This post is the opinion of Beth of Experimental Mommy. While a sample was received to facilitate the review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
With my oldest now in Pre-K 4 and as he says “a big kid,” he has quite the social life. It is not even a month into the new school year and already he has been to several parties and class get-togethers. Like most parents it is not always easy to get him were he is supposed to be going especially if you have another child. We have become friends with many other parents of children in his class and are starting to count on each other to help out. Not to mention that I rely on my parents and in-laws a lot to help pick up and drop off at different places.
One thing I worry about when carpooling is the expiration date on car seats. In a recent interview with Julie Vallese, a Consumer Safety Expert, she said:
Car seats expire and CarSeat.org recommends that car seats be replaced every 5-8 years. This tip is so important, because more than 40% of the car seats checked during a recent Safety 1st car seat check at the Indy 500 Community Day were replaced due to expiration or a recall.
While they are now ‘Big Kids’ they still need to be secured in a non-expired car seat whenever riding in a car. It is a real pain to have to keep moving the car seats and remembering to move them from one car to another, besides the fact that they are big and bulky. Safety 1st BoostAPak is the PERFECT solution to this problem. Not only is it light weight it doubles as a pack back! No need to meet up with the other mom and give her your car seat and try and remember to pick it up the next day from her.
This backless booster is perfect for your preschooler age 4 and over, 43-52 inches and 40-80 pounds. Is your little one having a sleep over at a friends house? Simply pack your child’s over night necessities inside the seat of the car seat, zip and they can carry it to school as a backpack!
The BoostAPak is also perfect for a trip to Grandma’s house. Like a lot of grandparents, my mom picks up my son one or two days a week from school, so having a car seat in her car all of the time can sometimes be an inconvenience. With the BoostAPak you can simply use it when he is in the car and it is small enough to fit in the trunk of the car when he is with someone else.
Another great time to use the BoostAPak is on vacations. While most toddlers do not need to have a booster seat on an airplane, once you are at your destination you will have to use the car seat in your rental car. No need to rent a car seat (and who knows where those have been!) or check it at the gate. You can use the BoostAPak as a carry on! It is perfect for a change of clothes and a few necessities that you will need to keep your little one entertained during the flight. It even fits in the overhead bins.
The BoostAPak has a durable hard shell outside that your child will sit on, fold out seat belt guides that lock into place when opened and removable cover for cleaning. My son barely just the 43″ requirement for backless boosters, so the seat belt tends to be a little high on him; however the BoostAPak has a seat belt guide. Simply adjust the seat belt guide strap to the height of your child’s shoulder and feed the seat belt through when buckling your child.
We have had great success with BoostAPak! The seat retails for $69.99 and can be found at Buy Buy Baby stores nationwide. Safe travels!