Transitioning to a Car Seat Booster: A Parent’s Guide

Transitioning to a car seat booster means your little one is not so little anymore. They’ve hit the maximum height and/or weight limit and it’s time to switch to a car seat booster. The difference between a car seat and booster seat is the 5-point harness restrain. A booster seat helps in adjusting the vehicle’s seat belt so that its positioning across the body secures your child safely and comfortably.

What You Need to Know

Every time you use your car seat is an opportunity to check the fit for your child. Take your time before transitioning your child to different seating positions. Of course the rear-facing position is the safest for your child while riding in the car. However, your child will ultimately outgrow each one based on age, size and most especially height and weight.

Each seating position offers less restraints than the last, and to make up for this, ensure your child is best protected with a 5-point harness car seat for as long as possible (or until they hit the weight and height limits as indicated on the user manual). It may take over 10 years before you can think about transitioning your child to a booster seat.

The maturity of your child also comes into play in the decision to move to a booster seat given the absence of a harness strap and the guaranteed safety restrain it offers. The period of which your child should be in a booster seat depends on seat belt fit. He or she should use one at least until they are 4-inches 9-feet tall, which is between 8 and 12 years old.

What to Look Out For 

1. Weight and Height

The recommended weight of moving to a booster seat is more than 40 pounds, but these rules don’t necessarily apply to every child. Children grow faster by height than by weight at a certain point in their growth development. Some may be taller and weigh less than 40 pounds. In such a case, you will need to transition to a car seat booster with a long harness and back.

2. Fit

Always check that your child fits comfortably in their car seat. A 5-point harness that is fitted the right way gives your child the best possible protection until they transition to a booster seat. This means they start to use the car’s seat belt.

Check that the car seat belt goes across the shoulder, chest, and hips correctly. If the belt covers your child’s face, neck, or stomach they are not ready to switch. Same goes for if  they have the belt under their arm or behind their back. 

3. Maturity

This plays an important role in furthering security and comfort for both you and the child. A booster seat doesn’t restrain your child as well as a 5-point harness would, so if he or she can sit properly for an entire ride, then they are ready to transition to a booster seat.

You can also bring your child to understand the importance of seating calmly in the right position on the booster for the seat belt to function effectively (it’s worth a shot). If the right level of maturity is lacking consider installing a harnessed seat with a lap belt only.

Best Options

In addition to helping you save some money, 3-in-1 car seat boosters offer the opportunity to use a harness for longer before transitioning to the booster seat. If you’re going to make a purchase for the first time, get a car seat that has a higher harness strap to serve a higher weight and height limit. This additionally helps you keep your child in car seat mode for a longer period of time.

You can also look at the ‘ECE certified Car Seat Booster’ that serves growing kids weighing between 40 to 100 pounds and 43 to 57 inches in height. We have listed additional advantages that include its compact design, lightweight and extra plush padding.

Recommendations

Take your time before transitioning your child to a car seat booster given the safety of a 5-point harness strap. Car seat belts are designed to fit adults check that they tick all the requirements of height, weight, fit, and maturity before making a decision switch.