Booster Seats
Car booster seats are the next step up from infant or convertible car seats. Booster seats are appropriate for babies who weigh at least thirty to forty pounds. This is just the minimum weight requirement. A booster seat is not installed into the car. Instead, the shoulder and lap belt is used to secure the child. A child should be left in a car seat that has a five point safety harness as long as possible. A booster car seat does not have a safety harness, so the older your child is before using child booster seats, the better.
With that said, a car booster seat improves safety for your older child in the car. Booster car seats allow seat belts to fit properly over children, lessening the risk of injury in the event of an accident. Your child is safest in the back seat until at least twelve years old. Booster seats should only be used in the back seat. Your child should remain in a booster seat until he meets all of the requirements of your state, and his knees can bend over the edge of the seat.
Booster Seat Regulations
Every state has booster seat regulations. It is important that you know the laws of the state you are living or traveling in. Your child is safest riding in a booster seat until they reach 80 pounds. Many states are amending their laws on booster seat requirements to say that your child must remain in a booster seat until they reach eighty pounds and eight years old. These requirements have already reduced the number of injuries to young children in the event of a crash.
Purchasing A Booster Seat
It is a good idea to look at booster car seat safety ratings before purchasing a booster seat. All booster seats are not created equally. Consumer Reports regularly ranks booster seats in terms of safety. It is a good idea to look at these safety ratings before purchase. For example, the Eddie Bauer booster seat is popular, but has consistently scored low in safety requirements.
Britax booster seats are highly rated safety wise. Britax booster seats come in the Parkway and Monarch models and hold children from thirty to one hundred pounds. Graco Booster seats are also a good buy in terms of safety. The Graco booster seat is sold as the Turbo Booster Safe Seat and also accommodates children from thirty to one hundred pounds.
Fisher Price booster seats are rated highly as well, but the Fisher Price Safe Embrace has a lower weight limit. The Safe Embrace is good for children between thirty and eighty pounds.
Some booster seats have a hook on tray for feeding. While this is a convenient feature, it may not be the safest. Do not sacrifice safety for convenience. If a feeding tray compromises the safety of your booster seat in any way, do not use it.
