Which car seat for a 4yr old weighing 42lbs?

[Mobly]

I am looking for a really comfy, safe car seat for DS1, Ideally with a 5 point harness rather than one that uses the car seat belt. Popped into Halfords yesterday, all their car seats for that weight category utilise the car seat belt. Hardly any choice.

I did a little research online last night & found a Graco one that uses 5 point harness for up to 65lbs, so they are out there.

Can anyone recommend a good one?

Also, wouldn't mind a rear facing again but would have to be one that can be turned forward shortly (he's too big for his old Besafe one) and that then lasts until he is 12 like the forward facing ones.

Any advice/suggestions would be very much appreciated, thank you.

The Graco doesn't use a seat belt to 65lbs/30kg (assuming you are talking about the Nautilus) the seat belt is only used to 18kg/40lbs then you can use the seat belt to 36kg/80lbs. It may well harness to 65lb in the US but 30kg isn't a 'Group' in the UK/EU (Group 0 is birth to 10kg, Group 0+ is 13kg, Group 1 is 9-18kg, Group 2 is 15-25kg, Group 3 is 22-36kg) so it won't have been tested or rated to that weight in the EU (it may even be the same model name but a different car seat/different construction)

The only car seat on the UK market that forward faces with a harness to 25kg/55lbs (aside from a £600 SN seat) is a Britax Two Way Elite. If you wanted to rear face you would have a little more choice (Maxi Cosi Mobi, Britax Hi-Way II, Britax Max-Way, Britax Multi-Tech all rf to 25kg).

There is no seat on the market that rf/ff to 25kg with a harness and then uses a seat belt to age 12 (the seat would expire before that happened - see the US birth to booster seats that have a 6y life span and are supposed to be the only seat you'll ever need).

The only other option would be to import a Diono Radian or Britax Frontier but then technically that would be an illegal seat (the Diono one would meet the UN standards so you may squeak through but it may invalidate your car insurance in respect of your child as a passenger if the insurer found out you were using a US seat in the UK so I would check with your insurer before buying) and would be expensive. The Radians rf to 45lb, harness to 80lbs and boosters to 120lbs and has a 10y 'life'.

Yes I was referring to the Nautilus 3 in 1, it was on the Amazon website is said you could use the harness up to 65lbs, see link www.amazon.com/Graco-Nautilus-Car-Seat-Matrix/dp/B0011URFRE, and scroll down to Product Features.

Would this be because it's from the USA? It is confusing because on the Graco UK website it does not state this.

Just read another thread on here saying that a 5 point harness is not necessarily safer than seat belt for a 4yr old anyway.

Truthsweet, your post is very helpful, you sound very informed. What car seat would you go for high back booster or harness for a 4 yr old, weighing 42lbs? Obviously want it to last a while due to cost.

amazon.com is the US site so would have US specific car seats. They may or may not have the same name as the UK car seats but they may not be the same IYSWIM - I have 2 Sunshine Kids Montereys high back boosters which are (SK is now Diono in the US) the same in the UK as they are in the US but they are only rated to 36kg/80lbs whereas in the US they are rated to 120lbs (36kg is the highest weight in the highest group).

Personally, I would only put a 4y in a high back booster if they could be trusted to sit still for the whole journey, not wriggle, not fiddle with the belt or buckle, not pick up dropped toys or drinks, and understand WHY he has to behave in the seat.

If he can't do this (and a lot of children can't before 5 or 6 or older so it's no big deal really) then he needs to be harnessed for his own safety. In a harnessed seat, you the parent are responsible for his safety, in a booster the child themselves are responsible for their own safety. Therefore they need to understand what might happen if they are in a crash and they aren't sitting in their seat with the belt over their thighs and the belt across their chest/shoulder (seat will only protect them if the belt is in the right place) and always sit still etc.

DD1 wasn't ready until 5y & 20kg to sit in a HBB as her main seat but DD2 who is 4.4y can sit well in a booster (though is ffing harnessed in a Britax Two Way Elite in DH's car so only has a HBB as a spare).

