Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Many parents wonder if their tall young child is ready for a booster seat , or if there's an age requirement. It's easy enough to check the weight and height limits of various boosters to see if your little one will fit according to manufacturer instructions. Before deciding whether your child is ready to move on from a car seat to a booster, you must first understand the difference between the two. Car seats use a five-point harness to restrain the child.
Booster seat age refers to the age of a child at which they are ready to move from a car seat to a booster seat. The appropriate age is generally at least 4 years old. If you can safely keep your child in a harnessed car seat for a while longer, do it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids use a car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight for that five-point harness. Three-year-olds are not ready to ride in a booster seat, even if they fit within the manufacturer's height and weight guidelines.
To sit in a booster seat, children should:. Many convertible and harness-to-booster car seats have harnesses rated to hold kids up to 65 pounds. In fact, children in the U. Thanks to advances in car seat safety technologies, four-year-olds that might have been moved into a booster 10 years ago can still safely ride in a rear-facing car seat.
Even fairly tall children can remain rear-facing through toddler years and then switch to a forward-facing harness until kindergarten age. Any step up in car seats—from rear-facing to forward-facing, from the harness to booster—is actually a step down in safety. The 5-point harness spreads crash forces over more points on a child's body, lessening the potential force any one part of the body must take in a crash.
While some high-back booster seats have a minimum weight of 30 pounds, kids should weigh at least 40 pounds before riding in any booster seat. From a practical standpoint, parents find that it is easier to keep the child sitting properly when in a car seat than in a booster; in a booster the child can unbuckle themselves more easily than in a car seat. They can also lean and slouch, which is dangerous. They can't do that in a car seat when the 5-point harness is properly adjusted.
The seatbelt cannot protect a child who is not in the proper position. Most children cannot be trusted to sit properly until at least five years old. Many parents find that their child is actually much older than four before they can be expected to sit still in a booster. If your vehicle has lap-only seatbelts in the rear seats, keep your child in a harnessed car seat as long as possible.
Harnessed seats can be installed with a lap-only belt. Extended harnessing, or using a harnessed car seat with a higher weight limit, is vastly preferable to moving a child into a lap-only seatbelt. If you have a pre vehicle with a lap-only belt in the center, it is important to know that car seats can safely go there but boosters and big kids should not. These vests usually require use of a top tether. Installation tips for forward-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat.
To switch a convertible or all-in-one seat from rear-facing to forward-facing: Move the harness shoulder straps to the slots or position that is at or just above your child's shoulders. Check the instructions that came with the seat to be sure you are positioning the shoulder straps correctly. You may have to adjust the recline angle of the seat so that it sits more upright in your vehicle.
Check the instructions to be sure. If using a seat belt, make sure it runs through the forward-facing belt path be sure to follow car safety seat instructions and that the seat belt is locked and tightened.
Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off to keep the seat belt locked. If using the lower anchors, make sure that the weight of your child plus the weight of the seat does not exceed 65 pounds. Most seats now state in the manual and on the stickers on the side the maximum child weight to use the anchors. If the child weighs too much, caregivers must use the seat belt to install. Always use the tether when you can. A tether is a strap that is attached to the top part of a car safety seat and holds the seat tightly by connecting to an anchor point in your vehicle often on the seat back or rear shelf; see your vehicle owner's manual to find where tether anchors are in your vehicle.
Tethers give important extra protection by keeping the car safety seat and your child's head from moving too far forward in a crash or sudden stop. All new cars, minivans, and light trucks are required to have tether anchors as of September Forward-facing seats come with tether straps. A tether should always be used as long as your child has not reached the top weight limit for the tether anchor. If absolutely necessary, a child in a forward-facing seat with a harness may be the best choice to ride in front.
Just be sure the vehicle seat is moved as far back away from the dashboard and airbag as possible. As a general guideline, a child has outgrown a forward-facing seat when any of the following situations is true: He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness. These limits are listed on the seat and in the instruction manual. His shoulders are above the top harness slots.
