Ok- so after my last question- I decided we are going with a booster for my 7 year old and having one ready for my 5 year old once she reaches 40 lbs. We did the "great trade in" at babies r us today- and got 25% off coupons. They had the Graco TurboBooster and the Britax Parkway Booster.
Which one is better? Is Britax really safer and therefore the higher price? Any opinions, experiences, and websites links would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much moms! Oh Rachel- sorry, I wrote this question so fast- I didn't really give my full story. I actually bought two Graco TurboBoosters (one boy one girl design) so that I could use the coupon today.....they told me if I was not satisfied I could come in and exchange it for something else and still have the coupon honored. We are going to test out the seats tomorrow and see how the kids like them. Hubby is putting them both together now. Just got done having a huge fight with him- he is annoyed that I am ONCE AGAIN still trying to figure out what to do. He thinks that since we bought something the decision is over. I like to really look into all aspects and make the best decision- which sometimes takes me awhile and I can easily change opinion......lol- guess men don't understand that! I do like that the Britax Parkway SG has that extra safeguard at the crotch to help position the lap belt- supposedly it helps avoid submarining? I'm going to keep looking into that info and try out the seats. ok- off to bed, thanks again ladies!
I love Britax--we have several! I love many things about them--including the fact that they are MADE IN THE USA (Charlotte, NC)!!!!!!!!!!!! Buy American, keep American's working!!!
Have your 7 yo test it out. We just removed the back off the Graco booster we have for our 7 yo because she was complaining that her shoulders were squeezed in. Most of her friends had long since removed the backs. I don't think there is a "best" out there. It all depends on what fits best in your car and how comfortable your child is in it. From what I heard, the Britax is bigger (certainly true for some of their carseats) so it may not be the fit you like. We have had good luck with EvenFlo. We had my son test a lot of them out in the store and each time he voted the Evenflo the most comfortable (not the nicest color or design selection though)
We have Britax for both of our children. I tell you the marketing team at Britax is genius because they definitely suckered me.
I don't know whether it is the best or not but I definitely looked into them and found only good things about them. I figure there is no price that can compare to my kids safety. Also just knowing myself, if I had a wreck and one of my children were hurt in a non-Britax seat I would always wonder if they would have been okay if I had just purchased them a Britax. But like I said, I am a sucker. And I have been in advertising for 15 years, LOL you would think I would know better.
I was under the impression that the trade in coupons must be used same day you might want to check.
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=4346706&...
It's in the fine print
Edited: I didn't want you to go and find out you couldn't use your coupon. We have a graco turbo booster that my 9 yr old uses he has never complained about.
Oh and I have never bought into britax is best. The best car seat/safest car seat is the one that fits your budget, fits your child, fits your car, and is easy for you to properly use. All seats must pass the same safety tests.
We have the britax frontier which we love. It has a 5-point harness up to 85lb and 57 inches and then it becomes a booster until 120lb and 65 inches (some states they are allowed to be out of the booster before that size). I really like him being able to stay in the harness, it just is safer and for me worth the money. http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/frontier-85
For your 7yr old the Parkway would work better. Its a bit wider and has a better headrest for older children. For smaller kids the TurboBooster works best, it fits most kids perfectly.
However if your 7yr old is comfortable in the TurboBooster, the nget that one. It is no less or more safe than the Parkway. Its all comfort, a little better side impact protection on the Britax, and fits bigger kids better.
I recommend talking to your pediatrician. We mentioned that we couldn't wait until our daughter was 40 lbs so she could be in a booster and the ped. said that we should keep her in her carseat as long as possible (even after 40 lbs) because even though you can put them in a booster at 40, a carseat is still the safest option. Your pediatrician knows your child's height and weight and will be able to tell you when it's safe for a booster.
Same with the booster and your 7yo.-- keep him in the booster until your ped. tells you he's big enough to go without. My 8yo is already complaining that her friends don't use a booster. One of her friends' moms was surprised that we still use a booster (she brought it up, not me) and I told her that our ped. told us to keep using it-- age alone is not a determination of when they can stop using the booster. (This friend is TINY, and my daughter is tall for her age.)
I applaud you for being concerned about your children's safety (too many parents aren't!). A quick call to your pediatrician will let you know what they recommend.
We have the britax frontier 85 and love it! It's the only one she will ever need again, and I have a really big six year old. We've been in a fatality accident with a britax marathon, so I trust their safety first hand. The trade in is a great deal, but we have also found good deals on albeebaby.com or new in box in eBay. Both offer free shipping usually!