We had one of DD1's friends in the car recently and she is 6y (normally sits in just a booster cushion) in DD1's spare Monterey and she didn't sit well - stretching forward, fiddling in with the seat belt, wriggling around - I was really worried but couldn't say anything because her mum was in the car too and wasn't batting an eyelid (she had the shoulder part of the belt behind her so she isn't the best example!). DD1 noticed and said afterwards about her friend not sitting properly and not being safe in the car! Just goes to show it isn't the age of the child but their understanding that is important when choosing a car seat.....

DS1 is a fidget and not in the slightest bit safety (or danger) aware. A harness would appear to be best option. However, a harness up to 25kg doesn't leave much room for growth and am wondering how long it will last him.

I am going to give Graco a ring and ask them about the Nautilus. In Halfords, the shop assistant said it was only tested to 18kgs, though in terms of size there looked plenty of room in the harness. The real appeal is that it then can be used without harness for up to age 12 (discounting the actual shelf life as you pointed out). I'll try and find out if it's the same product as the one on the Amazon website.

As far as I can see the rear facing ones that go up to 25kgs don't go up any higher in weight when used forward facing and therefore just wouldn't last very long at all.

This one looks good [http://www.kiddy.de/en/childrens-car-seats/9months-12years/kiddy-guardian-pro-2.html]], the Kiddy Guardian Pro, never seen anything like this before.

www.kiddy.de/en/childrens-car-seats/9months-12years/kiddy-guardian-pro-2.html

The Kiddy seats only use the shield to 18kg so it would just be a HBB for your son.
If you used the Nautilus with the harness and it failed it could well be catastrophic and you would have no comeback with the manufacturer or your insurer as you were using the seat against the manf. instructions. It may look the same externally but there way be extra reinforcement of the shell or different materials used to make the shell all covered by the same coverings. You just couldn't tell from looking. The only way I would do it is if Graco themselves gave you their assurance that the seat wouldn't fail at 18kg+ and would be safe to Xkg instead (written assurance on headed paper from a safety expert not some poor grunt in the call centre!).

TBH DD1 was 20kg/115cm when she got weighed the term following her 5th birthday (all school children get weighed & measured the term after 5th birthday) she is 6y 1m and is still 20kg but is now 120cm so often their height goes up but their weight doesn't much.

Have a look at his red book for his predicted growth I only have girls so only have the girls weight charts but a 4y 0m girl that is 19kg would be predicted to be 25kg at 6y 0m (and be on the 91st%ile) - I don't know how different boys weight gain is but it should give you to 5.5y at least (assuming he is just 4y not 4y & 11m as then he would have longer due to being lower on the centiles).

He was 4 in feb so yes 18mths or so wouldn't be too bad.

Is it me or is it all quite confusing? Have just trawled through the user instructions for the Kiddy Guardian Pro and it does say you must use the impact shield up to 18kgs but nowhere does it say you cannot use it above so again I guess it's a case of contacting the manufacturer.

I'm going to have another look tonight when boys in bed and can concentrate better.

Again, any other suggestions would be great.

The impact shields are all only rated to 18kg, be it Jane, Kiddy, Cybex or other manf. none go above 18kg (sorry!).

I do think the TWE is probably your best bet - it's about £200 which would be about £11 a month over 18m use not too bad really.

Truthsweet, I think it's going to have to be rear facing again. I think it's a choice between the Britax Multi-Tech ll (which had just ordered for my 2yr old) or the Britax Two Way Elite as you have suggested.

I can't find any online stockists though upon a google search of the Two Way- would you happen to know where they are sold online please?

It's not a waste of money really as DC3 is due in September so hopefully DS1 will grow out of it as DC3 is ready to go into it.

Do you have an opinion as to which is best- Two Way or Multi Tech?

Thanks again for all your help :)

The Two-Way Elite is only available to buy through the In Car Safety Centre Milton Keynes. You can use this FF with the harness to 25kgs where as the Multi-Tech will only go FF to 18kgs with the harness. I have a Two-Way!

I don't think I'm up for travelling to Milton Keynes! Do they sell them online at all?

I can always just keep DS1 rear facing in the Multi Tech.

You can order it from them online here is the link.

Thanks everyone Two Way Elite it is .