Our Babies Need a Booster...

May 10, 2008 8:27 PM

Can anybody tell us what kind of car seat our child should be in? We have 3 and 4 year old children approximately 37" tall and 27 lbs. Their shoulders are about 2" over the top-most shoulder strap slot on their seats. We are not sure if they need a bigger car seat or a booster. Any and all information and recommendations are appreciated. BTW, we have a Toyota Corrola which is relatively small so we can't use some of the Britax models (they are too big for our car).
posted by crios to health (13 comments total)

How are the britax models too big? I've seen them installed in a civic with no problem. They are hella easy to install also.

Anyways, until your kids are 35lbs, they should have a rear facing seat. A lot of manufacturers claim "rear facing up to 20 lbs", but thats just a marketing gimmick so you buy another seat when they get heavier. Rear facing is safer, and 35 lbs is the limit.

Try Graco seats, not only is it reputable (all manufacturers get their stuff recalled at one point or another...I would just trust a manufacturer who VOLUNTARILY recalls stuff), but they are convenient. The travel system is awesome.

Good luck, and all my info is correct to the best of my knowledge...but seriously, you may want to check everything because its not like I'm helping you choose the wii vs xbox360. This is your kids' lives...doublecheck your research.
posted by hal_c_on at 8:44 PM on May 10

Also, Chicago isn't exactly BUFU, IL...so you should find it relatively easy to find a retailer who will help you fit a set for your child and install a seat it in your car. They have to be CERTIFIED to do this.

In california, you can bring a seat to a fire station, and they install it for you.

In Illinois, seat installs you.

Again, good luck.

Just another question...if you didn't just adopt these kids...what have you been doing for car seats before this?
posted by hal_c_on at 8:50 PM on May 10

Our twins are about the same weight and about an inch smaller than your kids. We use a pair of Britax Marathon convertible seats in the forward facing position in our Mazda Protege5 hatchback, which is a relatively small car.
posted by jaimev at 9:05 PM on May 10

I would be wary of Evenflo seats.
posted by sanka at 9:09 PM on May 10

Both of my older kids had moved up to boosters by the time they were the size of yours. We have booster seats that have a removable five-point harness (like a car seat harness), which is what both kids started with, and then eventually we removed the harness and used the seats as belt-positioning boosters, when they got tall enough that the harness was starting to seem too snug. Another measure of when kids are ready to move into a belt-positioning booster is that they need to be able to sit in the proper position: butt firmly against the back of the seat, upright rather than leaning over or twisting. This can be as much temperamental as developmental! I have one friend who kept one of her (seven) kids in car seats as long as possible because he just wouldn't sit still!

My friend with the seven kids, by the way, extensively researched car seat dimensions when she was expecting number 5...or 6...I forget. Anyway, she ended up with a Britax because it was the only seat narrow enough to fit in the middle position in her van, between two other car seats.

This is the model of booster seat our boys have. Sam's Club sells them, at least where we are, for a good price.
posted by not that girl at 9:16 PM on May 10

According to NHSTA, they should be in a forward-facing "toddler seat" until they are four years old *and* forty pounds. If you call your local highway patrol, they will evaluate your car seat to make sure it is acceptable for the child's height/weight and that it is installed properly.
posted by Ugh at 9:44 PM on May 10

I have a small-ish car too. I bought the Britax Diplomat, which is specifically designed for smaller cars. It goes to 35lbs rear-facing, and 40lbs forward facing. That is a lower weight limit than seats like the Britax Marathon etc, because those are bigger seats.

If that's the kind of car seat you have already, then maybe its time for a combination seat or child/seat booster? I'm not sure, but check out carseat.org for more information about your choices. Please try and keep your babies rear-facing as long as possible!
posted by Joh at 10:00 PM on May 10

Anyways, until your kids are 35lbs, they should have a rear facing seat. A lot of manufacturers claim "rear facing up to 20 lbs", but thats just a marketing gimmick so you buy another seat when they get heavier. Rear facing is safer, and 35 lbs is the limit.

It sounds like the OP's kids are somewhat tall and thin. My son is 36" tall and 34 pounds, and his legs would not fit if we had our seat rear facing.

We have the Britax Roundabout and it fits just fine in our Accord. It's in the middle and two adults can still fit in the back seat.
posted by peep at 10:20 PM on May 10

Visit this website:

I've found it helpful, and the forums often have exhaustive advice.
posted by BClady at 10:34 PM on May 10

Whoops--sorry, it's
posted by BClady at 10:36 PM on May 10

If you're looking for a good safe seat for smaller cars I'd recommend checking out the Radian 65 and Radian 80 by sunshine kids. They are suitable for up to 65 lb and 80 lb and are very narrow- you could fit three across in most cars if you needed to. They can be installed rear facing or forward facing and fold for carrying if you want to take them on a plane or whatever. We got a Radian 65 from Amazon but last time I checked the baby store on Clybourn just north of Armitage (right near Treasure Island) had the Radian 80 in stock.
posted by true at 4:46 AM on May 11

Anyways, until your kids are 35lbs, they should have a rear facing seat. A lot of manufacturers claim "rear facing up to 20 lbs", but thats just a marketing gimmick so you buy another seat when they get heavier. Rear facing is safer, and 35 lbs is the limit.

There's been some research done (consumer reports, I think) that car seats are not as safe when used at the upper level of their weight range.

Regardless, it seems pretty absurd to be talking about putting a 4-year-old in a rear-facing car seat!

We have a Britax Roundabout, and it fit fine in the back of our Mini Cooper.

If it were me, I would (and have, for my 2 1/2 year old) switch up to a convertible toddler booster seat.
posted by leahwrenn at 7:37 AM on May 11

I have a Britax Marathon and will soon be swapping my infant seat for a Britax Frontier, if that comes out in the next few months. It's rumoured to go up to 100 lbs. I'm going to put my older kid in it and put the younger one in the Marathon. I don't anticipate any problems in having two Marathons, but I'll see if the Frontier will fit, of course. I have a Honda Civic and you can absolutely have two Marathons in it. I hear Sunshine Kids is more narrow, so have a look at that.

If the driver and passenger are especially tall, you might have trouble having the front seats as far forward as we do. We checked to make sure we are far enough from the air bags and all that. But we are only average height.

I went with the Britax because it's so easy to use and adjust. My parents have an Eddie Bauer and I hate it!

My oldest child has been forward facing since 18 months (despite surpassing 20 lbs around a year). I turned him to forward facing because he would scream non-stop at the top of his lungs for an entire car ride...even all the way to Ikea, 45 minutes away. I decided that the risk of facing forward was less than the risk of what would happen if he continued to scream like that. I felt we would either have an accident or perhaps scream back at our kid. I'm not sure how people in Sweden manage, but maybe kids there don't get motion sickness from sitting backwards. I know I have a problem myself. I do intend to keep the younger child rear facing for as long as I possibly can. (And, of course, you should never put a child under 20 lbs / 12 months into the forward facing position.)
posted by acoutu at 4:51 PM on May 11