Car Booster Seats

When some children outgrow their forward-facing toddler seats, they go into "whine" mode and beg for the privilege of riding in the car with a regular seat belt, just like the grown-ups do. Don't give in and make sure you have a Car Booster Seat for that final transition in the car safety requirements for children.

Car Booster Seats:  Why You Need Them

Current seat belt technology makes use of shoulder belts as well as lap belts.  The combined "lap and shoulder" belt provides maximum protection.  And the shoulder portion of the combined belt will not fit over a child less than fifty seven inches tall.  Hence the need for booster seats:  they raise or boost the child up so he or she can fit under the shoulder belt.  When most children reach about forty pounds they are ready to shift from a forward-facing toddler seat to a booster seat.  Typically this happens at around four years of age but if your child is a bit of a "fast grower" watch for these telltale signs that the time for a booster seat has come.  First, if the child's shoulders are above the top part of the harness in the forward-facing toddler seat, it's time to get into a booster seat.  Second, if the child's ears are at the top of the seat, he or she is ready for a booster seat.  Third, check the instructions that came with your toddler seat.  Most manufacturers list the height and weight limits for their forward-facing toddler seats.  So what are your options when it comes to buying a Car Booster Seat?

Car Booster Seats:  What Types are Available

More and more vehicle manufacturers are including "built-in" booster seats for children.  They generally involve nothing more than a convertible "riser" that raises the height of the seat and can be lowered once the child no longer needs the booster.  While these appear to be a great feature,  built-in booster seats suffer from some serious disadvantages.  First, they offer no side protection.  Dedicated Booster seats have frames that wrap around the child's sides.  Second, built-ins are located in the exterior positions of the vehicle adjacent to the car doors.  The safest position to place any child car seat is in the middle.

Your choices in buying a dedicated Car Booster Seat involve a belt only booster or a convertible toddler seat with harness.  As you would expect a belt positioning Car Booster Seat has no dedicated belts.  It is simply a seat designed to allow the vehicle's shoulder and lap belt to fit properly within the booster seat.  If have an older vehicle that has lap only seat belts you will need to buy a special travel vest to use with this seat.  The other choice is a toddler convertible harness seat.  These seats are equipped with harnesses that are used to secure the child until he or she reaches the appropriate height and weight for switching to the vehicle's seat belts.  Know that current safety research indicates that harnesses afford better protection than shoulder and lap belts.  So if you were smart enough to buy a convertible seat before your child passed through the toddler stage, it is still best to make use of the harness for as long as possible before removing it in favor of the standard lap and shoulder seat belt.