Five-point harness for older kids in high back booster

prosaic

We have a 5yo. She's small for age but getting to time to move to booster.

I looked into 5 point harnesses for boosters last year but they aren't very available here as yet. I'm looking for advice on getting one: models, where to get etc. I see the Graco Nautilus is one example that goes to 30kg. I'm starting to look again and will post anything I find out about it.

Also, it annoys me that the car seat industry moves so slowly in adopting better practices when evidence shows that they should. It would seem that particularly for ages up to 6 or 8, the kids would be much safer in 5 point harness than using the standard seat belt. I'd be interested in peoples views in this area. That's informed or well thought out views rather than rants. People who rant should be restrained in rear facing jackets.

prosaic

Ok, I may yet have to eat my words.

The difference in safety between five point harness and booster with seat belt is small and uncertain, it would seem. The main thing is, for booster+seatbelt, child needs to be say 5 or 6 yo, over 18kg, and be mature enough to sit correctly with belt properly positioned. Some say that the bones are not mature enough for seat belt until over 6 yo.

The advantages of harness are that it might be better in side impact and it might keep child better positioned in general. The advantage of seatbelt is that shoulders and neck move together more so the neck strain is smaller.

Probably, how you drive the car is of greater importance than choice of seat type.

I'll keep looking into it a while longer...

dori_dormer

Your best bet is to call in car safety in Belfast. They are very knowledgeable on car seats. I bought my erf seat from them as have many people I know. They'll be able to tell you what's the best fit for your child/ car.

At the minute the pound is crap so you should ask for their advise but maybe buy from somewhere else. Simon there is very nice and helpful

prosaic

We got our current Britax Two Way Elite from In-Car-Safety in Belfast. Very happy with that and they had good advice too.
They themselves don't do harness seats for bigger children apart from clunky one for disabled.

I'm unsure between the options of harness and belt for our daughter. I don't think she'd stay well seated for belt and at 110cm, may be on the short side. She'll get another couple of months in the Two-Way until she's too tall for the harness.

pwurple

prosaic wrote: »

Ok, I may yet have to eat my words.

The difference in safety between five point harness and booster with seat belt is small and uncertain, it would seem. The main thing is, for booster+seatbelt, child needs to be say 5 or 6 yo, over 18kg, and be mature enough to sit correctly with belt properly positioned. Some say that the bones are not mature enough for seat belt until over 6 yo.

Also to consider is the usage of the 5-point. I don't know many pople who use them correctly... tightens them to where one finger width fits between the child and the belt, no coats or bulky jumpers. I've also seen children wriggle out of the shoulder parts entirely, leaving only a lap belt.

The seatbelt automatically tightens, but the 5 point, to my mind, remains far too loose in a lot of cases.

dori_dormer

If your child can wriggle out of a harness you can get chest clips to prevent it.

Although the the harnesses better disperse the force upon impact, at 5 years old their bones should be fused enough that a belted hbb would be safe

Moonbeam

I have a small 4 year old.
She is 34lb/15kg in weight and she is in a graco nautilus elite(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Graco-Nautilus-Elite-Group-Monaco/dp/B006Q61894)
My 6 year old on the other hand is 24kg and very tall and is in a high back booster.