What carseat for a 20kg 3 year old?

Hi, as the title says i am looking to find the best option for my 3yo ds who weighs 20kgs and is very tall. He is currently in a maxi-rider AHR, but apparantley these are no longer safe once they reach 18kgs. The suggested option is then to add a safe and sound harness to this, using the car's lap and sash belt, but this is a total PITA. Honestly, it is making me not want to go out anywhere as i hate putting him back in the car.
Is there any other option? I am more than willing to move ds2 into the maxi-rider and buy ds1 a brand new car seat if there is something less annoying and easier. Anyone have any suggestions?

wow -he is going to think N is a pipsqueak!!!!
no idea about car seats - sorry... we are in Safe and Sounds still.. I agree the harness looks BLOODY annoying

Isn't a maxi-rider designed to fit up to 26kgs? :dunno:

how's that break going JM????


yeah i also thought the maxi was to 26kg

:lol: just a break from threads that require my brain to work today. Kids asleep. And i find myself here..... :rolleyes:

We bought a Hi pod. It anchors in as usual and you use the normal seat belt in the car. I use this for my DS2 as he is solid. The sash that goes across can be put between the head rest so as it doesn't go too close to the neck area. Although by sound of it, you wouldn't have a problem with positioning of the sash.

The maxi rider does go to 26kg but the 5 point harness is up to 18kg I think

Copy and pasted from a review site

5 point harness to 18kg and then adjusts to using lapsash belt Easy to install and adjust shoulder strap tightness


and this is what someone wrote at the bottom

I bought this carseat as I wanted a seat with a 5 point harness that then adjusted to using lap sash belt after 18kg. I really don't like the seat in booster mode and have purchased a SnS HiLiner SG instead. If I had researched more thoroughly I would have purchased another 0-18kg seat when needed and gone straight into a HiLiner rather than my thinking that buying one booster would do both functions just as well, it doesn't.

Yeah i just looked that up too Nic, so the Maxi-rider is ok with a normal belt then? from 18-26kgs? Is that what it means?

But the new laws say that children under 4 must be in a car seat with a harness?! So maybe you have to use that thing that sounds like a PITA ginge?

My 20kg 4yo is in the maxi rider with the regular seatbelt and the anti submarining clip. We didn't get the harness as her eyes are already at the top of the seat.
But, that said I agree with Nics post. If I had known I'd just need the booster bit I would have bought just the booster that looks narrower and easier to use. But at the time we bought there weren't as many options availble.

I would double check with the car seat laws.. but really if your child has outgrown the 5 point harness then it shouldn't be a problem.. (they are meant to be in a 5 point harness until 4)

I think it is meant to be used with a harness?? or so I thought. I haven't got that far with mine yet. and DD is still tiny so I think she will be in for a while yet.

I have a AHR booster for my son who is 5 and seems easier to use with a harness as I have used a harness in it for a friends DD who was too big for a normal 5 point seat (over 18kg) and it worked really well and easy to get her in and out of it..

i'm even more confused now! LOL

just to clarify- the maxi-rider is suitable up to 26kgs, but once your kid reachs 18kg they no longer can guarnatee the strength of the straps so you need to start using the actual car seatbelt with a Protecta harness. They can then stay in this until 26kgs. The problem i have, is that the protecta harness is uper fiddly and a PITA to get them into.

i looked at getting the safe and sound hi-liner seat- but you still need to use the protecta harness, so i don't see any advantage in using this seat over a maxi-rider (except for the fact that if your kid is super-tall, they may actually outgrow the maxi-rider height wise and then you would need to move them into a hi-liner as this can go higher).

"Children grow at different rates between the age of 6 months and 4 years, so a child may use EITHER a rearward facing child restraint OR a forward facing child restraint with an inbuilt harness." From Vic roads website.

What a crock of ****. There is no car seat with an inbuilt harness for a child over 18kgs. So it's no possible to follow the law.....

so...i guess my question is....is there any carseat that i can use in which i would not need the protecta harness or is this an unaviodable side affect of having a solid boy?

wrong info

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so...i guess my question is....is there any carseat that i can use in which i would not need the protecta harness or is this an unaviodable side affect of having a solid boy?

