Britax Parkway v Recaro Young Style and booster questions

[cheyennemom]

I need to buy a booster for my almost 7 year old. He is 4'3" and 60lbs. He has been in backless booster. He simply does not stay in position and I need to keep my eyes on the road. So, I have been researching the boosters with backs. My line of reasoning is that they will naturally keep in him in better position and the shoulder belt will be positioned better. Does that make sense?

I have narrowed down my choices to the Britax Parkway and the Recaro Young Style.
Are these viable choices for me?
Is there an alternative that I am missing?
Is there a major differnce between these seats?
Are either not likely to fit next to center positioned Britax Marathon?
Is there a website that would list all possible choices for his height/weight?
Are there other questions I should be asking?

TIA for any help! :-)

ETA: I just saw there is also the Recaro Young START - Why is that one SO expensive? It is appealing because I think it my be cooler looking to my son but WOW is it expensive.

Leslie

Edited to change the height of my son. He is 4'3", not 5'3"!!

[Scatterbunny]

Are you sure he's 5'3" and not 4'3"? 5'3" is 60 inches, and that's unheard of for an almost-7yo, and really for anyone weighing just 60 pounds.

[mommyto4]

I assume that you mean he is 4' 3" and 60 pounds. The main difference between the Young Style and the Parkway is the height and weight limits on the seats. The Young Style is good until 80 lbs. or about 59 inches tall (this veries though because some kids are longer in the torso and others are more leggie). The Parkway goes to 100 lbs. or about 60 inches tall. So, you would get more use out of the Parkway over the Young Style. The Recaro Start has the same height and weight limits as the Young Style. It is also a great seat. It is alot heavier than the other two. It has a tetherand a steal or aluminum frame and is very secure. It also has a feature that is good for wiggly kids (the shoulder belt can be locked so it won't pull out). This kind of locks the child in so he can't wiggle so much. I hope this helps.
Melinda--mommy to Sarah, Kaylee, Jayci, & Davis
--grammy to Trevor & Katie

[postmodernmommy]

I would be torn between the two as well. I like how the Recaro Young Style adjusted in both the back and the neck/headrest areas. I am unsure if the Parkway adjusts in two places or only one. I gave the Young Style a test run and even though we're going to keep our DD in a 5pt harness for quite a bit longer the Style was quite plush. DD liked the armrest area. SHe LOVED the comfiness of it. ALthough if you're buckling the seat next to another one that is installed the Parkway would be easier to secure each time. Of course the Parkway has higher limits on its weight. I think you can't go wrong with either. The one tiny thing I did notice between the Parkway & the Style is that the Parkway's base is totally flat and rests very flush with the seat it is placed upon. The Style's base has two "runners" on the bottom (I don't think I'm doing a very good job at explaining this), it's not flat. Maybe this makes zero difference in the world, I really don't know. Can anyone else expand upon this? Sorry I can't be more helpful!

Amy :)