Paige Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 In the rear facing carseat thread, I posted that my 6yr old has been in her seat for 5yrs. It made me realize I should check the expiration on her seat. I never thought it would expire before she outgrew it. I think it is expired, or will be expired soon. It's supposed to last 6yrs and I think it had been sitting on the shelf a while when we bought it and didn't have a recent DOM. So....what are my options? She's 6, so I don't want to invest a lot of $$ in a seat to last a long time. On the other hand, DS is 12 and still not tall enough to not use a booster. He needs to grow at least 2inches. My kids are petite. DD is in a 5pt harness and I'm happy with that. She's only 32lbs fully dressed and she's just barely 42in. I switched the older kids to boosters in K or 1st grade and regretted it because of their lack of compliance with sitting correctly. I'm in no hurry to switch DD to one now. On the other hand....she's 6. How long can I keep her in a 5pt and is it worth paying the premium for a convertible at this point? It's been ages since I bought a carseat or booster. What seat would be good for a petite 6yr old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 In my state, children need to be in 5 pt harness until age 4 AND 40lbs. It will be years until my petite dd reaches 40lbs. Her carseat will expire before then, so we will buy something like a graco nautilus that is harness and then booster combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaCEmom Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I second the nautilus recommendation. It's a combination 5-point harness, belt positioning high back booster & backless booster, and overall just a great long-lasting seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 If she is going to follow your 12-year old in height, go ahead and get the new seat. Also check the laws in your state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 The new Britax Pioneer looks good and would work as a 5pt harness and a belt positioning booster. It was easier for my kids to fasten a 5pt harness than buckle the seat belt around a bulky booster. Graco Nautilus is a 5pt harness, high back booster, and backless booster. Check out Evenflo SecureKid too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I believe the limits on the Graco Nautilus WITH the harnes are 52" and 65lbs so there still should be quite a bit of use out of the 5pt harness. From there you can use it as a high back booster (getting compliance with proper seat belt usage is ime less of an issuewith a HBB) and then a backless booster. She'll grow out of needing a seat before the seat will expire. I think you can figure at the bare minimum another three years if not more. My state requires a booster until 8yo or 80lbs or 4'9". With a smaller/shorter child, I think I'd probably err on the side of the height guideline with an eye towards how the seatbelt fits the child. In that case, I suspect for you it might be on the longer side. The big concern being how the shoulder belt fits and where the lap belt crosses her body. Too high and you're at greatwr risk for abdominal injuries. You'll just need to use your judgement. The Nautilus is around $140 - even if we go with a conservative 3yrs, you're talking not quite $50/yr for the carseat which really isn't all that much. If it were me, I'd probably be looking at 4yrs at least. Sometimes it's nice to amortize the cost out over the life of the seat to put the initial purchase price in perspective. :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I would go ahead and invest if a seat that converts from a 5 pt. harness to a high back booster and then just a booster, like the Graco Nautilus. The Nautilus is a wonderful seat with a sturdy steel frame and LATCH anchors good to at least 42 pounds (maybe more now, I bought mine a several years ago). It will last you until your daughter is tall enough to ride without a carseat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I had the girls in Britax Regents until this March. One of the seats was due to expire. I bought Parkway SGLs for both of them. They can ride without a booster in smaller vehicles, but not quite in ours. Neither girl is anywhere near 4'9" or 80 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I have a Nautilus as well for the 2 older kids and plan to get one for dd2 when her Britax expires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I have a Britax Frontier for DS4 that can hold him in a 5-point until he's 85 lbs. but if that's too long, it converts into a belt-positioning booster, and then into a regular backless booster with a weight limit if 120 lbs (crazy). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 My tall, skinny ds was in his Nautilus in the 5 pt harness until age 8, so I would go with the Nautilus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 FYI: Many parents (myself included) find that the Nautilus doesn't work for their child as a booster. It was okay as a carseat (not our favorite though, to be honest) but didn't work as a booster because it made the seatbelt run right across ds' belly instead of his thighs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Another vote for Nautilus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Mine are 8yo and still in their britax frontiers. Fits them up to 85 or 100 lbs, can't remember, and something pretty good on height. Mine aren't even close to the limits. We tried boosters on a trip, but these keep them much better contained :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 The Evenflo Maestro is a very nice harness/booster; my almost 5yo is just over 40 pounds and has plenty of room to grow in it. I think it comes at a lower price than the Nautilus, although it can't be a backless booster like the Nautilus can. (I'll need to pass it down to a younger sibling before my son needs a backless booster, so the Nautilus didn't make financial sense.