I try to not be a neurotic parent, but it was really hard for me to consider moving my bigger kids out of their five point harness car seats…you know, the real expensive ones with the highest price tag? The ones I shall not name, but it rhymes with Lie Fax. Ahem.
And while they were rated through 70 pounds, my kids were looking awfully big in those seats. And kinda uncomfortable. Plus, Lucy couldn’t unsnap herself. Which meant I had to. And that was getting old.
The bigger issue was that if the kids ever wanted to go anywhere with another person, they either didn’t get to go, or I had to heave and grunt and curse as I wrangled their giant car seat out of my car and install it in grandma’s car.
And then there was the time I forgot it was Lucy’s field trip day and booster seats lined the preschool entry, and then there was our giant car seat. I apologized profusely to the poor mom who had volunteered as a driver and got stuck installing that thing just to go to the park.
But the thing was…for as cumbersome and annoying as those seats were…I couldn’t stomach the idea of putting my kids in those flimsy little boosters I saw everywhere. I know they are rated as acceptable by the DOT…and no judgment if your kids use them…but for me, I just couldn’t. I am rarely the neurotic mom…but I was totally being psycho when it came to seats. It just seemed like a huge leap to go from heavy duty five point harnesses to bitty boosters (and even most of the high back ones I saw still didn’t seem sturdy enough for this mama).
So believe me when I tell you that I gasped aloud when I saw the Snugli booth at Mom 2.0 back in May. They had a variety of products on display, but the one that caught my eye was the Booster Car Seat.
These boosters are beefy. It’s what caught my eye initially. Padded with three layers of foam (that reduce side impact crash forces by 50%), they gave this mama the reassurance I needed to make the switch. It was like this perfect marriage of booster and car seat.
They come with a five point harness system if you want to use that, but since I was looking to give my kids a little more wiggle room, I opted to convert them to boosters.
At first, I couldn’t figure out why you would move your kid to a booster just to use a harness anyway, and then I realized that since it is rated for 22 pounds forward facing, you could move straight from an infant bucket seat to this and only have 2 seats over the course of your child’s life…rather than 3 (infant bucket > car seat > booster).
Also, I’m realizing that for Jill (my daughter with special needs) this might be a perfect way to make her feel a little more grown up, while still keeping her safe (she has low tone, so a harness is necessary in case of an accident. Her body just isn’t strong enough to handle much of an impact. But as she’s getting bigger/lankier, she may outgrow her traditional car seat as well.)
They also have cup holders.
Not that Captain Andy ever allows ANY food or drink in our vehicles (not even water), but for the rest of the universe who does, I would imagine that’s a good thing.
I simply removed the padding and tucked the straps into the recesses of the seat, and then replaced it again. Took me all of five minutes, and I love that it stays on the seat so we don’t have to store pieces and hope we remember where we put them.
The seats include SureLATCH connectors and even a tethering system if you want them to be super duper installed in your car.
The padding uses memory foam with contours to your child and Outlast Technology fabrics (“temperature controlling fabric that has the ability to absorb and store excess heat, helping to reduce overheating and prevent chilling”).
So basically, my kids’ seats are fancier and more comfy than the ones the adults sit in. Typical.
But I think that the best part is how much better they seem to fit in these seats.
We took a 9 hour road trip last month (the best way to test a car seat, right?!), and they really seemed to be so much more comfortable than usual. Plus, since they had a little more freedom of movement using the regular seat belt rather than a harness, they were able to reach for the toy bags I had packed. In the harnesses, if they dropped something, even on the seat next to them, they couldn’t reach to pick it up. Cue tears and frustration. From all of us.
Now keep in mind that these are large seats. So, moving them from one car to another is still fairly cumbersome. Installation is easy (just put the seat belt over it like normal) but they aren’t tiny. But that’s a good thing and part of why I love them. (If you aren’t a regular reader and want reference for size, Lucy is 4 and Henry is 6.)
