Recommend a car booster seat that reclines for 3.5 yr old

[johnnybuoy]

We've a baby girl who is over a yr old and we want to move her to a forward facing seat as she's getting too big for her rear facing seat.
Instead of buying a new seat, we want to move her into her older brothers seat and buy a booster seat for him. He's only 3.5 but is 17.5 kgs. (The min weight is 15kgs)
As we go for long trips abroad and weekends away in the car during which he still naps, we'd like one with the ability to recline along with good safety features.
The only two I've seen which recline are the Maxi Cosi Rodi XP and the Silver Cross Navigator.
Has anybody any views on either of these or are there other booster seats available which recline?

have just bought our 3 year old a recaro one that can be turned into a booster seat that has 2 recline positions for this reason.will try to find it

www.mothercare.com/Recaro-Young-Sport-Carseat-Silver/dp/B000WXL7SE/sr=1-2/qid=1249647437/ref=sr_1_2/ 279-6791958-5882655?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=68213031&mcb=core#productInfo

that one. We have taken out the insert as that is for littler people

After looking on the internet for our Max (who is a small five) make sure whatever you buy him get him one with a 5 point harness! there have been quite a few accidents with children in booster seat without a harness which have died because at 3 he is still too small for the force a normal seat belt has on his body if you crash heaven forbid.

crash test showing a booster seat

I dont mean to scare you but I really think people should know x

i certainly dont trust my 3 yr old in normal seat belt as tried in someones car once with normal booster and belt and he could easily get out of the seat belt!! Think i shall keep him in 5 point until he's 11

Same here mad4!

the harness only does up to 18kg's though so from then you would need to use the adult seatbelt.

a link to seats that go up to 25kg with harness

Thanks Maclaren , but aren't those all rear facing seats. We have actually already put her in a forward facing seat I got from a friend but my wife doesn't like it as it's a bit old. I know rear facing is safer but I don't think she would cope with being switched back to rear facing again.

I'm now confused about the 5 point harness and the 18/20kg limit on booster seats. I've just realised that the maxi-cosi priori which our son uses has an 18kg weight limit so he will have to leave that anyway!

The Britax 123 one reclines (but you have to recline it before you fit it, you can't change it half way through a journey). Harness up to 18kg, seat belt after that.

That does sound like a bit of a nuisance, it's so handy to be able to reach back and pull a lever and it reclines as the Priori does.

There must be lots of people with kids having the same problem as us, over 18kgs therefore too big for the 5 point harness and too young for a normal seat belt?
Surely if booster seats such as the Maxi Cosi Rodi XP are designed for 15kg + they must take into consideration in the design and testing that they will be used by 3 yr olds?

we have just got a maxi cosi rodi xr for ds as he is too heavy for his maxi cosi priori xp. He is also only 3 but cannot undo the belt as it is too low and down the side of the arm rest.

you wont find a booster to recline in the same way as the priori,
the only one similar to that is the recaro ( i wouldnt recommend a recaro,i had one for my ds and the quality of it was rubbish,it fell apart and the customer service was appaling)
the britax evolva1-2-3 is really easy,you recline it then fit it,and it just stays reclined,then if they fall asleep their head doesnt flop forward,but the seat is still upright enough that they can see fine,
its a great seat and means he can stay in a harness longer,which is MUCH safer than just using the seat,

There is a high backed boster by cybex which I got from Kiddicae last year for the same reason. THe back doesn't recline, but the headrest tilts back. My 5 year old daughter sleeps well like that and it also has little pull out foot rest

sorry just re-read and seen he is 17.5kg,
not much point in buying the evolva123 or the recaro,
if you go into mothercare/halfords and try him in the seats you will get an idea of which one will support his head when sleeping,
it depends on teh shape of your cars seats too,some make the seats tilt back more than others so his head wont flop anyway,
we have britax hi-backed boosters for our big 2 and the head support is a great shape for them to sleep in,

our daughter was about the same size but only 2.9y when we moved her up,as it was either that or one of those £400 which we didnt have the money for,she's never tried to undo her buckle,

I spoke to lady in Halfords today and there does seem to be a limit of 18kgs on the 5 point harness in this country.
However I've discovered you can get a 5 point harness booster seat in the US which goes up to 65lbs(30kgs) the Graco Nautilus or up to 80 kgs the Britax Frontier.
I don't know why they don't appear to sell them in this country!

sorry meant to say 80lbs for the Britax Frontier.

The kiddy seats have a reclined setting which is v good. You can extend the front of the seat too. I highly rate them I have the infinity pro.

I've just bought the Britax kidfix, which reclines, but not loads. I've heard the Rodi XP doesn't recline as much as the SC navigator.

That Britax Fronier looks fab...Why can't we get it in the UK??? I would try to get hold of one if I wre you.

I have had the maxi cosi rodi xp since ds was 3 years, we have driven on long journeys and he has been very comfortable in it. I too was worried about not having a 5 point harness, but with the belt adjusted properly I think it is ok.

A friend has the Frontier and the only way she can get it in the car is via the latch(isofix) as the seatbelts in her car aren't long enough. It is a very big seat, no way you would get more than 2 seats across the car.
www.skjp.com/product/97556/150XX/_/Monterey_Booster has 2 recline positions and is a booster only but has some neat features. This company also has a great seat that goes to 30kg forward facing that doesn't turn into a booster but is only available in US as well.

We have have maxi cosi and glad.