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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    .
    Posts
    35

    Default Harness or Booster for 8.5 y.o.

    Hi all,

    I'm coming back to the US for a visit and need to decide whether to use the chance to buy a new seat for my DSs.

    DS1 is 8.5 years old, 60 lbs and 52 inches. He is at the very end of the harness in his Frontier 80 (? I think it's 80).

    DS2 is turning 6, 40 lbs and 44 inches. He's still in his Marathon.

    I need to either have DS1 use the Frontier as a booster and plan to replace the Marathon when DS2 grows a bit more (e.g. at Christmas when I'm coming back to the US again), or replace the Frontier with a Frontier 90 (?) and keep DS1 harnessed for longer, keeping the Frontier 80 for DS2 when he comes out of the MA.

    I just don't know the data about how important it is to keep DS1 harnessed v. switching him to booster mode. Is there data about this? He is a pretty calm kid and uses a Britax booster (with that anti-submarining thing) when we're in the US because I was being cheap and didn't buy a Frontier to keep at the grandparents'.

    There are no harnessed seats for big kids here in the UK, so I have to make my purchases when I come home.

    Thanks in advance for the help!

    Jess in London

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia, USA.
    Posts
    20,018

    Default

    Boosters are fine. For both of them. Statistically it's a wash for kids 4 and up being harnessed or boostered. At least till more kids are harnessed in crashes and start showing noticeable differences, but it's going to be a few more decades till we know if that's so. Aren't there some pretty nice boosters in the UK? Of course, I also love the look of the new Britax Frontier 90, it might make a super duper nice booster later, making it worth the money.
    Julie
    Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)

    DS age 18--Driving--(booster till 11 and almost 5ft tall)
    DD1 age 16--Learner's Permit!(booster till 11 and almost 5 ft tall)
    DD2 age 9-Safety 1st Incognito
    http://picasaweb.google.com/joolstag/LeahInCarseats#

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    4,156

    Default

    Ooooooh another Britax!! At 31-32lbs & 5yo, DD may well be harnessed into 8th grade, Jk! Maybe......
    Bodyboarding, music loving, clothing upcycler Mom to adult kid1, elementary kid2

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    .
    Posts
    35

    Default

    Julie, sorry for the delay in thanking you for the input. We were traveling and had rubbish internet. Very helpful. To answer your question: they do have lots and lots of boosters here in the UK, as most kids go into them at age 4, but I don't have a source for good information about their safety. I'm more inclined to buy in the US since even after nearly 5 years here, I feel more confident about my US info. I'm all ears about where to find reliable UK info!

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