If you had a teen who wouldn't be seen wearing a seatbelt, everyone would say that's absurd.

My kids will sit in the safest way in cars - period.

Many 8 yr olds won't fit by height in any harnessing seats even if they still easily fit by weight. Most seats are outgrown by height before weight.

My kids will be rf as long as possible.

My kids will be in 5pt harnesses as long as possible.

My kids will be in high back boosters as long as possible.

My kids will be in boosters as long as appropriate.

My kids will always wear seatbelts.

Period.

I'm not big on rules for most things. But this topic is a non-negotiable in our household.

-Angela


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

I think we might go ahead and get the radian 80 (the one that goes up to 80 lbs and 5'2"). We can just get another when Miss A outgrows her infant seat.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maeve* 
I think we might go ahead and get the radian 80 (the one that goes up to 80 lbs and 5'2"). We can just get another when Miss A outgrows her infant seat.









FWIW the radian 80 rarely lasts kids longer than the 65. The straps aren't any higher and most kids outgrow by height not weight.

-Angela


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
FWIW the radian 80 rarely lasts kids longer than the 65. The straps aren't any higher and most kids outgrow by height not weight.

-Angela

Well, DD really wants the pink one.







And they only have it in the Radian 80, which I found for only $50 more.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maeve* 
Well, DD really wants the pink one.







And they only have it in the Radian 80, which I found for only $50 more.

Well then, by all means
















-Angela


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

We've not yet and won't till dd outgrows her seat. The entire idea of it scares the crap out of me! Seatbelts just don't seem safe enough.


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## Eman'smom (Mar 19, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nicole lisa* 
How old is your child in the seat right now? There are seats which harness up to 65 pounds. DS is turning 8 in a couple of months and only 46 pounds. There's no way he'd still be in a harnessing seat even though he could be for a few more years. No way would any of his friends' parents be willing to install a carseat every time they wanted to take him swimming or to a movie.


Well my ds is 7 and still harnessed in a Regent. We do have a booster for dh's car when needed. For us it's really a non issue. We've discussed safety and he knows what safer. As far as friends well for lots of reasons not just the car seats I'm not oftenn comfortable letting other people drive my kids around, but for those situations we have the booster.


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## nicole lisa (Oct 27, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eman'smom* 
As far as friends well for lots of reasons not just the car seats I'm not oftenn comfortable letting other people drive my kids around, but for those situations we have the booster.

Yeah, I guess you could have both but at turning 8 there's no way he's sit in it and I;m OK with that. For us not having friends drive DS around will kill his social life. He's unschooled and does a lot with his friends and if he couldn't be driven around by other friends he'd miss out on a lot.

ETA: In a couple months he won't legally be required to be in a booster anymore. The fact that's he's willing to keep using one is enough for me.


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## emmasmommy (Feb 26, 2004)

DD1 was 4. But I am in Canada and we do have a Marathon which is only up to 47lbs (they do go to 65 now, but we bought ours in 2005) and she was about 42lbs and had outgrown the top harness height. I really didn't want to, but since we already had the biggest seat available in Canada at that time, we had little choice. She is now 5, 48" and 53lbs, and she sat in the Marathon yesterday as she was crawling over it to get to her seat (we use it for dd2 now), she is definately way too big for it, even if she could technically still fit by weight if it were to 65lbs.


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## Katerz2u (Jul 14, 2006)

My son just turned 6 (65lbs) and moved into a Parkway booster on his birthday. He was previously in a Regent and was even with the top slots, talk about a long torso! My youngest is 20 months, 28lbs and rear facing in his Boulevard.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

43 lbs.

ETA our high back booster has the EPS foam going all the way up it, which I like. It's called the Ultra Cargo I think. It was cheap compared to the $200+ Britax days and I LOVE it.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

DD1 is 5y, still in a 5 point harness, and will be for some years to come. I do have a Parkway booster that we use very rarely for her. She mainly rides in Regent's, but those seats do not transfer well to other cars, my mom has a Signo that DD1 rides in when she is with her. The booster is used for when my sister drives DD1 or if a friend was giving her a ride. I am not that happy about the booster, and am thinking of keeping the Signo here at my house for when Auntie stops by.


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## JamesMama (Jun 1, 2005)

James is 3 years, 32lbs and still in a 5pt harness. His carseat allows him to be in it until 65lbs we'll probably keep in harnessed until then. If we have another baby before his carseat expires (it was mfg in 2006) then we will buy him a Regent so he can remain harnessed depending on his weight. More than likely he'll be pushing 6, but I don't look for him to be over 40lbs by then...I was 43lbs in second grade, DH didn't hit 40lbs until the middle of 1st grade.


