After the convertible?

JenJar

When are you planning to switch from a convertible carseat to a booster seat?  Some friends and I were talking about this; one's daughter, who is the same age but weighs more than Gavin, already transitioned.  I spent a lot of time figuring out when to switch from the infant seat to a convertible seat, and haven't even thought of what's next!

Telyco

I think keeping them in a 5pt harness for as long as possible is the way to go. Our boulevards are good until 70lbs ffing..so it'll be awhile before we look for something new.

jnk062602

I haven't even thought about it... But if you max out your convertible, do you even need anything else? 70 pounds sounds like a 1st grader, do they still sit in something?

ETA: That just seems so huge to me. But this is what the NY DMV page says - maybe google AR to see what they say for you?

 

Every child under age 16 in the vehicle must use a safety restraint. If under age four, he or she must be properly secured in a federally-approved child safety seat that is attached to a vehicle by a safety belt or universal child restraint anchorage (LATCH) system. A child under age four who weighs more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. A child of age 4, 5, 6 or 7, must use a booster seat with lap and shoulder belt or a child safety seat (The child and safety restraint system must meet the height and weight recommendations of the restraint manufacturer.)

Exception: A child more than four feet nine inches tall or more than 100 pounds is allowed to use a seat belt that has both a lap belt and a shoulder harness. To use the seat belt, the child must be able to sit straight up against the vehicle's seat back with his or her knees bent comfortably over the edge of the seat. The lap belt should be placed low and tight across the upper thighs; the shoulder belt should rest tightly but comfortably across the child's chest and shoulder (collar bone) without touching the throat. If the seat belt does not fit properly, the child should use a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt.

A booster seat can be used only with a lap and shoulder belt together. If all the combination lap and shoulder belt positions in the vehicle are already occupied by children using child safety seats or booster seats, a child who ordinarily would use a booster seat should be restrained using only the lap belt.

An appropriate child safety restraint system:

• Is required for all children until their 8th birthday and,
• Must meet the size and weight requirements for the child based on the Federal requirements and the recommendations of the manufacturer, and
• Can be a child safety seat, a harness, a vest or a booster seat attached with the vehicle seat belt or latch system, but not the vehicle seat belt alone, and
• Should not be used in the front seat of the vehicle.

If the child is eight years old and is under 4'9" tall or weighs less than 100 lbs, it is recommended that you continue to use a child restraint system.

TinyPinkBug

Tyler is 4.5, he is still in a 5pt harness, even on the bus.  State law is to age 4, but what is the hurry???  They will still need a booster until age 8 now.

jnk062602

Is 5-pt harness always a convertible, or is it also a high back booster?

wendyj

We've been talking about it, because I noticed recently that Ian's head is at the top of his convertible seat. In the next month or so, we'll probably take a trip to BRU or Buy Buy Baby to check out which high back booster will fit him best. I'd like for him to stay in the 5-pt harness for as long as possible, so we'll probably go with which one allows for that. We're trying to decide between the Britax Frontier and the Graco Nautilus.

My parents have the Evenflo Maestro in their car so that they can use it both for Ian and for my one niece when she visits. It's a good seat, but there are some features that I wouldn't want to deal with on a regular basis. 

xKimx

Charlie has a Britax Frontier & it is awesome. We switched him to it when Paul outgrew his infant seat & needed the convertible, so Charlie was around 3. He will be in the 5pt harness for awhile in this seat

JenJar

TinyPinkBug:

Tyler is 4.5, he is still in a 5pt harness, even on the bus.  State law is to age 4, but what is the hurry???  They will still need a booster until age 8 now.

I felt like she was rushing things when she told me... Just trying to get ideas while it was on my mind.  

olivia_eve

I was just thinking about this the other day because Thomas is already getting really big in his infant car seat, and I hadn't thought about what to do next. Rosie is well within weight limits for her convertible seats, but she's really tall and will probably outgrow the convertibles relatively soon.  We'll probably do either a Britax Frontier or Graco Nautilus, maybe one of each to keep the cost down.

And that reminds me to get to a store with Rosie to look at them!

TinyPinkBug

FYI- I have the Graco Nautilus for Tyler and I love it.  It is my favorite seat, and it will work last Tyler until he is can sit in the car with no type of seat or booster.  The range is something like 20lb - 100lbs.  I think the 5pt. harness is rated up to 65lbs.  Tyler is only about 38lbs now.