Booster Seat for 3 Year-old

I have an evenflo - stage 2 and 3. I got it from walmart and great for occasional rides, and she can sty on till she is done with car seat. My Van has a more confy forward recline Toddler seat that goes upto 40 lbs.

I just got the Britax Frontier for my 2 1/2 year old. It was the same price as the Marathon but harnessed for longer, until 80 lbs. She really likes it and it looks more like a booster so when she's older hopefully we won't have struggle about her sitting in a carseat.

Hi M.,

When you are asking about a booster seat..you don't mean one that would use the vehicle seatbelts...at 3 years and only 32 pounds your little guy is waaaay to small for a dedicated booster....see the info I've pasted below....as you already have a Britax you might want to look into something for your DH's car like the Graco Nautilus...I've seen it for about 130.00 lately and it will last him forever as it later converts to a booster and you can keep him in the all important 5pt harness for another few years...even though many boosters say 30 pounds as their minimum...it is not very safe for little ones.

Below is lots of great info on 5pt harnesses...I know I had to explain to my husband and inlaws why our 5 year old is in a 5pt-however the crash tests and explanations were very helpful and they now see why I'm so adamant to keep our kids in the safest seats possible (my DD was rearfacing till 33 pounds and DS is still rearfacing at 29 pounds and comfy and content!)

B.

Following these guidelines will help you keep your child safe and ensure  they are in the proper carseat based on their weight and  height.

Here are some facts why a 5 point harness seat is safer than a booster seat:

                * The crash forces are spread over the skeletal body over five points rather than three.

                * The crash forces are spread to the strongest parts of the child's body.

                * Forward head excursion (the distance the head is thrown forward) are lessened.

          * The child is secured in the correct seating position rather than being able to wiggle
around, lean forward etc

  In 5-point child restraints, there is also the added safety of the top  tether (so long as the vehicle has this feature). The top tether or top  strap (as its sometimes called) helps hold the top of the child restraint   back against the vehicle. In a frontal crash at 30mph with a car seat  installed properly and no top tether, there is a 32" frontal head excursion.

 In the same seat, same crash, child restraint installed along with the top  tether, you reduce that frontal excursion to 4-6", thus making it more likely that the child will not hit the seat in front of them.

When used correctly, 5-point harness car seats provide significant safety advantages over securing your child in a booster seat using the  adult seatbelt.  A child is safest in a 5 point harnessed seat.  A child should remain in a 5 point harness until they outgrow it.

Here is a great link with detailed information and a video clip of a vehicle crash test video comparing a 5 pt harnessed seat vs a booster seat:

http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/pages/4211/Car_Seat_Safety...

  
If you want to go straight to the crash test video, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKbrM

Highly Recommended 5 Point Harnessed Seats:

                1. Graco Nautilus and it turns into a booster after the harness is outgrown but
is a 5pt until 65 pounds)
                2. Britax Regent will harness to 80 lbs and/or 53 inches tall
                3. Frontier a great new seat can harness to 80lbs and then can be used as booster to
100 lbs and/or 60 inches tall
                4. Britax Marathon is a good seat to harness to 65 lbs and/or 49 inches tall
                5. Evenflo Triumph Advance is also great

i totally agree with beth
only on an emergency basis did i just start using a booster when my neighbor babysits
and my daughter is at least 46 inches and 45 pounds

J.

Absolutely go with the Graco Nautilus. It is a 5 point harness to 65 pounds and a booster to 100 pounds. It's a great car seat and has wonderful features.
Good luck,
S.

He needs to be in a 5 point harness until at least 4 yrs/40 pounds, as a minimum. If money is not an issue, I would just get a Britax Marathon for your husband's car. It harnesses to 65 pounds and he would get a good 3 years out of it still. If money is any issue, the Graco Nautilus is a good suggestion, since it harnesses to 65lbs and converts to a booster.