Looking for feedback on car seat situation, in an awkward in-between phase

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trimeresurus

New member
As parents, how would you feel about not having a 3 yo in a harness? My 3'5'' tall 3 yo daughter will reach 40 lbs soon (she was 38.9 lbs a month ago) and her current car seat is only rated to 40 lbs. I know there are convertable seats w/harnesses for over 40lbs (I have one my 5 yo is currently, but I'm not a fan of it), but regulations say you don't need harnesses after 40lb.

Anyone else put their bigger-than life 3 yo in a booster? How did it work out for you?

Edit: I'll be looking for a 3-in-1 highback harnessed booster. Thank you to everyone, there were a lot of factors I wasn't either aware of or considering.
 
@trimeresurus I’m not sure which regulation you mean (maybe it’s just your state?) but I’ve always heard to keep them in a harness until their 5th birthday at least. I know some people use it longer since it’s safer, but 5 is like, the minimum. We use a Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 and would recommend it, if you’re looking for suggestions. We used it in harness mode at first and now in high back booster mode.
 
@trimeresurus Well, you’d want a high back booster with a harness, right? A “combination seat”, I think they call them. Three is just super young for a seatbelt, even if it’s technically legal, why push it? You’ll get tons of use out of a harness as long as you get one that goes up to 65 pounds. Totally worth it
 
@farmhouse1 Oh yeah, I initially read looking at a high-back booster. But I'm going to look more into the convertible ones. I didn't know/see the 3-in-1s, high back harness, high back booster, regular booster. I really just didn't want to buy a high back harness that I'd only use for 2 ish years.
 
@trimeresurus Oh yeah, the terminology is kind of confusing. I think they use “convertible” for the car seats that can do rear facing and forward facing (with just a harness) and “combination” for ones that only do forward facing and can switch from harness to seat belt booster. We got ours, the Nautilus, when oldest was around 3 and a half and he rode in harness mode until he was almost 6. Then we switched to high back booster mode, with the seat belt. He’s almost 8 now and still using that, but eventually we can switch it to low back booster if we want. Hopefully it will be the last car seat he ever needs. I’ve heard the Chico 3 in 1 is really good too. What is your 5 year old riding in? You mentioned it’s not very comfortable?
 
@trimeresurus I would absolutely never put a 3 year old in a booster without a harness. Check out the Facebook group Car Seats for the Littles to ask for a recommendation. What car seat is she in currently? Most seats have a limit of 40 pounds for rear facing, and they can stay in them for much longer forward facing. And I agree that you need to look for a combination seat, one that has a harness for forward facing and then can convert to a high backed booster when she’s ready.
 
@trimeresurus I personally would never put a 3, 4, or 5 year old in a car without a harness. I personally wanted to rearface for as long as possible so I bought my kids seats that will allow them to do so until 50lb (Graco extend2fit, I think it’s like 200 bucks) and they can forward face with a harness until 65lb. The recommendation is to always max the requirements, not jump in at the minimum, as outcomes in accidents vary wildly between the two. Imagine a rollover accident where your 3 year old is harnessed vs in a plain old seatbelt and booster seat.
 
@trimeresurus Another factor of changing to a booster seat besides weight and height is maturity. Many three year olds do not have the impulse control to not unbuckle themselves. Only you know your child best though.
 
@trimeresurus Absolutely not on your life.

Most kids need a harness until they are at least 5. Few children are capable of sitting still consistently before then.

Just get a 65 lb car seat. You should be able to get at least 2 years out of it.

https://carseatblog.com/24432/why-3-year-olds-have-no-business-riding-in-booster-seats/

https://carseatblog.com/50544/kids-and-boosters-older-is-safer/

40 lbs at 3.5 is not all that big. My daughter hit 40 lbs right at her 3 year checkup, and she still stayed in a harness until she was 7.
 
@trimeresurus What seat do you currently have? I'm surprised by the low weight limit for front facing.

Also, don't do it. Your kid's safety isn't something to take lightly. She isn't mature enough at that age for a booster, she should be at least 5. Combination seats can be pretty cheap - e.g. Graco Tranzitions.
 
@trimeresurus Very weird your seat has a limit of 40 lbs forward facing. That’s ridiculously low. We had to turn my daughter at 3.5 because the rear facing limit is 40 lb, forward facing is 65 lb. I would check your seat limit again.
 
@trimeresurus My oldest was in a harnessed booster until he was 6. If they fall asleep in the car seat, they need a harness as they will not be able to stay in a safe position otherwise.
 
@trimeresurus Ultimately it’s your decision. You know your kid best. And there are tons of harnessed booster options where I am so I had no trouble finding them. I made the decision to keep the harness for longer than a lot of others because that is what was best for my family.
 
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