# WWYD? 4 Year Old and Carseat



## bmcneal (Nov 12, 2006)

DD currently has a Cosco booster seat, but she's getting too tall for the straps to fit proper.

I've been talking with STBX and trying to figure out what to do in terms of seats for her, and we had talked about a Graco Nautilus, but he doesn't want to spend that much money on a car seat that won't last her very long, and while I realize it's one of the better or the best ones to have, I have to agree with him that the finances just aren't there for that.

My question is, what kind of seat would you get for a ~40 lb. ~45 in. 4 year old?

My mom keeps saying she's old enough for a belt positioning booster, but while I agree that she's *old* enough, I don't feel comfortable with doing that yet, unless it's our only option.


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## Eris (Sep 11, 2002)

What seat is she currently in? Unless it's the Cosco Apex, at 40lbs she has now outgrown the harness by _weight_; it is likely also that she has already outgrown the harness by height, which would have happened when her shoulders grew higher than the top slot the harness comes out of on the back.

The Graco Nautilus is a very nice seat, and one of its big features for you is that it could really be the last seat you need- it harnesses to 65lbs with nice high harness slots- my similarly sized 5yo has about 2" of torso height left, which means it will likely harness her for another two years if we want; after she outgrows it it should make a good booster seat, and then converts to be a backless booster (and the backless portion has a 9year expiry, while the back and harness are 6 years from date of manufacture).

Another option, though, is the new Evenflo Maestro, which harnesses to 50lbs and has a similar height harness to the Nautilus, I believe, at approximately half the price. Its downside is that the headrest doesn't go up further than the harness slots, so as a booster seat, although it generally positions the belt well, it doesn't last much longer than it does has a harnessed seat (because there again, with the shoulder belt, the belt needs to come from at or above the child's shoulders, not below); but at that time, you could move to a $50 Graco Turbobooster and have spend $125 total.


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## TheGirls (Jan 8, 2007)

Well, a Nautilus would likely last her until she's done with seats, so most likely 6-8 more YEARS, so I wouldn't consider that not lasting very long. Most kids need to be in boostes until they are at least 9-10 years olds. Many places require boosters until 8yo now.


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## labdogs42 (Jan 21, 2009)

The nautilus would be the last seat you'd ever need and the safest, IMO. My DS has the Nautilus and we love it! He's 5 years old, 50 lbs, and 45" tall right now.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TheGirls* 
Well, a Nautilus would likely last her until she's done with seats, so most likely 6-8 more YEARS, so I wouldn't consider that not lasting very long. Most kids need to be in boostes until they are at least 9-10 years olds. Many places require boosters until 8yo now.











It will last a LONG time.

-Angela


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## Grace and Granola (Oct 15, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eris* 
What seat is she currently in? Unless it's the Cosco Apex, at 40lbs she has now outgrown the harness by _weight_; it is likely also that she has already outgrown the harness by height, which would have happened when her shoulders grew higher than the top slot the harness comes out of on the back.

The Graco Nautilus is a very nice seat, and one of its big features for you is that it could really be the last seat you need- it harnesses to 65lbs with nice high harness slots- my similarly sized 5yo has about 2" of torso height left, which means it will likely harness her for another two years if we want; after she outgrows it it should make a good booster seat, and then converts to be a backless booster (and the backless portion has a 9year expiry, while the back and harness are 6 years from date of manufacture).

Another option, though, is the new Evenflo Maestro, which harnesses to 50lbs and has a similar height harness to the Nautilus, I believe, at approximately half the price. Its downside is that the headrest doesn't go up further than the harness slots, so as a booster seat, although it generally positions the belt well, it doesn't last much longer than it does has a harnessed seat (because there again, with the shoulder belt, the belt needs to come from at or above the child's shoulders, not below); but at that time, you could move to a $50 Graco Turbobooster and have spend $125 total.

Is the Cosco Apex different from the Safety 1st Apex? We bought the Apex because we also could not afford the nautilus. But here's what I have on the Apex:

The Safety 1st Apex 65 Booster Car seat is for *forward facing 22-65 lbs* and belt-positioning booster 40-100 lbs. The *5 point harness system can be used up to 65 lbs* and keeps child secure. The booster uses ProTech energy absorbing foam and has 4 harness heights and a removable toddler insert for added comfort.

My ds1 is 4.5yo 44" and 40lbs and he fits in it great with room to grow.

It can be found for around $110


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Dorel Juvenile makes Cosco, Safety 1st, and Eddie Bauer products. The Cosco Apex and the Safety 1st Apex are the same seat with different covers.

It is possible, though not very likely, that a 45" child has outgrown an Apex by height -- a forward-facing seat is outgrown by height when the shoulders are above the top strap slots or the ears are above the shell.

If the seat is a "Cosco High-Back (harnessed) Booster" or one of the 3-in-1 seats, it's probably outgrown by both height and weight in the harness.


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## bmcneal (Nov 12, 2006)

Oh wow.









I feel like a horrible mama now.









I haven't been the one taking the kids around in so long, I didn't even think about the possibility of her having outgrown the seat already.









I realize that the Graco Nautilus is the best seat, and we were talking about getting her one, but $150 at one time is *very* high right now, and we need a seat soon. I also realize that it will last a lot longer than STBX thinks, but I can't convince him of that, and he's the one who will be paying for it.

I like the Maestro that someone posted about. That is closer to what we will be able to afford, and it looks like it is a pretty good seat.

