# Looking for cheap harnessed seat up to 65 lbs



## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

My mom is gonna put in the booster in her car and she will keep him harnessed til he gets up to 40 lbs because those carseats say only able to harness til 40 lbs.

I have looked at carseat at our place we don't have any carseats in our town that don't have a harness up to 65 lbs.

Online they have car seats ranging up to 200 to mid 200 bucks that's to pricey because I am a single mom and the AMR people who give free carseats away are only the booster type seats that actually told me that the good morning america show involving the carseat vs booster said they were installed correctly that it shouldn't have been that loose in the belt department.

I don't think my boy would get to 40 lbs too quickly because he has been staying in the lower 30's for quite awhile not losing and not really gaining and I think it's because he's so full of speed he proably burns up most of the stuff.

How do I find out if there is a rule for kids being harnessed for a certain age ?


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

He's 4.5? Honestly he would be safe in a booster at that age provided he sits properly. A harness is safeR, but a booster is an appropriate choice for a 4.5 year old.

What is he in currently?

The cheapest 5 pt harness to 65 pounds is the Apex, which is around $100. The Nautilus is $130-150 and is more highly recommended since it's easier to use and has nice high top slots.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

What does he weigh now?

If he's under 40, my understanding is that he shouldn't be in a booster.

Also, the harness-to-40 seats almost NEVER make it to 40lbs. Kids outgrow them by height far before that. The strap slots must be above his shoulders when he's forward facing and the tops of his ears can't be above the top of the seat.

-Angela


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## soccermama (Jul 2, 2008)

The Graco Nautilus holds up to 65lbs in a harness: http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus.../dp/B0011URFRE - out of all of the boosters that we looked at, this was the most comfortable, affordable, and longest lasting (weight wise) that we could get for this price.

But really any child over 40lbs can go to a booster seat or a seat that is a high back and has the seat belt option to strap them in.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
The strap slots must be below his shoulders when he's forward facing and the tops of his ears can't be above the top of the seat.

-Angela

You got your words mixed up there. Straps need to be ABOVE the shoulder for FF


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *an_aurora* 
You got your words mixed up there. Straps need to be ABOVE the shoulder for FF









Thanks! Off to edit... typing too fast.

-Angela


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

Brendan is 32 lbs. His head more goes over the carseat I have. I don't think he is at all too big for the carseat that he is in with his grandma his head is just beginning to touch the top of the car but she thinks with him being on the last shoulder strap and thinking it's a bit too tight assuming he needs a new seat.

So she said she got a booster for him which was taller than his convertible and says she will keep him harnessed til he's up to 40 lbs which he is not much of a quick weight gainer because he is not much of a eater but full of speed, energy, he doesn't lose nor does he really gain.

He will be 5 in August so I need up to 65 lb harnessed seat for us definetly in cabbie rides but I know mom she's gonna put the booster in and if she takes him in the booster herself she won't even bother harness him in just do it like a booster seating.

I don't think brendan will be even to 40 lbs by the time he is 5 or proably even 6. He's pretty tall which is proably the reason he's not gaiing weight the food he's eating is for his height more likely.


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## TiffanyPartyOf6 (Sep 2, 2008)

My vote is the Graco Nautilus. In fact, I'm going to sell my Britax seats for the Graco I just love it that much. My kids are more comfortable in the Graco Nautilus.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

you could always get an Apex. They are under $100 at Albeebaby.com and harness to 65 lbs. If you can swing a Nautilus, I'd get that instead.


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

Thanks ever so much I'm gonna try out the apex it was on sale for 89.99 so with s&h it's 94.99

Plus it will be a booster when he gets above 65 lbs !

So, I thought it was a good idea the Nautilus looked a bit short for my boy so I am hoping with apex being into a booster too but can be harnessed up to 65 lbs will be more higher in the seat length.


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoB* 

So, I thought it was a good idea the Nautilus looked a bit short for my boy so I am hoping with apex being into a booster too but can be harnessed up to 65 lbs will be more higher in the seat length.

If you saw it at the store, it might've had the headrest all the way down, it adjusts up quite a bit, and seems like at the stores it's always down....
The nautilus also turns into a booster over 65 lbs, up to 100, it goes to a high-back-booster and then a low-back booster....