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## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

My son went to a booster at about 4.5... he was probably about 45 pounds. BUT I really felt like he was all over the place, leaning and moving around. So I bought a Britax Regent and he is going back into that as soon as I can install the freakin thing. Honestly if I had known what a pita it is I would have just bought another Marathon.


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

My DD is 4 and 38lbs and harnessed in a Regent, an Apex and a Cargo in various cars. When she hits 40lbs and is out of the Cargo by weight, she will be in a high back booster in that car, mainly due to my IL's inability to deal with the 5 point harness. They have struggled with it for 4 years and given FIL's wrist and shoulder injury, I am going to relent in their car once DD weighs 40lbs. It's not an issue yet, but once DD starts riding in other people's cars (other than Grandparents and Daddy that is) I will let her go in a high back booster. In my car and Grandma's (her primary vehicles), she will remain in a harness to the max height or weight of her seats.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Keep in mind seats are outgrown by height before weight the vast majority of the time. Everyone keeps saying 65 pounds, 80 pounds etc but really ery few children will make it that long.


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## LizaBear (Feb 1, 2003)

My oldest child is 5 yrs 8 months old, 43 lbs - still in a 5-pt harness (Radian premier), and will be until he's either too tall or too heavy for it.


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## StephandOwen (Jun 22, 2004)

As I explained to my future in-laws recently- ds will be in a harnessed seat for as long as he can fit in one that I can reasonably afford. No, he will not automatically be moved to a booster once he hits 40 pounds (37 lbs at 4 1/2 years right now). He's in a Regent in my car and a Marathon in future MIL's car. If he needs to ride in a different car, we move one of those seats. When he outgrows the Marathon (by height, not too much longer) we'll get another harnessed seat. We're looking at the Nautilus. It looks like he'll have a few more years of height before he outgrows the harness part.


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## colobus237 (Feb 2, 2004)

We moved DS right around his 4th birthday, because he had reached the top slots on his Apex (yes, the ones behind the headrest







). He's now 4.5, 50 lbs and ~4 ft tall. I guess it wasn't really "moving," we just took out the harness and started using it as a booster.


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Keep in mind seats are outgrown by height before weight the vast majority of the time. Everyone keeps saying 65 pounds, 80 pounds etc but really ery few children will make it that long.


The one I was looking at supposedly goes up to 5'2".


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maeve* 
The one I was looking at supposedly goes up to 5'2".

There is no harnessed seat anywhere in any country that goes to 5'2".


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
There is no harnessed seat anywhere in any country that goes to 5'2".

Merritt Roosevelt, a special-needs seat with a list price of ~$1000, has a stated height limit of 62" and top strap slots of (I think) 22".


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
Merritt Roosevelt, a special-needs seat with a list price of ~$1000, has a stated height limit of 62" and top strap slots of (I think) 22".

Yes, but they can state height limits all day long, but it means nothing if your child outgrows the seat before then in torso.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
There is no harnessed seat anywhere in any country that goes to 5'2".


Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
Yes, but they can state height limits all day long, but it means nothing if your child outgrows the seat before then in torso.









: to both


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *chickabiddy* 
Merritt Roosevelt, a special-needs seat with a list price of ~$1000, has a stated height limit of 62" and top strap slots of (I think) 22".

They can say it will go to 5' 2", or six feet, or twelve feet, but the fact of the matter is that a seat with a top harness position of 22" is not going to fit a 5'2" child.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

I know.









I was mostly just guessing at what the OP had in mind.


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
There is no harnessed seat anywhere in any country that goes to 5'2".


I'm sorry, I misread. It's 53 in. No need to get snippy.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

No need to assume snippiness when none was given or intended


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

My dd will be 6 next month, and is in a Recaro Como, which goes up to 58" in height. She's ~43lbs, so obviously she'll outgrow the height before the weight.

My 3yr old (34lbs 40") is in a Marathon.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ctdoula* 
My dd will be 6 next month, and is in a Recaro Como, which goes up to 58" in height. She's ~43lbs, so obviously she'll outgrow the height before the weight.

My 3yr old (34lbs 40") is in a Marathon.

That seat has 19" strap height. She'll probably get to between 48-50" when she outgrows it.


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
That seat has 19" strap height. She'll probably get to between 48-50" when she outgrows it.

So why does the tag say 58"?


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ThreeBeans* 
No need to assume snippiness when none was given or intended









I'm sorry.







