JElaineB
09-12-2009, 10:29 PM
DS's grandmother drives him to school in the winter when the roads are bad, about 1/3 of a mile (they walk in nice weather). She very rarely drives him anywhere else. She has a Ford Five Hundred and he sits in the middle of the back seat. He will be 7 this month and is on the heavy side (almost 80 pounds) and about 48" tall.
Currently she is using a Compass B510 that I bought 2 or 3 years ago. The Compass B510 isn't a great seat for him; I know the belt rides up too high on his abdomen even when the seat is used correctly. I also question whether she uses it correctly. Last time we went somewhere with her she put it in the car and didn't raise up the seatback (which is actually a very easy to do with that booster), leaving the shoulder guide way too low. I showed her the correct height and how to adust it quickly, but who knows if she does that everytime (the seat is very easy to fold up so she stores it folded up when not using it). Also the armrests move up and down and I wonder whether she places the seatbelt underneath them properly everytime.
I have a Sunshine Kids Monterey for my car which I like a lot but I know that seat would not work for her at all. It is way too heavy for her to move in and out and the shoulder guide clip is very tight making it frustrating to take the seat in and out the car frequently.
I also have a Graco backless booster. I bought this a week ago for vacation and it fit my DS very well in the mini van we rented. The belt placement was good on his abdomen and shoulder without the extra belt clip, and it was very easy to use,
So my question is would it be ok to use the Graco backless booster for the short trips to school since it seems to be pretty foolproof? (Assuming it still fits him well when he is in her car). I guess I also need to check if her back middle seat has a head rest. Or would it be better to get a high back booster that fits better and is somewhat easy to move, like a Britax Parkway SG (though I am sure she would not like the anti-submarine feature - not sure if that must be used?). If I get another high back booster I would prefer it to go to 120 lbs. if possible but I know there aren't many choices there. I would rather stick with the Graco booster based on cost, and I am sure MIL would prefer it based on size and ease of use... I guess I need to know if this would really be ok as I have always thought the side impact protection of a high back is worth it.
Thanks for any input.
Currently she is using a Compass B510 that I bought 2 or 3 years ago. The Compass B510 isn't a great seat for him; I know the belt rides up too high on his abdomen even when the seat is used correctly. I also question whether she uses it correctly. Last time we went somewhere with her she put it in the car and didn't raise up the seatback (which is actually a very easy to do with that booster), leaving the shoulder guide way too low. I showed her the correct height and how to adust it quickly, but who knows if she does that everytime (the seat is very easy to fold up so she stores it folded up when not using it). Also the armrests move up and down and I wonder whether she places the seatbelt underneath them properly everytime.
I have a Sunshine Kids Monterey for my car which I like a lot but I know that seat would not work for her at all. It is way too heavy for her to move in and out and the shoulder guide clip is very tight making it frustrating to take the seat in and out the car frequently.
I also have a Graco backless booster. I bought this a week ago for vacation and it fit my DS very well in the mini van we rented. The belt placement was good on his abdomen and shoulder without the extra belt clip, and it was very easy to use,
So my question is would it be ok to use the Graco backless booster for the short trips to school since it seems to be pretty foolproof? (Assuming it still fits him well when he is in her car). I guess I also need to check if her back middle seat has a head rest. Or would it be better to get a high back booster that fits better and is somewhat easy to move, like a Britax Parkway SG (though I am sure she would not like the anti-submarine feature - not sure if that must be used?). If I get another high back booster I would prefer it to go to 120 lbs. if possible but I know there aren't many choices there. I would rather stick with the Graco booster based on cost, and I am sure MIL would prefer it based on size and ease of use... I guess I need to know if this would really be ok as I have always thought the side impact protection of a high back is worth it.
Thanks for any input.