Any Thoughts on the Compass Booster?

[Indianamom2]

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Co...ef=pd_sim_ba_6

How does this compare to the Britax Parkway or Vivo or Turbobooster?

Which of those (or something in the lower price range of HBB's) has the most support for a girl with impossibly long legs?

What about for an impossibly long torso? She's very, very slender, but space isn't an issue at all...the booster would either be in a captain's chair of my van or in Dh's Merecedes ML350 (this would be where it starts out, at least).

Thanks!

[Joolsplus2]

I'd only look at the B570 Model, it costs more, but has lapbelt guides and moveable shoulderbelt guides. What about the Monterey? It's taller than the Compass and can be used backless later. Both are good for long legs, Frontier is the biggest booster, but of course only comes in a harnessed model. All kids will need foot support of some kind as they get into their older booster years (so their long legs get some support, they don't slouch, their backs don't hurt), a plastic shoe box upside down or light plastic stepstool can do wonders, they made our Vivo and Parkway useable longer (those are known for shallow seating).
Hope that helps!

[Indianamom2]

Thanks Jools.

So I know I don't want the Frontier because, at 6.5, I don't think DD needs it, especially on a once-in-a-while basis. This will also be the carseat that gets moved when we need to use someone else's car.

Are there any good deals on the Monterey? I have spent so much on carseats already for this kid! I don't mind spending up to about $100, but I really don't want to go over that. Is the Monterey ever in that price range?

[jenm]

We have two Compass B510 seats, which we LOVE.
For our next little guy, we recently purchased the Britax Frontier 85. We thought it was horrible. The worst part wasn't how uncomfortable our son looked in it, but how difficult it was to install (because of where our seatbelt lays, we had to use the longer belt path, as he is over the weight limit for latch). After years of taking Graco, Britax, and Compass seats in and out of cars, it took me an hour to get the Frontier installed, and two days later I discovered that the belt now had slack on one side. Not worth trying to reinstall over and over!
We exchanged the two Frontier 85s for two Britax Parkway SG seats, thinking the third point for harnessing the lap belt would be almost as good as a five point harness hybrid. Every time I pull the shoulder portion of the belt out, the entire top area of the seat flxes, and it looks like it could snap at any moment. The narrowness of the seat is an issue for my healthy-weight-three-year-old. The seat overall feels very flimsy, and the plastic actually bends.
I have been shocked, after years of happily using diffferent Britax seats, to be so dissatified by both of these.
My next step is to compare the Compass B570 to the B530 or B540, since it is a hassle to find another B510. I like the idea that the B570 has latch to hold it in place when empty, but the shoulder belt loop has changed to that same flimsy loop on some other seats we had already ruled out, whereas the earlier models sent the shoulder strap through a wide, integrated loop.
Anyone know anything about the Compass B530 or 540 versus the B570?

[Joolsplus2]

I would not be comfortable putting a three year old in a booster at all. Have you tried a Nautilus or Maestro, since you had bad luck with the Frontier?

[bubbaray]

Originally Posted by Joolsplus2

I would not be comfortable putting a three year old in a booster at all. Have you tried a Nautilus or Maestro, since you had bad luck with the Frontier?

No way would I put a 3yo in a booster.


OP/Christina, my DD#1 has had a Monterey since she was 5 (she is turning 7 soon) and a Parkway since July 2010. She loves loves LOVES the Monterey, says it is much more comfy than the Parkway. She also previously used the Nautilus and didn't like it much. She has a very long torso and the fit of the Monterey was awesome on her, even at age 5.

HTH