Sleep deprivation and a week of stress getting to me.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ctdoula* 
So why does the tag say 58"?

Because they are required by law to give a height limit. They put the height limit way outside the bounds of any child who would actually fit in that seat to make sure that kids who fit easily by torso aren't technically 'not allowed' in the seat by height limit.

Height is a variable. SOme kids grow in the torso, some kids grow in the legs. You have two kids the exact same height, one could fit perfectly in theseat and the other be too tall for it, because the second child has a long torso.


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## ThreeBeans (Dec 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maeve* 
I'm sorry.







Sleep deprivation and a week of stress getting to me.

n/p


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Quote:

Height is a variable. SOme kids grow in the torso, some kids grow in the legs. You have two kids the exact same height, one could fit perfectly in theseat and the other be too tall for it, because the second child has a long torso.
Sort of, but not as dramatically as I think some of these threads imply. Most healthy children aren't walking around with 3 ft. torsos and 16" legs. I mean, it's like saying he has giant hands or whatever.... the differences that make parents think their children's _____ are bigger/longer than average are relatively minute to actually be perceptible as such to the human eye. And if you have a child (not an infant, mind you, but a child) who is growing ONLY in torso and not in legs, I would go to a pediatrician ASAP.

I know most people get this, but I see this kind of thing on these threads all the time... like your child could easily outgrow the strap height limit at 38" standing height when the height limit for the seat is 52".

An interesting thing... I went 5ptbooster/harness shopping for ds2 yesterday. He is in a Britax Roundabout and is about 2 seconds away from outgrowing it - the shoulder straps are on their highest setting and are exactly at shoulder height but one tiny growth spurt and they'd be below. I was looking to get him the Graco Nautilus (5 pt. to 65 lbs. and belt positioning booster to 100 lbs.) -- took it down off the shelf and had him sit in it. The standing height limit is 27-52" I believe. My 3 year-old ~32.5 lb./38.5" son had MANY notches (placed around 2-2.5" apart) above where the shoulder straps fit him to move up to. Two other moms were there, one with an EXTREMELY tall and skinny 2 1/4 year old dd -- I mean, you'd look at this child and guess she was 4 years old and *maybe* weighs 28 lbs -- and she and my very average-sized ds needed the same place for the shoulder strap. Then a perhaps slightly small for age 5 year-old sat it in and needed only 1 notch up. But if you saw them side-by-side and only looked at height, the straps would go where you'd think they would, "long torsos" and all.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
In our family kids will remain in a 5pt harness as long as there is a reasonably practical seat that they will fit in that has one.

Just like rf. They rf until they've outgrown rear facing.

They stay in 5pt harnesses until they've outgrown the options.

-Angela

pretty much that!







ds is in a BV now which I intend to also get for new baby (my kids are all over 8 lbs. and fit perfectly in a MA or BV at birth).

after the BV im considering the Frontier b/c it seems to allow for the longest use, as it has a 9 yr. expiration.


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## Pam_and_Abigail (Dec 2, 2002)

I've given a lot of thought to this, as my dd1 is 45" and about 44 lbs. She's 5 1/2, but not ready for a booster. We currently have a Radian that she could use (but she actually uses the seat built in to our van as we await the return of the Radian that had too short straps. It also goes to 47". But she also has a long torso, and has I think an inch or so left in sitting height. I won't be able to talk dh into buying another new seat for her (we've bought two in the last year ande a half, just to put off the booster stage).


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## Maeve (Feb 21, 2004)

I did some more research and was looking at the Graco Nautilus. It has higher strap slots than the radian. I saw a bunch of pictures of older kids (8-9yrs old) still using the harness. It goes up to 65 lbs. with the harness and 100 lbs as a booster (with or without the back).
I think we're going to go out today and get one of those.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PassionateWriter* 
after the BV im considering the Frontier b/c it seems to allow for the longest use, as it has a 9 yr. expiration.

I think I read it has disappointingly low strap heights though









-Angela


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
I think I read it has disappointingly low strap heights though









-Angela

here are teh stats:
Frontier

Product Weight (lbs) 23.5
Exterior Product W x H x D (in) 19.5 x 22 x 26.5
Seating Compartment Height (in) 21.5
Seat Area Depth/Width (in) 13.5 / 12
Shoulder Width (in) 15.25
*Harness Slot Heights (in) 12.25/13.1/14/14.9/15.75/16.5/17.4/18.25*
Buckle Strap Depth (in) 5 / 6.5 / 8.25

i think its the highest out there right now. i think some ppl were measuring it and doing it incorrectly.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PassionateWriter* 
here are teh stats:
Frontier

Product Weight (lbs) 23.5
Exterior Product W x H x D (in) 19.5 x 22 x 26.5
Seating Compartment Height (in) 21.5
Seat Area Depth/Width (in) 13.5 / 12
Shoulder Width (in) 15.25
*Harness Slot Heights (in) 12.25/13.1/14/14.9/15.75/16.5/17.4/18.25*
Buckle Strap Depth (in) 5 / 6.5 / 8.25

i think its the highest out there right now. i think some ppl were measuring it and doing it incorrectly.


