Portable 5pt carseat for 6yo?

[tigger1972]

We are planning our first trip flying rather than driving to WDW. DS will be 6yo, approx 45-48 lbs. We have him safely secured in a Britax Regent in our minivan, but what will we do at WDW?

In-laws are picking us up at the airport, and we may take a taxi a few times during our trip to save time rather than relying on bus transportation. So I'm looking for a safe, portable 5-pt harness solution that we can strap in our in-laws Lexus SUV for the trip to the resort, and also use in a taxi if for example, we take a taxi from CR to DHS or AK rather than using bus transportation.

Also, our airline, Airtran, charges $15 per checked bag. It would be nice if it was something we didn't have to check.

Any ideas??

Thanks!

 

[nmmom95]

Once my son was over 40 pounds, we switched to the Graco backless booster. It works well and is convenient to carry. You can see a picture of it here:http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Backless-TurboBooster-Disney-Princess/dp/B000LP06M6

 

[daleswife]

Could you maybe switch to a bumper seat for WDW??? My DD is 6 and I have her in a bumper seat all the time. but she's about 58lbs and very tall.....She started unbuckling her 5pt harness when she was 18 months old.

 

[barnaby1]

At 6 your son does not need a 5 pt harness. He is more than past the weight and age limit for a booster seat and a normal seat belt. Save yourself the effort fo lugging a big seat around. If you feel safer with some sort of seat for those short trips then bring a booster.

 

[Cedarmom]

You can do something like the E-Z-ON adjustable vest, if you'd like. It is very portable and keeps them harnessed. I can't post a link yet, but google the harness and you can see it.
However, unless he has some sort of special needs that would make you think he couldn't sit in a booster for the short rides he'd be in the car, I would just take a backless booster. He's well over the weight for risk of submarining underneath the belt, and as long as he sits correctly, he'll be safe.

I'm a CPST, so I understand your fears here. I haven't quite figured out what we are doing about car seats--if anything--either. We have a 6 yo that will be right about 50 lbs during our trip, a 3 yo, and an infant. We'll take the infant seat for the airplane so we'll have that, and I have a CARES harness for the 3 yo for the plane, but I'm not sure if we'll do a car seats for the other end or not. The plan now is to use Disney transport the entire time so no real need,but I hate not the have them...
Ack. Anyway. I feel your pain.

One thing, though. If you decide to buy another harnessed car seat (you have very few choices here--the Graco Nautilus, the Radian, etc) please, please, please put him in it on the plane rather than checking. Have you seen how your bags come out on the other end??? I shudder to think about what they may do to car seats. If you opt for a backless booster, just take it on board with you and stow it in the overhead bin.

 

[tigger1972]

Thanks, Cedarmom, it's good to hear from a CPST. I had not even considered that a backless booster would be okay, but it seems that most of the responses are suggesting this. It would certainly be the cheapest and most portable solution.

DS does not have any special needs. He is now 5yo and will have just turned 6 when we go on our trip. I did alot of research when he outgrew his Marathon and came to the conclusion that he belonged in a Regent for awhile. I thought I was done with all my carseat research until I came to this travel dilemma!

I did see the vest option on the internet but it looked a bit bulky and somewhat complicated. I would love to hear more opinions. Right now, I'm beginning to think the backless booster might be okay.

 

[stephie1012]

you can use the RSTV (ride safer travel vest) http://www.elitecarseats.com/Safe-Traffic-Systems-Ride-Safer-Travel-Vest.pro with a high back back booster if i remember correctly.
If you do decide to use a booster, please practice at home with him first...to sit in the booster he much be able to sit still and not fall asleep ect.
and to the poster who said at 40lbs you can be out of a carseat is wrong. There are even carseats that will rearface till 40lbs now...no way can my almost 4yr old 41lbs dd be out of a carseat its simply not safe.

