options for taller, light child

[aeryn]

Hi everyone!
I am looking at options for my DD - she is 4yo, 103cm (40.6") and 33lb. Right now she's in a Costco seat which converts from 5pt harness to belt-positioning booster (I *think* its called AlphaOmega) but she is up past the highest shoulder slots but too light for just the beltpositioning booster.
Help please!


NB. I am in Wpg so I can get to most department stores in person.....bought the existing seats at Walmart.....

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

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[Jewels]

Do you have vehicle head rests? If you do you could try the cosco Apex. It is a 5pt harness that converts to a decent booster, but must be used with vehicle head rests. It has fairly high top harness slots. This seat can be found at Sears for around $179.

Another option that would keep her in a harness longer would be the Radian. It has a top harness slot of 18" but cannot be used as a booster. It can be found at Canadian Tire for $199. This seat sometimes has install issues so you will want to make sure you can get a good install, maybe at the store or keep your reciept just in case.

There is the Graco Cargo with upfront adjust that also has 17" top slots and makes a ok booster.

The Evenflo Generations/Bolero have just below 17" top slots, and make a decent booster. The Generations can be found at Sears for around $160 and the Bolero at Walmart for $120.

If you have the AlphaOmega right now, she should fit in all the seats that I have listed, as that seat has fairly low top slots. You might want to try sitting your daughter out in a few seats to see how she fits in them and you may even want to try installing them in your vehicle before making a decision. If you are concerned with the ways the seat installs in your vehicle then get it checked by a tech. You can call MPI to find a tech that is close to you.

	Booster Seat A booster seat raises your child up so that the car's lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fall across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest. A booster seat is used for older children up to about 80 pounds. Some states have passed laws requiring booster seats for children up to age 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.

	Graco - Click for more info Graco is one of the world's best known and most trusted juvenile products companies. They started the entire juvenile products industry with an invention called the Graco Swyngomatic. Since then they have invented products that have changed the way that parents travel with their children such as the travel system, which has made it so parents can lock an infant car seat into a stroller easily, without waking their sleeping baby. Their Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat is pretty much synonymous with the term “infant car seat” because of its safety and design features coupled with its affordability. Today Graco continues designing and developing top-quality products that inspire parents and keeps children safe. Check out the new Infant Safe Seat Step 1 and Toddler Safe Seat Step 2 for proof of Graco’s continued commitment to child safety.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	Graco CarGo booster seat - Click for more info The Graco CarGo is a dependable and easy to use booster seat. When your child is on the lower end of the height/weight limits for the seat, the 5-point harness is used to keep them safely in place. It features a convenient one-pull snugging mechanism in the front of the seat - making it easy to tighten the straps down after your child has been buckled in. When your child is around 35-40" tall, the CarGo's harness can be removed, so that the seat can be used as a belt-positioning booster, using the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt. In this mode, the Graco CarGo will work for kids up to 54" or 100 lbs. Both the Platinum and the Ultra CarGo feature an Energy Absorbing Foam (EPS) liner, a removable, washable seat pad, and a cup holder. The Platinum CarGo is a softer and more comfortable seat than the Ultra CarGo (although still not as comfy as the well-padded Britax booster seats).

[aeryn]

Hi Jewels,
Thanks so much for your help.

Both cars have head rests. Turns out my DD is actually in the Apex Summit (DS is in the AlphaOmega - ack! sorry!)

She is at the top slots now - re-reading the instruction manual I just found out that the top position is only supposed to be used with the belt-positioner, so in actual fact she is already "out" of the seat, torso-height-wise.

Is there a list somewhere of the harnessed boosters available and the heights of the top slots? I was trying to look at the seats you mentioned online, but no one mentions how high the harness slots are. Do I really have to tote her around from store to store and try them all out in person (if they have them)?

Would you know which seat has the HIGHEST slots? I like the idea of harnessed to 65lb but honestly, the way we're going she won't be 65lb until she's 10 or something........

Thanks again. Sorry it took me so long to reply to your VERY helpful suggestions.

