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vkmom
04-08-2007, 11:52 PM
Hello all! DD just is four and just turned 40 pounds. We're looking for an inexpensive booster seat at Wal-Mart or Sears or the like. Got suggestions? TIA, VKMOM

katiesmommy
04-09-2007, 06:07 PM
How tall is she? What seat is she outgrowing now? Do you know her torso height? If she's short enough you could try out the Safety 1st Apex 65. It harnesses to 65lbs. then becomes a booster to 100lbs. They are usually around $120. But you have to have high seatbacks or headrests to go behind them. Generally speaking, a four year old isn't mature enough to sit in a booster properly full time. However, as far as boosters go, the general favorite is the Britax Parkway. But the Compass B510 and Graco Turbobooster are good to. I know there are more, but I can't think of them right now. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

momtoB
04-15-2007, 04:20 PM
4yrs and 40lbs is really the bare minimum for moving up to a booster. Once this step is taken, the responsibility to stay properly seated 100% of the time shifts from the parent to the child. Seated properly means never leaning forward to pick up a toy or cup, never twisting around to see what's behind, never putting the shoulder belt under the arm. If the child can't do these things 100% of the time then he/she should really be in a harness seat. An appropriate sized 5-pt harness seat is always the safer than a booster.

As the pp said, the Apex is the only seat that harnesses past 40lbs and then converts to a booster. It requires a tall vehicle seatback/headrest behind it as the seat is outgrown by height once the tips of the childs ears go past the top of the vehicle seatback/headrest. It runs $99-130. The Signature-Biltmore version at www.specialtybaby.com has EPP foam in the headrest and is on sale for $99. BRU also sells this seat ($130 typically) and they do allow people to try them out in their cars before buying (you just give the Customer Svc desk your Drivers License & they give it back when you return the seat to them).

If you don't want to get another harness seat, then the dedicated boosters that are the most recommended are the Britax Parkway which adjusts the tallest, and heas TSIP headwings, the Graco Turbobooster, and the Compass B510 (not the 505 which is too short). Also the new Evenflo Confidence looks pretty nice. Check out the booster shopping guide at www.cpsafety.com to see what you should be looking for.

hth