Looking for a Good Booster Seat

We just moved our son out of his Britax Marathon this year (at the age of 6!) and bought him the Britax Frontier http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Frontier-Booster-Seat-Rushmo... . We are really happy with it. It is a 5-point harness up to 80 lbs, then can be used with a shoulder strap up to 100 lbs. He looks comfortable and I like how secure he is in it. We also have a backless Graco Turbo Booster http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Backless-TurboBooster-Seat-Ba... that we use for when we fly somewhere and need something in a rental car (once you get the Frontier installed, you leave it). I would never use it on a regular basis after seeing him in the Frontier. I feel like he is really safe in there. Don't let the bad reviews from people who had trouble installing sway you. I almost didn't buy it, but we read the advice from others and had it installed in about 10 minutes, no problems. I highly recommend it! Another thing I like is that it doesn't "expire" for 10 years, so when my daughter is ready for a booster, he should be done with it and she can use it. No more car seat/booster buying for us, so I felt like I could spend a reasonable amount to get something really safe for the years to come.

1 mom found this helpful

Since he's 3 1/2, he still needs to be in a 5 point harness. We have a Graco Nautilus that is wonderful - harnesses to 65lbs and then converts to a booster.

Also, check out car-seat.org for great techs who can help you!

I'm also a fan of harnessing for as long as possible. My 4yo is in a Graco Nautilus, which harnesses hopefully to 65lbs and then become a HBB & finally a lBB. My son loves him racecar seat and the handy cup holders and cubby's. I've also heard great things about the Britax Frontier, but it's pricier. Good Luck!

Hello C.-

I use to be a Nanny, but today I'm a parent coach. My next step is to receive my certification to install child car safety seats, but the class isn't available yet. Acts Oregon http://www.actsoregon.org/boosterSeats.html provides a lot of useful information about child car safety seats, but a quick FYI- use a booster seat with a full back, not the ones which only raise the child up.

Car seats are designed for adults, so using a booster seat with a full back will provide extra height & width so the seat belt fits properly.

You can find a list of check-up times at the Act Oregon site OR Segal’s in Beaverton http://www.segalsforchildren.com/ has certified installers on site to help you choose the best seat.

Good luck

R. Magby

Hi - My daughter is just getting to that staget as well and I just did my research on this topic. We have a Consumer Reports membership, so I looked up the top rated boosters on their site and here is what I found. Based on what I read and the ratings (both Consumer Reports ratings as well as the parent ratings on their site), the backless boosters rate better overall, and most importantly with respect to crash ratings. We are going with the Graco Backless Turbobooster. Considering we told ourselves money is (mostly) no object, I was surprised to find that the most highly rated booster was only $20 and could be bought at Target, or Babies/Toys R Us or even Walmart.

Here are the ratings for the top Booster Seats. I am entering them in the following sequence: Brand & Model, Approx. Retail, Overall Score (out of 100), Crash Rating, Ease of Use, Fit to Vehicle (the last three are coded as E=Excellent, VG = Very Good, G=Good, F=Fair, P=Poor)

High Back Boosters:
Graco Turbobooster 8493, $50, 82, VG, E, E
Recaro Start, $350, 80, VG, E, E
Compass B500, $70, 78, VG, E, E
LaRoche Grizzly Bear Booster, $115, 74, VG, VG, VG
Cosco Protek, $35, 74, E, F, VG

No Back Boosters:
Graco Backless Turbobooster, $20, 92, E, E, E
Cosco HighRise Booster, $15, 84, E, VG, E

By the way, it is NOT true that only a High-Back Booster is safe for your child. If you read the NTSA website on the topic of boosters, you will find that all are safety tested to a minimum standard and that the key differentiator is EASE OF USE/INSTALLABILITY...to make sure it is positioned correctly FOR YOUR CAR. Here is the link to the specific NTSA info on boosters : http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIM...

Here is the link to the ratings...Please don't just look at the # of stars, but read the actual rating page for that item. You will find the comments MUCH more helpful than the stars and in some cases, the stars don't jive with the comments. This is the case with the Turbobooster for example and why I am still going to go with that seat for my vehicle. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/nhtsa_eou/info.jsp?type=all

I would suggest cross referencing these and the Consumer Reports ratings, which is what I did in selecting my booster.

Hope that helps!

C.,

I don't know about the five point harness idea, but we got a Graco booster seat. It has a removable back, adjustable height back, adjustable arm rests, two cup holders and the memory foam that conforms to his backside. My son is now six and still will occasionally fall asleep in his booster. The height/weight requirements for the equivalent seat to what we have: Recommended Ages: 3 - 10 yrs; for Children 30-100 lbs; for Heights 38-57"

Wow that was a long link. Go to www.target.com and search child booster car seat and you can get some ideas.

Hope this helps,
M.

My daughter is a year older than your son. I plan on keeping her in a 5-point harness as long as she fits one, they're much safer! We bought the britax frontier, because of the comfort and safety ratings. The weight limit is really high, they can be in it up to 80 or more lbs.!

Don't buy britax they are a royal pain in the tush to install, car seat professional toook 15 minutes to install it both times and was cursing under his breath...he said I should have gotten a graco.

Safegaurd GO Hybrid Booster. It is the ONLY Booster rated for safety by the NHTSA http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
It has a 5 point harness system that goes up to 6 years and 60 lbs. the cheapest place I find for this Booster is http://www.albeebaby.com/safeguard-go-hybrid-booster-car-...
I have one for each of my children (ages 4 3/4 and 2 1/2). They love them. I love the sleek design (doesnt take up too much room) and above all else the SAFETY!
a small child in a high speed accident (freeway) WILL be thrown from the vehicle if not properly restrained. Please take my advise, I am in a position to know what can happen. Best of luck to you.

I love the Graco Nautilus. It is a harness seat up to 65 pounds! (This is the safest). It can be used as a high-back or backless booster from 40-100 pounds. Very versitile and will last a long time. The cover is machine washable (just air dry) and features secret cubbies and a cup-holder. Good luck!

Ditto on Segal's-- they are fantastic! I took my daughter and they let her sit in the boosters to try them out and they showed me what to look for. I haven't bought one yet, but am pretty sure I will go to them since they have always stood behind their products and try to offer only the safest seats. I intend to go with the five point harness as well.

Good luck!

Ditto about sticking with a 5 point for as long as possible. My eldest is 6 1/2, and she's still in a 5 point, much to her chagrine. She'll stay in it until she's truly truly outgrown the 5 point option. Not as convenient as a booster, I suppose, but she can now completely buckle herself in all the same, and then I just do a quick check...

Both my kids are in a Britax Marathon (I think!).

J.