car seat question and sugg.

jodi&matt

I am looking at getting new car seats.  The girls are three and a half and weigh approx. 30 pounds or so.  It would really make my life easier if they could be able to buckle themselves in.  right now we have the harness style car seat.  Are they able to go up to a booster yet and what do you all rec?  I don't want to buy the most expensive since I have to buy two.

Thanks

boysx2

I dont believe so.  My DS is 3.5 and I believe when I researched the booster with the seat belt, the minimum weight was 34 lbs.  They also have to be tall enough so the belt crosses them at the right spot.  DS is 38 inches and we have it on the lowest setting for him.

penguingrrl

I would not put an under-4-year-old in a booster seat. The minimum recommendation is that a child be 4 years and 40 lbs. The reason some seats are rated down to 3 years/30 lbs is that they're meant to accommodate the odd under 40 lbs 5-6 year old or 3 year old who has outgrown any harnessed options (not often an issue anymore due to advances on what options are on the market). 

I would highly recommend an evenflo maestro, which is harnessed to 50 lbs then becomes a booster seat. It costs around $80. 

kmhunt11

DD is 3.5, between 30-35 lbs.  We have the Graco Nautilus, which is a 5 pt until she is ready for high backed booster, then just the booster eventually.  She can fasten and unfasten the harness by herself.  I HIGHLY recommend the seat.  Her BFF has a Graco seat that looks almost identical, but it's pink and the buckle is a little different.  She can't do the whole thing by herself. I think her model is the Valerie and the buckle is just slightly different- a push instead of a squeeze.  DD has the Galaxy design I think, but it looks like all but the Valerie have the buckle my DD can do.  (ps- my dd is totally independent and won't let me help her with anything.  I'm not sure all kids would have the patience and desire to mess with the buckle unless they really want to be able to do it by themselves.)

howleyshell

FWIW - both my kids can do both the chest and crotch buckle (we call them the "clicks") by themselves. (Britax Marathon and Boulevard)

No need to go to a seat belted booster in order to foster that kind of independence - just teach them how to buckle the seats you already have.

They do their "clicks" then they pull on them to see if they'll come out and then they yell "CHECK" and I reach back from the front seat to pull on the strap that tightens their straps down and check the positioning of their chest "click" in the rear view mirror.  (if it's not secure the straps fly up when you pull on that bottom strap)

Trust me when I warn you that seat belted boosters can come with a whole new list of head aches if you move them too young.  You think your life will be easier but at what cost?  Their safety?  Your sanity when they're wiggling down to where their necks are at the lap belt level, you're driving down the freeway and they won't or can't get back into their seats properly?  

Based on my experiences they are too young.