It's definitely not the highest. Regent, radian and nautilus are all higher. Maybe even apex.

People who have put kids in it say that the strap heights are disappointingly low.... we shall see as more people see it in person.

-Angela


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
It's definitely not the highest. Regent, radian and nautilus are all higher. Maybe even apex.

People who have put kids in it say that the strap heights are disappointingly low.... we shall see as more people see it in person.

-Angela

It should be higher than the Radian, the Nautilus is about 18.5" I think, and the Apex is just a silly seat w/ that headrest rule (I need to sell mine, lol). It should make a better booster for SIP though over those, which is something to consider too. I personally would never own a Regent so it's already better than that one.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
It should be higher than the Radian, the Nautilus is about 18.5" I think, and the Apex is just a silly seat w/ that headrest rule (I need to sell mine, lol). It should make a better booster for SIP though over those, which is something to consider too. I personally would never own a Regent so it's already better than that one.









In theory it's 1/4" taller than the radian. But, IMO, not worth another $100 for that 1/4". And if you're comfortable allowing your child's shoulders to go over the top slot in the radian, it is indeed a lower unit. My Apex is 17.5" harness height. So it's bigger than that, but only by 3/4". The nautilus is a quarter inch taller (or more, some measured higher I heard) and $150 cheaper...


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

My Apex is 19".







I just don't need it and it won't work in the AJ's spot in the van anyways (no head rest). I don't know, I'm still only getting like 17" I think in my Radian now. I will have to look again and measure AJ some more. Our poor kids...


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
It's definitely not the highest. Regent, radian and nautilus are all higher. Maybe even apex.

People who have put kids in it say that the strap heights are disappointingly low.... we shall see as more people see it in person.

-Angela

'

the Nauti is 18.25 also.

Radian is 18 inches.

the Regent is 12 / 14.4 / 16.75 / 19.1 BUT its not a booster and has a 6 yr expiration on it..so if anyone is thinking of handing it down to a younger child, less life span than the Frontier. This seat, more than any other, i have heard so many negative things about, due to its mere size.

Britax did issue new installation instructions for the Frontier also which apparently makes it much easier for installs.

im not sure about the Apex. im not familiar with that seat.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Maeve* 
I did some more research and was looking at the Graco Nautilus. It has higher strap slots than the radian. I saw a bunch of pictures of older kids (8-9yrs old) still using the harness. It goes up to 65 lbs. with the harness and 100 lbs as a booster (with or without the back).
I think we're going to go out today and get one of those.









Good luck. I went to Babies R Us, Toys R Us, and Target, plus 2 or 3 websites trying to find it. Wal-Mart.com has them in stock. Trying to decide if I can break my no WalMart rule just this teensy little time.









Could I ask you a favor? Would you PM me or post back if you find them anywhere else pretty please?







Thank you! I'm not sure I can bring myself to do WalMart but I might for this seat.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Baby Depot has it.


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## mightymoo (Dec 6, 2003)

DD is 5 / 50 pounds, not sure on height exactly. She is in the regent now. I like it a lot, it is big, but we have a honda odyssey so its not an issue.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

ok I just ordered it from WalMart.com. It'll be here next week-ish. I wanted it in the Bravo fabric (darker - hides stains) and Baby Depot and everywhere else only sell Matrix. I haven't bought something from WalMart in YEARS. Ugh. And so we begin anew...


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## crunchyconmomma (Feb 6, 2003)

My soon to be 6 y/o who is 68 pounds and 49 in is in the Britax Husky, 5 point in my car (and I think that goes up to 100 pounds, but not entirely sure, may only be 80). In grammy's he's in the Parkway high back booster (also Britax, but don't know why we spent the 100 bucks for it because it seems as cheap and flimsy as a Graco or Evenflo).

He was WAY too immature for anything but a 5 point when we got that for him at 3. Now it's just a nice added safety thing.


