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View Full Version : Just bought Booster seat, I'm worried about safety though!



Donna
11-30-2002, 07:59 PM
I am in need of help!!! We just went out and purchased a Cosco high Rise Auto Booster Seat and I am worried if it is the right choice?! I haven't been able to find any info on the internet about this Booster at all. My daughter is not quite 3yrs, she is 38 1/2" tall and weighs 37lbs but is getting too tall for her current carseat(Evenflo Trooper). Cost and size of the carseat do play a big factor in what we will purchase, especially since we own a '97 Cavalier which is less than roomy. Does anyone have any suggestions? The Britax Marathon is a little out of our price range.

Thanks
Donna

uccomama
12-04-2002, 12:31 PM
To be frank I think you need to get another seat. It isn't best practice to put a child under 4 into a low back booster and they really need to be at least 40lbs. I can understand you not wanting to get spend so much money on a Marathon, although I have one for my almost three year old and love it. I am sure he will be in it for at least two maybe even three more years. The other option would be to get a Britax Husky which is a harnessed seat for toddlers/children weighing between 22 and 80 lbs. I have my five year old in one and we are very happy with it. Again it is pricey at around $240 but it will last a very long time.

I would recommend you put her in a harnessed booster so that you can use the harness until she is 40 lbs, after 40lbs you would need to remove the harness and use it as belt positioning booster. The consensus is that the Graco Ultra Cargo from Target is the nicest and is priced at $79. Do NOT get the Cherished Cargo because it doesn't have the front adjuster on the seat, so you would have to uninstall every time you needed to adjust the harness.

You do have some other options if you would like to keep her harnessed past 40 lbs that are less expensive than the Britax seats:

The Airway booster seat available from Baby Depot at BCF is a combo seat with a harness limit of 50lbs after which it converts to a BPB. It is a new seat, and so far has received okay reviews. The major problem being BCF's return policy, you can't return the seat and get your money back, so you will want to try it in your car before you buy. It costs $99. You can see it here: http://www.bcfdirect.com/IWStoreBCF.process?Merchant_Id=1&proc=IWCatProductPage&Section_Id=1116&pcount=&Product_Id=292190

Then there is the Britax Laptop. This is a rather unique child restraint in that the child sits on the vehicle seat and the laptop is placed over her. It is approved for children 30 lbs to 65 lbs. This is not like the infamous Cosco Grand Explorer which is NOT recommended nor is it safe when used with the shield. The seat has been discontinued since September but it is still available at the Right Start and ZainyBrainy. I think it is around $60. I wasn't able to find a picture of it on line except for this link, scroll down to the bottom of the page. http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/shieldbooster.aspx

Finally, you can still get, although it is getting harder to find, the Fisher Price Futura 20/60, but only in the shield version. The shield version is not recommended for small children, but your almost 3 year old would probably be fine given her weight and height. These seats can be found at some Big Lots, on Ebay and online here: http://www.dmartstores.com/fispricfut20.html

I hope this has been of some use to you.

Deborah

Donna
12-17-2002, 12:56 PM
Thanks for the advice I did return the booster and went with The Graco Ultra(more in my price range). I had also found a Jupiter Komfort Kruiser on line very reasonably priced on One Step Ahead, I had ordered that and will use after she hits 40lbs.
Thanks Again, it's really tough to know where to look for all this info when it's your 1st. Safety was really my main concern.

Donna

uccomama
12-17-2002, 01:18 PM
It sounds like you made some great choices!

Deborah