New Britax Parkway SGL

[cara1]

So the only benefit of the SGL over the regular one is the latch, right?

The MA has a weight limit that is very high, but it says in the manual that the latch can only be used up to 48 lbs, and then you have to use the regular safety belt. Is there a similar weight limit to the latch on the Parkway SGL? If there is, then there isn't really much point in me getting the new one for my 48 lb son, is there? TIA.

[KrisM]

The LATCH on a booster only holds it in position. The car's seatbelt is what is restraining the child, so there isn't a weight limit. The benefit of a LATCHable booster is you don't have to buckle it in when empty to keep it from being a projectile.

[cara1]

So how come my MA manual says that?
And how come I remember reading that my Acura has a 40lb weight limit on its latch?

[nrp]

I think because with the marathon it is the LATCH that attaches the to the vehicle, whereas with a latchable booster it is just for convenience, as the PP suggested. Since the booster isn't relying on the LATCH for safety reasons, the weight limit doesn't apply.

[cara1]

So I don't need to check the car's limits either? I should just get the new Britax later this month and stop making myself nuts?

[KrisM]

So how come my MA manual says that?
And how come I remember reading that my Acura has a 40lb weight limit on its latch?

Your Marathon is holding the child in position and providing safety. A booster is raising him up to the right height. If the LATCH breaks at 50lbs and your child is in a MA, they both go flying, right? If he's in a booster, he is still in the car, as he has the seatbelt on. Harnessed seats and boosters do different things.

Different vehicle manufacturers have different limits. Honda/Acura is 40lbs.

[KrisM]

So I don't need to check the car's limits either? I should just get the new Britax later this month and stop making myself nuts?

For a booster it doesn't matter. For a convertible, it does.

However, there is more 'fit to child' concern in a booster. It needs to correctly position the shoulder and lap belt and not all boosters will work well for all kids. You may find the Britax isn't the best fit.

[cara1]

Was thinking of going to Buy Buy Baby to test the sizing on the Britax and a Monterey.
Guess I'm just looking for confirmation that I can stop there and not continue looking.

Am looking to for two boosters, one for each car.
One should be light that we can bring to Florida on vacation, the other one can be heavy. Just looking for the safest. And no reason to consider 5pt harness at this point, right?

[KrisM]

Was thinking of going to Buy Buy Baby to test the sizing on the Britax and a Monterey.
Guess I'm just looking for confirmation that I can stop there and not continue looking.

Am looking to for two boosters, one for each car.
One should be light that we can bring to Florida on vacation, the other one can be heavy. Just looking for the safest. And no reason to consider 5pt harness at this point, right?

If one fits, both are good choices.

How old is your child? If he's at least 5 or so and will sit properly in the booster, then it's fine. He needs to be able to sit without taking the belt off his shoulder, without leaning over to pick things up all the time, etc. If he doesn't stay in the right place, the booster won't do its job.

[mom2binsd]

As far as fit goes, you need to try the seat in the car it'll be used in for the best idea of fit.

For us, the Monterey put the shoulder belt too far to the edge of her shoulder, meaning the shoulder belt may have slipped off of her in a crash and not held her upper body.

So you want to check for shoulder belt positioning, (not too close to neck not too close to edge of shoulder, moving the headrest up and down helps better position it). You also want to make sure the lap belt sits low on the hips not over the belly.

The advantage of the latch is that when the child is climbing into the seat it will also not tip over and side to side.

Don't be surprised if you have to buckle the seatbelt for him, in some cars the seatbelt is too far down for kids to reach. I do not find boosters any faster than 5pt's as most kids at that age can do their own 5pts, so many parents of little ones think it's so much faster to use a booster.

At age 7 your DS should be able to sit properly and is well within the parameters to safely use a booter seat.

[bubbaray]

We have both the Monterey and the Parkway SG (not the latch version). DD#1 prefers the Monterey for comfort. Both fit her equally well. The Parkway is much easier to move between cars. But, on long road trips, we take the Monterey as it is (reportedly) much comfier for her.

HTH

[WatchingThemGrow]

So, is it confirmed that the only difference is the LATCH capability? My Odyssey (2009) does not have LATCH in the outboard spots in the back, just the middle, so we wouldn't be using the L part of the SGL. Should we just get the SG since it is 1/3 less the price?

[Joolsplus2]

No, the SGL has a much more comfortable single crotch strap and has slightly higher armrest/belt guides for easier buckling. http://carseatblog.com/7485/whats-new-from-britax-at-abc-kids/

[bubbaray]

You don't have to use the crotch guide. We're not using it on DD#1's SG. Personally, I wouldn't buy a LATCH booster for a non-LATCH position, but that's just me. If your child prefers the SGL over the SG, I'd use that as the determining factor.