Sorry to revive an old thread, but this topic is still relevant . . .

Didn't have a lot of luck finding the Harmony booster referred to in this thread, so I went with two BubbleBum Car Booster Seats from Amazon:


My Gracos don't fit my 996 C2 Narrow Body (by definition, I suppose, HaHa), so I needed an alternative. These inflatable boosters are well made and my kids like them better than the standard car boosters as they are more comfortable, I highly recommend them if you are looking for the same thing I was-- Cheers

 

I have a Recaro ProBooster, I think it was $85 on Amazon. Very well made, perfect fit.

 

Let me ask a stupid question. These booster seats are intended for what age/weight/height child?

b-man

 

Not sure if you are asking me or Puppy, but according to the Amazon link I posted above, the BubbleBum is for children ages 4 - 11, 40 to 100 lbs

KH

 

Thanks. I was asking everyone. I'm just trying to have a long term plan.

b-man

 

I think the Recaro is about the same weight range, which is a bit dumb. I would never dream of making a 100 lb 11 year old sit in a booster, my 75 lb 9 year old hasn't sat in a booster for several years.

For the Recaro, you can remove the head protection pads as well as the back to convert it into a "big kid" booster. One note on the ProBooster, it is as wide as would possibly fit into the back seat. I just ordered an extension buckle because it was difficult to fit my hand between the booster and center hump to buckle/unbuckle the seat. I have also removed my rear seatback to allow the car seat to sit further back and buy a bit more legroom.

 

All depends on how tall you are. At that age, it is about positioning the shoulder belt at the right height, I'm not terribly tall and neither is my kids' mother, so I'm guessing my kids will be in a booster longer. Here's the CA law:

(V.C. 27360) All children under age 8 must be properly buckled into a safety seat or booster in the back seat.

Exceptions: A child who weighs more than 40 pounds and is riding in a car without lap and shoulder belts in the back seat may wear just a lap belt. A child under age 8 who is at least 4'9" may wear a safety belt if it fits properly. Children under age 8 may ride in the front if there is no forward-facing rear seat in the vehicle, the child restraint cannot be properly installed in rear seat, all rear seats are occupied by other children age 7 or under, or for medical reasons. A child in a rear-facing safety seat may not ride in front if there is an active passenger air bag.

(V.C. 27360.5) Children age 8 or over may use the vehicle safety belt if it fits properly with the lap belt low on the hips, touching the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt crossing the center of the chest. If children are not tall enough for proper belt fit, they must ride in a booster or safety seat.
Consequences for failing to properly buckle up any child under 16 The parent gets the ticket if a child under 16 is not properly buckled up.
The driver gets the ticket if the parent is not in the car.
The cost of a ticket could be more than $475* per child; the fine for a second offense could be more than $1000* per child. One point is added to the driving record, which could raise insurance rates. Part of the fine money goes to a special fund to help pay for local safety seat education and distribution programs.

Related Information
Older babies and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing convertible seat until they are at least two years old. Children should ride in a safety seat with a harness as long as possible (40-90 lbs., depending on the model). Children who have outgrown their safety seats need a booster for proper belt fit (usually until age 10-12). To find out if a child is tall enough to wear just a safety belt, try the 5-Step Test, available from SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Auto insurers are required to replace safety seats that were in use or damaged during a crash.

 

The laws border on ridiculous, and seem to date back to the days when most cars only had lap belts. My 6 year old daughter can sit in most cars and achieve perfect belt alignment over her shoulder due to the adjustable shoulder belt height that most modern cars feature. She still sits in a booster just to be on the safe side, but I don't fret over her riding without it providing that she fits correctly. I am very religious about seat belt use and proper fit, but the laws (as usual) don't often pass the common sense test. A 90 lb kid in a safety seat with harness (per the law above) is freaking idiotic.

Just an addition to the topic at hand, I purchased a buckle extender off of Amazon for about $25. It was challenging to reach the back seat buckle with the Recaro seat installed, this has made it exponentially easier.