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The Hi Pod and the Maxi Rider, pretty sure they were both on the Choice safest list too.

but i have the maxi-rider and he has exceeded the weight limit for using the inbuilt harness.

OMG this is toooooooo confusing!

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I would double check with the car seat laws.. but really if your child has outgrown the 5 point harness then it shouldn't be a problem.. (they are meant to be in a 5 point harness until 4)

I think it is meant to be used with a harness?? or so I thought. I haven't got that far with mine yet. and DD is still tiny so I think she will be in for a while yet.

I have a AHR booster for my son who is 5 and seems easier to use with a harness as I have used a harness in it for a friends DD who was too big for a normal 5 point seat (over 18kg) and it worked really well and easy to get her in and out of it..

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hey nic, can i ask you...which AHR booster are you talking about here that your 5yo ds has? thanks

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OMG this is toooooooo confusing!

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tell me about it. wait till you try to install a carseat with a harness. absolute nightmare.

just spoke to dh about it and looks like we'll be sticking to the maxi-rider and protecta harness. someone somewhere really needs to try to find a solution to fill in this gap. surely not all kids under 4 years old weigh under 18kgs?
the irony is we can never actually get ds1 to sit down and eat a meal!

if he were my son id use the maxi rider with adult seatbelt and antisubmarine thingy (its tucked down inside the the maxirider, it attaches to where the current buckle is)

ETA someone is also making a seat sutible for older/bigger kids, i have no idea who or when

yeah, i'm just not sure that it's completely safe iykwim? apparantly it's safer to use the harness than just the adult seat belt.

Although the advertised inbuilt harness weight it 18 kg, the crash test dummy they use is 22 kg. They say to 18 kg because it gives a leeway for parents who do not often weigh their children. I kept my now 7 yr old in her maxi rider harness till she was 20.5 kg, mind you she was 5 yrs old to. But it is up to you if you feel safe with him in it above the advertised weight limits.

My youngest won't break 18 kg till prob 5 years. She is 2.5 years now and only 12.5 kg. But will stay in an inbuilt harness till about 20 kg.

My understanding is that, while the Protecta harnesses are sold as being safer than just the adult seatbelt, tests have shown that they can actually cause injuries if fitted incorrectly and it's pretty easy to stuff it up. Kidsafe Victoria actually post a warning on them in their child restraint factsheet here There's some detailed research on this around somewhere which I can try to dig out if you want it.

If your child has outgrown the 5 point harness by weight then they can go into the booster mode, however has PP mentioned, they are actually tested up to 22kg so there's some leeway. I'm going to have the same issue with DD2 who has just turned 3 and is 17.5kg now. I'll be leaving her in the 5point harness up to 20kg unless she outgrows the straps height-wise (still a few cm to go so :crossfingers: it's a while yet!) On the other hand, DD1 has only gone out of her 5 point harness recently at age 5 after only just hitting 18kg :rolleyes: I bought her the Infa Vario booster with the adult seatbelt due to it's high safety rating. I'll probably get DD2 one of these when I have to convert her too as we have the basic Maxirider which doesn't rate too highly in booster mode.

Ah crap! I thought that I had found the right booster with the SnS Maxirider AHR! But Bella is 18 kgs already and 100cms and she is only 2! So maybe I need to be looking at a different one!?! Soooooo confusing!

Maybe Ill go into our super store and ask the staff....

thanks for your help ladies
i was told that the maxi-rider is tested with a dummy up to 18kgs but not over, which is why i am so concerned.

2girls- i can see how these harnesses could be fitted in correctly all the time. they are an absolute bugger to fit and to get right. i'm going to check out the seat that you suggested right now.

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if he were my son id use the maxi rider with adult seatbelt and antisubmarine thingy (its tucked down inside the the maxirider, it attaches to where the current buckle is)

ETA someone is also making a seat sutible for older/bigger kids, i have no idea who or when

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That's what we have with the Hi Pod.

ok......so if i buy either the infa vario booster or the safe and sound high liner, can i put him straight into one of these seats using the adult seatbelt and forget about the protecta harness?

eta- i just don't get it though, i mean why do they evn sell these protecta harnesses if you don't really need them and they are unsafe?

