Best Car Seat for Older Kids, Ages 4+ ??

Hi,

I had the exact same problem plus the additional problem of my 4yr old wanting to be in the middle seat next to the baby so size of seat was also an issue. I went with a radian 80 by sunshine kids
http://www.skjp.com/products/skjp_radian_80.php
It is better than the booster we had but we still have put baby padding on the straps for cushioning when sleeping. I am originally from England and the seat we had there was far superior for sleeping but looked much more like a baby seat.
I think there are far more options if space in the car is not an issue.
Regards
T.

We just bought a Graco Nautilus for my 3 1/2 yr old, which harnesses up to 65 lbs. It turns into a high back booster, and then a backless booster up to 100 lbs. At $149.99, it is much more affordable than the Britax. It is narrower than the Britax seats, but my little guy fits great in it. This might be a positive if you have a smaller car to put it in... It used to be sold only at Wal Mart, and I had to order it online and have it shipped to the local store (so I wouldn't have to pay shipping). Here is a link:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8112222

It is out of stock at Wal Mart right now. I had to stalk the site to get it in stock. :) About a week after we got ours, I saw them in-store at Burlington Coat Factory / Baby Depot for the same price. It is really comfortable for my son, and he loves it. My daughter, who is almost 7, even said SHE wanted one (and I've considered putting her back in a harness). It is almost on the lowest setting right now for height, and he's just under 40 inches tall. The highest shoulder strap height is 18 1/2 inches, so it will fit for a LONG time.

Good luck with your decision. I was a little hesitant to go with Graco since I've only used Britax up to this point. Britax has a great safety rating, so I was worried about changing. This Nautilus is great, though. I feel like my son is completely safe in it. Here is a link to the thread about it on the Car Seat Safety website. It has lots of info and pictures of the seat (with kids in it and without), and I read the whole thing before purchasing my Nautilus.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=31924

Happy shopping!! :)

Please let me know too...I am having the same problem.

thanks

I’m sorry to be such a downer, but after seeing a very sad youtube video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ) we bought the Britax Decathlon which goes up to 65 lbs. I paid @ $140.00 for it, so they’re not cheap (I used a 15% off coupon from Babies R Us. I have another coupon good 3/28 – 4/3 and will gladly mail it to you if you’d like. Just PM me with your info.). I really wanted the Regent for @ $20.00 more but I couldn’t fit it in my car. Babies R Us let me try the floor models in my car before I purchased one. Either way, try to keep your little guy in a 5 point harness as long as you can!

Good for you for recognizing a problem! Yeah, being half out of the seat definitely isn't safe.

Luckily, many of the car seat manufacturers have started making higher-weight harnessing seats. Previously, there were only a handful of seats that harnessed above 40 lbs, and they were pricey. A good thing to look for is not only the weight that the seat can harness but also the height of the top harness slot. Most of the time, children outgrow their car seat by height rather than by weight. Once your child's shoulder's are above the top harness slots, they've outgrown their car seat.The Graco Nautilus is a great seat that harnesses to 65 lbs then becomes a good booster. Also, the Evenflo Triumph Advance harnesses to 55 lbs but has a nice high shell, so most kids can make it to the full weight limit. (make sure you look for that "advance" part, as the Evenflo Triumph only harnesses to 40 lbs and has a much shorter shell). The big Britax seats (the Boulevard, Marathon, and Decathlon) are also great seats because they have high weight and height limits and are very easy to install and use. Of course, the best car seat is one that fits your child, fits your car, and can be used correctly every time.

As for strollers, most have weight limits of 40 lbs, although I know the Maclaren strollers have higher limits and fit taller kids as well.

We have 2 Britax Regents...one for our 4 year old and one for our 6 year old. They are indeed quite expensive, but if you can afford it I would highly recommend getting one. We, too, ordered ours online (babycenter.com, I think? It was one of the vendors listed on UPromise.) A friend had sent me a video from UTube about a little boy whose seatbelt had come unbuckled during a collision and because he was in a booster seat vs. a 5 point harness the result was a tragedy. That did it for me. We ordered one two days later! =)

Just a word of caution though....they're HUGE! If you don't have a big vehicle (minivan, larger SUV) or at least one with a DEEP backseat it probably won't fit.

We have the Britax Regent. My son just turned 4 and is about 36 pounds. Safe, sturdy and 5 pt harness but...pricey and a little large. Works out great for us.

Hello ~ We have an evenflo and same problem. Instead of a new car seat I found a pillow that wraps around the seat belt, has a puppy head at one end and feet at the other, nice and soft too. My two boys have used it and loved sleeping with their puppy. I check Walmart, I believe they still carry them and I know I have seen them on eBay. Hope this is helpful. Blessings ~ J.

I have a car seat that is forward/rear facing. It goes from birth up to 50 lbs. I got it at SAM's for only 68. Great Deal!! It is the best bang for the buck as it does the same as say and Eddie Baur at half the price! Good Luck!!

Britax booster w/ the sides so they can still sleep comfortably! Good luck-I have already purchased several to find the best.right one!

The Britax Regent and the SunshineKids Raidan 80 are the only two that have the 5point harness and go up to 80 pounds. We have the Regent. We bought it (on sale) at www.babycatalog.com. They have free fedex shipping and it was here in 2 days.
I know they are more expensive but 5pt harness are so much safer, and with people driving they way they do these days, its really worth it!

Hi! My hands down FAVE for car seats are Britax. They are made in the USA & are the safest & best made on the market, in my opinion (as well as a lot of car seat specialists). For that age, I would look into a Marathon or maybe even a Regent (although I'm not sure if he'd be big enough for that yet). A large part of what to get depends on how big he is. I just got a Marathon a couple of mos ago for my 4 y.o. & I think it holds up to 65 lbs!!!!!!! And of course, the longer that they're in a 5 point harness, the safer it is, even if they're "big" enough to be in a booster.

If you really can't afford a Britax (I know they're a lot more $ than a lot of others & it's well worth it, but some times finances can't be helped!), the Fisher Price Safe Voyage is built on the Britax Marathon "base" & holds up to 55 lbs.

A link to the F.S.V. is: http://www.albeebaby.com/fiprsavodeco1.html
and to select which Britax would best fit your son, you can look at:
http://www.britaxusa.com/products/default.aspx

Hope that helps some & that you find something that works for all of you!
Good luck!
A.

Try Graco at walmart they have pull up backs. I use them for work.

I also have the Britax regent. I know it's expensive and heavy, but I am very happy with how well she is secured in. It is a tough decision and we went through this almost a year ago with my daughter. Good luck.

I have found the Britax Monarch booster seat to be great for larger toddlers. It has large enough head wings for side impact protection and for when your child falls asleep. My daughter is 3 years old, 40 inches tall and approximately 45 pounds and she loves this seat. It has excellent padding and support. It retails for $120 to $150 depending on sales/retailer. I found Albee baby online to be very reasonable. They do not charge tax or shipping.

As for a stroller, I found the Maclaren Techno XLR to be fantastic for larger toddlers. It supports children up to 65 lbs. It can be a little pricey but I shopped around and was able to get one for approximately $230. The Maclaren Quest is a little smaller and will support up to 55 lbs. and is great if your child is not very broad. The Techno provides about an extra 1 and a half inches of wiggle room in comparison to the Quest. Both are great strollers. The Quest is a more affordable option.

Hope this helps!