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Youngsters should utilize a booster seat until they are tall enough to wear an adult seat belt. Knowing when your child is ready for a booster seat and when to remove them is crucial.
The editors at Consumer Reports analyzed and ranked 51 different booster seat models across three categories: highback-to-backless (reversible), highback-only, and backless.
These booster seats elevate the youngster so they may safely use a seat belt. The lap belt should lie low over the child's upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should lay between the child's neck and shoulder, across the sternum. The last one your kid takes matters just as much as the first. Everything You Need to Know About Booster Seats for Children's Safety.
How to Choose a Safe Booster Seat Child You Need To Know
Some things parents should remember as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of car-seat technology and safety requirements are as follows:
Please be aware of the stricter age and weight requirements.
Highback boosters often have a weight minimum of 30 pounds, whereas backless boosters typically have a weight minimum of 40 pounds. Several also need a child to be at least 3 years old to enroll. Despite these basic requirements, CR advises waiting until your kid outgrows her forward-facing five-point-harness car seat before switching to a booster (most go up to 65 pounds). Typically, you may find such data in the owner's handbook or on the seat itself. You should also check that your kid has reached the developmental milestone of being able to sit up straight and use a seat belt properly for the duration of a vehicle trip.
The seat belt will be properly positioned on a good booster.
The greatest booster is the one that allows the vehicle's seat belt to be correctly positioned on the youngster for maximum safety. Highback boosters are recommended by CR because they help to properly position the shoulder belt on a child, give some protection from side impacts, and make for a more pleasant resting location for kids' heads. Keep your highback booster in place for a little longer. Whether carpooling or taking a trip, a backless booster works better as a backup seat. A highback booster may be required to provide enough head support if your vehicle's seat does not have head restraints or a low seatback.
Learn the amplification laws in your state.
It is important to research the applicable laws in your state regarding booster usage (or wherever you may be traveling). Belt fit is determined more by age and height than by weight, but state rules don't always reflect best practices. Both Consumer Reports and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise keeping children in booster seats until they are between 8 and 12 years old and 4 feet 9 inches tall.
Don't be tempted by compact boosters.
The Bubblebum, the Safety 1st Incognito, and the Mifold are just a few examples of lightweight and compact car seats. These types are more complicated to use since the lap belt must be rethreaded after each usage. The Incognito isn't suitable for children under 60 pounds, and the Mifold doesn't have a knee pad, so young users may still be inclined to slump. These smaller booster versions still perform better than no booster at all, therefore CR suggests using them as a backup or for travel only. To be told, simpler and more effective options exist in the form of conventional, lightweight backless boosters.
Boosters are not meant for plane use.
As airline seats only have lap belts, the FAA does not approve any booster seats for usage in the cabin. But, you should bring along a booster seat for your kid when driving. CR suggests either bringing your own booster seat or hiring one at your destination's vehicle rental service.
FAQs: How to Choose a Safe Booster Seat Child You Need To Know
Q. What three factors should you consider when selecting the appropriate car seat for a child?
Age, height, and weight are important factors when choosing a child's car seat. As a parent, it's vital to know what each age group needs in terms of vehicle safety and protection.
How to Choose a Safe Booster Seat:
- Highback boosters can give a better shoulder-belt fit, midway between the shoulder and neck, and across the sternum.
- Proper lap-belt fit is low across the upper thighs.
- Most boosters come with a label saying it's not certified for use in an aircraft.
Q. How important is a booster seat?
Booster seats reduce a child's risk of injury by 59% compared to using only a seat belt. Booster seats have been proven to be effective in protecting children up to 8 years old from serious injury. Booster seats protect against head injury 4 times better than seatbelts.
Q. What is the difference between a car seat and a booster seat?
It's important to understand the differences between a car seat and a booster seat. When a child sits in a car seat, they wear its five-point harness as their restraint. A child in a booster seat uses the vehicle's seat belt across them (like an adult does) as their restraint.
Still confused? Take a look at the video below.
Conclusion
When used correctly, a belt-positioning booster seat prevents injuries in a crash. A booster seat raises your child up so that the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt is properly positioned across your child's hips and chest and away from his belly and neck.
CHOP Research has shown that the use of belt-positioning booster seats lowers the risk of injury to children aged 4-8 years by 45 percent compared with the use of seat belts alone. If the vehicle seat belt is at your child's belly rather than below the hip bones and touching the thighs, he could suffer damage to internal organs and/or a spinal injury if a crash occurs. Until your child is big enough, he needs a boost. Watch the video to learn about installing and positioning booster seats.
