To early for a booster seat?

Question

My son turns 3 August 4th and I have been trying decide whether to put him in a booster seat. He meets the required weight and height requirements but didn't know if he is to young? Any input would be great. Thanks!

Answer 1

It's way too early for a booster- you have another 2-3 years left of harnessing before you consider a booster. Boosters are never acceptable before age 4- and even then most children aren't ready for a booster- age 5 and up is safest. NHTSA recommendations: http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightSeat.htm Here's a 3 year old that died because her parents didn't know a booster wasn't a safe choice for her http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04



Good forward facing harnessed seats to choose from:

Evenflo Maestro

Evenflo SecureKid 300 or 400

Graco Nautilus

Graco Argos

Britax Frontier 85

Britax Frontier 90

Britax Pinnacle

Recaro ProSport

Harmony Defender 360



All of the above are 5 point harness seats that convert to boosters later. All except the Maestro have an adjustable headrest that allow the seat to last for at least another year or so as a booster after harnessed mode is outgrown. The Maestro is essentially outgrown as a booster at the same time it's outgrown in harness mode- this can be an okay choice if you don't mind purchasing a separate high back booster when he's ready (around age 5 or 6).



When forward facing, the shoulder harness must be at or above the child's shoulder, and the child's ears must be below the top of the shell/headrest.



A budget friendly option that does *not* convert to a booster is the Evenflo Sureride. It's a convertible seat which means it can be rear or forward facing. It has very tall top harness slots which means it will last a very long time as a harnessed seat. Only the Britax Froniter and Pinnacle have taller top harness slots. It would also give you the option to turn your son rear facing again.

Answer 2

Too young. Even the earliest recommendations are for 4 and up. Where I live it's actually illegal for a child to be in a booster before 4.



There's several safety seat steps for kids, and each is a step DOWN in safety, each one is less safe. The recommendations are to wait as long as you can before moving to the next seat. So even if he was 4, if he still fit in a forward-harness car seat then that would be safer than moving him to a booster seat. (The steps are rear-facing, then forward with harness, then booster in back seat, then adult belt in back seat, and finally adult belt in front-seat.) Though I haven't heard anything that says a backless is less safe than an upright booster, except maybe with side-impact.



Other indications your child may be ready for a booster include:

-they don't mess with the belt

-they don't slump.

-they don't fall asleep in the car.

-they won't lean forward to pick something up.



The reason some groups call for 6, or even 10, before moving to a booster is because of the bone structure of children and how they grow. When a child starts hitting puberty their bones start solidifying more and can withstand greater pressure. So an adult belt in a booster has fewer impact points than a harnessed child, and that means it's more likely to break bones and cause internal damage than if they were kept in their harness longer. Other problems tend to be from children too small flying out of the booster, or the seatbelt actually failing. In a booster, there's not backup, in a harnessed car seat it should also be top-tethered and that can hold the seat. I've also heard some say that until 6 the hip-bones aren't big enough to cradle the adult belt, which is why the 6 year old recommendation.



Boosters are also a pain in the neck in that you need to buckle them into place every time, even when the child is not in them. Otherwise they can become flying projectiles in an accident. With a harnessed seat you don't have to worry about it, it's already buckled in.



Having said all that, if you need to transport him and only have a booster then that's safer than nothing.

Answer 3

No. Legally he has to be 4 years, and 40lb. He may be 40lb, but he's not 4 yet. And it's actually a recommendation to have children in harnessed seats until 5-6 years.

It is always safer for a child to be harnessed, especially rear-facing.

If he's still fitting into his harnessed car seat, leave him be.

Even if he meets height and weight requirements for a booster, in a crash he will be in a lot more danger than in a harnessed seat.

Is there a reason you want him to be in a booster so soon?



If he's outgrowing his current seat, buy a new one with a bigger capacity.

My 6 year old is 40lb and 44" tall. He is still rear facing in a Diono Radian RXT.

This seat holds from 5-45lb rear facing, and then from 20-80lb (and up to 57") in the harness. Then a booster up to 120lb. This seat is $260 from Walmart and will last your little one a few years yet. He will be able to rear face for at least a few more months, and then be in the harness forward facing for a good year or two, or three more.

My boy isn't even forward facing yet - another few weeks and he'll be too tall to rear face, but we'll still have 2-3 years use out of the harness (unless he has a growth spurt).



If you can't afford this seat, your three year old still needs a harnessed car seat.

Answer 4

** In most states in America -- this is ILLEGAL. **

.

