Car Seat - New Lenox,IL

Updated on March 31, 2011
H.A. asks from New Lenox, IL
14 answers

My lil girl turned 3 in February. She has met the 30 lb marker according to the car seat where we can use the car seatbelt.
i have noticed the seat completely moves now once the belt is unbuckled. She also tends to fall to the side if she sleeps.
Any ideas please send...the harness became too tight for her length. She is 42 inches tall.
We have the Graco and it was purchased as a combo 3 in 1. Thanks for any advice.

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T.L.

answers from St. Louis on

I agree with Julia she still needs to be in a 5-point. My 5 and 6 y.o.'s are still in a 5-point in that exact same seat. We love this seat for this reason so they can stay in the 5 point so much longer. Both of my son's are in the 55-65 inch range for height and about the same for weight and they still fit in the 5-point. Please O please look into putting her back into the 5-point.

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

You need to put her back in a 5 point harness carseat. She isn't big or strong enough to hold her self up or understand why she needs to do this. Look into getting a car seat with a 5 point harness that will hold your child until 52 inches. My son is 42-43 inches and 4 1/2 and he still fits well in his Evenflo booster combo. Please please please for her safety get her back in a 5 point harness ASAP.

2 moms found this helpful
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T.N.

answers from Albuquerque on

What kind of Graco do you have? Can you adjust the shoulder straps any higher? We have the Nautilus and it fits my 41 inch 34 pound daughter just fine in the 5 point harness. If your daughter is falling to the side, she's not being restrained properly and she's not safe.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Please buy a new seat that will allow you to harness her!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Switch her back to the5-point car seat. She is still really little and just because she CAN just use the seat belt, doesn't mean she SHOULD. I'd look into a different car seat, but I sure thought most of the Graco car seats would hold kids in a 5-point harness above 42 inches...

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E.B.

answers from Chicago on

We have the Graco Nautilus 5-1 and love it! It has a 5 point harness up to 65 pounds and works as a booster up to 100 pounds. Our 3 year old is also over 30 pounds, but only 38 in tall and she loves the Nautilus seat! We have a minivan and because of how the van and seat work together, she can get in and out by herself, just needs help with the buckle.

1 mom found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Is this a booster seat or an actual car seat?

I would hope it's the car seat - there still should be a harness or belt mechanism that attaches to the seat or, depending upon the year of your car, the harness.

If it does not move while she is it in, you're fine.
If it does move while she's in it - reinstall it.

You can also call your local fire or police station to find out if they are doing car seat safety checks!! They will help you install it properly.

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J.W.

answers from Chicago on

Yes, you may need to buy a car seat to accommodate a taller child. I feel your pain as my daughter is consistently 75-90th percentile for height. By law, children need to be BOTH 40 lbs AND 4 years old to transition to a booster. All the booster does is hoist up the child so the lap belt is positioned correctly. It will move around. That's why children need to be the right weight and age (so their muscles are developed enough to hold them in position, especially the neck). Britax products are awesome. When my daughter was too tall for the Marathon, we switched her to the Nautilus. I felt better keeping her in a 5 pt harness for as long as possible. Good luck! And you can always speak with the police or fire depts in your area for advice!

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K.K.

answers from Chicago on

I would head over to www.carseatnanny.blogspot.com and she will be happy to help you. She has always helped me with any carseat question I have. She is passionate about keeping kids safe in cars.

B.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Oh mylanta, at only 3yrs old and 30lbs she NEEDS TO BE IN A HARNESSED CAR SEAT! She's sleeping, the seat is slipping, she's out of the belt.... how safe is she in a booster? Not safe at all!

There are tons of seats on the market right now that will not only allow her to be harnessed, but she is small enough to easily rear face in many as well! She should not be in a booster seat, she needs to be in a five point harness car seat.

Graco combo 3-in-1... the Nautilus? No way a 30lb, 42" tall 3yr old is too tall for the harness. Please read the manual and do some research online and get her back into a harness.

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T.T.

answers from Chicago on

that isnt the safest way for her to travel at all. you need her in a 5 point harness if you want her to be safe

L.M.

answers from Dover on

As for it moving when unbuckled, that is normal. You're supposed to buckle it in regardless of if a child is in it to avoid it becoming a projectile in an accident.

If she has exceeded the height requirements for the harness but you don't like how she fits in the seatbelt, you may want to look for another carseat or booster seat.

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A.S.

answers from Chicago on

There are tons of carseats on the market now that have 5 point harnesses that allow for taller and heavier children. ...

Graco Nautilus
Britax Frontier
Britax Marathon...and most all Britax seats other than the infant seat
First Years True Fit
Evenflo Symphony 65
Graco MyRide 65

.....there are tons more. Just do a search on Babies r us for carseats. Look for seats that say they harness up to 55-80 lbs. 3 year olds should not be moved into booster seats, regardless of if they fit the height/weight requirements. They are not really mature enough to be riding that way.

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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

My three year old is in a britax marathon, super safe, we were in a fatality accident with one and she was uninjured! Plus their safety ratings are unbeatable. It goes up to 65lbs. Or if she meets the minimums for the britax frontier 85 (check their minimums on the britax USA website or at babies r us), that one harnesses to 85 lbs then uses the seatbelt to 120! There are really good deals at aleebaby.com or new in box on eBay. Five point harness as long as possible to be safe!

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