Help Please. Son is 39 pounds now.

[julia]

I have a Cosco Alpha Omega. My son is one pound away from not being able to use this as a 5-point harness. The seat fits pretty solid in the middle back seat of my 2003 Lexus ES-300, (which I believe is very similar to the Toyota Camry.) But, if I don't bare down on it and really lock it down with the seat belt, it wants to fall over. If I use this as his booster, as I was planning all along, I'm afraid he will tip over. I believe the seat would be more stable at one side or the other but I just don't want to do that since I have the option. I'm dead-set on seating him in the middle. I'm just looking for opinions from people who know about this. I tried to get info from Costco but it was very generic. All of my friends with children near my sons weight and age have had their children in regular boosters for months now and the seats seem SO SLOPPY sometimes. Maybe I'm just so used to nailing that thing down solid for almost 4 years?? Thank you SO much for any help. I'll buy whatever I need to go the safest rout if the Alpha Omega isn't up to par for some reason.

	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]

First, I just want to compliment you because you sound like such a concerned, dedicated parent

Cosco does a knock-out job advertising the Alpha Omega as "the only seat you'll ever need" but it's a flat-out lie I believe this seat has the highest misuse risk because of a very tricky situation with the harness.... The manual is not very clear about it & it's very counter-intuitive: the top harness position is actually only safe for booster use @@ So, if your child's shoulders are already above the 2nd highest position then you need to either start using it as a booster right now or get a new seat immediately!

Boosters themselves are meant only to lift the child up for the seatbelt to fit properly & it's the seatbelt that does all the restraining (the booster does help absorb some crash forces at the hips since hip bones don't fully mature until puberty). This is why the vast majority of boosters are not installed per se. They do their job just resting loosely on the vehicle seat cushion, but they can only provide optimal protection if the child can use the booster/seatbelt correctly for the entire length of every ride.

The good news is that I have not yet found a carseat that doesn't fit the Camry well, so I think you shouldn't have any problems with your vehicle either If you visit the "Preschool -- Preteen" page at my website you'll find some helpful information, including lists of carseat options to keep your child harnessed longer! At the absolute very least, I would consider the Britax Parkway booster because the deep head wings tend to help wiggly kids stay positioned + if you have Switchable Locking Retractors then you could teach kiddo to lock himself in

	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.

	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.

	Britax Parkway - Click for more info The new Parkway Booster from Britax builds on their company's reputation as the maker of some of the safest seats on the market today. It's one of the only boosters to offer True Side Impact Protection - the EPS foam-padded headrest and side "wings" aren't just great for naps, they're engineered to provide vital protection to your child in the event of a side-impact crash. (Side-impact crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 6-14, making this an issue of major importance for booster seats.)

[cookie123]

I just wanted to add that many cars do not allow LATCH to be used in the middle position. Please check your car manual and your carseat manual for information on this.

PEG
Child Passenger Safety Technician

	Peg Perego - Click for more info Founded by Italian designer Guiseppe Pérego all the way back in 1949, Peg Pérego quickly branched out from traditional prams to strollers, high chairs, car seats, toys and accessories. Internationally renowned for innovative products and a supreme sense of style, Peg Pérego creates some of the most enjoyable and eye-catching transportation and safety options for children all over the world. With factories and offices in Italy, Germany, Canada, and the U.S., Peg Pérego is a truly international entity, blending technology and history to create lines that are reputable and safe. Peg Pérego professes a "dedication to original and innovative products designed for discriminating consumers who demand fashion, individuality, quality and safety in the products they purchase for their babies and young."

	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.

[julia]

Thank you! I am confused though. I thought booster use was when you removed the harness and just used the belt? Why would the top harness work only as a booster? I love your site!! It mentions that there are no real studies as far as the advantage of 5-point over booster but commonsense would say it is? My son is very relaxed in the car so I think he would be fine with a regular booster set-up but on the other hand, I have the advantage that he's used to being strapped in. What do you think? What are the best choices on either way I go? The Safeguard "go" from your link looks comfy and light. Is this a good one? Sorry so many questions!!! Oh no, one more. My seat belt works where it moves freely till you break unless you pull it all the way out first, then it locks. Is this what you were referring to? I always wonder what happens if you don't see someone coming at you and you don't break. Thanks SO much again. Julia

	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.