 

[mjkacmom]

you can use the RSTV (ride safer travel vest) http://www.elitecarseats.com/Safe-Traffic-Systems-Ride-Safer-Travel-Vest.pro with a no back back booster if i remember correctly.
If you do decide to use a booster, please practice at home with him first...to sit in the booster he much be able to sit still and not fall asleep ect.
and to the poster who said at 40lbs you can be out of a carseat is wrong. There are even carseats that will rearface till 40lbs now...no way can my almost 4yr old 41lbs dd be out of a carseat its simply not safe.

While I agree that a 5 point might be safer than a booster, backless boosters are approved for children over 40 pounds. Dd6, ds6, and dd8 use backless boosters on a daily basis. They sit properly in them without a problem, and I love the fact that they're easy to move from vehicle to vehicle, and they're not cumbersome - dd13 was in it until she was 10, and dd8 will probably be in it longer than that, since I let them go without when they are 8, 80 pounds, and 4'9".

 

[Pirate1+Princess4]

.
If you do decide to use a booster, please practice at home with him first...to sit in the booster he much be able to sit still and not fall asleep ect.
.

Just wanted to also suggest booster training him before you go. He's used to a harness and will need practice and reminders to stay in booster. Pick one up that you'll use on your trip and use it for quick jaunts to the grocery, etc where you are sure he won't fall asleep. My (almost) 9 year old is used to a highback booster. ONCE he used a backless for a short drive and he was playing games like leaning all the way over when I turned, etc. I *thought* he would KNOW the rules don't change when the back comes off. We had a long talk about staying behind the seatbelt. He's actually big enough to be without a booster in some seating positions in some cars.


I'd look at a Graco Turbo Booster. Affordable and well received among techs. Buy with the back and decide what you'll on the trip (HBB or backless). But you'll have the seat when he rides with a friend or in a 2nd vehicle.

 

[NotUrsula]

One thing, though. If you decide to buy another harnessed car seat (you have very few choices here--the Graco Nautilus, the Radian, etc) please, please, please put him in it on the plane rather than checking. Have you seen how your bags come out on the other end??? I shudder to think about what they may do to car seats. If you opt for a backless booster, just take it on board with you and stow it in the overhead bin.

Actually, at 45 lbs. the OP's child is technically too big to need to use a harnessed seat on the plane, and if the FAs question it, she will have to gate-check it. (Your right to use a seat on board is only guaranteed up until the child weighs 40 lbs. After that point the airline may refuse.) Also, I don't know how tall he is, but most children who are more than about 47 inches tall really won't fit in a carseat in coach; their knees will be jammed up against the seat in front of them.

Gate-checking with some padding around it (coats or beach towels are good) is your best bet once your child is too large to sit in the seat on the plane.

 

[KristinU]

Cedarmom mentioned the Radian, that was what I was thinking. Low profile and folds up for toting through the airport. My DS is 5 1/2, 46 lbs and 46" tall and still has lots of room above his shoulders on his Radian. I'm all for harnessing as long as possible, but I don't know that I'd buy a Radian for a single trip. I'd probably have your in-laws pick up a belt positioning booster or order one and have it sent to them. My parents live in FL and we did that this past spring. I wasn't nuts about him seat-less on the plane nor in a BPB, but we stressed how important it was that he sit correctly and he did really well. My parents live in a retirement community and they have kind of a coop of baby and kid stuff going with their friends, so it is nice that their seat is around for other grandkids to use and isn't just sitting in storage waiting for our next visit.

 

[mkleinbe]

Another Radian vote here. He's not too big to be harnessed and you should not be forced to change your parenting decisions just because other people think he should be in a booster. Be proud of your choice of extended harnessing and enjoy your trip!

 

[*pixie*dust*]

My son is only 4 but he is 44 inches tall and 45 pounds. He uses a backless booster. When the police had a saftey seat inspection at our local fire station a few weeks ago they said he should be in a booster not a 5 point harness seat.

