Carseat?

la79al

My mom is looking to get rid of her big bulky convertible carseat (in her teeny tiny car) and go with something smaller or at least easier to take in and out.  DD doesn't really ride with her more than an hour or 2 per month so not trying to spend a zillion dollars.  If DD has actually reached 30 pounds, can we go with one of the highback boosters that just use the seatbelts?  Are there any out there that she may actually be able to sleep in comfortably?

julygal

We just got DD (4 y/o and 40 lbs) a high back booster as a belt positioner for DH's car that she rides in once every other month for short trips, because we wanted the car seat that was in there for younger DS.  I could not see her sleeping comfortably in it.  I also would worry that if she fell asleep that she would slouch too much thereby changing the belt position and making it not safe.  As I understand it, a 5 pt harness holds them in the proper seating position where a high back booster simply makes sure the seat belt is situated across them correctly.  We really feel much more comfortable with her in her 5 pt harness in my car (which she rides in 99.99% of the time).  Personally I would (and did) wait for the minimum recommendation of 4 y/o and 40 lbs.  This recommendation also coincides with our state law, which is really where you should look first, as many states will not allow a 3 y/o in a booster.

franciscaz

Evenflo Titan is a great seat.  Rated high for safety and is under a %100.  It is comfortable too.  There is no way I would put my child in a booster at age 3.  Heck he would undo the seat belt and throw a party in the back seat Also, honestly it just isn't really that safe when they are still so small.

ghm

I wouldn't buy an evenflo titan. Only super tiny 3 year olds would fit in it. The evenflo maestro is $80 and is a good choice. It has a taller harness and converts to a booster.

I would not be okay with a 3 year old in a booster, no matter the size. 

blueshirt2003

No, she's not going to be mature enough to sit in it properly at all times. 

You really need to keep her in a harness. There are several car seats that use harnesses up until 6 years old even. 

Best of luck finding a solution for your mom's car!

PhilsWife07

A three year old is not developmentally mature enough to sit properly positioned in a booster seat at all times, especially if she still sleeps in the car. She still needs a harnessed seat. Check out the Graco Nautilus or Britax Frontier, both with high harness weights that convert to a high back booster when the child is ready for one.

WaitingOnTwoPinkLines

PhilsWife07:

A three year old is not developmentally mature enough to sit properly positioned in a booster seat at all times, especially if she still sleeps in the car. She still needs a harnessed seat. Check out the Graco Nautilus or Britax Frontier, both with high harness weights that convert to a high back booster when the child is ready for one.

This. If a child cannot stay awake 100% of the time, they cannot be in a booster.

We have a Britax Frontier, which will harness until 80lbs (they now make one that goes up to 85lbs). After that, it converts into a high-back, belt-positioning booster. It was pricey ($279 + tax), but SD has been in it 1.5 years & it will fit her until she is big enough for just a belt. She'll be 6 on the 31st & is still harnessed (& she is large for her age). There are other, less inexpensive seats that harness to a higher weight - I believe Sunshine Radians are one. We prefer Britax, & price isn't an issue for us when talking about SD's safety.

Kyle David Miller was killed in a car accident when he was 3. He was in a booster seat. Check out the website his family has put up - they started a foundation in his name. https://www.kyledavidmiller.org