# Give me the low down on why boosters are bad.



## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

I'm not talking for a 4 year old, or even for a 6 year old. I'm talking used properly for a kid who is 8, and doesn't fall asleep slouched over or what not.

My son is 6 years old and the Britax is about to expire. He's 50 pounds and 45.5 inches tall. I was thinking about getting something that can be used as a 5 pt harness for another couple years but will then be used as a high back booster once he's 8 years old (we would of course reassess at that time, out of the harness isn't a given at 8 years old). But I've been hearing chatter about how boosters are evil, not a good idea, I should just get the Radian. But then what? Do I goo directly from 5 pt harness to sitting on the seat of the car with a seat belt and no booster? finances for us are really crappy and show no signs of improving. I'll eat PB and J for two months to buy a $300 car seat, but I want it to be the last one I get him.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

There's nothing wrong w/ boosters. AJ is just moving to a Britax Parkway SG b/c he's outgrowing his Nautilus in height. At your son's age and size I would have no problem moving him to a good booster assuming he sits well.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Boosters are bad for kids who aren't ready for them. A booster is an entirely appropriate choice for an 8yo , and might even be appropriate for your 6yo, depending on his car behavior.

Just FTR, it would be extremely rare for a child to go straight from harness to vehicle belt. It would have to be a honkin' huge harnessed seat and a very tiny backseat for a vehicle belt to properly fit a child who *just* outgrew a harnessed seat.


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## sehbub (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't know any kids who went (safely) from harnessed seat to vehicle seat.

DD2 is almost 8, in the 97th% for height and weight (79lbs, 53"), and is at least a year or two away from being able to sit on the vehicle seat. DD1 will be 10 tomorrow and will likely also be in a booster for at least another year, if not longer.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

At 6 years old, 50 lbs and 45 inches tall, he's certainly big enough and old enough for a booster to be a perfectly safe form of protection, if he is mature enough to sit in one.
I'm also not sure why you think a radian is a better option than a combination seat? That makes no sense at all. Combo seats harness longer anyways, so they are better than a radian on both counts..they harness longer, and then turn into a booster later. The only time a radian is the best choice seat is when rearfacing is an option, since you can RF to 45 pounds in them. Rearfacing isn't an option for your child, so that's moot.

My own daughter rides in a booster some of the time, and has since she was 4.5.
At that age and size, a $40 turbobooster would probably fit really well and is a very economical option. The vivo, parkway slideguard, and monterey are also likely to be really good boosters. If you want to harness longer, the graco nautilus, britax frontier, and apex 65 are options.
If you think he's mature enough for a booster, i'd go with a good dedicated booster. If not, I'd get a harnessed combo seat. The issue with the harnessed seats is that they may or may not provide a good seat belt fit later, so in a couple years when he outgrows the harness, you might still have to buy a booster anyway - just so you know.


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## One_Girl (Feb 8, 2008)

Boosters are good when used appropriately. The age when kids transfer to a booster depends on their weight and height. I believe that kids aren't suppossed to use a carseat with a back when they are within two inches from the top, but it has been a long time since my dd was short enough for the harness type seats so you should check with someone who is trained in car seat safety to see if you are using the appropriate seat. I had someone check mine when my dd was little and she was too tall for the seat with the harness. Your local hospital or fire station may be able to direct you to a place where they can check to make sure you are using your car seat or booster correctly.


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
At 6 years old, 50 lbs and 45 inches tall, he's certainly big enough and old enough for a booster to be a perfectly safe form of protection, if he is mature enough to sit in one.
I'm also not sure why you think a radian is a better option than a combination seat? That makes no sense at all .

I don't but three different friends who know my son personally and who all have kids the same age as my DS have told me that this is a better idea. so I am now confused. These are all women who value safety and I love that, but I'm now so confused.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
If you think he's mature enough for a booster, i'd go with a good dedicated booster. If not, I'd get a harnessed combo seat. The issue with the harnessed seats is that they may or may not provide a good seat belt fit later, so in a couple years when he outgrows the harness, you might still have to buy a booster anyway - just so you know.

I'm not ready for him to be in a dedicated booster. He just turned 6 last week. He will fall asleep in the car if we have a long distance to drive, and he'll get very fidgety if he has too much sugar.

