Car Booster seat

[felinosaurus]

It's going to be a long drive to Orlando.
I'm thinking about getting a new booster seat for my 6-year old, maybe one without a back on it. Anyone have an opinion on that style or know of one you'd recommend?

 

[Mandy_in_NC]

We bought a backless booster seat for both of our kids when the new law came into effect that kids under 8 or 80lbs had to be in a booster seat. We bought ours at Wal-Mart. They were less than $20 a piece. Both have a built in fold down cup holder. It is
Cosco Ambassador Booster Car Seat. Wal-Mart online has it advertised for $14.83. It was $16.88. Both of my DDs love them. They are able to get into them and seatbelt themselves. That would be a good one to look at. Hope this helps.

 

[mom22girls]

I have 2 backless and 1 high back booster seat for my 4 & 6 year old daughters. The backless ones are great for being easy to move from car to car since they are so small. I like the high back one better though if they are going to be sleeping in them at all. We use the backless ones in bucket seats and it is still hard for them to really get comfortable to rest. Since we don't sleep in the car often I use the backless more often. The backless ones I have are Graco I believe with the two cup holders and the older one can do herself up but the younger one needs help doing up but not undoing.

Does anyone know the laws in Florida for booster seats?

Hope that helps

 

[ZanneMarie]

I have read that one thing to consider when deciding to go with a backed or backless booster seat is the type of seat the booster and child will be sitting in most often. It is recommended that if the childs head would be above the back of the seat in the car then go with a booster with a back, to give head/neck support in case of a crash. If the childs head would not be above the cars seat then a backless would be fine. Hope that helps a little in the deciding process.

 

[hipmaman]

Hi,

If you are considering a backless booster, please make sure when your child sits in the place you want her in (on the backless booster), the top of her ears must not be higher than the top of the vehicle seat. If they are higher than the top of the vehicle seat, she is safest in a high back booster. This is to minimize the risk of whiplash.

Also, either style of booster must be used with lap-and-shoulder belt.

Graco Turbo can be used as a highback with a removable back to be backless.

 

[annabelle]

I second the advice about backless vs highback booster.
Personally - I would get a highback booster regardless of what the laws are or what would be more "convenient" to transfer back and forth.

I have a 9 year old in a high back booster with EPS foam in the head wings. I feel more secure knowing that he's got better side impact protection around his head. Yes, he could get by with a backless booster, but he's safer in a highback.

There are boosters out there that even curve around the child's torso to also help with side impact protection (which makes up a high percentage of crashes).

Two recommendations: the Graco Turbobooster (make sure you get one of the latest models with extra EPS foam in the head wings and some even have extra "cushy" foam for the bottom - great for long drives!) Those boosters are around $49-$69.

We have the Compass B500 booster ($89)... VERY well padded, EPS foam, armrests that swivel up and down plus it folds in half like a lawn chair which is great for traveling/flying.

The main thing is that the booster needs to fit your child appropriately PLUS fit your car.

Good luck!!

 

[alloyd1170]

I have the Graco Turbobooster and love it. The way the head rest is designed, my son can rest his head against it instead of flopping over when he sleeps. The back can be removed to just use the seat for when hes too tall for it, etc. It wasnt expensive either. The cupholders are a nice feature too!

alison

 

[Carrie772]

Graco Turbobooster gets my vote as well.

 

[Brina]

I also agree with the graco turbobooster - it is a great seat. My boys use this seat when they are in dh's car, and I use one for carpooling (in my car the boys still use the britax marathon).

I would go with a high back for a long drive as they keep the kid better positioned.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

Graco Turbobooster gets my vote as well.

Add my vote for the Turbobooster also!

I also vote for the highback. I love the "wings" around the head so that my son's head doesn't flop around when he falls asleep on long drives.

 

[hipmaman]

If you are going for a highback booster, there are many different brands and models out there. Evenflo, Eddie Bauer/Safety 1st/Cosco, Britax, etc.

Britax ones are very plush and have side-impact protection (Bodyguard and Parkway) and a foldable highback (Starriser Comfy). More expensive but very nice.

 

[Taratink]

We have an almost 4 and 5 1/2 yr old. I was planning on using a backless booster for my 5 yr. old son and a high back booster for my 4 yr old. Are the backless one safe?My son weighs around 40 lbs. and is 44 inches tall. I was thinking about renting a car seat but I figured that they would probably be backless as well. Arggg! I can't believe that I am getting sick and tired of planning this vacation. (wow, that is so undisboard like). What are the laws in FL. anyways?
Tara

 

[annabelle]

Taratink...

The backless boosters are safe... but only if your child can sit properly in them with the shoulder belt across their shoulder and not across their neck (and never behind their back). Also, backless boosters are harder to sleep in... so for longer drives, the highback boosters come in handy.

That being said... HIGHBACK boosters are *safer* for SIDE IMPACT protection. Some even wrap around the middle torso (like Britax ones) and almost all have great head support. More models are now equipped with EPS crash protection foam in the head wings - which as a parent, I don't understand why that EPS foam isn't mandated by law in ALL car seats! It's in bicycle helmets for goodness sake!!

Ok... sorry.
If it were me, I'd spend a little extra and a get a highback booster for your 5 year old too. They're not that expensive anymore... ones at Walmart are anywhere around $29-$49. We just bought one for our 4 year old at Toys R Us for $49.

And another option is... if you wanted to strap them in the absolute *safest* way possible, you could get a car seat with a 5 point harness that takes the higher weight limits. Our 4 year old is in a car seat that can keep her harnessed in till she's 80 lbs. (She uses the Turbobooster in daddy's car and will use it at Disney.) Anyway... just thought I'd throw that out there!

Good luck!

 

[Taratink]

Both of my carseats are Britax. I love them. I just didn't want to lug them around. I am going to call the car rental place and find out the types of carseats they have.
Thanks,
Tara

 

[annabelle]

Taratink...

I know what you mean about not wanting to lug around the Britax. Our 4 yo is in the Husky - which is the largest car seat known to mankind! That's another reason why we got the Turbobooster - it can come apart and is easily portable.

I checked on renting seats too. Then I started talking to friends who said that the rented seats they've experienced were absolutely filthy. But the big deal breaker for me was the fact that car rental companies don't keep up with car seat recalls or if a seat has been in a wreck. That's a major safety issue to me. (Not to mention the "ick" factor... I don't mind crumbs and juice stains - but there really is no telling what else is on those seats.)

Then on top of that, a rental company I checked with was wanting $8 a day for a seat. That's $56 for the week! So we decided to take that same money and buy a brand new booster seat that we'll KNOW the history of.

Anyway... just some more thoughts...

Here's a great link that has some discussion about this:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboa...ic_id=20389&mesg_id=20389&listing_type=search