which booster is better?

[nyc_mom]

I'm currently looking at the Britax Parkway and the Graco turbo booster. I don't want to spend too much as I have to purchase two. Which is a better booster to use for a child who is on the taller side? I will be using the seat for car pool so it needs to be very user friendly. TIA!

[KrisM]

My DS is only 4, so we're not into boosters. But, I'm sure I've read that the Turbo booster is easy to misuse because people route the seatbelt the wrong way.

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, Parkway's much taller and much easier to buckle. Compass B510 (Premiere or Deluxe) is also a great choice.

[nyc_mom]

thanks for the input!

nyc_mom

[khm]

I have the Compass 510, and yes, it's very easy. It also folds, which might be nice for your situation.

We also have a Recaro Vivo and find it much more difficult to use. The belt constantly gets twisted in the top red belt guide. My daughter is very much in the "I can DO it" stage, and this is a major frustration. I've tried out both seats in my car (the primary vehicle) and ended up using the 510 there and the Recaro in my husband's.

I think the Recaro would also be tricky for others, the belt path seems kind of non-intuitive. I am pretty geeky about car seat matters and had a hard time with it myself, I kept questioning it and re-verifying with the manual. I think it would freak my mom right out, for example. The 510 is more "simple".

[Christyscmh]

The Britax Parkway is being phased out at the moment. They have created the Monarch which has additional side-impact protection and the back of the booster detaches as well, where as the Parkway does not have a detachable back. Additionally, and sadly so, the Monarch, although only on the market for a very short time is also being phased out as Britax begins shipping out their new batch of boosters called the Frontier which offers a 5-point harness, a safety features that mom's sincerely miss as their children graduate from a convertible car seat into a booster. The frontier also offers the upper side impact protection of the Britax Boulevard only these jut out a bit more leaving room for kids to enjoy the primary form of entertainment in the car; the window, as well as adjustable arm rests even, however, the back does not detach. Some people like a detachable back simply because if a child happens to be a little older, yet not at the weight limit that meets the government regulations for them to go without a booster, they really feel like their in a car seat and therefore, like a baby.

My son has the Graco Turbo Booster, but there again, this is a circumstance where my son is older but hasn't reached the weight limit yet releasing him from a booster. The Turbo Booster is merely the bottom of a booster. It has arm rests and you basically buckle the child as you would without the seat. It offers no additional safety around their body and acts mainly as a "booster" to boost them high enough to see out of the window.

[nyc_mom]

thought i would go with the compass 510 but then read that it is on the wide side and this seat may have to be buckled right alongside another seat for car pool.

will it be hard for me to find the parkway? do kids dislike the large "wings" by their head. DD is moving from a britax decathlon. is the head area similar to that? the monarch really is a little more than i wanted to spend since i have to buy two seats.

what about the recaro vivo lite? never heard of this. would it be good for my situation?

thanks for all the help you guys are giving me. this board is always so amazing.

nyc_mom

[sophiesmom]

not sure if you can find one online (as the pp said is discontinued), but I love the Parkway for carpooling. i feel like it has great protection, isn't too heavy, is narrow, and is easy to explain to others to use.

HTH!

[HallsofVA]

I recently purchased a Parkway for my son from Albee Baby for $59. It was a collegiate model, but they had my college finally so that's what I went with. They have a non-collegiate Parkway for $69. They also have the FP booster seat which I heard was made by Britax for as low as $29, but I don't know anything about it.