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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
valeivegas
member
Large 3-1 booster car seat rec?
valeivegas
member
We're shopping for a 2nd car seat for our other car and the girl at BRU recommended we get something like this: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3980774&prodFindSrc=rv
This 3-1 Graco seat that converts from a 5 pt harness to a booster - to backless booster. I was originally just looking for another convertible seat, but DS meets the weight & height requirements for a booster, so we figured we might as well just buy a booster instead. We ended up getting the Graco last night, but it seems a bit small - DS is really squished in there so I want to look around to see if I can find a bigger (wider) one.
Does anyone have any recs on a good booster that is great for really tall kids & that is also wide? I don't think DS will even fit in the Graco one with a heavier coat on... We need one that has a 5 pt harness & would convert to a regular booster.
(I thought the Bump used to have a products board for stuff like this, but I couldn't find it....?)
Thx!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Large 3-1 booster car seat rec?
My ticker is wrong - & I don't know how to fix it - sorry! =(
DS is 20 months old - only child so far. We like in WI - I've looked at the law:
https://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/safety/vehicle/child/laws.htm
He meets the requirements for this seat according to the WI law & the weight/height requirements of the seat.
No he doesn't. It states that until they're 4 they have to be in a rear or forward facing child seat. That's not the same as a booster, FYI. Also, you should do some research on the AAPs (fairly recent) recommendation of rear facing to a minimum of two years but preferably until the child outgrows the height/weight limits of their rear facing convertible seat.
ETA: I stand corrected because I just re-read about the seat itself and see that it is a forward facing seat as well as a booster. But I stick with what I said about looking into extended rear facing
I'm aware of the law about keeping a child rear facing until 2, but there is no way DS would fit - by the time he was 14 months he outgrew the height restriction for rear facing. He's super tall. The sales clerk at BRU said every month they have the police dept. come in for a car seat training & they were recommending the Graco seat to kids with DS's height & weight.
I think we have to remove the padding - that will probably help. It just doesn't seem that wide. Our convertible car seat is wider than the Graco.
I'm trying to picture how the seat is too small. Now DD is pretty petite, but she is 6 and she sits comfortably in her Nautilus. DS (3.5) could also use it but we have him in a convertible.
And to the PP - as the OP mentioned she is planning on using this seat with the 5-point harness. Her son needs to be 4 to use it a booster, but in harness mode the Nautilus is basically the same as a FF convertible seat. (forget it - just saw your edit to your post
)
How big is your son? Ht/weight? My 35in, 28lb son who is 18 months old is still riding happily rear-facing in a Britax Boulevard. It is from 2008 from my older son, so the shell is about 1 in higher than the current one, but he has several more inches to go until he'll have to turn forward.
My older son happily used the Boulevard rearfacing until 2 when he was 36 inches tall. Then he rode forward-facing until he was 3.5 when we moved him into a Britax Frontier which will convert to a high-back booster when we are ready. We needed the Boulevard for his younger brother, he probably would have easily fit until age 4 or after. Just not as much leg support forward-facing for an older child.
My older son does use a Graco Nautilus in my Mom's car, but I would not have put him in it until age 3. I don't think it's built for a younger kid, even if they technically fit the size requirements.
I would buy another convertible seat and keep him rear-facing. Look at the Graco Size4me if you want a taller one. Should keep him rear-facing longer and then forward facing until he's ready for a combo/booster seat.
Ideally, he'd still be rear-facing, but I am not the car seat police. As a tech, I would encourage you to keep him rear-facing though. It is just safer. Period. My DS is currently rear-facing in a Graco Size 4 Me, which is around the same price as the seat you are looking at. Plus, it should last you until he needs a booster, and boosters are cheap.
A few other things, absolutely no winter coats in the car seat. They cause compression issues, so a child should wear nothing more than polar fleece in the seat.
Also, I think the person at BRU was lying to you. I talked to corporate BRU just last year, because they had some employees giving out bad car seat advice. They told me that they DO NOT offer any kind of training on seats, etc and that their employees are advised not to give out any advice like that. I would suggest finding a tech in your area if you need more help.
Again, I would advise rear-facing, but if you insist on forward facing at this time, then the Nautilus is a fine option for that. I know 7 year old's that fit that seat, so there is no way that your 20 month old shouldn't.