Has anyone reviewed this car seat? I'll do a search.
http://www.amazon.com/Safeguard-Hybr.../dp/B0010NPD0S


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *One_Girl* 
I believe that kids aren't suppossed to use a carseat with a back when they are within two inches from the top,

Forward-facing harnessed seats are outgrown by height when the shoulders are above the top strap slots (unless specifically allowed by the manufacturer) or ears are above the top of the shell.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

What Britax is your son in and where are his shoulders in relation to the top harness slots?

The safegard go is a good travel/niche seat. It only converts to a low back booster and it has relatively low harness slots compared to the nautilus or frontier. Really, if you want the extra harnessing time, I would reccoment a nautilus or frontier or even the Evenflo Maestro.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

OP - is it possible you are thinking of the REGENT, and not the radian? The radian is a nice seat and all, but it doesn't harness much longer than most convertibles on the market. the regent, however, is a forward facing only seat that harnesses longer than any other seat on the market, it's a giant big seat.
I guess I can understand if they are telling you to get the regent...essentially, they are recommending you get the seat which will harness your son the longest. Amnd for some kids, that is truly what is needed.
But if your kid is 6 and just now outgrow a britax convertible??? then he is SMALL-torsoed. My kid outgrew the briatax convertibles by height, before she was 5.
The nautilus will buy you about 2 more inches of height over a britax convertible...so, if he just now is even with the top slots of your britax, he probably has another 1-2 years left in a nautilus. The regents top slots are an additional inch or so higher than the nautiluses..so you'd get an additional year in that seat. Since even the most immature kids normally can sit in a booster by age 7-8, the nautilus is usually a fine choice. But, the regent is also a fine choice. and actually, right now, they are both the same price..essentially about $150. Neither of these seats costs $300.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
Evenflo Maestro.

NO!
I think you must have missed where the OP's child is already 50 pounds. the meastro only harnesses to 50, so it is already outgrown.
For lighter kids outgrowing convertibles, it's a GREAT choice, but not for the OP's son


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
What Britax is your son in and where are his shoulders in relation to the top harness slots?

The safegard go is a good travel/niche seat. It only converts to a low back booster and it has relatively low harness slots compared to the nautilus or frontier. Really, if you want the extra harnessing time, I would reccoment a nautilus or frontier or even the Evenflo Maestro.

He's in a marathon. He has another 15 lb or full inch or inch and a half torso height to go, but I bought the seat in April of 2004 so it's close to being expired. He needs something new.

Thanks for your opinion on the harness height on the other seats. At supper tonight I was reminded of how much he likes to entertain his baby sister, no matter how many times you ask him to sit in his seat. sigh. At least pointing that fact out to his dad at supper convinced him that we need a harness for a while.


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bobandjess99* 
NO!
I think you must have missed where the OP's child is already 50 pounds. the meastro only harnesses to 50, so it is already outgrown.
For lighter kids outgrowing convertibles, it's a GREAT choice, but not for the OP's son









OOops, yes, missed the 50lb thing. Sorry!


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## urchin_grey (Sep 26, 2006)

If he is super fidgety in the car, then a Regent isn't a bad idea. Otherwise, a booster would be a perfectly safe option for most 6 year olds (you should RARELY, if ever, skip the booster and go straight to vehicle belt). That may, MAY be possible in my itty bitty 2-door Ford Talon. The back seats are so tiny, I am too tall to fit safely (I ALWAYS sit up front or I am driving anyway). The belt retractor is less than 2 feet up from the seat and the floor of the car is less than a foot from the seat. So I can see a child passing the 5 step test in that car before they outgrew a Regent (but then again, a Regent would never fit in that car, so the point is moot LOL).

If you don't have a van and need to fit 3 across though, you might have issues with fitting that monster of a seat in your car.







Your other options would be the Frontier or Graco Nautilus, as others have said.


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## Adventuredad (Apr 23, 2008)

High back boosters offer as good for better protection for older kids, around 4 and up. Harnessing older children is not any safer, it's yet another popular car seat myth among parents. There are no data, statistics or real life experiences indicating harnessing is any safer. Among people who work professionally with car seats this debate doesn't exist simply because everyone knows it's not valid.

Both harnessing and high back booster offer good protection although nowhere near as great as rear facing.

Also, weight of a child is of little importance. Safety is not any different if a child is 35 or 45 lbs for example. Age is more important and of course also height.

Interesting is that the Swedes, who are 30 years ahead of any other country in car seat safety, advice against harnessing older children for safety reasons. It's rear facing until age 4 and straight to a high back boosters. Data and real life experiences show this to work extremely well, there are simply almost no fatalities or serious injuries.

