My dh and I were having this debate. He claims that it is not safe for our son to be in the five point harness beyond the weight limit (he's big). I don't even think he's old enough to be in it (I know, bad mom), but I took him out of the bucket seat because he's so big. He'll be three at the end of Feb. He thinks he needs to be in the booster with the seatbelt because if he were in an accident, his weight would propel forward and the seat belt would come undone. He is a mechanical engineer, so he might have a point. I don't know what kind of seat it is- Evenflo maybe. If you need that info, I could figure it out. The seat is about 4 years old.

By Debbie on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 02:49 pm:

Laura, I am not Trina, but I also had problems with my ds because he was a big boy. Most carseats have a 40 lb limit with the 5 point harness. It is not safe for them to be in the seat if they are past the weight limit. My problem was that ds was 3 when he hit 42 lbs, so he had outgrown his carseat, but he wasn't good about sitting in just a booster. I ended up buying a Britax Marathon carseat that harness up to 60 or 80 lbs(I don't remember which) It was pricey, but well worth it. Ds is 4-1/2 and just moved into a booster seat. However, we still pull out his carseat and use it for long car trips. So, the first thing you need to do is check the weight limit on your carseat. If he is over the limit, then he is not safe in the seat. You would have to purchase another carseat that harnesses over 40 lbs, or move him to a booster.

By Lauram on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 03:03 pm:

Right now he's in a booster- but it has a 5 point harness (does that make sense?) You can take off the harness and use a regular car seat. He's not even three yet though. He's 38 pounds right now and the weight limit is 40 points on the harness.

By Debbie on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 03:16 pm:

Laura, I know what you are talking about. Do you know the weight limit on the seat?? You can problably find it on line. Most are just to 40 lbs, so he is probably past the limit. So, you would have to buy a seat with a 5 pt. harness that is over 40 lbs or just use the booster with the seat belt. The problem I had with my ds is that he wouldn't sit right in the booster with just the seat belt. So, that is why I decided to spend the money and get a seat with a higher 5 pt harness weight limit.

By Debbie on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 03:17 pm:

I just reread your last post. He is fine for now, but once he reaches 40 lbs you would have to use just the seat belt or move him to a different seat.

By Trina~moderator on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 03:19 pm:

Laura, sounds like he's currently in a combination car seat, which harnesses to 40 lbs. and then transitions to a booster. Your DH is correct that it's not safe to use the harness once a child has reached the weight limit. Are your DS's shoulders above the top harness slots? If not, then he's fine in his current seat for now until he reaches 40 lbs.. At that point, because he is so young, I recommend getting a new car seat that harnesses past 40 lbs.. The Britax Marathon that Debbie mentioned above is one option. It harnesses to 65 lbs., and is designed for kids who are big yet not mature enough for a booster. Most kids aren't big enough or mature enough to sit properly in a belt positioning booster until they are at least 4 yrs. and 40 lbs..

I need to catch my kids off the bus but will be happy to discuss this further if you have more questions.

By Melanie on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 03:23 pm:

The other option is the Britax Husky. The seat is very big, which is why we opted against it, but it is another to consider. My 45 pound 3.5 year old (4 in March) has her Marathon maxed out right now in terms of height. Her shoulders are even with the top slot for the straps. Since your child is not yet three, I would definitely look at both seats, especially if he is also tall for his age.

By Lauram on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 05:42 pm:

What do you mean by big enough or mature enough? He is pretty tall. My dh thinks he's above the last point, but he's going to check. TIA. (again!)

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, January 15, 2005 - 08:04 pm:

If his shoulders are above the top harness slots he has outgrown the seat.

Although he may be big physically most kids less than 4 yrs. of age aren't mature enough to sit properly in a belt positioning booster. They wiggle, move the shoulder belt around and sit out of position, all of which can be very dangerous in the event of a crash. That's why a harnessed car seat is recommended until at least 4 yrs. of age. Some kids aren't able to sit properly in a booster until they are older than 4. My DD is an example. Currently 6.5, I just transitioned her to a booster a few months ago. Before then she was much too wiggly and *needed* a 5 pt. harness.

Currently Britax is the only manufacturer that makes car seats that harness past 40 lbs.. There are rumors of other manufacturers coming out with 40+ lb. seats but no definite dates as of yet.

At the bottom of this article is a link to search for a CPS Tech in your area.
New Year's Resolution: Choose and Use the Right Child Safety Seat

By Debbie on Sunday, January 16, 2005 - 05:40 pm:

Laura, my ds was just like Trina's dd. He was very wiggly and would undo the latch on the seat belt. I was driving one day and all of a sudden he was standing next to me. That did it, I got the Britax Marathon carseat the next day. He was in it for a 1-1/2 yrs. I just put him in a booster a few months ago. He is 4-1/2 now. I still have his carseat and he knows that if he doesn't sit right in the booster, he will go right back in it. So far, he is fine.