Safety 1st Go Hybrid - can you use as a booster with harness in place?

[rgors]

I am considering getting the Safety 1st Go Hybrid as a carpool seat. I often transport a 3.25yo FF harnessed child, average size. I occasionally transport an almost-4yo FF harnessed child, very tall and thin. I will also occasionally transport a large 4.5yo, boostered child.

I would like to install the Safety 1st Go Hybrid in harness mode and just leave it.

1 - Will the boostered child be able to just use the carseat belt if the Hybrid is in harness mode? Is this permitted?

2 - I read a review somewhere (I think elitecarseats) that LATCH is no longer recommended in booster mode. Is this true? I went to check the manual but safety 1st's site is not manual-friendly if you don't have a DOM (I tried a few random ones, no luck).

3 - Is this seat a good fit for the petite? It would make a good travel seat for my daughter, but she is tiny (4yo in 2 months, just 28lbs). I am finding that some of the higher weight harness seats really swallow her up. (Looking at HWH seats because new carseats are in order for various reasons and I'd like to go for longevity of use.) I do want to try it out in person, regardless, but interested in any other real life experience.

Any gotchas I am not thinking about? I drive a 2011 Odyssey (woot!) so don't have space issues in terms of other seats you'd recommend.

Of course I can just get a simple backless booster for the boostered child, but it would be nice to solve so many scenarios so neatly with one carseat, you know?

Thanks!

[connor_mommy]

1. I believe you use it as harness mode or booster, but not both at the same time. I have the Safeguard version. So, I'm not sure about the changes in the Safety 1st version. The starps don't take that long to adjust for a larger vs. younger child.

2. I believe the latch is just to hold the carseat in booster mode in place so that it doesn't slide around.

My kids are long and thin and the seat fits them just fine. I like the portabilty of it especially since we need two carseats when flying.

[rgors]

Thanks connor_mommy. I know (from reading, not experience) that the straps are easy to adjust, but I was hoping to just push the straps to the side for occasional use as a booster.

I think the oldest kid that I transport, who has been used to a booster with seatbelt for over a year, would object to going back to using a harness. I don't want it to be a battle for the short distances and infrequent transport that I do with her. It seems a pain to convert the Go from harness to booster (screwdriver, etc) so I was hoping to just leave it in place and... Go. :)

[chays]

We have the safeguard GO and sometimes use it as a booster (with the straps pushed to the side). The only problem is that DS is too tall so the headrest is really uncomfortable. Not sure if that is a recommended use, but we have done it. I just got DS a probooster because he is just too big for the GO unless I take the back off, but then DD can't use the harness.

[Joolsplus2]

Yeah, it's like you are supposed to take it off, but meh, I don't really care if I don't (and I know other techs with the same opinion...it's just a little lumpy behind the back). I got mine when Leah was barely 3 and she's always fit well in it, even now as a 45.5 inch five year old she has loads of growing room. I'd try it harnessed with your biggest carpooler, honestly, it's SO unlike a 'carseat' that it may be actually really cool. But if the arguments arise, just use it as a booster...well, that's what I'd do, anyway :thumbsup: