need advice

[Lorrie]

This is an addendum to my previous post.

I have been researching convertible car seats for my daughter who will be turning 4 in December. She is very petite and weighs approx. 26 lbs. and is about 37 1/2 inches tall.

I am not all that excited about the features I have found in the convertible seats on the market, but am really interested in the Jupiter Komfort Kruser. I am looking at this as a car seat for my husband's car which my daughter will only be riding in on occasion.

Please tell me if it is safe to put a child of this size in a booster seat with a weight requirement of 30-33 pounds (I saw that in one review the product was approved for 30 lbs. and another it was approved for 33 lbs.) I have not had the chance to see the Evenflo Appolo, but from what I have discovered on this web site it may no longer be available, and the Comet seems like a lesser replacement.

Please help! I am beginning to get very frustrated with the limited choices out there.

[MarinaTwinMom]

Hello!

I'd recommend that you try asking this question on the carseat bulletin board at parentsplace.com. A lot of carseat techs post there, and they might have some ideas for you.

One seat that might work for you is a Graco CarGo (there are several versions, some of which are more plush than others ... I think that a lot of the folks at the carseat board recommend the Graco Ultra CarGo). It works as a harnessed seat from 20-40 pounds, and as a belt-positioning booster from 30-80 pounds. You can find more info about it at gracobaby.com.

Hope this helps. Best of luck with your carseat shopping!

[Megan's Mommy]

I have a Jupiter Komfort Kruiser and feel it would be the wrong choice for your daughter, at least at this time. My 4 year old daughter is somewhat petite(41", 36lbs) and I constantly worry about the shoulder belt not being staying her narrow shoulders. We have a Honda Odyssey van and I have to set the seat at the outer edge of the captain's chair to make sure the shoulder belt STAYS in place. If she falls asleep I have to make sure that her head is laying on the same side as the shoulder belt. Don't get me wrong, she and I love this booster seat, but until her frame gets larger I'll worry.:+

[hooahmama]

Lorrie,

My daughter is 3-1/2, 25lbs and about the same height as your daughter. Her twin brother is over 40lbs, and 39" tall. We have moved him comfortably into the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser. Gracie remains in her convertible seat, a Britax Roundabout. We have chosen to keep her in that seat until she outgrows it by weight or height, which she hasn't done yet on either count. Using both the Roundabout & the Jupiter Komfort Kruiser, right now, I would tell you that I asolutely WOULD NOT feel my daughter was safe in the KK at her current height & weight, so I would not recommend it to you at this time.

One question is whether you were looking for a "convertible" seat which I take to mean for both infants and toddlers (front & rear facing), or rather a "combination" seat that is both a carseat and a booster seat. If you were wanting a "combination" seat, you might consider an Evenflo Apollo. We had been considering the Evenflo Apollo for my son when we thought he would outgrow the Roundabout by height before weight. The Apollo allows you to continue to use a 5 pt Harness until 40 lbs, and then becomes a belt positioning booster - although I have heard that maybe the Apollo is a soon-to-be-discontinued model - you would have to check with Toby or one of the other experts about that. The other thing I would recommend would be a convertible seat, the Britax Marathon, which is alot like the Roundabout in appearance, but bigger overall. It is expensive, but it is really sturdy and safe, like the Roundabout and it will accomodate a child to much larger height and weight limits than other convertible seats. The advantage would be that you could indeed keep that seat until your daughter was well within the belt positioning booster heights and weights. The downside, of course, would be that your daughter may mature faster than her size & no longer want to be in a seat that looks so much like a "baby" seat (not like the booster seats of her friends.) while still fitting in the Marathon.

Either way, from my perspective as a Mother with a similarly aged & sized child, I would not put her in any belt-positioning (only) booster yet.

For what it's worth - the first time my son was riding next to my daughter, he in his Jupiter Komfort Kruiser, and she in her Roundabout, I looked back at them & said a little prayer that he would be okay in the KK - not because it seemed unsafe, but because seeing them side-by-side, there is no question as to just HOW safe the Roundabout really is, and I was almost sorry he outgrew it.

Good Luck!!!

Theresa (hooahmama)