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We've had the Britax Marathon Classic since they could do rear-facing and the specs on it say it goes up to 65lbs. At 5 years old, they aren't even 40lbs yet. In considering a gift, I came across booster seats that seem to be the same except it's missing the bottom base (ie. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Harmony-Dr...ilver/16439808). And of course you can remove the back as well. But what's the point when: 1) it gives the child a lower seating position (can't see out the window as well), 2) it has no apparent safety benefits for a small child, and 3) it's also going to take up the whole seat regardless. Honest questions - just trying to understand how it would benefit us if we switched to a booster. Maybe it's for 8+ year olds who get too big? But then aren't they legally allowed to sit in a regular seat and perfectly safe with a shoulder belt already? That leaves me with maybe portability?
My son wasn't even 3 by the time he was 45lbs and 46" tall, they exist for outlier kids I think. My son is in one of these boosters now, while I have regrets because I felt he was too young, he did not safely fit into any of the car seats (which is a shame because I tried to keep him rear facing until 2 but he just kept growing).
I wouldn't switch until it was absolutely necessary.
The basic point of a booster seat is to position the child and seatbelt in an acceptable position to let the regular car seatbelt provide the needed protection in case of an accident. A five point harness seat is always best, but they are bulky, difficult to strap kids into and not all of them accomodate larger kids. I would say that if your kid is happy in their regular carseat, then keep them in it. None of my kids were happy in their carseats and they all switched boosters when they were big enough to do so.
The benefit of a booster vs a harnessed seat is in convenience, not in safety. A step up in carseats (rear-facing to forward-facing to booster to no carseat) is a step down in safety. If you and your child are still happy with your harnessed seat, and your child still fits, and the seat is not expired, then there is no reason to switch to a booster yet. The minimum recommendations for moving to a booster seat are at least 4 years old AND at least 40 pounds, though you will find that many people move their kids to a booster much sooner than this. Maturity-wise, the child needs to be mature enough to be trusted to sit right and not move around out of position, so I think 4 years old is on the young side even if the kid weighs >40#.
My daughter is 7 years old and just transitioned to a booster seat about 3 weeks ago. She is very small, still not yet 40 pounds, so I was reluctant to switch her before the recommended 40 pound weight even though she is mature enough to sit still in the seat. I asked around on car-seat.org though, and they thought that at her age it should be okay despite her weight. The main reason that I switched her was because my 4yo daughter has been riding in the classic Marathon, but it was set to expire this month, so I was going to have to buy a new seat. I could have kept my 7yo in her harnessed seat and bought a new harnessed seat for my 4yo, or moved my 4yo to my 7yo's Graco Nautilus and bought a new seat for my 7yo. And it seemed to make more sense to buy a booster for my 7yo rather than a new harnessed seat, because she is mature enough and they are significantly less expensive.
It has been about 3 weeks since we have been using the booster, and I would say that the main benefits have been in her independence about getting in and out of the car by herself. This has been particularly helpful in the drop-off line at camp, where before I had to get out of the car and get her out of her harness but now she can get out of the booster on her own. Another benefit has been that when she wears a dress or a skirt, she doesn't have to hike it up in order to latch the harness on the carseat between her legs. And another benefit is that if she gets in the car after swimming she can sit on a towel (so as not to get the carseat fabric all wet) and still properly buckle herself in, which doesn't work in the harnessed seat (we have always had to change out of wet clothes before getting in the car before).
By the way, we also had the classic Marathon, and my daughter outgrew it by height far before she outgrew it by weight. She was only about 36 pounds when she outgrew it by height (measured by shoulders being above the top harness slots). If you are looking for a carseat that will allow you to continue to keep your kids harnessed longer than the Marathon, and then will convert to a high-back booster, and later a backless booster, you might consider a seat like the Graco Nautilus.
Most car seats have an expiration date depending on manufacturer, most are 7 years. If you look at the side of the car seat, it'll have a date made (sometimes an expiration date, not always though). The plastic degrades over time from heat, etc, which is why it does have an expiration date.
That said, to the OP, I'd wait on switching to booster for another few years unless they are extremely unhappy with the 5 point harness. 5 point over booster is FAR safer. Here's a good video to show the difference. 5 point harness vs. booster seat crash test - YouTube
Most car seats have an expiration date depending on manufacturer, most are 7 years. If you look at the side of the car seat, it'll have a date made (sometimes an expiration date, not always though). The plastic degrades over time from heat, etc, which is why it does have an expiration date.
Huh. Learn something new everyday. My kids are no longer little and I have never heard of this (though it makes sense, especially in Texas heat!) though I considered myself pretty carseat-smart back in the day.
Consignment stores here won't accept them for resale.
That's because even the smallest car accident can fracture the plastic in a car seat, invisible to the naked eye but completely voids the safety of it. I'd never buy a used one because you never know the real condition of the car seat plastic
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