Nearly every state is going to an age 4 minimum for a booster seat because booster seats at this age offer MINIMAL protection. Backless boosters at age 3 regardless if the seat says age 3 / 30 pounds offers ALMOST NO protection in crashes over 35 mph. I have known three kids in over 20 years while working in a preschool that 'tipped out' of their backless booster seats (two died in the car crash, the third was a fender bender in the car line at the school). A 4 yr old in town recently was thrown out of her booster and through the windshield. High back boosters offer better protection than a backless. Best bet is to keep your lil one in a harness as long as possible. My 6 year old just outgrew the harness on his seat. I spent good money on his seats from birth on. The 3 year old is still in his car seat. Why would I offer him now the minimal protection?

Answer 5

Follow your mommy instinct because it is correct. By asking this question, this shows that you truly do not feel comfortable with your child riding in a booster seat. Your gut instinct is correct.



These parents thought that their 3 year old was old and big enough for a booster seat. She was in a crash and was killed. This was just about 6 months ago in Nevada: http://www.8newsnow.com/story/20596976/breaking-news-metro-3-year-old-not-in-proper-car-seat



A booster seat is designed to lift a child up for a better seat belt fit. It only sits on the vehicle seat and is not attached to the vehicle seat in any way. A child sits in the seat and is buckled. A child can only be protected in this type of seat if they sit straight up and back into the seat. A 3 year old child is extremely unlikely to sit still for the entirety of the ride.



In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says to keep 4-7 year olds in a car seat with a harness for as long as possible: http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightSeat.htm



For a forward facing car seat to last your son a long time, look at the top slot height. This is because most kids will outgrow their car seats by height, not weight. The harness straps needs to be at or above his shoulders when forward facing. This means to get a car seat with at least 18 inch top harness strap slots to allow lots of growing room. It is dangerous to have the harness below a forward facing child's shoulders as it will compress his spine.



There are many options to keep your child in a car seat with a harness:

-Harmony Defender 360 (65 lbs with harness; 18 inch top slots)

-Evenflo Maestro (50 lbs with harness; 18 inch top slots)

-Evenflo SecureKid 300/ 400 model (65 lbs with harness; 18 inch top slots)

-Graco Nautilus (65 lbs with harness; 18 inch top slots)

-Graco Argos 70 (70 lbs with harness; 18 inch top slots)

-Britax Frontier 85 (85 lbs with harness; 20 inch top slots)

-Recaro Prosport (90 lbs with harness; 19" top slots) (This seat will not last as long as the Frontier as children will outgrow this seat by height).



All of these seats above start out as a car seat with a harness. Then you can remove the car seat and make it into a booster seat. The Evenflo Maestro's booster mode will be outgrown the same time as the harness mode is outgrown by height. This is because the headrest cannot be adjusted for shoulder belt fit.



My tip is to never worry about booster mode for any of these combinations seats. You can always buy a dedicated booster seat later and booster seats can be very inexpensive. The Graco Turbobooster (in highback) costs $50 at Target and you can buy that when your child outgrows their harnessed car seat (around age 5 to 6).



The Harmony Defender 360 can be found for $99 at Walmart, but it has a very short crotch strap which may bother your boy. It depends on the kid.



The Evenflo SecureKid's booster mode will give you about an inch of torso height room growth. In other words, after a child outgrows harness mode by height (when shoulders are even with the top most harness slots), then you will only get about an inch of growing room. This could be a growth spurt away or a year's worth of time.



I also recommend the Evenflo SureRide- it goes up to 65 lbs and has 20 inch top harness slots. This is a convertible car seat that goes rear facing to forward facing. In other words, it does not turn into a booster seat to be used later. It is about $99 and after your child outgrows it, you can just purchase a good dedicated high back booster like the Graco Turbo. The only major problem with the SureRide is that the harness is sooo short, so short that children will outgrow the seat by harness length! It should still last until a child is 45-55 lbs.



And don't forget to use the top tether on his forward facing car seat. Here is why it is important: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULJ8Vx79Vv4



The video also organizes the different stages a child rides in. It made it a lot less confusing for me.



Also, ToysRUs will usually allow you to try the display model in your car before buying the seat. And surprisingly, I found that ToysRUs can actually be cheaper than Walmart/ Target or be marked the same price. Depending on your area, they may also have a different selection of car seats.



Have fun shopping!

Answer 6

if he meets the height and weight requirements than don't worry so much my daughter turns 3 in sept. and we are going to switch her to booster seat within the next month or so