Car seat for a 3 year old??

Question

My daughter will be 3 years old in september. Her current car seats weight limit is 35 pounds and is almost too small. She is big for her age, shes 34 pounds and 3 ft 4 inches. According to the booster seats i was looking at, once she turns 3 they say she can ride in one. But ive also heard no matter what they shouldnt be in a booster until age 4. So what car seat should i get if she outgrown the one she has and still shouldnt be in a booster? I cant afford to spend $200 on one thats a 5 point harness for 3 year olds right now. Any suggestions? Is it safe to put her in a booster seat if she fits the weight and height requirments at age 3? Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

She's too small for a booster seat.

Which seat is she in now?  All the convertible car seats I know of go up to 40lbs..

A few options for you to look into are

Evenflo Triumph Advanced ~ Goes to 50lbs ~ $129

http://www.target.com/Evenflo-Triumph-Ad...

Graco Nautilus ~ Goes to 65lbs ~$145

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...

Apex ~ Goes to 65lbs ~ $130

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp...

Answer 2

my daughter isnt 3 yet but is big enough for the high back boosters which go to regular booster when it is time...look at walmart there are lots to choose from with these options...and they are under 50...the back just comes off when they are older. the hieght and wieght is like 36 in and 30 lbs.....

Answer 3

Go with a 5 point harness that can be used as a belt positioning booster.  The Nautilus by Graco would be a good choice, but if you are on a budget, the Platinum CarGo by Graco is a good one too.  I have had my daughter in one since she out grew her convertible seat as a 5 point till she out grew the limit and now that she is 5 a belt positioning booster.  She needs to be in a 5 point till she is 4 and 40 lbs, but the longer she is in a 5 point the better.

Answer 4

You didn't mention what seat she's in, but unless its a really old seat (and therefore...expired) it will go to at least 40lbs forward facing. They all do for almost the last 10 years. So you may have longer then you think. A forward facing 5 point harness seat is outgrown when either of these happens:

1)the weight limit is reached, 40lbs on most

          OR

2)the shoulders are above the tallest harness slot.

          OR

3)the tips of the ears go over the top of the seat shell

So as long as she's under 40lbs with shoulders below the top slot and tops of ears below the seat top, she fits. :)

If she's outgrown it, or in case she outgrows it soon, it is best to keep her in a 5 point harness AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Yes, there are lots of boosters out there that say you can put a child as small as 30lbs in them. The reason for that minimum is really for those older, skinny kids out there who may be old enough for a booster, but weigh less. The bare minimum for safe booster use is 4 years AND 40lbs, so no, she is not safe in a booster yet. And that is only the bare minimum - experts recommend keeping them harnessed as long as possible, preferably to at least 5-6 years old. This is b/c they lack the maturity to sit properly in a booster with seatbelt. And also b/c a 5 point harness is much safer than a seatbelt and booster. WHY KEEP THEM HARNESSED:

Compare the following crash tests for your self and see the major difference a harness makes.

Forward facing harness vs. booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A lateral test (the third view in) of a harnessed seat: http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index.php?...

A deep winged high back booster like a Parkway: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A shallow winged high back booster like the Turbobooster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

And a no back booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

Crash test video showing a 5-point harnessed seat next to a belt positioning booster

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfIuhL3cX...

VIEDOES OF KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DESPERATELY WISH THEY'D KEPT THEM HARNESSED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcq...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2kO8AxKb...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xb...

We also now know the spine is not solid until age 6.

So to sit in a booster and use just the seatbelt like an adult (basically a booster just fits the belt to the child,so it's essentially the same), they need to be able to not have the lapbelt cause those injuries, have the head proportionate like an adult, and have a solid spine like an adult. kids under age 5 have higher rates of head injury if they are riding in boosters than kids over age 5 (presumably because younger kids have heavier/larger heads in proportion to their bodies, so they fly forward farther or with greater force, thus incurring greater injury if/when they come in contact with vehicle interior or intrusion?).

"Another type of misuse is a child not using the restraint designed for its size and age. The

study of Isaksson-Hellman et al. (1997) showed

that the maximum effect of a restraint system is

not attained if the child is not using the optimal

CRS for its age. Also, a tendency of higher

injury risk was identified when the growing

child switches from one restraint to another, i.e.

when the child is at the youngest age

recommended for the restraint. " -SAFETY FOR THE GROWING CHILD – EXPERIENCES FROM SWEDISH ACCIDENT DATA

Lotta Jakobsson

Irene Isaksson-Hellman

Björn Lundell

Volvo Car Corporation

Sweden

The best seat for your situation is a GRaco Nautilus. Awesome seat for the price - check around online, ti might be cheaper than in stores. But Walmart has it for $140 or so. Harnesses to 65lbs, then becomes a booster. Will be the last seat you need to buy her. Keeps most kids harnessed to at least 7 years old. EAsy to use easy to install, metal reinforced. Side impact protection, cup holder, etc.

Steer clear of the Graco cargo, the weight limit, like most other seats, is only 40lbs.

Answer 5

Go by the manufacturers instructions... look for one that works for her.