Backless booster seat recommendations and infant seat ?

ILoveBoys

LOL. Lots of car seat questions. My oldest DS will be 5 on the 29th and he is about 60ish pounds, and is outgrowing his harness, which holds up to 65 lbs. So we are looking to get him a backless booster seat. Who has one that they really like?
   I drive a Ford Explorer and we want to try to get all 3 of the car seats in the 2nd row so none of the children have to be in the very back of the car. My youngest son is in a FF Safety 1st.

2nd question....are there different "widths" to infant seats? I haven't had to get one in almost 3 years and so not sure about this. Would like to get a thinner one to try to get it in with the other car seats. Just not sure what's out there. Thanks ladies!

goodheartedmommy

He does not belong in a backless booster. Get him a hgih back, belt positioning booster with good headwings for side impact protection. I love the sunshine kids monterey, other good suggestions are britax parkway, recaro vivo, or graco turbobooster. It's going to be hard to get 3 across with a booster--it's very hard to buckle it in each time.

The baby trend flexloc is pretty narrow. 

ILoveBoys

I totally understand about the side impact protection and everything. Is that the only reason you would say he doesn't belong in a backless booster? Not trying to be snarky at all, really asking. This is why we are doing our research early.

(plus his harness carseat converts to a lapbelt booster, if we chose to go that way)

goodheartedmommy

What carseat does he have that converts to a booster (lapbelt booster makes no sense--a booster should never be used with a lapbelt)? Some make deadly boosters (position the lap portion of the belt in a way that would crush his internal organs in a wreck). There is absolutely no reason to put a 5 year old in a backless booster. Beyond giving life-saving head protection in a wreck, a belt positioning booster will keep your child positioned correctly in a crash. I see no benefit for putting him in a backless whatsoever. How big is he?

I'm also not trying to sound snarky--I just hate to see a 5 year old in a backles booster--many don't belong in a booster at all, and I can't think of any that belong in a backless.

ILoveBoys

Whoops. I said that wrong. It converts to a belt positioning booster (basically a high back that you use the seatbelt in). It's this carseat:

https://www.safety1st.com/usa/eng/Products/Travel/Car-Seats/Booster-Car-Seats/Details/1801-22535CDE-Apex-65-Booster-Car-Seat

You asked how big he is. He is 65lbs and just over 4 feet tall.

goodheartedmommy

First, if he's 4 feet tall, he outgrew the apex by height LONG ago. The apex is NOT a good booster, at all. Definitely get a belt positioning booster for him. DS is 46 inches and just starting to ride in a belt positioning booster. It's far safer for a 5 year old.

ILoveBoys

The Apex is able to be used for children up to 57inches tall. DS is only 48 or 49inches tall. His head has plenty of room near the top. Thanks for conversing with me on carseats. You've given us some good options to look into.

goodheartedmommy

That height includes booster mode. It's outgrown if the shoulders are over the top slot, and I have a really hard time believing a 4 foot tall child could fit in that. DS is shorter and would have outgrown it long ago. I'm not trying to be snarky, just explaining how it works--it's incredibly unsafe for him to be in that seat at this point.

ILoveBoys

Thank you......my mom is a NICU nurse and also a certified car seat technician. The straps are actually still above his shoulders when he sits in the harness. The only reason we are removing the harness is because of the weight limit, which he is within a couple of pounds of.