Does anyone have a Maestro that they could tell me about it a bit more? I saw a review that said that the crotch strap wouldn't fit their 30 lb child, but DD is very lean, so I don't think that would be an issue.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=109121


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## amj'smommy (Feb 24, 2005)

i have my soon to be 3yr old ds (38lbs 40") in a maestro and have absolutely no problems with the crotch strap and he's a solid boy







i'm very happy with the maestro.... i got it at sears for $79. installed like a breeze in my van and imo is a nice sturdy seat. i have no complaints so far


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## SweetPotato (Apr 29, 2006)

I ordered a Meastro last week. It's supposed to be at my Sears for Pick-up this Tuesday-- so I'll be sure to let you know what I think. FWIW, we actually bought a Nautilus, used it for a week, and ended up returning it. I know that a lot of people love it and use it with no problems, but my tiny 4yo (~39", 37lbs) was already pretty much ON the crotch strap at it's outermost position, and the harness adjuster strap was getting quite fuzzy (presumeably from rubbing against a sharp metal piece inside henever we tightened it). Anyway-- neither of those things made me feel great about how it would hold up for US over the long term-- especially for the $180 I spent on it. I was able to get the maestro for $62-- there's a coupon code that I can't now find, but has "50SAVE5" or something like that for $5 off a $50 purchase. Then, while I was waffling about it, the website had a 10% off baby sale-- and it let me use both! I figure that, harnessing for another 10 lbs should buy us some serious time and hopefully get her to a better booster age. Also VERY excited about how light it's supposed to be, since we travel quite a bit (by plane and train)-- all the other "big" combo seats seem to be quite heavy and cumbersome.

Anway-- I hope it's as great as I want it to be! I'll report back once we get to try it out!


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## Minxie (Apr 15, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bmcneal* 
My question is, what kind of seat would you get for a ~40 lb. ~45 in. 4 year old?

My mom keeps saying she's old enough for a belt positioning booster, but while I agree that she's *old* enough, I don't feel comfortable with doing that yet, unless it's our only option.


My DS is 4 years old, 44" and 46lbs; he is currently in a Britax Frontier thanks to the five-point harness. It will convert to a booster so that may be an option for you all as it will be usable for years yet. He will stay in the five-point harness as long as possible and I don't care who says otherwise.


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## nurse2be (Dec 4, 2009)

My 40 lb. 43" brother is in a maestro. He is skinny and it fits him fine with room to grow. I did have to move the crotch strap out to the second slot so it wouldn't be too tight.

It is a really nice seat and very easy to install. I got a rock-solid install on the first try. My brother loves it and thinks it is the coolest seat ever.


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## bmcneal (Nov 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Minxie* 
My DS is 4 years old, 44" and 46lbs; he is currently in a Britax Frontier thanks to the five-point harness. It will convert to a booster so that may be an option for you all as it will be usable for years yet. He will stay in the five-point harness as long as possible and I don't care who says otherwise.

I like it, but again, the finances are not there at the moment, and this is something that (as I just realized) she has been needing.

I know that 5 point harness is what she needs, I don't care what my mom says. That's why I was asking what kind of seats people here knew about that I can afford. If I was going to let her be in a belt positioning booster, I would not be here asking for help choosing the best one I can afford.


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## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

It sounds like the Maestro would be a great option for you! It's perfectly safe Mama, no worries! Sure the Nautilus will last longer, but sometimes that's not realistic! You could also try calling your local Safe Kids coalition, health dept, etc. to see if they have free or low-cost seats. We provide the Maestro for children your daughter's age. However, some might just have a high back booster for children over 40lbs. It's worth a call though! Best luck and great job doing the right thing now that you do know!


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## mamasthree (Jul 15, 2006)

we have the maestro for my 3 1/2 yo for my mom's car...it's a fine seat, not as plush as the more expensive ones, but it has a good weight limit, good higher strap slots, and is comfortable enough. My dd loves hers. It's also easy to install. For a budget minded mom, I think it fits the bill perfectly.


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## SweetPotato (Apr 29, 2006)

Our Maestro arrived yesterday. My only initial concern about the seat is that the harness straps seem pretty tight against dd's neck-- a wise mama suggested cutting the toes off some baby socks and sliding them over the straps to provide a little softness there. We haven't installed it yet, but will be taking it on a major trip this weekend-- it will be tested on several airplanes and a rental car before next Wednesday. I can report back if you want. Just from sitting in it on the floor, my dd is pretty psyched about it (b, to be fair, she's easily excited about anything new). It really seems like a decent, sturdy, fairly comfy seat- and the installation looks straight-forward.


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## mrsfrenchy (Apr 14, 2008)

We have the maestro, and though my DD is not quite two, she's a big girl (over 30lbs) and i'm almost positive that she'll still be in it at 4 with room to grow.
like other posters have mentioned, its a very easy install.

I'm hoping it will last her for a while as a belt positioning booster as well, but if not i'm ok with having to buy a $40 booster as well.


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## SweetPotato (Apr 29, 2006)

Just wanted to add a note, as we've just returned from a big trip (several long car trips and plane rides) with the Maestro. My dd LOVES it! She's 4.5yo, 40", and 38lbs-- it fits her very well with LOTS of room to grow, she never complained about the harness straps (that I had thought sure would be too tight), and it was LIGHT and a piece of cake to travel with and install in rental cars, etc. I tend to be extremely picky about these things (I'm the one who returned the nautilus we bought)-- and I feel really good about our experience with this seat-- totally recommend it


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