[JBaby]

Hi there, hoping some of the EB car seat gurus can help me?

DD is 22months and we are expecting #2 in July. We were going to buy the same carseat we currently have for the next baby which is suitable from birth to 4 years (its babylove brand but cant remember the model), today my friend told me she is getting one that is suitable from 6 months to 8 years. It is a car seat that turns into a booster which would be pretty perfect so DD can have the new one and new bub could have her current seat.

Here is the link:

http://www.bigw.com.au/baby/carseats/boost...le-booster-seat

Anyways, I've never heard of these that convert to a booster and I have no idea if they are safe or not or where to find the safety ratings so hoping someone here will know?

Thanks in advance!

This post has been edited by JBaby: 28/01/2013, 10:30 PM

[Strawberry Welli...]

We got a babylove ezy combo seat for DD when she was 23 months. It is suitable for 6 months to 7/8 years and converts into a booster after 4 yrs. It had very good safety rating and meant we could use the 0-4 yr convertible seat for the baby. So far so good, seems a good seat but it's pretty big.

[Citizen V]

I don't know about that particular chair, but we have a 6mth - 7 year car seat. It has a 5 point harness, and then you can convert it when they are 18kgs to the car seat belt. I bought ours when our eldest was nearly 4 so you should be fine. We have the Safe n Sound, and also the HiPod brands.

ETA this is the HiPod we have http://www.hipod.com.au/Child-Car-Seats/6-...-with-Sound.asp

At the time it had top rating but may have changed since then. I can't remember the Safe n Sound model we have sorry.

This post has been edited by Madame Protart: 28/01/2013, 10:03 PM

[lsolaBella]

Generally convertible boosters are too upright for young kids who may still fall asleep in the car. Their heads fall forward at funny angles not protected.

The 2004 standard tests were all done with 22kg 6yo test dummies not smaller kids, so no I would not be following the safety ratings. The 2010 standard seats only a few have been tests and with different testing methods we have seen changes to the ratings.

One seat which currently gets good reviews for non head fall is the New Maxi Rider. Someone posted the pram warehouse fior a cheaper price.

Most convertible boosters are harder to use in booster mode then dedicated poster seats. The New maxi works more like a standard booster in booster mode.

Personally I have kept my kids to 5-6yrs in standard 0-4yrs sets. I have just moved my 70% 5.5 yo out of a New Compaq to a booster. The Lifestyle is a very similar seat. The Guardian is currently on sale at Target.

Also going to add that generally you may find that your child still needs a booster when they outgrow the convertible booster, so end up purchasing a booster seat anyway.

This post has been edited by lsolaBella: 28/01/2013, 10:02 PM

[JBaby]

Generally convertible boosters are too upright for young kids who may still fall asleep in the car. Their heads fall forward at funny angles not protected.

Oh that's too bad as DD usually has her weekend naps in the car on the way to and from the in-laws house

The maxi rider is out of our price range unfortunately. We got our current babylove which we really like on special for $130ish so it will probably work out a lot cheaper to buy another of those and then a separate booster later then...

Thanks for the replies ladies.

One more question from this novice if you don't mind. I know kids can go into a booster at 4 years but what is the weight height recommendation for moving? I mean as in you can ff at 8kg/6m but 12kg/12m is better, is that the same with going to a booster?

This post has been edited by JBaby: 28/01/2013, 11:25 PM

[Domestic Goddess]

I have the EzyLove Combo too and it has a reclining option. Also it has heaps and heaps of padding around the headrest to support their heads. I've had this seat for DS since he was 17 months old and he still falls asleep in it without his head hanging over. He's in booster mode with the seat reclined.

The main reasons I got this seat is that it was:
A) the tallest convertible booster seat available (DS has been off the charts since 4 months old and is 114cm tall at just 3yo)
B) tested best convertible seat in the 2011 CREP test (no new test have been done since then though)
C) half the price of the MaxiRiders which happen to be built in the same factory as the EzyCombo and have the same shell. Thus they are the same height and depth.

Some small differences are more luxury related like Ipod speakers and such plus different pattern of fabric. Plus with the MR you do pay a lot just for the brand name.


I bought the 2011 model for my car, but when he outgrew my parents carseat, I gave them my old 2011 model and bought the new 2012 model for my own car. The new model has deeper wings, so safer for side impact.

[Domestic Goddess]

One more question from this novice if you don't mind. I know kids can go into a booster at 4 years but what is the weight height recommendation for moving? I mean as in you can ff at 8kg/6m but 12kg/9m is better, is that the same with going to a booster?

If the harness is 2cm below the shoulders, its time to move to a new seat. Doesn't have to be at 4yo and weight is irrelevant as well. DS has just gone into booster mode on the EzyCombo and he's only just 3yo. (But as I mentioned, he is unusually tall).

PS You can get the EzyCombo from $190,-

[libbylu]

The SafenSound Meridian range are suitable for this age range, although our 6 month old really slumped in it, so I wouldn't really use it on a child aged under 1.
We found it's safety rating as a booster wasn't that high, but the designs may have improved. I think the issue was that once you start using the regular lap sash seat belt rather than the five point harness there is no 'anti-submarining' feature so the kids could slip under the belt in an accident. Although we bought the seat 6 years ago so they may have improved it.

[Domestic Goddess]

A lot of the better quality convertible booster seats are now designed to not need an anti- submarineclip. They have low arm rests to make the lapsash belt go tighter over their legs and they have the red lapsash belt guides at the top of the seat to make sure the belt can't slip over the childs head causing them to fly forwards in a crash.

The EzyCombo has both these. The low arm rest and the sash guide. There is no way in this lifetime, DS would submarine in a crash.

The InfaSecure Rallye however, does not have the sash guide.

[JBaby]

A lot of the better quality convertible booster seats are now designed to not need an anti- submarineclip.

Sorry, what is an anti- submarineclip or "submarining" in a crash?