Booster Seats
What are booster seats?
Booster seats lift children in the car seat and help the child sit properly and safely in the regular seat belt. There are two different kinds of booster seats: high-back boosters and no-back boosters. High-back boosters should be used with younger children because they help position the seat belt by the child’s neck. High-back boosters also offer side impact protection. High back boosters provide more support for children who are sleeping. High-back boosters are absolutely necessary in cars with low seat backs or without headrests. No-back boosters are better for older children who don’t need the positioning of the shoulder belt and are less likely to nap. No back boosters are great as the extra seat in a vehicle for a friend or for travel because they are light and compact.
Do I need booster seats?
Probably. Most children will need a booster seat after they outgrow their five point harness car seat. Some car seats – like the combination seats – convert from a harnessed car seat to a booster seat so it might not be necessary to purchase a booster seat.
How long do children use booster seats?
For best practice, children should be in a booster over the age of 5 or 6 years old until they are big enough to pass the 5 step test . For most children, this means they will need to sit in a booster until they are 8 to 10 years old.
What features should you look for in booster seats?
- How child fits in the seat
- How the seatbelt falls on your child’s chest bone and hip bone
- Open belt path (shaped like an oval) for booster mode
- EPP or EPS foam in the headrest
- LATCHable (not necessary, but a great feature)
- Fits in your vehicle
What should you avoid in booster seats?
- Seats with closed belt path (looks like a paperclip – long and thin slot) for booster mode
- Seats without EPP or EPS foam in the headrest
Are there any other tips for using booster seats?
Child’s preference for colors and styles may be important and can be taken into consideration.
Booster seats must be installed in a vehicle position with the lap/shoulder belt. A lap belt can only be used to install a car seat for a child using a harness.
The lower anchors maybe used for LATCHable boosters even if your child exceeds the weight limit specified in your owner’s manual for LATCH. Unlike a 5pt harness seat where the lower anchor is holding the weight of the car seat and your child, the LATCH is only holding in the booster and during an accident the seatbelt is taking most of the force from the child’s weight.
If you do not have LATCHable booster seats, the seatbelt needs to be buckled even when a child is not in the seat. Otherwise the booster seat can become a projectile in an accident.
Recommended Belt-Positioning Booster Seats
Go to the Booster Seat Chart, which includes top picks.