booster w. 5-pt harness

[heathers968]

Our 3-yr.-old DS is ~39 in. tall and weighs ~39 lbs. seems to be outgrowing his Graco ComfortSport. I'd like to replace it with a booster that also has a 5-pt. harness. We have a 2005 Subaru Outback (in which he rides more frequently) and a 1993 Honda Civic.

We've always had Graco seats and have been happy with them. I've read here about the Graco Platinum CarGo and haven't been impressed with readers' comments. Can anyone tell me what the harness weight limit for this seat is? At some point, do you have to stop harnessing and use it as a sealt-belt booster only? I dread this.

Which is why I'm also becoming interested in the Britax Regent. Although it's twice the price, it seems you can use the harness up to 80 lbs. Does this also eventually allow for seat-belt use only?

Also, please forgive my ignorance, but do these harness boosters strap into the car just like regular car seats (i.e., using LATCH or the car's own seat belt, which stays engaged while you strap the kid into the carseat with the harness)?

Thanks very much!

[Momof3Labs]

There are only a few choices that harness past 40 lbs. The Gracos only harness to 40lbs, so you'd basically have to use those as a booster right away. The Britax Husky/Regent harnesses to 80lbs, while the Marathon/Wizard/Boulevard/Decathalon harness to 65lbs (none of these Britax seats double as boosters). But the last four have lower height limits for use than the Husky. There is a new Cosco seat that harnesses to 65lbs, but there is some odd rule about the height of the car seat that it is installed in.

When the seats harness, they are installed in the car like car seats. Boosters are not - the seat belt that goes over the child in a booster is the same thing that is holding the seat in place. Boosters do not use LATCH.

Our DS is 3yo, 42" and 37lbs, and we are replacing his one Roundabout with a Regent. He also rides in two Marathons, which he will keep on using until his younger brother (not yet born) outgrows our two Roundabouts. Then we'll probably pick up two more Regents (he rides in 3 different cars regularly).

[heathers968]

Hi Lori,

Thanks for your informed reply; we're also expecting another kid, in April. We don't know yet whether it's a boy or a girl, but should find out soon! I'm hoping to be able to reuse those boy clothes!

Yes, it does sound like the Husky/Regent lasts the longest as a harness seat...by 80 lbs., should one expect that a kid could almost be out of boosters altogether (i.e., so I could avoid buying another seat)? On a similar note, could one expect that a kid approaching 80 lbs. would feel too big or too old to harness (i.e., the "peer pressure" factor)?

Thanks again!

-Heather

[Joolsplus2]

You can get another, smaller booster later, so that you can send him with other people without moving the Husky...when he's 4 or 5, a $12 Cosco Ambassador (or a $40 Graco Turbo which offers a lot more side impact protection, but I'm just trying to get the point across that 'boosters are cheap' lol) are fine. My 8 yo still LOVES his Husky.. no worries about peer pressure, because we talk about how it's safer than a booster (which it is, in more types crashes) and he thinks it's very comfortable...we have a cheap booster that he can carry to his friends' houses when they go out (he even feels bad for his friends who need boosters but aren't in them because the law is so lame and tops out at age 6 here...we talk about it a lot, just like we talk about any healthy life choice :) )

Good luck...and yes, the Husky/Regent will fit in your car...it looks bigger than it is :D

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