School me in boosters esp Britax and Recaro

[american_mama]

ETA: Am I using the word booster right? I am talking about whatever seat my chid is supposed to graduate into given her size.

I am trying to understand booster seats, and my impression is that it's best for a child to be harnessed in a normal 5 point harness as long as possible rather than using the regular seat belt in a belt positioning booster. Is that the general goal to strive for when shopping for boosters? My daughter is 3 years and 7 months old, about 37 pounds and 40 inches tall, and currently in a Graco Comfort Sport, which we all like a lot. Can I put her in the Graco Ultra Cargo (on sale at Target for $78 until end of tomorrow) or should I look for a booster with a harnesses for a child over 40 pounds? If so, what brands are there? My impression is that it's only Britax and Recaro.

So, can someone tell me about the various Britaxes that would qualify and the Young Style and Young Sport? I would like one that is not too big and can keep her harnessed for, I don't know, maybe another year. I don't want one with huge side wings by the head because I think they will restrict her view. I shared a car ride once with a little boy who had that problem and it turned me off that style of booster.

Also, why are the Graco Turbo boosters so different from the Cargo style boosters? Do they fit the same size kid and perform equally well? The Turbo booster style does not look enclosed enough to me,. so it doesn't appeal at all, but I would like to know what the appeal is.

ETA: The following post has me all confused about terminology:
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=13&topic_id=31501&mesg_id=31501&page=4
Is my child "too young" for a booster? Is the Recaro is so great, why doesn't it harness past 40 pounds either? So confused...

[uccomama]

To relieve you of some confusion, the Recaro Young Sport is a combo car seat/booster which only harnesses to 40 lbs and then converts to a belt position booster -- a very, very nice one though!. The Recaro Young Style is a dedicated belt positioning booster.

The Recaro Young Sport doesn't harness beyond 40 lbs because it wasn't designed to. It was initially made for the European market and they don't have many seats that harness beyond 40 lbs, maybe a couple besides special needs seats. It is a great seat for tall skinny kids who don't need the extra harness weight because by the time they reach 40 lbs they are more than ready to go into a booster; it has tall harness slots; it offers tested side impact protection, and converts to a great booster with lots of side impact protection and support. Recaro is currently working on a higher weight rated combo seat which should be out next summer.

The Britax seats that harness past 40 lbs are the Marathon, Decathlon, Boulevard and Wizard (discontinued but still available in stores and online), these all rf/ff convertible car seats that harness to 65 lbs and do not convert to a booster. The other Britax option is the Regent (previously know as the Husky -- just a name change and new covers) which is a ff only seat which is rated from 22 lbs to 80 lbs. Again, it does not convert to a booster. IF you have the space and want you child harnessed as long as possible, then the Husky would be your seat.

The Graco Turbo Booster is a dedicated belt positioning booster and has been designed as such which is why it looks so different from the Cargo booster which is a harnessed seat that can be used as belt positioning booster. These dedicated boosters do a great job at protecting child in crashes, provided they are not sitting out of poistion which is why techs and advocates stress keeping children harnessed as long as possible, it cuts down the chance of them not sitting in the booster properly which they need to be able to do for an entire journey.

Children are rarely mature enough for booster until they reach 4 or 5 years of age, and it really is best to keep kids in a harnessed seat until they reach the full 40 lbs (provided they still fit in the seat).

The side wings on car seats and boosters are designed for side impact protection and honestly, my children have never had a problem with them, they also provide great sleep support. I would try your child in one before you dismiss them because they really do offer head protection in the event of a side impact crash. If you are installing a seat in the center of your car this isn't an issue issue because they are not going to hit the car's door, also if your car is equipped with side curtain airbags you can worry less about it too.

I am not sure I have covered everything, but I hope this posts helps somewhat.

Deborah

[american_mama]

Deborah: Your answer helped a lot except for one thing: what am I supposed to get for my child? She's 3 1/2 years old, 40 inches, and 37 pounds. Harnessing her is fine with me, but what do people do who can't afford a Britax?

[Joolsplus2]

There's been nothing but Britax in the over 40 pound market for a long time... it's really pretty hard to pass the testing :/.
But good news is on the horizon... rumor has it the Cosco Apex 65 has been released to the retail market (um...not that anyone has SEEN one anywhere yet!) it goes to 65 pounds and is nice and tall, and only something like $130-$160...it also becomes a nice-ish booster for 40-100 pound kids (I say nice-ish because truly, the Turbo and Parkway and Recaro boosters are really, really nice, and most "combo" or "harnessed boosters" are not too hot as boosters (like the Cargo or Evenflo Chase).
There's also the new Profile from www.mightytite.com that goes to 65 pounds and phew, if you think Britax is expensive, check out the www.safeguardseat.com (holy cow! but it's loaded with new technology...).
The Cargo is rated to 48 pounds when top tethered in Canada, and some desparate moms here will keep their kids harnessed in those a little past 40 pounds...but only if it's top tethered... It's not really something I like to recommend since there ARE US seats that we can buy, but it's not UNsafe, I don't think.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Joolsplus2]

There's been nothing but Britax in the over 40 pound market for a long time... it's really pretty hard to pass the testing :/.
But good news is on the horizon... rumor has it the Cosco Apex 65 has been released to the retail market (um...not that anyone has SEEN one anywhere yet!) it goes to 65 pounds and is nice and tall, and only something like $130-$160...it also becomes a nice-ish booster for 40-100 pound kids (I say nice-ish because truly, the Turbo and Parkway and Recaro boosters are really, really nice, and most "combo" or "harnessed boosters" are not too hot as boosters (like the Cargo or Evenflo Chase).
There's also the new Profile from www.mightytite.com that goes to 65 pounds and phew, if you think Britax is expensive, check out the www.safeguardseat.com (holy cow! but it's loaded with new technology...).
The Cargo is rated to 48 pounds when top tethered in Canada, and some desparate moms here will keep their kids harnessed in those a little past 40 pounds...but only if it's top tethered... It's not really something I like to recommend since there ARE US seats that we can buy, but it's not UNsafe, I don't think.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[Sangiovese]

I moved my DD to a booster when she was 3 1/2. I went back and forth, researching, etc. She was 40 lbs, and I couldn't afford the Britax Marathon (and I don't think that it would fit in my car in any case). She was fine. She is naturally laid back and calm and was mature for her age. I never really had a problem with her in her seat. Occasionally,I did have to tell her to sit back - usually, she was trying to reach something on the floor or something. She's 5 1/2 now and still leans out of her seat to reach things.

Harnessing is definitely better, but it isn't always an option. Our market just doesn't make it accessible to everyone when your child is over 40 lbs.