Booster Advice

SLPgirl

Is there anywhere to find booster seat advice- I know GHM gets asked a lot about it..... My kids turned 4 in Aug and are 39 lbs/ 40 in and 40 lbs/ 42 in FYI. We have the Alpha Omega Elite carseats right now but thinking it's time for a booster?

ghm

Are the straps still at or above their shoulders? The top slot of the AOE is NOT usable. The AOE also is not an okay booster  (not even close). If they haven't outgrown the seat yet by height, they're close. Also, do you know how old the seat is? The harness is outgrown at 40 lbs, unless it's one of the "newer" 50 lbs ones. 

How is their maturity? Can they sit correctly behind a seatbelt 100% of the time? Maturity is very important in a booster seat. If they happen to be leaning out the second of an accident, that would be very bad.

Knowing these answers would be helpful in giving suggestions  

penguingrrl

They may or may not be ready to be boostered yet.

First question is whether they still fit in their harnessed seat. Even if they're under the weight limit they may have outgrown it for height. A seat is outgrown for height either because the child's shoulders are above the top harness strap level OR the tops of their ears are even with the shell.

The most important factor for moving to a booster, aside from being old enough and heavy enough, is having the maturity to sit correctly 100% of the time. This means no slouching, no bending to reach toys, no loosening the seatbelt, no  unbuckling themselves. They have to do all of this even if they're having a bad day, even if they're sleeping. All the time. Instead of you having control over their car safety they do. Some 4 year olds are ready for this step, some are not. FWIW my daughter was 4 at the end of August and is using a booster. We've never once had a behavioral issue with it and she's doing great. Her sister, at 2, is prone to tantrums and meltdowns in a way she never was, so she'll likely be quite a bit older than 4 before I consider moving her to a booster.

I'm pretty sure the Alpha Omega Elite does not make a well fitting booster for pretty much any child, so it's likely you'll need to buy dedicated booster seats instead of using what you have. The things to look for in booster fit are that it positions the lap belt very low, across the lap instead of the belly and positions the shoulder strap up on the shoulder well, but not digging into the neck and the belt must lie against them.

SLPgirl

The straps are just above their shoulders right now. The seat is 3 years old. It is a 40 lb one for ff with 5pt harness. I would say they are mature enough. Thanks for your advice!

ghm

Do you mind sharing what your budget is (total or per seat)?

SLPgirl

I'm pretty open to anything. I will say that ideally I need 4 of these. One set for carpools and /or for my MIL to use in her car.

SLPgirl

I've gotta run now but will be back to check later tonight. Thanks ladies!

ghm

For the carpool seats, I'd get the graco turbobooster. If you have a bit of time, you can check Target frequently--they're on sale for $35 every couple of months. Full price they're $50.

You may find that one seat fits one child better than the other. I really like the sunshine kids monterey for my kids, but I know it doesn't fit every child well. The recaro vivo is a good choice for thinner kids. My head is hurting right now...and those are the only seats I am remembering. I'll come back and reply again later! 

shopgirl78

I don't have much advice for boosters but I happened to see the Sunshine booster on Zulily last night ($99- good price?!?).  It's one that GHM suggested.  

DD has been in a booster since 4.5 (graco turbobooster).  She's always done awesome in it.   

ghm

Wow, $99 is a great price! I think it's because they've discontinued the sunshine kids brand (they're now Diono). 

SLPgirl

And this is probably a dumb question but...I'm assuming the regular boosters are safer than the backless boosters?