 

[stephie1012]

My son is only 4 but he is 44 inches tall and 45 pounds. He uses a backless booster. When the police had a saftey seat inspection at our local fire station a few weeks ago they said he should be in a booster not a 5 point harness seat.

there are 5pt harness seats that hold upto 80lbs at 4yrs old he should not be in a backless booster. Alot of the times cops and firemen arent CPST...please stop by car-seat.org and reserach your options. not trying to come off as harsh, i know you care about you son and i just want him to be as safe as possible.

 

[MNdisneymom]

I'm not a CPST, so not completely qualified to testify to this, but isn't the idea that kids can move to a booster at 4 years/40 pounds the minimum standard? (ie the soonest it can be done). (I'd kind of like an official opinion on that one, don't mean to flame...)

I am a very satisfied Nautilus user. It is advertised (and DS who is 6 will use it--he actually likes it better than the cars he has ridden in with boosters) as a harness to 75 pounds. If it's safe and comfortable, why not? The times I've seen him ride in a booster (grandma's car), he doesn't always sit right. (Like he'll lean over to pick up a toy, and the belt slips or something like that.) As for portability--it isn't super heavy even with all the straps and such (it does pare down to both kinds of booster) and is very easy to install. It uses the LATCH system, so as long as you can find the proper tether points, it's a piece of cake.

Good luck making the choice.

 

[cassandrap83]

I'm not a CPST, so not completely qualified to testify to this, but isn't the idea that kids can move to a booster at 4 years/40 pounds the minimum standard? (ie the soonest it can be done). (I'd kind of like an official opinion on that one, don't mean to flame...)

I am a very satisfied Nautilus user. It is advertised (and DS who is 6 will use it--he actually likes it better than the cars he has ridden in with boosters) as a harness to 75 pounds. If it's safe and comfortable, why not? The times I've seen him ride in a booster (grandma's car), he doesn't always sit right. (Like he'll lean over to pick up a toy, and the belt slips or something like that.) As for portability--it isn't super heavy even with all the straps and such (it does pare down to both kinds of booster) and is very easy to install. It uses the LATCH system, so as long as you can find the proper tether points, it's a piece of cake.

Good luck making the choice.

You are not supposed to use LATCH past 40lbs.

http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html

 

[badblackpug]

OP, could you order the booster from Amazon.com and have them ship it directly to your in-laws. That way you wouldn't have to check it at the airport, and for $25 I would just leave it there when I left.

 

[annacali]

I have 2 of the SafeGuard Go hybrid booster seats for my girls (ages 4 and almost 7, both about 42-43 lbs) that I use as seats for my mom's car and for travel. My girls are both in Britax Marathons as their main seats...yes we still harness too!

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=5970


The SafeGuard Go is a portable, forward facing only 5 point harness seat for kids up to 60 lbs. You must have LATCH and a top tether to install (and unless your car specifically has weight limits for the LATCH anchors the seat and LATCH anchors have been approved for weights up to 60 lbs due to the very lightweight nature of the seat.) They do convert to a backless booster eventually, though having looked at it, I think once you convert it there is no easy going back so I haven't tried it yet.

What makes it ideal for travel is that it completely folds up to the size of a backless booster and fits in its own carry case. You could carry it on and stick it in an overhead compartment if you so desire. I can fit both of mine in a large rolling duffle and I do check them, but in their cases and with some padding in the bag they have come thru with flying colors every time. It is very easy to install and can be done in literally 30 seconds.

Ours are 3 years old and going strong...great seats! We will definitely get several more years out of them

 

[locolala]

Wow, I didn't know that these days you stayed in a booster that long! I know I was in a booster by about 5 or so, I distinctly remember just sitting in a regular seat in first grade and onward. I didn't break 48lbs until I was in 4th grade and hit a huge growth spurt!

 

[allyphoe]

You are not supposed to use LATCH past 40lbs.

Our Wizard is labeled by Britax as LATCH-compatible to 48 pounds.

DD6 rode in the Wizard this last long trip, and when she got bored, she unbuckled herself and climbed around unrestrained until we could wrangle her back into the seat. We don't have that problem with the high-back booster, and I figure that she's better off slightly less well restrained for a long period than completely unrestrained for multiple short ones.