carmudgeons.com  

Go Back   carmudgeons.com > Automotive Forums > Car Talk

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-21-2012, 11:28 AM   #1
FC
Solving problems
 
FC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,215
JV look away: Convertible booster seats

I've got them narrowed down to three (or more like 1, 2A and 2B):

Recaro ProSPORT $224

Britax Frointier 85 $230

Britax Frointier 85 SICT $275

From what I've read the Recaro is outgrown sooner, but with a little brothe only 21 months younger I am not too worried. No experience with Recaro seats though.

The Britax SICT is safer with better materials that are easier to remove and wash, but the wings are very bulky and it is more expensive.

If it helps, my oldest is now 4.3 yo and with the Boulevard being so high it's getting pretty tough to get him in and out. Also, my youngest, at 2.5 yo is starting to look big for the Roundabout.

Any input? Thanks.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	ProSPORT.jpg
Views:	360
Size:	113.6 KB
ID:	7102  Click image for larger version

Name:	Frontier 85.jpg
Views:	371
Size:	262.3 KB
ID:	7103  Click image for larger version

Name:	Frontier 85 SICT.jpg
Views:	363
Size:	267.1 KB
ID:	7104  
FC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 11:42 AM   #2
JST
195
 
JST's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 24,593
I wouldn't let $100 stop me if the Britax really were "safer." But I'm skeptical that it actually is; what's the evidence for that?
JST is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 11:50 AM   #3
bren
lawn boy
 
bren's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: e46m3, f25x3,C5 Z06, C4 Vette, 06 CTD Ram, and a trailer
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,029
The height of the Boulevard combined with the squeeze into the back of the m3 makes my life more interesting every day.

I don't know it it's enough to matter, but the base on that Recaro seat looks 2x as tall as the other one.
bren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 12:45 PM   #4
wdc330i
dogged
 
wdc330i's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: '22 M440 xDrive GC
Posts: 13,246
We had a Frontier 85 and it drove me crazy! The 5-pt belts were always tangling. It was hard as hell to straighten them out.
wdc330i is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 01:39 PM   #5
TD
Founder emeritus
 
TD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Maryland
Posts: 21,002
Remember, the point of a booster is to position the kid so that the seat belt lines up correctly - not to be it's own restraints system. If your kid isn't big enough for that to be appropriate, I'd leave them in a full 5-pt carseat a while longer.

So in the safety reviews I read years ago (when we bought boosters), the simple Graco booster (with back) at like $75 was rated just as safe as these fancy $200+ things.

But both of my kids are now out of boosters, so what do I know.
TD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 01:50 PM   #6
Sharp11
Vicarious Twitterer
 
Join Date: May 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: 06 330 cic ZHP
Location: CT
Posts: 7,566
Crap, I thought this thread was going to be about top-down motoring and how to include the little ones ...
Sharp11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 01:51 PM   #7
bren
lawn boy
 
bren's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: e46m3, f25x3,C5 Z06, C4 Vette, 06 CTD Ram, and a trailer
Location: Maryland
Posts: 14,029
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharp11 View Post
Crap, I thought this thread was going to be about top-down motoring and how to include the little ones ...
Ha, yeah me too at first.
bren is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 02:10 PM   #8
John V
No more BMWs
 
John V's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 14,753
None of these look like they'd be any safer than any other one in a convertible.
John V is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 02:19 PM   #9
FC
Solving problems
 
FC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4
Location: Metro Boston
Posts: 25,215
Let me clarify that these are "convertible" in the sense that the provide their own 5-point harness but can also have it removed to use the car's own seatbelt.

To TD's comment, my oldest is small and I think he could still benefit from a harness for a bit longer. Also the Boulevard seems to be 6-8" high, which is a PITA. Finally, as I mentioned, my younger one is looking a bit small in the Roundabout.
FC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2012, 05:06 PM   #10
John V
No more BMWs
 
John V's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 14,753
All I know is that none of the products you listed have any umlauts in the name so therefore they are crap.
John V is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Carmakers widen seats for wider ... seats (USA Today) Jason C Car Talk 18 12-30-2005 12:32 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Forums © 2003-2008, 'Mudgeon Enterprises - Site hosting by AYN & Associates, LLC