Evenflo Comet 5? Best Booster for sleepy 3 year old?

[rainbowgirl]

I am searching for an "extra" booster for grandma's car, babysitter, etc. My son, is 3 years, 38 pounds, 38 inches. We currently have a Marathon which we all LOVE, DS naps in it frequently and even when awake, likes to rest his head on the side. Unfortunately, I am now looking for something more budget friendly thus at his weight, I am finding myself looking at boosters as the only car seat for 40 lbs I have found is the Marathon (too pricey for us).

I saw the the Compass Folding Booster today in a store. It seemed comfy, and "appear" to provide a good resting spot for my sleepy toddler. Would any experienced moms confirm this observation????
Of course, I was also very attracted to its folding feature. This seemed perfect for my moms car as she can stow it away in her trunk most times, and just bring it out for our occasional visits. But,,,is is considered a safe booster?

The store also had some 2002 Britax Starrisers for sale? Any opinions on this for a younger, sleepy rider???

Finally, I saw the Evenflo Comet 5...It had a 5 pt harness which he wont be able to use much longer. But seemed structured more like a true car seat (which is what he is used to in the Marathon. The sides seemed larger and wider for his resting head but,,, also seemed to flare outwards more - dont know if he will actually be able to rest his head comfortably without a bad stiff neck afterwards??/ Any thoughts or experience on this?

Basically, what budget friendly seat would you get a 3 year old that still likes to sleep and that is easy enough for grandma to use (buckle, unbuckle, loosen straps - I will do the installing...)??

( i have more quesitions,as I am also looking for a convertible for my baby but will save those for another post...)

Finally - please any thoughts or suggestions of any other models not mentioned would be much appreciated.



Carmen

[Joni]

He could be in a harness for a year, they gain weight much slower at this age. I'm not too familiar with the Evenflo Comet BUT am comfortable recommending the Evenflo Generations/Bolero both about $100. They have a harness that goes to 40 lbs and 44 inches which is taller than most harnesses (Britax excluded). After the harness is outgrown, they turn into a growing booster much like the Graco Turbo's. Both seem to be very comfortable and one (sorry I'm going brain dead) has a nap bar.
If you're comfortable with a booster, the Compass is okay, except it doesn't always work well with the shorter kids and I would concider your son to be on the shorter side of booster use. One that is reasonably priced, safe and a good sleeper seat is the Graco Turbo. It has EPS foam like Britax seats, has good side wings and my dd just got done taking a 3 hour nap in hers. For younger kids who are booster ready (mature enough to sit correctly) you can lock the seatbelt if it has locking retractors to remind the kids to sit still.
It is my experience that most combo seats (harness and booster) don't work the greatest as boosters, with the exception of the Generation/Bolero because they have an open loop for the belt like dedicated boosters.
JONI CPST

[Joolsplus2]

The Compass is just plain bad for younger sleepy kids... so is the Starriser...so is the Comet (wow, don't shoot the messenger! lol). I love the Turbo for sleepy kids, though, and it's light enough to toss in the trunk easily. Or look for a Graco Cargo on sale (the Ultra/Platinum/Cherished...I've froogle.com 'd some of those at like $55, so take a look (and you can try them out at BRU before you buy, even a different model name will be basically the same seat, except for the Treasured, which has no front adjuster). I also really like the Britax Parkway for both sleepy kids and for Grandmas to use easily (no armrests to try get the seatbelt messed up on).

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