What age to move from a car seat to a booster?

[zoemurr]

I just want to say how great this thread is. 13 years ago when I was doing this research for my 40# 3 year old there was only one seat that harnessed for older kids, and I had to wait months to get it. Everyone thought I was nuts for keeping them in a 5 point for so long. (They were both 8 I think.) We had boosters to move around if necessary, but all of their friends were out of any kind of seat by K. So glad to see the tides have turned a bit.

 

[dhardawa]

I'm going to try and see if they have one for him to try at Babies R Us. The seat fits up to 58 inches and he is barely 44 now. He does fall asleep in the car a lot. They don't take naps this year in school since it's a prek/kindergarten mixed class and he is exhausted by the time he gets done at 2:30.

Height on a harnessed seat is a guideline. He'll outgrow it by height when his shoulders are above the top harness slots.

 

[scrapquitler]

I kept my kids in a harnessed seat longer than almost everyone else I know. DD was just about 7 when I moved her into a booster, and she stayed in the high back booster until she was 10 (and actually closer to 11, I think) We made it clear from the start that she was not going to be out of the booster until she reached 4'9" as suggested by the safety guidelines, and we did stick with that. DS was taller and heavier than she was, but he also moved to a high back booster sometime around 6 1/2, and he was tall enough to stop using it around the time he turned 9.

 

[epsmith921]

My daughter is about 5.5 and just switched to the high back booster mode on our recaro performance sport. She was outgrowing the harness height since her height is more in her torso. A ton of her friends already were in the boosters but some aren't as they are much smaller. We know 5 year olds who just hit 30 pounds and my daughter is 50. It's very important to find the seat that fits your child.

She slept fine in it with the harness or now the belt. It is also has a section to guide the belt properly across her lap. Thanks to being harnessed for so long she's doing well with sitting properly. Now if only she could reach to buckle herself...

 

[ilovefh]

Thanks everyone! We went with the Britax Frontier. Of course I took too long to think about it so the sale went from $204 to $255 by the time I decided to buy it. I did get $75 in Kohl's cash though so I'll use that to buy some Christmas gifts I already needed to buy.

 

[Dread Pirate]

I didn't let my daughter sit in the front seat of the car until 8th grade since she was so petite.

 

[Bren's Mom]

OP, I'm a certified CPST (car seat tech) and I concur with those that have given you kudos for asking!

To clear up some things, because there's been a bit of misinformation in this thread:

At 5.5, *some* 'typical' kids are ready for a booster, and some are not. Once you move to a booster (or booster mode on a combination seat) the CHILD has to do the work of staying in position in order for the adult seat belt to do its job. In a harnessed car seat, the SEAT does that job. If your kiddo is a less mature 5, and delayed, staying harnessed for a while longer is a good choice.

As others have pointed out, height is just as (sometimes even more important) than weight when considering a combination seat (FF harness + booster).

The standing height limit (ie: max height stated as 52") is NOT negotiable, and is, in fact, an absolute just as the stated weight limit (i.e. 65lbs, 80lbs). But there's a THIRD way in which seats are outgrown, and that is when the child's shoulders go above the top slot or 'click' for the seat (aka 'torso 'height').

What I'd suggest, before you do anything else is confirm his weight, standing height (back against wall, measure from floor to top of head) and torso height (sitting with back against wall, measure from floor to top of shoulders).

With that info I can better tell you what seats are outgrown or close to outgrowing, and what seats he'll have more growing room in. Both the Britax Frontier and the Graco Nautilus 80 are great seats. Though the Frontier Clicktight (newest version) has such a great install if it's in your budget and he's still got height growth room, I'd go for that personally as you'll appreciate the easy install.

Also to consider: He doesn't necessarily need to be harnessed in every car. Let's say dad takes him to/from school a few times a week. Short trips. If he can sit properly with instruction for short periods of time, a booster is totally appropriate for those times. So you can have an extended harnessing seat for every day and trips, and a booster for short trips or emergencies. That may help with your budget. And provided he can sit right for short trips, and the booster gives him great belt fit, it's a very safe option for a 5.5 year old.

The Britax Parkway is nice, but if he's a chunky kiddo he may not be as comfy as it's a narrowed seat. The Diono Monterey is wider with movable side wings and might be a more comfortable choice.