Rear facing started in 1965 in Sweden, the researchers have learned a thing or two by making car seat safety a high priority and showing just how safe kids can be in cars.


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## goodheartedmama (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
High back boosters offer as good for better protection for older kids, around 4 and up. Harnessing older children is not any safer, it's yet another popular car seat myth among parents. There are no data, statistics or real life experiences indicating harnessing is any safer. Among people who work professionally with car seats this debate doesn't exist simply because everyone knows it's not valid.

Both harnessing and high back booster offer good protection although nowhere near as great as rear facing.

Also, weight of a child is of little importance. Safety is not any different if a child is 35 or 45 lbs for example. Age is more important and of course also height.

Interesting is that the Swedes, who are 30 years ahead of any other country in car seat safety, advice against harnessing older children for safety reasons. It's rear facing until age 4 and straight to a high back boosters. Data and real life experiences show this to work extremely well, there are simply almost no fatalities or serious injuries.

Rear facing started in 1965 in Sweden, the researchers have learned a thing or two by making car seat safety a high priority and showing just how safe kids can be in cars.


I think we all get your point. I don't think a properly boostered child is any less safe than a harnessed child, and may even agree that a child who can be properly boostered may be safer than a child who is harnessed, due to head excursion. But a child who is not sitting in a booster properly is not going to be safe.


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

This whole conversation has been really really helpful. Thank you. I hadn't thought about the height thing until you all brought it up, thank you. As far as size of the seat gos, it's not really an issue. I drive a Saturn with two Britax car seats in there already Ain't nothing or nobody that can squeeze into that back seat between the car seats already. And since I plan on keeping on of the Britax seats no matter what for another 3 years at least, it doesn't mater what size I switch to for my son. There still won't be any extra room back there.

I was able to swallow the cost of the Britax, knowing my son would be in the seat for years. At the time 5 year olds seemed so big to me, I didn't think anything of the idea he would go to a booster once out of the Britax. now that time is here and he still needs a harness. I just don't know if I can spend $300 on something that he'll be in for 2 years and then another chunk of change on a booster. A lot to think about.


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## chickabiddy (Jan 30, 2004)

You can get a Graco Nautilus for $150ish. It has harness slots ~1.75" higher than the Marathon's and a 65# weight capacity. It usually makes a decent booster for bigger kids (as in kids who have outgrown the harness by either height or weight).


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## annekh23 (Nov 1, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
The safegard go is a good travel/niche seat. It only converts to a low back booster and it has relatively low harness slots compared to the nautilus or frontier.

We have this seat (*3!), it does only convert to a low back booster, but it does come with a strap to position the belt, so whilst it's not high back, it is still belt positioning!

It doesn't really have harness slots in the conventional sense, as you adjust the height by sliding rather than rethreading, I don't have a nautilus or frontier to compare it to, but my son doesn't seem to be outgrowing the height yet and I don't know his current height, but he was 45" about a year ago and he doesn't seem to have a short torso.


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Adventuredad* 
High back boosters offer as good for better protection for older kids, around 4 and up. Harnessing older children is not any safer, it's yet another popular car seat myth among parents. There are no data, statistics or real life experiences indicating harnessing is any safer. Among people who work professionally with car seats this debate doesn't exist simply because everyone knows it's not valid.

Both harnessing and high back booster offer good protection although nowhere near as great as rear facing.

Are you saying that this is true even for kids who won't sit properly in a booster?


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## bigteamug (Sep 29, 2008)

Not sure, but I want to say that the side wings on a safeguard go are more for comfort than safety, in terms of side impact. Since your kids are on the outside of the car, and fitting another seat doesn't sound like a possibility, I would opt for either a Britax frontier or the Graco nautilus, depending on what works better in your car, to give some SIP protection and have the ability to booster later. I'd personally prefer the frontier, but it depends on the install in your car and comfort of your kid. Do you have a BRU or other store to try them out? You can even take the floor model out to the car to try, too. I'd probably take DS along and get his opinion.

It doesn't sound like your DS is ready for a booster - I still once in awhile have to remind my very mature 7 year old girl to keep her head in the wings of her booster or keep her position the way it should be.

I think there is a Britax sale coming up in Feb, there are also probably some bargains on the web if you look, might only be $50 more than the nautilus - I think it does go longer as a HBB booster than the nautilus.


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## artgoddess (Jun 29, 2004)

I can get a frontier for $233 free shipping on line. I think I'm going to go for it without even trying it out in the store.


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