Ginger, I don't think they're unsafe if used correctly, it's just that it's so easy to not fit them correctly. As far as why they are sold, I guess it all comes down to baby store profit :shhh: But yes, you can buy one of those boosters (or there's a Hipod one that's highly rated too) without the harness. I got the Infa one for $125. Although check out how the seatbelt fits on the MR you've already got - if you're happy with the anti-submarining clip and the "fit" of the seatbelt around his neck, you would be fine to use it with the seatbelt as Olive suggested. The manual should show you how to convert it to booster mode.

ok, thanks for your help. looks like i might be heading back to the baby store tomorrow!

do you know if there is any difference between the safety of the infa vario and the high liner?

here is the link to the latest CREP (Child Restraint Evaluation Programme) results...it mighthelpin your search for a high rating booster seat. there are some booster seats currently in the design and testing phase that will have harnesses higher than 18kilos so that they meet the new guidelines, unfortunately that doesn't help your present dilemma.

http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/conne...adffba5b644aff

We have the Infa Vario Max and love it - super easy to use and the seat has an antisubmarining design so no clip needed. We had been using it with protecta harness but are swapping to adult belt. Be aware that often the baby shops have a company rep there to advise on seats so you should check the creps ratingMelbel posted and think about what will work for you best. xx

OMG, I can't believe L is 20kg!

Car seats confuse me. I have W in an Evenflo Generations, it is harness up until 18kg and then used with the car seatbelt up until 45kg. So I am guessing that W will be at least 4 before he is out of the harness (which is no help to you lol). Then I think we use the car seat belt. But then the Australian car seat rules are very anal compared to NZ - we don't even need to have the seats anchored (but I do).

My DS has been in caraway with no harness just seatbelt for about a year now. The ages are only a guide. Go by their weight and height, if they are too big for the 5 point harness then it's no problems. I had a police officer tell me this

i just wanted to update this thread for anyone who might be in the same situation and following the thread.
i ended up buying a safe and sound hi-liner and will be using it with the adult lap/sash seatbelt. we have not installed it yet- he is still in the maxi-rider with inbuilt 5 point harness at the moment, but will install it over the next few weeks.
i decided to go for the hi-liner over the infa secure booster seat as the hi-liner has the buckle and anti-submarine clip between the legs and the infa secure doesn't, even though they have the exact same safety rating.

Hi Ginger,

Just wanting to let you know I had a similar problem, my now 4 year old was a bit over 3 and weighed 20kg he is acutally heavier than his older brother and nearly just as tall. I spoke to Vic Roads re putting him into a Safe n Sound Hi Liner as he had outgrown the inbuilt safety harness in the SNS, and due to having 3 seats across the back I couldn't use the seatbealt with the Maxirider because couldn't do the belt up.

I called Vic Roads to aske if I could legally move him up to the booster prior to the age of 4, and they said it was fine, as he was over the weight limits for and heigh for in built harness it was OK. I highly doubt a policeman is going to question you if they see a child is in a child restraint in a car, especially if it looks appropriate for their height and weight. But if I was questioned I was just going to state that Vic Roads said it was OK.

BTW I love the Safe and Sound Hi Liner, it is far better than the infa secure booster, just found it had more padding in the seat.

What can I do if my child is too big for the restraint for their age?

The laws aim to cater for the majority of children, however there is a provision to allow a child who is too heavy or tall for the recommended restraint to use the restraint in the next age category.

Children aged up to four years will have to be secured in a child restraint with an in-built harness, while those aged up to seven years are required to travel in either a restraint with a harness or an approved booster seat

Child-restraint regulations are now based on a child's weight, not age, and will be replaced with more uniform laws.

All booster's go up to 18kgs....but what i did was i just used the normal seat belt....

Thanks ladies! Will be in the market for another seat for DD2 soon so will check it out. She is a smaller frame and more wriggly/non compliant than DD1 so that may be the go for us.