	SafeGuard - Click for more info Indiana Mills and Manufacturing (IMMI) is SafeGuard’s parent company, and has been in the business of developing and manufacturing quality safety systems for every facet of the transportation industry for over 40 years, covering everything from the heavy truck and agricultural industries to child seating. IMMI has a world-renowned reputation for creating and promoting the highest rated safety harnesses and restraint systems available today, from integrated child seats in production vehicles to campaigning for increased use of safety harnesses on public transportation systems. Based in Westfield, Indiana, SafeGuard has been creating and testing essential components used across the child safety seat industry through their state of the art crash testing facilities since 1961. The SafeGuard and SafeGuard Go are IMMI’s first direct foray into the child safety seat market, and the results are simply outstanding. No other car seats or boosters are designed with as much attention to structural integrity, ease of installation, and total child safety. This seat has been subjected to the most thorough and extensive testing “ever conducted in the industry”: virtual prototyping with computer models; rigorous front, side, and rear impact crash testing; and environmental testing in a range of climates and road types.

[Papooses]

Originally Posted by julia

Thank you! I am confused though. I thought booster use was when you removed the harness and just used the belt? Why would the top harness work only as a booster?

Yes, booster use is when the harness is removed & the seatbelt restrains the child. We have absolutely no idea why Dorel Juvenile (parent company of Cosco, Safety 1st & Eddie Bauer) decided to make the top position for booster use only, but it's not reinforced for harness use, meaning the back of the shell/frame could break right through causing yourr child to be ejected in a crash It is the most infuriating design flaw I can possibly imagine, especially since DJ does not do a good enough job explaining warning in the manual The top usuable harness slots are actually the 2nd position.

I love your site!! It mentions that there are no real studies as far as the advantage of 5-point over booster but commonsense would say it is?

Thanks Yes, because parents perceive a seat "graduation" as a sort of right of passage rather than the demotion of safety that it truly is, we don't have real life data comparing extended harnessing vs. booster use.... However, from crash testing we do know that a harness contains the child better in all crash types to better prevent head injury. Brain scan imagery also reveals that kids do not even begin to develop the cognitive synapses associated with the necessary attention span required to use a booster correctly for the entire length of every ride until at least 4-5 years old. Also, the more point that the restraint touches the body the greater area that the crash force is spread, thus reducing risk of injury to the child.

My son is very relaxed in the car so I think he would be fine with a regular booster set-up but on the other hand, I have the advantage that he's used to being strapped in. What do you think? What are the best choices on either way I go?

I would definitely try to keep kiddo harnessed a bit longer if you can afford to do so

The Safeguard GO is better suited for travel purposes. It has about 17" top harness position, but only becomes a backless booster later. Do you plan to have another baby? If so, then I'd consider the Sunshine Kids Radian or the new Evenflo Triumph Advance. If not, then I'd consider the Britax Regent. Radian has 18" top harness slot, 65# or 80# FF weight limit & can tether RF. Triumph Advance is 17" & has the highest RF limits with really easy use features & 50# FF weight limit. Regent has about 19" top harness slots, 80# FF weight limit & Britax performs more extensive crash testing than the others.

You could also contact Safety in Motion - E-Z-ON Products, Inc. of Florida about using their Kid-Y harness (80# weight limit) with any dedicated booster. The more open shoulder belt guides & flip up armrests of the Compass B510 seem like a good match for this harness. Compass also performs side impact crash testing in addition to the required frontal crash testing. This booster has deeper head wings than the Alpha Omega to help prevent kiddo from slumping out of position while sleeping, too.

Oh no, one more. My seat belt works where it moves freely till you break unless you pull it all the way out first, then it locks. Is this what you were referring to? I always wonder what happens if you don't see someone coming at you and you don't break.

This is the Emergency Locking Retractor. Every vehicle (since some time in the mid 1980s I think?) has that -- it works with a pendulum, which triggers the locking mechanism when it shifts during sudden movement such as breaking or crashing.... Every vehicle since 1996 is also required to have a manual locking mechanism: either at the retractor or at the buckle plate. Lap-only belts easily lock on their own unless the webbing is at a perpendicular angle to the buckle plate. Lightweight locking seatbelts often require pinching the buckle plate. I believe your vehicle has Switchable Locking Retractors: pull it all the way out slowly & it should make a clicking sound when it retracts. Your vehicle manual should explain, but also visit > CPSafety - Your online child passenger safety resource

	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	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.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	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.