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 FYI: Many parents (myself included) find that the Nautilus doesn't work for their child as a booster. It was okay as a carseat (not our favorite though, to be honest) but didn't work as a booster because it made the seatbelt run right across ds' belly instead of his thighs. My best friend is a car seat tech and she warned me about this, but my son's Nautilus actually fits him really well as a booster! I even had her check to make sure I wasn't just being hopeful. So it can fit well as a booster, on some kids, in some cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSOchristie Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I have my six year old 5 pt harnessed in a Britax Frontier. He will likely stay that way until next December, when he will be 8, and both my Marathon and Roundabout expire and I have to have a new seat configuration. He is 60 pounds, so almost twice as heavy as your DD (wow!), and is nowhere near the height or weight limits. He never complains about his seat, or asks why he has to sit in it. I see his friends are all in boosters and hardly any of me EVER sit correctly, so, nope, he's staying safely 5 pt harnessed :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 How does a carseat expire? My seatbelts don't expire. No snark, just honestly wondering... I know there's an expiration date on them, but it makes no sense to me. My tiny girls will be in carseats for the forseeable future--not because of state laws but because of AAP recommendations. There's a video in the other carseat thread of a degraded seat crash test. The expiration date is on a sticker somewhere on the shell of your seat. The fabric seat belt doesn't break down like the plastic and foam of the carseat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 My daughter is almost 8 and has a Nautilus. She still has a couple years she can do a five point size wise. 50% of 10 year olds should still be in a booster. And no doubt my kids will be at 12 as teeny as they are. I won't force my teenagers to be in seats though I assume they'll still be small enough. If all parents would just do it til 4'9", there wouldn't be any stigma for 8-12yr olds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna in Texas Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Our Blvd. is about to expire at the end of the year. We're getting a Recaro. DD just turned 6 and is 35lbs. She's tiny. I'm barely 5', so I imagine she'll be in it for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtney.byrum Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Thanks for the reminder that I need to check our seats! I know one Nautilus is still good as it was replaced after an accident but the other was not in the car at the time so wasn't replaced. At the size/age you give I would definitely go with a seat that can harness and then booster like the Nautilus. My 9 yr old DS is still in a booster and will be for quite some time at not quite 60 lbs and about 4' 3". His younger sister is just over 60 lbs and about 4' 2" so she will also stay in a booster for awhile longer. We were just looking at boosters today since I think DS would sit better in a different seat where DD fits in the Nautilus fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 My best friend is a car seat tech and she warned me about this, but my son's Nautilus actually fits him really well as a booster! I even had her check to make sure I wasn't just being hopeful. So it can fit well as a booster, on some kids, in some cars. It worked for my ds as well. I'm fussy about belts (and carseats) and was keen to watch that when he switched. It did not work for us as a backless booster, however. When ds was tall enough that we couldn't adjust the upper guide up high enough to be within the guidelines of the seat, we tried it without the back, but the shoulder belt ended up in an odd position. I vacilated between no booster, booster, going back to the HBB before finding a different Graco BB that worked. I think the key is always to try the seat out with your child and in your vehicle. There's enough variation that what works for me won't work for you. The Nautilus is just a good place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I may be the odd one out (or the first to admit it), but I put my kids in a booster at 4.5 even though one of them is petite. We'd been in a car accident and I had to buy new seats. I decided that the convertible big-kids seat was too babyish (at that time, anyway; maybe they are different now). I wanted the seat purchased at age 4.5 to be their final seat. I had read that as long as your child will sit properly and the belt fits properly in the booster, the child is safe in a booster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I bought the Britax Pioneer just a couple of months ago. My 44 pound 7 year old really likes it. I love it because once I understood it, it is extremely easy! I don't remember how tall he is but there is no booster that possibly makes him tall enough that the chest belt of the self belt doesn't cross him too high on his neck. He's neither short nor tall but a booster is definitely not safe enough, yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 A child is not safe in a booster no matter how they sit if the belt isn't crossing them in a safe place. Since your girls are small, therefor likely smaller than my 7 year old son, I can't imagine how I could make a booster safe. When he sits in a booster the belt crosses at the base of his neck no matter how straight he sits. It's ok with him though. He hasn't had any other type seat so he just thinks its normal :) Plus, he loves being able to buckle and unbuckle and he couldn't if we were just using it a booster or high back booster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatashainDFW Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 How does a carseat expire? My seatbelts don't expire. No snark, just honestly wondering... I know there's an expiration date on them, but it makes no sense to me. My tiny girls will be in carseats for the forseeable future--not because of state laws but because of AAP recommendations. Actually at about 20 years you should have seat belts replaced. You should also have any seat belt that was in use during an accident replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 A child is not safe in a booster no matter how they sit if the belt isn't crossing them in a safe place. Since your girls are small, therefor likely smaller than my 7 year old son, I can't imagine how I could make a booster safe. When he sits in a booster the belt crosses at the base of his neck no matter how straight he sits. It's ok with him though. He hasn't had any other type seat so he just thinks its normal :) Plus, he loves being able to buckle and unbuckle and he couldn't if we were just using it a booster or high back booster. Hmm, this may depend on the booster. When my kids were 4.5 (and one of mine is petite), the belt as positioned by their high-back booster was positioned fine. The seat also came with a separate seatbelt positioner for when/if we stop using the high back part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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