Highback booster seat question

[Jennygt]

Please forgive my ignorance on this issue. I just got my 4 1/2 yo a graco turboboost elite. The belt fit is correct when he is in it, my question is it does not seem to attach to the car like his britax 5 point did. Is this the norm for the bigger seats or is it just the graco, or is it just me lol? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[tlbwriter]

A booster seat does not attach to the car - it lifts your child into a position where the adult seatbelt fits him correctly. Any booster works like this (including combo seats used in booster mode), no matter what size. If you feel he's not getting the amount of restraint he needs, you might move him back to his 5-pt installed seat. Some kids just aren't emotionally ready for a booster at that age. You could also try locking the seatbelt (pull it out all the way and then let it slide back into position) to help keep him and the seat more stable.

 

[mamaLori05]

no, most booster seats do not attach to the car. The ONLY booster seat (that isn't a 5 pt harness) that does is the new Britax Parkway SGL (only booster seat that I know of that has a latch system). We have a Graco turbo boost Elite for my dd, as well as a Britax Parkway SG (they didn't have the L for latch yet when we bought hers). I LOVE the Britax and that is her main car seat. The Graco is fine too though. I just ordered the Britax Parkway SGL for my ds (found online for $109, normally $140). The Britax is a little larger than the Graco, but when dd falls asleep in the car it seems to keep her head back and against the sides. She has "floppy head" in the Graco, so we don't use it as often.

Just an FYI- you are about to get an earful on how you are a bad parent for not keeping your child in a 5 pt harness (maybe even rear facing) until they are like 30. It's what they do on the Dis.

 

[Bren's Mom]

PP is mostly correct...however, SOME dedicated boosters seats come with the ability to LATCH the booster to the car in the same manner as a harnessed car seat is installed. (Some examples are the Sunshine Kids Monterey and the Clek Oobr, mamalori is not correct the the Parkway is the only one) And SOME combination seats (such as the Britax Frontier and the Graco Nautilus) allow you to continue to install with LATCH when using the seatbelt with the seat in booster mode. This is simply to keep the booster from becoming a projectile in a crash.

For anyone reading, if you have a booster seat or a seat being used in booster mode you should rebuckle the seat belt over the seat when the child exits the seat for your safety and the safety of any other passenger in your vehicle.

OP, at 4.5 your son is likely not quite mature enough to handle full time boostering. If he has outgrown his convertible seat, and your budget can handle it, I would get a combination seat like a Graco Nautilus and harness him a while longer. If you cannot do that, then I'd do as the pp suggested and lock the seat belt for a while.

Coleen
CPST

 

[Jennygt]

Thanks for the quick response all, that is what I wanted to know.