"37 lbs, 40.5 inches - ok in recaro young style or start booster?"

[msboston]

Hi again -

I just posted above but thought this might be a seperate topic. Given my 4 year old son is complaining vehemently in his Marathon, will he have adequate safety in the Recaro young style or start? Any big difference in satisfaction between the two? Any expert knowledge out there I can draw on???

Thanks in adavance!!

Steph

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

You could switch him to another seat but i would not reccomend it. You have a seat that you can use the harness to 65 lbs and i would use the seat until he outgrows it either by weight or height. If you want to get another seat i would reccomend the Regent. It is a FF only harness seat for 22-80 lbs and the crotch strap is much longer and it should not bother him as much. If you have a store in your area i would bring your son to try it out.

HTH

Ilana

[Joolsplus2]

You're getting a lot of votes for the Regent...it IS *way* roomier in the crotch for little guys (my 8 yo has no problems in it). But if it really doesn't appeal, the Recaro Start is a better choice than the Style IF you have top tether anchors in your car (they are required). The Start must be shoulderbelt-clamped onto a kid under 40 pounds, which keeps them in position very well, it's also more adjustable, will fit longer, has a nice recline option, and no expiration date (it's made of metal, no plastic to break down). It's a huge solid booster, but if it were my 4 yo and a harnessed seat were absolutely not practical (though I've fit the Regent into a dozen regular cars, small cars and vans, and harnessing is ideal for kids as long as possible), then I'd choose the Start. ($199 online if you look around).


Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[msboston]

Thanks so much for your responses! I am bummed about the Marathon but really would rather go with a top notch booster than a larger, heavy car seat for a variety of reasons. Your info really helps - I was a step away from ordering the Young Style as Ben sat in it in the store and liked it. i though it was safer just by look of it but I guess not! We have a Compass B 500 - do you know how this compares safety wise to teh Recaro - I'm thinking the Start is better, but the USA baby person said they were similar in protection...hmmmm

Thanks again to you all!

Steph

[uccomama]

The Start is way "better" than the B500 for many reasons. The B500 is a short, wide booster than doesn't work well for small kids or big kids, it's okay for those in the 5-7 age group but even then it isn't all that great. The Start can be adjusted in the back (goes much taller than the B500), shoulders and depth. The Start is comfortable for both a smaller, younger child and a taller older child. One of my favorite things about the Start is the seat depth is adjustable and will support a child's long legs as they grow. The optional footrest is also a wonderful thing for those long legs that would otherwise dangle and fall asleep!

As for safety, there really are no comparion figures available so it is all supposition. But I have both boosters and I won't be using the B500 anytime soon.

Here is a couple of links from my booster comparison webpage:

The Recaro Start: http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id4.html

The Compass B500: http://members.tripod.com/uccomama-ivil/id10.html

Deborah

Mommy and CPS Tech