2 year old in a booster seat?

[KatieRabbit]

DD will be 2 when new baby is born and we currently have her in her car seat which we want to use for new baby and get DD a new booster. Thing is, she is 14 kilos now and thus fits the 14-26kg range for a booster but I still think she is too young for one even though the weight is correct. I would prefer the convertible booster seats which go from 8-26 kilo but DH argues that as long as she is 14 kg then she doesn't need the convertible one. Any ideas?

[feeb]

I would get a maxi rider.

We are going to get a maxi rider for DS and he will be 18 months old when baby arrives.

[KatieRabbit]

Well I thought that we would get one too (a M-R) but DH maintains that as DD is 14kg we can go the next one up (just a straight booster seat- like a S & S Hi-Liner or Pegasus) no probs but I think that she is too young for the non convertible booster....

[feeb]

Grrr maybe take him in to stores and look at them and compare safety ratings. Maybe find you tube crash tests and show him that.

Sorry not really any help.

[Tannis]

I might not be much help but there was something on the news tonight about under 4yo's need to have the harness still and 4-7yo's need to be in a booster....I didn't really hear much of what they were saying, maybe google it?
Jayden was 2yrs2mths when Ashlea was born, we wanted to upgrade him and give Ashlea his seat but decided in the end to just but a new one for Ashlea. Jayden is 14kgs as well and the seat is good until he is 18kgs, I'd say it will last him at least until for or beyond.

[*Ali*]

My DD was almost 14 kgs at 2 and at just over 3 she has only just new passed the 18 kg mark- we had her in the 8-26 kg type and I only took the 5 point harness off a couple of weeks ago, she now has a protecta harness on there. It would really be worth checking out the changes to the child restraint laws, I am pretty sure that it is in there that they have to be in a proper 5 point harness until they reach the age OR weight limit (which ever comes first), before they can go into a booster seat.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

there is new legislation/recommendation that children are kept in a 5 point harness car seat until they are 4 years old, then a booster seat til they are 7. so i would get the MAxi rider because it has the inbuilt harness and will also convert to a booster when the time comes.

[Mak]

You can get the latest safety ratings from RACV/NRMA/Choice websites for free - not all seats are compared/tested and there have been a few new seats on the market recently due to the rule change (in Vic anyway). A few points to note - often those convertible types need you to change over from the inbuilt 5 pt harness when your child gets to 18kg anyway so you need to know that to buy a suitable harness (otherwise the safety rating is not the same). Additionally the recommendations are age or weight related - so once child is 26kg/too tall or 4yrs old ITMS???
Good Luck - we had a big 2yo - it is a tricky one once you start getting info IMO.

[Kazmar]

Yeah from the 9th November your not to have a child under seven in an adult seatbelt. They need to be in a harness of some sort.
Imo they arn't safe with an adult seat belt at all! Jump on the Vic roads website and take a look. I know its all written there

[KatieRabbit]

Sorry- I didn't make it clear that I would be using a 5 point harness with the booster seat and a S/M clip anyway even if new laws weren't coming in purely for safety!

[Erin_25]

I think the new laws are stating that it has to be an "in-built" 5 point harness....not an attached one if that makes sense? Other than buying those that you attach. That's where the Maxi Rider is good as it has the inbuilt harness, safety standards & goes up to 26kg. Though if you can get a seat with the inbuilt harness of another sort then that wouldn't bother me either.....HTH. The Maxi Riders are $$$$ and I can understand why some wouldn't/couldn't afford one.

[Janie]

As far as I'm aware, the 5 point harness needs to be inbuilt, like in the Maxi-Rider type seats.

I agree with you!!! Good luck winning hubby over, I'm sure it will be easier once you point out the new laws.

[Mak]

Just to clarify - the in built 5 pt harness for the Maxi Rider needs to be replaced by a Protecta Harness once the child is over 18kg - it is not safe after that, this is not clearly advertised. Check out the safety ratings.

[Janie]

Oh thanks for that Mak, I was totally unaware!

[2CheekyMonkeys]

the pictures are on the box though (re: the protecta harness and i *think* you can use the normal seat belt with it too)

there is a hipod with the inbuilt 5 point harness which is heaps cheaper. as far as i know these are the only two that have the in built harness.

[KatieRabbit]

Thanks all- Erin and Janie you are right. The 5 point harness needs to be built in for up to 4 years of age and today we got a new Maxi-Rider. Yah! And we got a free S & S protecta harness for when DD gets to 18kg!

[Kirley64]

DD will be 2 when new baby is born and we currently have her in her car seat which we want to use for new baby and get DD a new booster. Thing is, she is 14 kilos now and thus fits the 14-26kg range for a booster but I still think she is too young for one even though the weight is correct. I would prefer the convertible booster seats which go from 8-26 kilo but DH argues that as long as she is 14 kg then she doesn't need the convertible one. Any ideas?

check into the new laws cuz they are changing that the child has to be about four (don't quote me but something similar to that age group) before they go into a booster seat and even then they have to now have the five point harness on the booster seat... so definately check the laws that are coming into effect soon