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## s_kristina (Aug 9, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
Keep in mind seats are outgrown by height before weight the vast majority of the time. Everyone keeps saying 65 pounds, 80 pounds etc but really ery few children will make it that long.

That is such a good point. By weight my dd could still fit in the Marathon, but her torso is too long for the Regent at 52" tall. She was moved to a booster far younger then I would have liked. At that time our only option past the Marathon was the Husky (Regent) and it did not fit in our vehicle.

Our 2.5 year old is very close to outgrowing the Scenera he is in. When we can get the money together we will be getting him a Nautilus. There is a Walmart near us that got the Nautilus pretty early on when they came out and it doesn't seem to be selling any. Not that surprising given the horrid lack of car seat laws in the state of FL.


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## bnhmama (Nov 28, 2006)

My 5 y/o ds is 42 pounds, 42 inches and still harnessed in his Marathon. We couldn't afford another higher weight harness so he has a BPB for hubby's car that he uses very, very rarely. He's in my car about 99% of the time. We got the BPB in February. He sits really well in the BPB and doesn't give us any trouble with it. If he did, I'd probably switch over the marathon every time.


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## Jwebbal (May 31, 2004)

My 4.5 yo son is almost 45lbs, and 43 inches tall. He is millimeters away from outgrowing his Marathon, so I purchased a Regent for him today. It took me a long time to decide which seat I wanted for him. My friend has a Regent, and my son will have lots of growing room in that, plus I helped a friend install hers and it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I do like the seat and it will fit in my car. I don't look forward to switching it that is for sure. Hopefully that problem will almost never come up because we are finally purchasing an Odyssey, so more than likely everyone else will be carpooling with us instead of the other way round. If it does, which it might for his grandparents, I think I might get him a Frontier once I can get a close up look at it. Then it would stay in their car. I just don't feel comfortable with him growing into a booster too quickly and he is looking to be tall. My son still sleeps in his Marathon, and that was a big concern for his next seat. It needed to be comfortable.


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## ZanZansMommy (Nov 8, 2003)

:


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## Treasuremapper (Jul 4, 2004)

I just moved my dd from a Regent to a Monarch today (Monarch is a Britax Booster seat). I really did not want to do it, but her shoulders are just a teeny bit below the top slot on her Regent and I needed an extra seat to make summer camp transportation work. I could not justify buying another Regent when it's a matter of a few months before it will not fit her.

FWIW, my dd is just shy of her seventh birthday and is very tall for her age and weighs 56 pounds.

My younger daughter is almost five, and she still fits in her Regent at the top strap, but the side impact protection on the Frontier looks way better than the Regent. Plus, the seat of the Frontier looks significantly wider than the seat of the Monarch, and younger sister is significantly wider than her older sister. But my daughters grow so fast that I am concerned about that .6 inch difference in the Frontier.

I'm seriously considering selling my Regents so I can use the money towards a Frontier and another booster.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Periwinkle* 
Sort of, but not as dramatically as I think some of these threads imply. Most healthy children aren't walking around with 3 ft. torsos and 16" legs. I mean, it's like saying he has giant hands or whatever.... the differences that make parents think their children's _____ are bigger/longer than average are relatively minute to actually be perceptible as such to the human eye. And if you have a child (not an infant, mind you, but a child) who is growing ONLY in torso and not in legs, I would go to a pediatrician ASAP.

I know most people get this, but I see this kind of thing on these threads all the time... like your child could easily outgrow the strap height limit at 38" standing height when the height limit for the seat is 52".

It happens, and really not that rarely. I know my kid's torso is longer than average because she has outgrown an astounding number of seats. She is not quite 3 and is on the top slots in her Radian. She outgrew the Britax convertibles at 37-38 inches tall. She's definitely not the only one and there is definitely nothing wrong with her.


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

My 4.25yo DD is 36lbs, 41" tall and has a 15" torso and is (usually) riding in a Regent. The only thing is that when installed we lose some torso height and she's riding on the second to top slots. Our goal is to keep her in Regent until age 6 and then she can move into a booster.


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

My son is 5.5, 45" and 45 lbs. in a Britax Regent. I plan to keep him harnessed until he outgrows the Regent, which will last longer than any seat on the market-- I expect until 7. He does use high backed boosters for occasional use, though, with his grandma (who lives out of state, so not often) or friends. I absolutely would not put a child under 5 years and 40 lbs. in a booster ever and I think 6/50 lbs. is better.
The Radian is a great seat, we have one for my 2.5 yr. old and he will use it until he outgrows it and then switch to a high-back booster (probably around 6).


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