Any suggestions for a 18 month old weighing 36 lbs. I have a car seat only good up to 40lbs. Booster seat?

Question

Any suggestions for a 18 month old weighing 36 lbs. I have a car seat only good up to 40lbs. Booster seat?

Answer 1

20–35 POUNDS CONVERTIBLE SEAT USED IN REAR-FACING POSITION, SECURED IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. LOOK FOR A CHILD SAFETY SEAT THAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR HEAVIER INFANTS.

Answer 2

You need to get a higher weight limit harnessed seat.  There are several options available.  The Britax Marathon, Boulevard, and Decathalon harness to 65lbs, the Britax Regent harnesses to 80lbs.  The Sunshine Kids Radian harnesses to 65lbs or 80lbs depending on the model.  There is also the Evenflo Triumph Advance, the Graco Nautilus and the Cosco Apex.

Remember most seats are outgrown by height before weight.  A forward facing harnessed seat is outgrown when a child reaches the weight limit OR their shoulders are above the top harness slots.

At your child's age they still need to be harnessed for at least 2 1/2 more years.  4 years is the absolute minimum for a booster with seatbelt.

Answer 3

Definitely do NOT get a booster seat! The bare minimum (and I do mean bare) for safe and legal booster use is 4 years old and 40lbs. And its better to wait until the child is 5 or 6 to use a booster. Here's why:

There are 3 stages in car seats, rear facing forward facing and booster. Keep your child in each stage AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!! Each move 'up' in car seats is a major move down in safety.

So, keep your child in a 5 point harness as long as possible. That said, trust me when I say I feel your pain!!! My son has always been BIG and outgrew all the available 40lbs car seats that Walmart had at the time when he was just 2 years old. I could only find one seat on the market that would fit my son (now 3.5): Britax Regent. Harnesses to 80lbs!! Awesome seat - yes, it does take up some space, but how else would it hold a bigger kid?! Fits fine in my tiny 2 door Honda Civic. And you're in luck, Britax is having one of their semiannual sales from February 24 - March 2. You could snag a Britax seat for $200 or less including shipping! Regular retail price is $269.

Another option is the Graco Nautilus, though it can be hard to find. It is currently only at Walmart, but will soon (within 2 weeks or so) be at Baby Depot (Burlington Coat Factory's baby dept.) and by the end of March at other stores, too. Amazon.com is taking orders intending to ship out Feb 25. $150, harnesses to 65lbs, then becomes a booster seat. Awesome seat for the price. Very high end for Graco. Has 19" top slots. The Regent, comparitively, has 20" top slots.

My choice of the 2? With a child that size I would probably get a Regent, b/c it will keep him harnessed the longest.