Group 1/2/3 seats with 5-point harness that lasts longer - e.g. to 25kg?

[LeeMiller]

I’m looking at group 1/2/3 seats that covert from a 5-point harness to 3-point high backed booster. Son is nearly 5, 17kg and 110cm. I’d like one where we can use a 5-point harness beyond 18kg as I’ve seen him in a HBB and he leans/reaches/swings all over the place.

I think Joie Bold might have a higher limit for the 5-point fixture, and Britx avansafix, but it’s really stretching our budget. Any other options? I’m struggling to find this info. Cybex Pallas? Britax evolvafix?

https://incarsafetycentre.co.uk/car-seats/25kgharness

Is this any help OP?

I think that the harnesses’ on newer car seats are Isize so height and not weight. I think he’s already too tall for the harness on the evolvafix. I know my tall 4 year old is ( he’s 118cm)

I think one of the reasons that the harnessed seats are more expensive is because the harness is an additional expense compared to a standard HBB which only has to lift the child and route the seatbelt if that makes sense.

The Joie seats can fairly often be found quite a bit cheaper than the RRP so it's worth checking.

Something else to consider is how likely you think it is that you can teach your DS to sit well in his seat and then you could reconsider a HBB. When we first switched to HBB I was really clear with DD that she had to stay well in the seat and would stop the car if she was messing around (only needed to do this a couple of times and she got the message).

Also how does he lean/reach? My 4 year old is using a seatbelt and when it’s routed properly through the anchor things he can’t move very far.

This. We've got the Joie Elevate and to begin with I was quite shocked at how light and simple it was. Just a seatbelt really.
My 4 year old soon learned to sit still. To begin with she was getting her arms out of it which unsettled me but she knows to keep still now.

Yes, the issue is really height not weight. He’s not quite 18kg but might already be too tall for the harness in some of the 18kg-max options. How tall can you get in the 5-point in the Joie Bold? Joie is pricey (we are not in the uk) but maybe the best option.

He’s very slight/narrow build. He often sleeps on long journeys, and we often travel with friends and I’ve noticed that in a 3-pointer he tends to lean/reach to get toys etc. We have a chicco fold n go for taxi journeys/lifts and I feel like he slips around every time we go around a roundabout. I worry he’d just slip out the belt with a big impact, he doesn’t seem secure like with a harness. Obviously the chicco is just a portable option and not so padded but given his low weight and the fact a 5-pointer is recommended till 5-6 I’d like to find one if I can.

From car seat groups I'm pretty sure the Joie bold is it and they're being replaced with a version with a low ish height limit and lower weight limit so if you want one grab one now.

The isize adavansafix/evolva fix he's too tall for the harness already and he's too tall for the Pallas shield too

Isize height limits have really cut short how long car seats last

Thank you olderthanyouthink it sounds like we need to invest in the bold

I am strict about sitting properly in the car but he doesn’t always travel with me. I’d like to feel he was kept still.

https://discountbabyequip.co.uk/products/cozy-n-safe-excalibur-group-1-2-3-child-car-seat-graphite?variant=34471984726152&currency=GBP&utmsource=google&utmmmedium=cpc&utmcampaign=google%2Bshopping&gaddsource=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAg9urBhBEiwAgw88md-lwLNr2psW5Sf6ZM-hh69atu9E7ldSHTc8RlbCbPLRXmnPRYPIchoCSWAQAvDD_BwE

Joie Bold - but if you're not in the UK you might have access to some of these other options. You'll need to check they are still R44 because in Europe the R44 seats are no longer allowed to be sold, except that shops can sell off their existing stock until September of next year.

BabyAuto Dupla
Cozy n Safe Hudson (NOT the i-size one)
Cozy n Safe Excalibur
Caretero Volante isofix / Volantefix isofix
Reemy fix
Enfasafe Event FX (It has a curly E and is sometimes mistyped as Infasafe).

The last four are all the same generic model sold by different brands. There are likely more using the same model but I don't know what others are called.

You need top tether and isofix for all of them.

If you can hold on until spring, Besafe are bringing out their Beyond system which will be usable up to 125cm and 23kg with the harness. However it does not convert to a booster seat.

I have the Excalibur one linked above and it’s really good, would definitely recommend it.

Thanks for all these additional suggestions, I will do some research and see what is available in the EU.

They grow up so much between 5 and 6, I’d focus on behaviour rather than buy something that might only get a few months use.

In fact most 5 year olds jump in and do their own seatbelt don’t they?

Yes… it’s not just behaviour though but also seeming to slide out the side when we go round a roundabout, but perhaps the portable seat has less padding, I’m not sure