Booster Seat Design What would you want in a big kid booster?

[Boogiemama]

Okay... so rumor has it Britax is working on something. And most of these carseats are sooo expensive a lot of folks cannot afford them.
What would you like to see in a booster seat design for big kids?

I hope Britax and Cosco and Sunshine Kids and Maybe Baby Jogger is listening.

I would like a playdate friendly carseat Booster with a Harness to Harness 3 kids across in a moderate sized vehicle. We should not have to drive Suburbans in order to have a playdate! My kids beg for playdates all the time and it is only carseats that hold us back. Our friends live 10-15 in another direction or have other kids with different pickup times they have to juggle. My kids are tall, I would like a solution for 4,5,6,7,8 year olds.
So this mom needs to take 3 kids, 2 of them mine at a time. I do not care if the carseat hooks together like legos or if it is one big bench as long as
I can lift it, grandma can lift it, and an airplane ride won't destroy it. And it fits in the average rental car.


Your opinion? What is your favorite, but you would like to see it changed how?

[801kelle]

If you need to sit 3 across I would look at the Radian80. I know some people say there is no difference between the 65 and 80 but if it were me I would buy the 80 over the 65 because you never know if your child grows slow there is a possiblity you could keep one of them in it to 80lbs? They are not that wide and are easy to install 3 across I understand and are good traveling seats too. I am considering getting one for an extra seat and for traveling.

From alot of previous posts I have read on the expertise of people's knowledge on booster seats.. here is some sites and articles I would reference.. Some of these have been referenced on this board before.. that is how I found them to read them:

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx

http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm#BoosterSeats

Good info on Booster fitting:

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/boosterfit.aspx

Here are some links on car crash test videos with different types of booster seats:

Video of High Back Booster with deap side wings:
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s...ordliftpro.mpg

Video of high back booster with shallow side wings
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s.../htsbesafe.mpg

Video of a no back booster
http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s...g_P3_vorne.mpg

Some other good info from a previous post:

1. Maturity. A booster only works if he is correctly positioned at the time of a crash. Since you never know when that will be, he must stay seated upright, back in the seat with the belt buckled and in front of him, laying correctly on his shoulder. He cannot unbuckle the seatbelt, put it under his arm, fall asleep and slump over, or reach out for a dropped toy. He must be able to do this for every ride, the entire ride. The minimum that ANY safety organization recommends is 4 years old and most CPS techs and moms will tell you that 5-6 years old is much more reasonable to expect this. I'm curious as to what government site is saying a not yet 3 yo is safe in a booster? Do you have a link?

2. Head excursion. A 34 lb 2.75 yo is very different propportions than a 34 lb 4 yo. A 3 year-old's head is much bigger in proportion to his body than a 5-6 year old. This means that his head will be a much larger force going forward in the event of a crash with less body mass to anchor him in the car. If you look at the NHTSA crash test data for boosters, a 33lb 3 yo dummy will usually have a much greater head excursion than a 47 lb 6 yo dummy for the same seat. Julie (joolsplus2) has often said that head injury rates are higher for boosters until about age 5 - she's off at Lifesavers right now, but I'll try and find a link.


At his age and weight, you have a few options. You could skip another convertible unless you really want another one - the Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe or the Sunshine Kids Radian65 ($130-180) are two with tall top slots, higher weight limits and aren't super expensive if you want to get a convertible.

There are a few choices of combination seats which harness to 40 or 65 lbs and then become a booster. The Evenflo Chase and the Graco Cargo ($80-100) harness to 40 lbs and then become boosters. They have tall top slots. However, if he reaches 40 lbs before he is ready for a booster, you may be back to buying another seat. The Cosco/Safety 1st Apex harnesses to 65 lbs, has tall top slots and then becomes a booster. It needs to have a high seatback or headrest behind it, though, so check that out. It is $100-130.

[Hokiebear]

I want all of the above plus goodies like

- 2 cupholders per seat that flip out maybe like in the air booster.
- Flip out toy/snack holders in the arm rests, easily accessible by both child and parent (while child is sitting in seat)
- A cool mesh seat option that the air flows thru for those of us living in hot climates (like the airbooster - but I want it on a britax)
- Easy cleanability
- A seat comfy enough for a child to sleep in
- A sunshade that a kid can adjust himself
- foot rests, adjustable
- one seat that will last more than 2 years (I have a big kid who keeps outgrowing due to height)
- Nice colors/patterns for boys too! How about some nice green happy dinosaurs? Or maybe a nice bright blue fish pattern? Or a bright orange or red fabric? Or a yellow one with monkeys on it? Come on, we can do a LOT better for boys than the current choices!!!!

[Joolsplus2]

I'm waiting for someone to invent the 'three across' line that will have RF, FF, and booster seats that all fit together....that'll save me hours of telling people 'I know it's listed as wide, but really, it fits...' Radian 65 (the 80 costs as much as a Britax and doesn't last most kids past 50 pounds, so it's a waste of money) and the Britax Parkway are the best choices now... Scenera and Roundabout are also narrow. Graco Turbo Booster is really sucky for three across and is short in the back, so it's never on my list. Cosco High Rise is surprisingly easy to buckle. Magna Clek Olli is great. Evenflo Right Fit, if you can find one is nice.