	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.

	the First Years formerly Compass - Click for more info Compass was founded by a group of fathers who had spent years in the corporate world developing child care products. Disillusioned with the slew of problems that come with working for a giant conglomerate, this group set out the make their own mark on the child care industry in 2003. Compass' first innovative booster seat, the B500, started shipping in January of 2004. This was the first foldable belt-positioning booster on the market, and its design was so praised by the industry that Compass received a Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) Innovation Award 5 months after its release. The great minds at Compass have now taken the next step with their success by releasing some fantastic infant car seats and compatible strollers, all of which are designed with the same innovative simplicity that make Compass Boosters such a sought after product. No longer just "The Booster People", Compass is making a serious run at the competition by offering the I-410 and I-420 Infant Car Seats , as well as the Magnesium S330 Stroller and Magnesium T730 Travel System.

	Sunshine Kids - Click for more info Makers of a number of accessories geared towards making parents lives easier, Sunshine Kids has recently embarked in a new direction. In 2005 they unveiled their first car seat, the Radian. Their years of experience working in children's products focusued on child comfort and parent convenience shine through in this unique convertible car seat. The Radian is packed with safety features and is the first ever folding convertible car seat appealing to parents who car pool or travel often.

	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.

	SafeGuard - Click for more info Indiana Mills and Manufacturing (IMMI) is SafeGuard’s parent company, and has been in the business of developing and manufacturing quality safety systems for every facet of the transportation industry for over 40 years, covering everything from the heavy truck and agricultural industries to child seating. IMMI has a world-renowned reputation for creating and promoting the highest rated safety harnesses and restraint systems available today, from integrated child seats in production vehicles to campaigning for increased use of safety harnesses on public transportation systems. Based in Westfield, Indiana, SafeGuard has been creating and testing essential components used across the child safety seat industry through their state of the art crash testing facilities since 1961. The SafeGuard and SafeGuard Go are IMMI’s first direct foray into the child safety seat market, and the results are simply outstanding. No other car seats or boosters are designed with as much attention to structural integrity, ease of installation, and total child safety. This seat has been subjected to the most thorough and extensive testing “ever conducted in the industry”: virtual prototyping with computer models; rigorous front, side, and rear impact crash testing; and environmental testing in a range of climates and road types.

[fusionrx]

I use a Regent. Plan to keep him in till he hits weight limit. Oh yeah, he hasn't yet turned 4... Expensive but definately worth it...

	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.

[julia]

Thank you!!!!! Are there any 5-point harness competitors to the Regent? I'm asking because my son was looking forward to something different looking than what he already has. (ok, mommy was also) Not that that will change my mind if that's all there is, I'm willing to bite the bullet on style and price if I have to. Also, the wings for side impact seem better on the harnesses you recommended than the regent?

	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.

[Papooses]

The only real Regent competitor is the Safeguard Childseat (not the Go) -- the top harness position is about 1/2" lower & the weight limit is 65# but Safeguard is also part of IMMI, makers of LATCH + emergency restraint systems.... Safeguard Childseat costs over $400 It installs easier & has an infinite harness/headrest (like Britax Boulevard or Recaro Signo).

The side wings on the Regent are rather deep: the 2nd image in my daughter's carseat collage in my signature (the fishy/kissy face, LOL) shows the Regent wings extending beyond her head It's also made of a stronger plastic than the other seats mentioned in my last post, with a double hollow shell design. This combined with the overall girth of the seat as well as the fact that Britax does side impact crash testing makes the Regent my personal seat of choice for kids who must ride FF.

The Cosco Apex is often considered with the Regent because it harnesses till 65# with 17" top harness slots (unless you're lucky enough to find the elusive mysterious 19" version) & it can be used as a booster after the harness is outgrown. It's also the least expensive. This is my favorite combination seat, other than the Recaro Young Sport (if only the RYSport didn't have a mere 40# harness limit). However, the Apex isn't as sturdy as the others & Cosco doesn't do any side impact testing. Apex requires vehicle head support up to at least eye level.

The Regent, Safeguard Childseat & Cosco Apex are all very wide, but quite comfy.