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Here in NL if the child tall enough to fit the car seat belt then that is fine. Since my daughter was age 5 she did not use any car seats but when we were in FR we had to buy a car seat in fact their car seats were bigger I am sure it is different in each country.
The vast majority of children outgrow seats by height. The Britax gives an extra NINE INCHES over the Graco. That $30 is going to give you years of extra harnessing. For the OP, her son at the 98% percentile for height could still be harnessed at age ten. At the 98% percentile for weight he'll still get to age 7 in the harness.
The britax pioneer wasnt rated as high as the click tight which is about 100 dollars more. I am okay with the cost of the pioneer and it does seem like it would last longer.
I too am a fan of 5-point harness. With 3 cars and a huge dislike of moving car seats from one car to another we have a lot a car seats. My 6 year olds outgrew their convertible car seats with 65 lb weight limit (started using after they outgrew their infant car seats at 1 year) just before Christmas and I switched then to high back boosters. I honestly don't like seat belts for kids at this age and last month went back to a car seat with 5 point harness. Looked for car seats with higher weight limit for the 5 point harness. They are a few out there. Debated between a couple of britax brands, graco Nautilus and the Radians. The radian brand were the most expensive at ~$250-300 but I liked that it's almost the only seat that you can fit 3 across so we got a Radian RXT and a Radian R120. 5 point harness up to 80lbs and 57 inches and converts to a booster to 120 lbs. We love it and I'm just more comfortable with then back in 5 point harnesses and they seem to like it too. I think this will last us till they are out of car seats. My 4 year old is still comfortably in his convertible car seat with 5 point harness. He is both 95%+ for height and weight
I'm 28. I had a car seat growing up, but when I was 4 and 5 I had a booster, and by the time I was 6 I was riding like a regular passenger. I'm not going to get into the research argument--because there is a lot of research about a lot of stuff(even research that contradicts other research) so much so that you have to determine what works best for you. I kept mentioning britax because that is what was told to me was the best option. I will look into the systems you mentioned as well. I didn't know about the other options--seems like everyone I know uses britax or just uses the regular highback booster seats like I am. No in between lol!
Why don't you talk to your pediatrician? If you have a check coming up or even schedule something before then. Obviously it's bugging you and you don't trust your other sources.
We used two Britax convertible seats with 85 lb limits, one for each car. My daughter found them to be very comfortable (according to her), no complaints. After watching crash test videos with child dummies I kept mine in a harness as long as possible. Seems way safer.
I bought three highback boosters back in January. One for my car, my sisters, and the sitter(for pick ups etc when I can't get there in time) equaled up to close to the cost of the britax pinnacle. I felt he was secure in each of these seats so I never felt concerned... Now after reading and doing research it does seem that the best option is to try to keep him in the 5 point harness until he is at least 6. After that I am personally fine with him going to a highback. I am looking at the graco atlas or nautalis. His last two car seats have been britax and his first was Chico. I'm done spending a pretty penny on seats and not feeling as impressed as I believe I should be-hence why I've been on the fence about the britax. If I were considering keeping him in the 5 point pass 6, then the britax would be the option I choose but honestly I'm not worried about keeping harnessed pass 6, even now he doesn't seem to have a problem remaining still in his current highback. I now have to buy three new seats so I'm going for what's affordable, high rated, and meets my needs!
How on earth did some of you keep them in harness? What car seat systems did you use that still accommodates a 7 year old based on height and weight. When I was 7 I was out of a booster and riding regularly without one. This is obviously something new i guess? How did all the kids back in the day survive without 5 point harness when they were 4 and 5??? I asked my dad and he is surprised by the new set of safety rules too.
Are you guys using britax?? Or other systems?
My kids both used the Graco Nautilus. We switched to a booster not because they outgrew the Nautilus, but because the Nautilus expired and it seemed to make better sense at age 7 to buy a highback booster to replace it rather than a new harnessed seat. One of my kids is very small for her age, and the other is average-sized, so we didn't need a "high weight seat", but I know that there are options available for those who do need these.
I'd be concerned about his maturity and whether he still falls asleep in the car, sits up straight for the duration of the ride, etc. He'd be safer in a 5-point if that's an issue. And with the average 4 year old, it's probably an issue. If there is a carseat clinic scheduled in your area (I think the company who does them is called fit 4 a kid or something), you could go and see what they say. Honestly, I wouldn't ask the average pediatrician, as I've seen babies leaving ped offices (two of them in two states) with straps completely loose and harness clips at their bellybuttons... you'd think the doctor, of all people, would say something about that, but maybe they don't keep up on that sort of thing. I have no idea.
My own kids were always small for their ages, so they stayed harnessed until they were six, then in high back boosters until they were 10. My daughter switched to a backless booster when she was 10-11 because she complained about the high back. Finally she met the requirements to fit in the seatbelt when she was close to 12, so we could get rid of the booster.
My kids both used the Graco Nautilus. We switched to a booster not because they outgrew the Nautilus, but because the Nautilus expired and it seemed to make better sense at age 7 to buy a highback booster to replace it rather than a new harnessed seat. One of my kids is very small for her age, and the other is average-sized, so we didn't need a "high weight seat", but I know that there are options available for those who do need these.
I think the graco elite and britax generally have the higher height/weight limits. I really am not concerned with keeping him harnessed until 1st grade--as that will be more than 2 years from now. I am only interested in keeping him harnessed until he is 6. It looks like the graco atlas will hold him up until he is 65 pounds and I think he could last in that seat if I purchased now for an additional year... And then at that point he would be ready for a highback. Tbh I don't have a problem with my son not sitting still in his seat-it happens of course, but not often. I've not found myself telling him to sit still very much as it stands. I'm really looking for a transitional harness system to last for the next year. After that I honestly think he will do fine going right back to the highback booster. I completely understand why many parents want to keep their child harnessed as long as they can---and respect that, but I am perfectly okay with just keeping him harnessed until he turns 6 and then doing the highback for a year or so before doing the backless seat(which is like 30 dollars lol), and then at 8 letting him just sit in the car as a passenger( at that rate he's going by the time he's 9 or 10 he might be my height lol!!!).
I am very short(5ft2) and I remember that even when i was his age and smaller in size that I was in a booster seat--my mom never had to get on me about remaining still because we just did... My son is similar in that unless we are having a very long car ride he remains still. Not to mention, I enjoy the britax seats(which appear to be the only seats that have very high height and weight limits) but they are very expensive and seem like more of a long term option as opposed to a transition seat. I am single mother and I just can't afford to buy three more seats that cost nearly $300 each.
My almost 6 year old is in just a booster. He is a giant. At his last checkup he was in the 99th percentile. The checkup prior to that he was OFF THE CHART. My future NBA Center was not comfortable in the high back anymore. If he fell asleep, his head would not rest against the wings of the high back. His head constantly flopping forward. We asked the doctor about it and he said to try without the back IF the seat belt hits in the right places. It does. He is much more comfortable and he he able to sleep in a proper position in both of our cars.
People just need to mind their own business. You do what's right for you and yours.
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I am sure it is different in each country.
