How Do Booster Seats Work?
Older children have mostly outgrown a car seat but may still be too small to be buckled using a normal seat belt. A booster seat helps them stay secure because it lifts a child high enough for the seatbelt to be fastened correctly.
What Is The Difference Between A Booster And A Car Seat?
Knowing the difference between a booster seat and a car seat is crucial.
A child is restrained by the seat’s five-point harness when in a car seat. A child in a booster seat gets secured by placing the seat belt over their body, much like an adult. Many car seats with harnesses can get converted into boosters in the future.
Before transferring your child to a booster seat, ensure they satisfy these three requirements. A child has to be the following to use a booster seat safely:
- Five years old and older
- A minimum of 40 pounds
- Capable of sitting in the booster without slouching, bending over, or fiddling with the seat belt
When Do You Switch To A Booster Seat?
Check your child’s height, weight as well as maturity first. These are some of the indicators to look out for before switching.
Has your child surpassed the height and weight restrictions for their five-point harness car seat? They may be ready to transition to a booster seat.
What does the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have to say about it? AAP recommends booster seats for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing seats. They also suggest that kids utilize a forward-facing seat with a harness for the longest possible.
They encourage parents to keep using it up to the highest possible weight or height their car safety seat manufacturer allows. They do not advocate for a quick transition to a booster seat.
How do you check that your child meets all three booster minimum requirements? Check if their shoulders reach the top strap slot on their current car seat. If they don’t, they will need a different car seat with a higher full shoulder strap height. It will help them stay in a five-point harness much longer.
What Is The Best Age For A Booster Seat?
NHTSA suggests that children below four years are yet to attain the booster seat age.
Does your under-three-year-old meet all three booster minimums? Even if they do, three-year-olds must grow more in other ways to be booster-seat-age ready.
If you can securely keep your child in a strapped car seat after age four, do so. According to research, younger children are often safer in car seats than in boosters.
Transitioning from a rear-facing to a forward-facing car seat and then to a booster seat reduces safety. This is because a rear-facing car seat comes in handy in case an accident occurs because it distributes the crash force over more spots on the child’s body. In this way, it reduces child deaths through accidents.
Different Types Of Booster Seats
Have you determined your child is old enough to use a booster seat? Have they attained the booster seat minimum requirements? If so, you may now shop for a booster seat.
Booster seats come in a wide variety, just like other car seat types.
The three primary categories are high-back booster seats, combination harness-to-booster seats, and backless boosters.
- High-Back Booster Seats
Booster chairs with high backs offer an additional layer of security. It has “wings” or side bolsters that act as shock absorbers. The bolsters are around the head, neck, and sides in some models. These boosters contain seat belt guides. The guides help correctly place the car seat belt over the child’s chest, shoulders, and hips. High-back boosters can be fastened to the car’s seat using LATCH.
- Combination Harness-To-Booster Seats
It is a high-back booster with the additional safety of a detachable five-point harness. In the case of a collision, your child is safer if secured in a five-point harness.
However, combination booster seats make it simple to remove the five-point harness. It is necessary when your child has grown too big or too tall for it. It helps convert the seat to a high-back belt-positioning booster.
When purchasing car seats, are you looking for the best value? Many combination booster seats can fit younger children, just like convertible car seats. Some kids outgrow their convertible seats but still need the security and safety of a five-point harness.
- Backless Booster Seats
This booster seat type is known as a “traditional” booster seat. It lifts your child off the car seat to improve seat belt positioning.
Some backless boosters sit on the car seat. Others can be fastened to it using the LATCH system.
Do you intend to utilize a backless booster seat? The top of the car’s main seat should be parallel to your child’s ears. It aids in preventing injuries to the head and neck. It is encouraged to use backless boosters in vehicles with headrests.
Backless booster seats have some benefits. They are affordable, lightweight, and a sizable fit for most vehicles making them suitable for families with many kids. They also work well for those who drive smaller cars or frequently switch between vehicles.
Older children frequently choose backless booster seats because high-back boosters and car seats with straps appear “babyish” to them.
Are Booster Seats Safe?
A car seat keeps children safely contained in the car. It is crucial because it keeps children safely enclosed and reduces driver distraction.
A booster seat if used correctly is also just as safe. In some instances, it may be easier for the child to unbuckle themselves or even to slump and lean forward, which can be dangerous. That is why it is important to make sure your child has attained the booster seat weight, height, and maturity requirements. At that stage, they can use a booster seat safely without any incidence.
Make sure their seat belts are comfortably in place to protect them in case of an accident.
Safety Always
What then should you choose? If you are to compare brands and types of booster seats, what should you go for?
No “best” or “correct” brands or booster seat types exist. The best booster seats appropriately restrain your child when it matters. Everything else is up to your budget and taste.