Booster vs combo vs. convertible - help!

[trenagha]

I know that this question has been asked before. I have gotten some info by searching the old messages, but I was hoping I could get some advice on my particular situation.

I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I currently have them both in Britax Roundabouts. My 3 year old is 38 in. and about 32/33 lbs. I thought her shoulders were at or above the top slot (question on that below) so, I bought a Graco Turbobooster and have had her riding in that for about 1 week - but I have concerns ... while she seems to fit in it, she does not necessarily sit correctly all the time and sometimes I turn around and she is halfway out of the seat trying to get something from her brother. Also, for information, I am driving a Volvo Cross Country Wagon.

First question - I just pulled up the RA fabric (as you suggested in another posting). If I sit her in it w/o her coat, her shoulders are below the top slot. With her coat on which is how I was looking at it, they are probably at the top slot. I know this is a dumb question, but do I worry about what it looks like with her coat on?

so, what should I do? Keep her in the RA? Or, buy a bigger convertible like the Marathon or Husky - which one would you recommend and, relatedly, how long would she fit in this seat - I have heard conflicting info about the weight limit from the manufacturer and when the seat actually becomes uncomfortalbe for kids? Or should I buy a combo seat (someone told me the Ultra Cargo is good)? And, if I buy a convertible or cargo will I get any use out of this Turbobooster in the future?

Finally, is the Turbobooster still the top recommendation for boosters? Because I just heard that Britax has a new seat - the Parkway that is supposed to be an improvement over their old booster seat. Just wondering if I completely threw $70 down the drain (actually $140 because we bought one for our 2nd car too with the idea that eventually my 1 year old would sit in it).

Hope you can help - I am so confused.

Thanks.

Tara Renaghan

[Joolsplus2]

IMO, you can never have too many boosters sitting around...my garage is full of them, and we use them all...but if you can return or ebay one of them, you can put the money towards one of the other seats below.

First, take the coat off when you put her in the seat (she can put it on backwards over her) that'll give her more room to fit in it longer, and be safer (less comprssible materials, lower risk of ejection).
Next, you don't need to pay out the nose for a Marathon or Husky, since she's such a lightweight. A seat with taller top slots, like:

Graco Cargo (Ultra or Platinum)
Evenflo Chase or Traditions or Generations
Safety 1st Intera

I just stuck my 5 yo, 36 pound, 44 inch DD in these today, and she fit in all of them (just barely, but being a skinny minnie like your dd, you can see you might get a full 2 years more harnessed)...she liked them all, too.

Anyway, if you are concerned she won't sit properly, then don't try to stick out the booster seat...it's an added danger and worry you don't need. But you can return/sell/keep your booster(s)...if you stash them away for a couple years, you'll still get loads of use out of them later.

I do love the extra side impact protection of the Britaxes, but the Turbos with 3X more eps foam are pretty impressive, too, so I really don't know that there's a *huge* safety difference, honestly.

:)

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

[trenagha]

Ok, good to hear that these turboboosters will come in handy later because, of course, we can't find both receipts.

and, i understand what you are saying about the combo vs. britax. i have heard good things about the graco ultra or platinum cargo, but i read in toddler bargains that these seats (as well as the evenflo and safety 1st ones) have inferior belt positioning that causes dangerous slack in the belt and consumer reports said to stay away from them. is this still true? or, are you suggesting to use them as a 5 point harness now and then switch to a different booster with proper belt positioning later?

also, if i went with the more expensive britax. which one would you recommend? this guy at a local baby store told me that my daughter might only fit in the marathon for a year or so because it is a narrow seat. granted, she is fairly thin so maybe this does not apply to her. i would just hate to buy the marathon/wizard and then have to buy the husky later, but if i could get away with the marathon/wizard it might be nice to have the smaller seat so we can fit a 3rd person in our backseat when necessary. is the idea that this is a seat to use for a couple of years and then move to a booster (around 5?) or should i get the biggest one possible and try and keep her in it as long as i can?

also, did the marathon get recalled recently? is this a concern now or is the problem fixed?


thanks again for the help!

[Joolsplus2]

are you suggesting to use them as a 5 point harness now and then switch to a different booster with proper belt positioning later?>>
Yes, as boosters they are the pits...but don't use them as boosters. You'll be able to hand them down to your 1 yo harnessed, anyway, and go right to the Turbo.

this guy at a local baby store told me that my daughter might only fit in the marathon for a year or so because it is a narrow seat>>
"this guy" sure says a lot of things, lol. (don't worry, I'm not teasing YOU, I'm teasing him...some of the salespeople I work with can be so clueless sometimes ;) )

Check this big fella out http://pages.ivillage.com/momika/carseatphotos/id24.html and scroll down to see the "big kid" foam that you can get free from Britax to give more shoulder room. My dd still fits fine in her MA.


but if i could get away with the marathon/wizard it might be nice to have the smaller seat so we can fit a 3rd person in our backseat when necessary. is the idea that this is a seat to use for a couple of years and then move to a booster (around 5?)>>

Yes. Good plan.


or should i get the biggest one possible and try and keep her in it as long as i can?>>

Yes. Good plan.


Ok, so I don't mean to confuse you with a positive to both of those options, but either one is good. My three year old definitely fit better in the MA (she's the 5 yo now), but as I see her outgrowing her MA, I'm not willing to let her go to a booster just quite yet, but am reticent to kick my 7 yo out of his Husky to a booster so I can keep my younger one harnessed.

Child Passener Safety obsession sneaks up on you like that! You start small, with a good plan for the future, then suddenly decide you are't ready to subject your child to the decreased safety of the booster seat. I'd probably go with the Marathon or Cargo if I were you now, since they are smaller and fit her better, and then in a couple years, decide if she's ready (or you're ready, more likely!) to move her to a booster. You can't go wrong, since you'll have a younger dd to hand me down any seat you get now :)

Do some soul-searching and budget review, and the answer will come to you :) (Oh and play with seats if you get the chance...you may find you or your dd love or hate one of them and you wouln't want either of you to be unhappy!)




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

[trenagha]

great, thanks! i'll go take my 3 year old to the store and sit in the marathon and cargo and see what works. i appreciate the advice.

two quick follow ups. first, what is up with the recall on the marathon? something about the belt not tightening? are the ones on the market now fixed?

second, have you had a chance to look at the new parkway? how does that compare to the turboBoooster? I am just wondering if I should try and return both turboBoosters and get the parkway when we are ready. and, how does the parkway compare to the bodyguard and starriser comfy - or is the parkway a replacement for these seats? these seats seem to come out so fast, i can't keep up with all the names and changes.

i am so happy for this focus on child passenger safety and for the reduction in child injuries and deaths from car accidents, but sometimes i long for the good old days when you just throw the kids in the back (no seat belts of course) and let them sit on the floor and play with their toys on the backseat. or, better yet, a favorite when i was little, cram all the kids in the front seat (again, no belts) and let them jump from front to back throughout the ride ...

just kidding, of course - off to the baby store!

[Joolsplus2]

LOL! Yeah, I miss hangning out in the "back back" as we called it, of the station wagon...good times, good times... ;)

Yeah, the Marathon recall is all fixed up now, all the seats on the shelves are post-recall and perfectly safe.

LOVE the Parkway...a little more head protection than the Turbo, MUCH, more protective than the Starriser Comfy (they took that off the market and then put it back on...I bet it'll be gone for good now), and much lighter and simpler to use than the Bodyguard (the BG lapbelt lockoffs can be a major pain....). I think the BG will be out the door soon, too.

:)


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