Many highback booster questions (from a novice)

[maydaymommy]

Sorry if these are dumb question. I've delayed getting ds1 a booster and I haven't had to learn anything new about car seats in many years because both my kids are in Orbit "toddler" seats, which they could stay in for a long time. DS1 really wants a booster though, and he's right that his seat looks more like a baby seat than that of any of his friends.

I feel like I don't even know enough to know what I don't know!

I plan to get a Britax, and I am considering either Pioneer or Frontier or Pinnacle.

I will keep both kids in harnessed boosters as long as possible, but I'll occasionally use just a seatbelt. I read about the Click Tight system, which sounds super easy to install, so I think it would be a good idea for us. I really want an easy to install seat, especially since we've never had to do much installing because we've only dealt with Orbits which have had unique systems.

Therefore, I think a Pioneer is out, since it lacks Click Tight. My kids are both pretty small, neither will every go beyond about 50% percentile, I'd guess. It seems like the Frontier and Pinnacle would be overkill when compared to the Pioneer, which would be fine and long lasting for us.

SO...do I NEED the Click Tight like I think I do?

Please share any recommendations and guidance you have! Are there other brands/seats I should be considering. I drive an Odyssey if that's relevant. I don't usually have more than ds1 & ds2 with me, but I tote around a friend of theirs maybe 2x per month & they usually use the backless in the third row.

I have some general questions, too.

I would like to be able to transfer the seat on occasion. Is that something people do with these boosters, or is that more for a belt positioning seat only? My friends & I all have spare backless boosters and use those for driving an extra kid around. Is it substantially better if I use a highback belt positioning seat for that purpose? Can a highback belt positioner (only) seat go in the third row of my Odyssey or a different SUV? It seems like the car seat would extend higher than the seatback of the car, right?

Finally, I'm confused about how a highback booster is secured to the seat when it's being used with a seatbelt instead of the harness. I thought the great thing about Click Tight was that you don't need LATCH, but instead do an easy install with just the seat belt? So then how does it stay attached to the seat if the belt is being used to hold the kid in? I read something about securing a booster in the car when there's not a kid in it so it doesn't become a projectile?? I guess I was living under a car seat rock because I never heard of such a thing!

[Joolsplus2]

Go with a Frontier. The install really is just SO worth it, I think. When you use it as a booster later, that's when you use the LATCH, that will hold the seat in place, while the seatbelt holds your child in place. The LATCH will only be holding the weight of the seat, while if you were to use it harnessed, it holds the seat PLUS the child, and the LATCH bars in the car are evidently not robust enough to hold all that weight, so that's why Britax just engineered the ultra strong seatbelt to work so easily. I hope that makes sense, my kids are all talking to me right now, lol.
A backless booster is fine if kids are sitting properly (belt on lap and shoulder, no leaning, usually age 5 or older). Usually high backs do go a bit above headrests, most seats don't require a headrest behind the highback, so it doesn't matter.

Then again... at 7... are you sure you still want to harness? A booster is a very safe choice for a child that age in such a save vehicle. And are your older kiddo's shoulders not over the top slots of the Orbit?