Hi Mamas!
My little girl turns 5 next month and is about 36 pounds. She's tall, so her shoulder is now above the tallest level her harness can go in her car seat, so we've started looking at booster seats for her. Since she's not 40 pounds yet, I'd like to get her in a high back booster to start and then when she's bigger, we can just use the backless booster. I've been looking at several brands, mainly Graco and Evenflo (those are getting the highest ratings on Consumer Report) but I wanted your feedback too. What do you have that you love? Have you purchased one that you don't like?
Thanks for your help!
Hilary
I'd look at a Graco Nautilus. That would let her stay in a harness until she's over 40 lbs, then it converts to an excellent high back and then backless booster, so you'd never have to buy another seat.
I love our Sunshine Kids high back bosters. They go is using the LATCH so they are stationary. They have side impact protection. They are also not bulky.
Updated
I love our Sunshine Kids high back bosters. They go is using the LATCH so they are stationary. They have side impact protection. They are also not bulky.
I LOVE Recaro. So safe and excellent material, safety ratings etc. I would get a recaro. You can find them on sale sometimes for 100 or so.
Love our Recaro Vivo! It does not convert to a backless booster though... but it is very sturdy and comfortable for DD.
I did not care for the Britax Parkway - it seems flimsy in comparison (because it is much lighter though we only use it for travelling).
Good luck.
We have my son in a Graco High Back Turbo Booster when he rides with friends or with grandparents. However, when he goes with me or my husband, he still sits in a five point harness. I have a Britax Frontier and my husband has a Graco Nautilus. Both are harnesses that can later convert to both a high back and a low back booster. We like the Britax more, but the Graco is good if money is an issue.
Since your daughter is on the smaller side, I'd strongly recommend getting a seat where she is still harnessed for her every day seat. The booster is super convenient for if she's going in a different car, but isn't as safe for every day.
For the record, my son is 5 1/2 and is approximately 46" and 48 lbs.
We use (and love) the Britax Parkway. We really liked that the booster has latch and hooks into our vehicle's latch system. And, Britax is Made in the USA (Charlotte, NC)!
I'd look into a seat that has a harness and then converts to a booster. Children should be a minimum of 40 lbs. before moving to a high-back booster, and a new 5-year-old is very young. We've generally waited until age 7 or so to move to a booster.
Recaro Prosport, Britax Frontier85 and Graco Nautilus are all good choices, or the Evenflo Maestro or Secure-kid. They all have high harness slots. The Frontier has the highest. Note the Maestro is only about $70-80 and could buy her time before she is booster ready. It also converts.
Graco and Evenflo ones don't latch (except for a newer Graco one) so you'd have to belt the empty booster in when she's not in it (so it's not a projectile). Just something to consider. I also found the specific Britax boosters to be flimsy and lacking in side-impact.
Some that offer more visible side-impact protection are the Recaro Vivo and Diono Monterrey (it latches, too!). But again, I would not move her before 40 lbs. to a booster, though if she's over the top slots she will need a seat right away that fits. I hope some of the choices above can help you decide.
We only used Britax brand seats at all levels. Their high-back booster was excellent. Expensive, but worth every cent. Check them out. They are a cut far above Graco, Evenflo and other brands, I think. I had a friend whose son was in a Britax high-back booster in an accident and he didn't even know what happened -- that seat stayed rock-solid. It also has great "wings" near the head so a kid's head doesn't snap to the side.
sunshine kids monterey booster