Types of booster seats High-back and backless are 2 standard types of booster seats. Watch the video: How to Use a Booster Seat If your booster seat has lower anchors or tether attachments, check its manual for installation instructions. What is the difference between high-back boosters and backless boosters? High-back boosters should be used in vehicles without headrests or with low seat backs.
Many seats that look like high-back boosters are actually combination seats. They come with harnesses that can be used for smaller children and, later, removed for older children. Backless boosters are usually less expensive and are easier to move from one vehicle to another. Backless boosters can be used safely in vehicles with headrests and high seat backs.
The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly. Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching and can comfortably stay in this position throughout the trip.
This leaves the upper body unprotected and adds extra slack to the seat belt system, putting your child at risk of severe injury in a crash or with sudden braking. All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts. Common question I've seen products that say they can help make the seat belt fit better.
Should we get one of these? No, these products are unapproved and should not be used. They may actually interfere with proper seat belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the stomach or making the shoulder belt too loose. They can even damage the seat belt. This rule applies to car safety seats too; do not use extra products unless they came with the seat or are specifically approved by the seat manufacturer.
These products are not covered by any federal safety standards, and the AAP does not recommend they be used. As long as children are riding in the correct restraint for their size, they should not need to use additional devices. A higher price does not mean the seat is safer or easier to use. Look on the label for the date the seat was made. Check with the manufacturer to find out how long it recommends using the seat. Has any visible cracks on it. Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number.
Without these, you cannot check to see if the seat has been recalled. Does not come with instructions. You need them to know how to use the seat. Instructions can be found on manufacturer websites or by contacting the manufacturer.
Is missing parts. Used car safety seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts. Was recalled.
Do not use seats that have been in a moderate or severe crash. Seats that were in a minor crash may still be safe to use, but some car safety seat manufacturers recommend replacing the seat after any crash, even a minor one. The NHTSA considers a crash minor if all the following situations are true: The vehicle could be driven away from the crash.
The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged. No one in the vehicle was injured. The airbags did not go off. You can't see any damage to the car safety seat.
If you have specific questions about the car seat, contact the manufacturer. About carpooling If your child is being driven by someone else, make sure: The car safety seat your child will be using fits properly in the vehicle used for transport. The car safety seat being used is appropriate for the age and size of your child.
The person in charge of transporting your child knows how to install and use the car safety seat correctly. In some states, school bus drivers need to have a special type of license. Staff to child ratios for transport should meet or exceed those required for the classroom.
Every child should be supervised during transport, either by school staff or a parent volunteer, so the driver can focus on driving. School staff, teachers, and drivers should know what to do in an emergency, know how to properly use car safety seats and seat belts, and be aware of other safety requirements. About car safety seats on airplanes The Federal Aviation Administration FAA and the AAP recommend that children less than 40 pounds be securely fastened in certified child restraints when flying.
If you need installation help If you have questions or need help with installing your car safety seat, find a certified child passenger safety technician CPST or CPS technician. A child can Die of heatstroke because temperatures can reach deadly levels in minutes. Be strangled by power windows, retracting seat belts, sunroofs, or accessories.
Knock the vehicle into gear, setting it into motion. Be backed over when the vehicle backs up. Become trapped in the trunk of the vehicle. More information Ask the Pediatrician: Is it safe for my baby to travel in a car seat a few hours at a time? The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician.
There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Follow Us. Back to Top. All Around. At Home. At Play. On The Go. The developmental level of a child is one of the most important things to keep in mind when deciding the right time to make the transition to booster.
If the answer to all of these is yes, and all of the other conditions are met, then the child is likely ready for a booster seat. If the child is not ready for a booster seat then it is suggested to find a seat with higher forward-facing limits that will accommodate the child in harnessed mode longer. Children are all different and, because of this, will be ready to make the transition at different times.
One child will be ready sooner than another, even within the same family. Shopping in the U.
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