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

The nautilus actually has a harness height of 1 to 1 1/2" taller than the apex does. And it makes a MUCH better booster.

Remember, you HAVE to have a headrest behind the Apex.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DahliaRW* 
The nautilus actually has a harness height of 1 to 1 1/2" taller than the apex does. And it makes a MUCH better booster.

Remember, you HAVE to have a headrest behind the Apex.









:

The nautilus has significantly higher strap slots. And it converts to a booster too.

-Angela


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

headrest behind apex ? we ride in cabs all it is a big back seat it the same with grandma's car big back seat the front seats have head things that go up . Brendan always used a carseat that didn't have any up and down head rests.

When he fell asleep we would prop him with a pillow around the neck til he started to take that off of him.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoB* 
headrest behind apex ? we ride in cabs all it is a big back seat it the same with grandma's car big back seat the front seats have head things that go up . Brendan always used a carseat that didn't have any up and down head rests.

When he fell asleep we would prop him with a pillow around the neck til he started to take that off of him.

The apex MUST have a headrest behind it. It is not reinforced. It has nothing to do with head droop while sleeping.

-Angela


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

what is a headrest ? I see the apex with the wings on the side of it and I searched for information of headrest for carseats and I found nothing so I'm confused ? on the carseat site it says this
3-position adjustable headrest
so it comes with a head rest


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Either the back of the seat of the car or the head rest of the car's seat (the one that in many cars moves up and down) must be behind ALL of the apex. It can not be used where the apex (carseat) sticks up above the seat of the car.

Does that help?

-Angela


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## Katerz2u (Jul 14, 2006)

No she means the actual CAR must have a head rest. So you couldnt install the apex in a vehicle that doesnt have head rests, because the apex isnt reinforced.
Opps we posted at the same time, yea that!


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

None of the cars I ride in have a up and down moving seat maybe one that i may ride in one to 2 yrs which is when the aunt comes down for a visit and she has a big surburan type of thing.

Grandma car only has movable up and down seats in her front seat there is none in the back, the cabbies nope all it is just a big couch with seatbelts

Same with the lady who takes us to church a back seat that looks like a couch with seatbelts .

Even brenda papa big truck has just the same - the only time I ever been in with a car that had up and down top of head rests in the back were in my aunt vehichle maybe it might be a cherokee .

Even my brother and my sil have 2 cars no head rest in the back either just a flat cushion seat that is like what i said looks like a couch with seat belts.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

So you can't use the apex in any of those cars.

-Angela


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

then which carseats can be used without a head rest in a car because those are the cars I ride in and as being a single mom with bills /rent even cab rides etc etc are leaving me highly in less money to spend and apex was the more bargain price for us and now your telling me I can't even use it in any of the cars i ride in.

Cabs don't have tether hooks and cabs are the most transportation I use .


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I know there's a vest-type restraint that is often recommended for frequent cab use.

A higher harnessing seat like the nautilus would be a good choice. I don't think the tether is required for the nautilus. It would be your best, lowest cost choice.

To my knowledge the apex is the ONLY seat that requires head rests. It's just a quirk and a reason it won't work in many situations.

-Angela


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## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoB* 
then which carseats can be used without a head rest in a car because those are the cars I ride in and as being a single mom with bills /rent even cab rides etc etc are leaving me highly in less money to spend and apex was the more bargain price for us and now your telling me I can't even use it in any of the cars i ride in.

Cabs don't have tether hooks and cabs are the most transportation I use .


Sorry Momma, I am sure it must be frustrating for you, but the APEX does state that you must have a headrest to use it. We do love our Nautilus Seats here though. If you keep your eyes out, Amazon often runs 10% off and free shipping which makes them $124.99 Also, we just got one on clearance at Meijer (it was the floor model open box) for $111.00, but with tax it was $119.00. We now have 5 of them, three in our van (our main transprotation with all three kids) and one in my car (with a Evenflo triumph for when I just have two of the three kids) The extra one we got for my parents to have because they had been using an old convertible for the younger kids and a HBB for my oldest. Now they will have a nice safge seat that can work for any of their four granddaughters


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## DevaMajka (Jul 4, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 
So you can't use the apex in any of those cars.

