My son is about to be 6 and weighs 40 lbs. His car seat is the type that he needs the 5 pt harness for up to 40 lbs, but now he will just use the seat belt with it. So here is my question... Do I actually take the harness off of the car seat and how long will he continue to use this car seat. It says that he can use it up to 100 lbs, but I didn't know if there was a certain age limit.

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, July 1, 2006 - 07:19 pm:

Yes, remove the harness and use it as a belt positioning booster. Most combination car seats require removal of LATCH and the top tether installation when in the booster mode. Refer to the owners manual to be sure. What specific car seat is it?

Kids are safest in boosters until they reach at least 4'9" and can pass the 5 Step Test. Both my kids (8 and almost 10) still ride in boosters because they don't pass this criteria. They are 60% safer (or more) than their peers who ride without them.

Remember to buckle in a booster even when your child isn't in it. This will prevent it from becoming a projectile during crash or hard braking.

HTH

By Jtsmom on Sunday, July 2, 2006 - 12:50 pm:

It is a "Summit". So do I not need to attach the top latch to the car anymore? I always feel safer knowing it is that secure. This car seat would not budge when I had it in the car as a 5 pt harness, but now that he is using the seat belt with it, it doesn't seem very secure.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, July 2, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

Yes, you need to remove the tether strap. There are a few combination seats that allow tethering in the booster mode but I don't believe the Summit is one of them. The purpose of a booster seat is to boost the child up so that the vehicle seat belt fits properly. Most belt positioning boosters do not use LATCH or tethers. The transition from a tightly installed car seat to a booster is sometimes a difficult one. If you're not comfortable with your DS in a belt positioning booster there are car seats on the market that harness past 40 lbs..
Over 40 lb. options

By Jtsmom on Sunday, July 2, 2006 - 04:38 pm:

Thank you so much for your help.
I can hardly ever get anyone to respond to my posts anymore. I can always count on you!