My one gripe is that the tabs you are supposed to feed the seat belt through (up near the headrest) are waaaaaay too small. It’s almost impossible to get to and tuck the belt into. Luckily, they are only there to pull the belt down a little and off of your child’s neck, so we just don’t use them. My kids don’t seem bothered by it. That being said, it would be nice if they were larger/easier to use. So, Snugli, please make them (a lot) bigger on your next go around. Thanks.
Overall, I’m really happy with these seats. My kids love the extra freedom of being in a booster, and I’m happy to see them in something a little beefier and sturdier than most of the boosters I see on the market.
Are your kids in booster seats? Was that a hard switch for you to make?
*Disclosure: Snugli provided me with the seats for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this post and all opinions are mine.
Latest posts by jeannett (see all)
- Dirt in a Jar, Laundry Scientists, and Clean Water - October 20, 2015
- Because Cake. - October 11, 2015
- How to design a luxury bathroom for less - August 12, 2015
I actually bought a new car seat for Miss A earlier this year. We have been lucky enough to only need to buy this one car seat, since we inherited car seats from friends whose kids had outgrown theirs. I did a lot of research and ended up buying the Britax Frontier 85 SICT because of the 5-point harness system and that it converts to a booster. Miss A is already 43″, and only 37 lbs., and turned 4 just a few months ago. Lanky and lean is apt for her. I really like the seat and she doesn’t qualify or a booster for a while. Considering she doesn’t gain weight very easily I don’t anticipate using the booster for at least a year. I like the look of the seat in your review and it looks similar to what we have (still using LATCH, too). Looks like a great seat and a nice upgrade for your kids.
Best,
Caryl
My 5yo is in a booster (graco turbo booster), and my 4yo is still in is TrueFit convertible. The thing to remember about boosters is that they are really belt positioners, and kid strapper-downers. If a kid can’t sit right using just a seat belt in their booster (meaning no goofing off and reaching across to little sister, no moving the belt behind their shoulder, no falling over when sleeping), then it’s not going to do any good during a crash. Some 4yo are ready to be boostered and some aren’t, less because of size and more because of maturity. If a kid is too big for his convertible, but not mature enough for a seatbelt this would be a great option. I’d also suggest a Graco Nautilis or Britax Frontier.
These boosters do look nice, but the idea of putting any kid forward facing in one at 22lb is scary depending on the age of the kid, so I hope they don’t hype that too much!! I think the new guidelines say rear facing to 2 years old at least.
Totally agree! We went with a similar option (Graco Nautilus) a few years back, and we love it! It’s reassuring that the kids still have side padding. Ours had little side cubbies and cupholders and the girls did the cutest things with them. Sedona is now in the little seat booster or nothing at all – depending on the car and how her knees fit the big seat, etc. But I feel better because she is a bigger person now. I just couldn’t see going without more structure when she was tinier, even when she no longer needed the 5 point. Marissa knows she’ll probably get her little booster when she’s older. And this one is for Andy, though I say it mostly in jest: water is good for their brains. Water won’t kill the car. Let them use the cupholders! You’ll be so happy you did!
We just transferred Adam to a booster a few months ago when he turned 5 – and hubs was anxious about ditching the 5 point harness for sure. I feel like it’s gonna be a LONG TIME before my kid hits 80 pounds. He might be like 12…haha
I would REALLY like to know how you take a 9 hour road trip without any water or snacks being eaten in the car….
Kirsten´s last blog post ..This says it all….
I don’t have kids but plan to soon. This product seem like something to definitely consider. I have a friend who is due in November and I know this will come in handy for her to later on.
00, the Tom – Tom comes with Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone
talking. Their large amount of grant and loan programs makes Phoenix a great
place for small-business owners to get started.
The INQ Mini 3G runs Brew OS which is the same Brew platform that the
HTC Smart and Chat 3G use.
dirt cheap iphone accessories´s last blog post ..dirt cheap iphone accessories