-Angela

I thought the rule is (please correct me if I'm wrong) that the seat back has to come to the top of the child's ears. As long as there is support up to that point, it's fine. You could have an unusually high seat back, and not really need a "headrest", kwim?

With a tall child, I'm sure that they would eventually need the head rest in order to use the apex safely though.


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## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

What about something like this? http://www.elitecarseats.com/Safe-Tr...00343SMALL0000

Its still $100 but seems like it would be alot easier on you if you use taxi's alot


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

vest no can do need to b used with a car that has a headrest


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## azmomtoone (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:

I don't think brendan will be even to 40 lbs by the time he is 5 or proably even 6. He's pretty tall which is proably the reason he's not gaiing weight the food he's eating is for his height more likely.
If this is true, and he doesn't get to tall for the harness on the seat Grandma bought before he hits 40 lbs, there really is no reason at 5 or 6 why he couldn't use a booster, you have to teach him to sit right, but he should be able to learn at that age.

Quote:

So she said she got a booster for him which was taller than his convertible and says she will keep him harnessed til he's up to 40 lbs which he is not much of a quick weight gainer because he is not much of a eater but full of speed, energy, he doesn't lose nor does he really gain.
What kind of seat did she get? If you post what seat it is, people here will be able to tell you whether or not he's likely to fit in it height-wise til 5 or 6....if he's got lots of room at 4.5 probably fine though.
How tall is your son now? Any idea of torso height? (butt to shoulder, seated)... (That info will help determine if he'll fit fine.

Many people keep their kid harnessed til older then that because they can; but if you can't afford a new seat and the one you have works, he is still safe.

Where many of those seats are unsafe (harness to 40) is that many, many kids outgrow them, either by weight or height, when they are 2 or 3, and way too young to know how to use a booster properly (plus bones are not completely formed at 2, still a lot of cartilage. At 5 however, bones are much stronger)


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## mommyto3girls (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoB* 
vest no can do need to b used with a car that has a headrest


The seat back needs to be above the child's head. In most taxi's this will be the case. here is a picture of my 6 year old in a taxi last month in NYC. She was not in any type of restraint (bad I know, didn't even think about that part when I planned our quick trip) She is 46 inches tall (the one the right) her friend on the left is 50 inches tall both had plenty of seat above their heads and could have used the harness vest. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1074582033


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

At school there is a growth thing he goes above the 2 ft and is at the 4 inches make him 2 ft 4 inches .

At the mall he can't be in the play area because he's above the 36 inch .

I called the doc nurse and asked them a suggestion and they said he's to small for a booster because of his weight so she said call back cuz his doc will be in to see what he has to say.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

For the most part, doctors dont' have any training with car seats and don't keep up on the AAP recommendations.


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## MommytoB (Jan 18, 2006)

It turned out that my mom was lying saying that the booster had a harness still in it and so I was like 'fine mom' you want to be that way then you don't get my boy to ride with you .


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MommytoB* 
At school there is a growth thing he goes above the 2 ft and is at the 4 inches make him 2 ft 4 inches .

At the mall he can't be in the play area because he's above the 36 inch .

I called the doc nurse and asked them a suggestion and they said he's to small for a booster because of his weight so she said call back cuz his doc will be in to see what he has to say.

36 inches is three feet (there's 12 inches in a foot, so 3x12 = 36). The growth marker at school may be posted too high, or you might have read it incorrectly.

Total height is not a great way to guess how kids will fit into carseats, though. Two kids can be the same height, but one may have long legs and a short torso, while the other has short legs and a long torso. The kid with the longer torso will outgrow a carseat harness first.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

I love my apex by safty first I was able to afford it because my il's gave us mine and dh's christmas present early. Mine was $109.00 with free shipping from albeebaby.com. The shoulder straps go way up high which is great since I have a tall skinny guy and then it converts to a booster after 65pds


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## homebirthbaby (Aug 10, 2006)

As long as there's a seat back behind his head, up to the top of his ears, a Ride Safer Travel Vest would work just fine, and be very easy in and out of taxi's. They are very safe too.


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## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

For a regular use seat, I would not use a vest. I much prefer the SIP of a harnessed seat, and they are much more comfortable for a child, especially if they ever fall asleep in the car.


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