Apex 65?

[Linda McDonald]

Is this any good? It's the only one they had at BRU that was a booster seat with 5 pt harness. My son is currently 40 inches and weighs 32.6 lbs. He is currently in the Cosco Alpha Omega and I'm not sure what to purchase for him next, as I think he may have outgrown or is close to outgrowing it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

	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.

[Papooses]

It's a fine seat & a decent choice for the $ to keep kiddo harnessed a bit longer It's very wide (inside & out). It requires vehicle head support at least up to eye level (ideally, adjustable headrests). Most people used to the sturdiness of Britax or Recaro feel that the Apex is rather flimsy, but it does its job.

We have one as our spare seat -- it's FAA approved for travel on planes (our primary seat: Husky/Regent is not). The crotch strap is pretty short, but it's safer to have the buckle as low as possible -- we just loosen the straps before buckling/unbuckling to prevent kiddo's thighs from being pinched.

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Britax Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.

	RECARO - Click for more info With over 100 years of company history and long standing experience in vehicle seat construction RECARO knows how to make long journeys a pleasure for the whole family. Materials, design and technical highlights ensure a pleasant journey for adults and children alike. RECARO uses its strength as the premier mobile seat manufacturer to engineer an innovative line of products for your children. No other manufacturer can apply experience from production vehicles, commercial vehicles, and race cars to design toward the comfort and safety of children.

[Linda McDonald]

Did it do well for crash test ratings? I didn't see it on any of the top recommended list, however the list did not have any boosters with 5 pt harnesses.

[Papooses]

Which lists? There aren't really any reliable "ratings" for carseats -- they either pass & are sold or they don't & are redesigned until they do.

[Linda McDonald]

It was a list compiled from Consumer Reports and the NHTSA. Here is the link:
Booster Seats Reviews, Child Car Seats Reviews

Linda

[Papooses]

Consumer Reports is NOT a reliable resource for carseat safety information -- techs have been grumbling for years about their crash test results being different than everyone else & not repeatable.... They were finally caught red handed with a massive crash test fiasco > ConsumerReports.org - How our car seat tests went wrong 5/07 < testing at a speed in which it would be a miracle for anyone to survive & which accounts for a teeny tiny percentage of all crashes (about 70% of crashes are about 30 PMH or less). It's good that they're helping to encourage manufacturers to make seats easier, but their information is biased & not technically sound.

Consumer Reports is not a part of NHTSA. NHTSA's rating system is only ease of use, but is also quite subjective because each person finds different features easier depending on inidividual tastes/abilities & vehicle, etc.