	Forum Speak DD: Dear Daughter DS: Dear Son DH: Dear Husband DW: Dear Wife SO: Significant Other BF: Boyfriend GF: Girlfriend

[Jewels]

Here are common measurements for carseats, they are not all available in Canada and some are not even on there.

As for the seat with the highest slot, that would be the Radian (Canadian Tire, $199) at 18". My friend just got a Radian (at Canadian Tire by Polo Park, they had 5 instock) and I was surprised at how much room her 3yr old has in it! She has a good 3-4" left before she outgrows this seat by height. We installed the Radian in the parking lot (we live in southern MB) and it was pretty easy to install using LATCH (didn't try a seatbelt install). The Radian goes to 48lbs in Canada and 65lbs in the US, so if and when Transport Canada redefines the definition of a child and increases that weight, then the Radian will go to 65lbs in Canada as well.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[aeryn]

thank-you! that link is GREAT!
so it sounds like the Radian is the way to go for us, then.
I am near Polo, actually, so I'll maybe go over to the CT today and test it out on her "in person". We don't have LATCH in the car I drive everyday but I've never had any problems installing any one of our various car-seats.......
I will have to teach myself to use the LATCH for my hubby's new car though!

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	LATCH LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It is a system mandated by the Federal government in an effort to standardize and simplify the installation of child restraints without using the vehicle's seat belt system. New vehicles and child safety seats manufactured on and after September 1, 2002 will be equipped with the LATCH system. Cars, minivans, and light trucks will be required to have anchor points between the vehicle's seat cushion and the seat back in at least two rear seating positions, and a top tether anchor (with the exception of convertibles). Child safety seats will have a lower set of attachments that fasten to the vehicle anchors. Most forward-facing child safety seats will also have a top strap (tether) that attaches to the top anchor in the vehicle.

[Papooses]

Just wanted to chime in that my 97th percentile height yet 5th percentile weight 5 year old still has room in the Radian after outgrowing the CarGo last year

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.

	Graco CarGo booster seat - Click for more info The Graco CarGo is a dependable and easy to use booster seat. When your child is on the lower end of the height/weight limits for the seat, the 5-point harness is used to keep them safely in place. It features a convenient one-pull snugging mechanism in the front of the seat - making it easy to tighten the straps down after your child has been buckled in. When your child is around 35-40" tall, the CarGo's harness can be removed, so that the seat can be used as a belt-positioning booster, using the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt. In this mode, the Graco CarGo will work for kids up to 54" or 100 lbs. Both the Platinum and the Ultra CarGo feature an Energy Absorbing Foam (EPS) liner, a removable, washable seat pad, and a cup holder. The Platinum CarGo is a softer and more comfortable seat than the Ultra CarGo (although still not as comfy as the well-padded Britax booster seats).

[aeryn]

Thanks! that's good to hear your tall 5yo can still use the seat!

[mommy_quigg]

TC has approved some seats to harness to 65 lbs now. As far as I know, only Radian and Marathon are approved so far. You have to search around to find the higher-weight seats though, a lot of places are selling off the lower limit ones at a discount.

	Britax Marathon - Click for more info Increasing the time a child can safely stay in their convertible car seat is a big issue and Britax engineers have come through in a big way with the introduction of the Britax Marathon with LATCH. A LATCH Compatible Convertible Child Seat, the Britax Marathon can be used rear facing 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing from 20 to 65 pounds. Compare the numbers and you will see it is hard to find a seat with these weight limits that is safe and functional.

	Sunshine Kids Radian 80 or 65 - Click for more info If "the Sunshine Kid's Radian 80 convertible car seat is (probably) the only car seat you will ever need," the "probably" part of this statement comes into play when you directly compare the Radian 80 with the Britax Regent. While the Radian 80 has a very high weight capacity, the seat width is only 10" vs. the Regent's 14" seat. The Britax Regent may be a bit wider, but it is very bulky, is only forward facing, and does not fold like the Radian 80. Because the Radian 80 is so narrow, you can potentially put three of them side by side in the back seat. Three Regents side by side? Impossible.