The Best Car Booster Seats
To help you find the perfect car booster seat, we continuously put forth the effort to update and expand our list of recommendable car booster seats. Our team collects, edits and publishes new information, in order to present it to you in an accurate, significant and neatly arranged way.
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8 More Car Booster Seat Alternatives
Table of Contents
Buying Guide
Safety Ratings
You want a booster seat with good safety ratings. All boosters are rated by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on how efficiently they position children for proper seat belt placement. You should be looking for energy absorbing foam and side impact protection on all high-back and combination booster seats. You also need a secure latch on them so that they won’t become a projectile during a crash.Height and Weight Limits
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that all children use a car booster seat until they can properly use the car’s seat belt alone. This won’t happen until 8 to 12 years of age. A properly fitted car’s seat belt will lie snugly across their upper thighs. It shouldn’t be crossing the stomach. The shoulder belt needs to stay snugly across the shoulder and chest without crossing their neck or face. Look for a high height and weight limit when buying a booster seat for young children. Five point harnesses are safer than the seat belt alone.Harness Guide
You will want a booster seat with a harness that is easy to use. The harness should be easy to put in place and buckle on any combination booster seat for younger kids. Older children’s belt positioning booster seats need to have a clearly marked path for the seat belt to fit in. This ensures the belt will work properly. The child should be able to buckle themselves in at this point in time.Adjustability
A good car booster seat will include adjustable harness slots and crotch straps. The harness strap needs to adjust easily to account for growth. Look for at least two slots for the crotch strap, but three are preferable. None of the crotch straps or slots should rest underneath the child.What to Know Before Buying
You may be wondering how to tell if your child is big enough for a car booster seat. It is usually around age four that children are ready for their belt-positioning car booster seat. While many manufacturer’s list the minimum weight for a car booster seat as low as 30 pounds, most experts agree that parents should keep them in a five-point harness for as long as possible to be safe. A car seat that converts from a five-point harness to a belt-positioning booster will give parents the biggest value for their money.Another thing to consider is whether your child travels frequently or car pools with others. Some of the combination car booster seats with high backs are bulky and heavy. This isn’t ideal for kids that will be switching from one vehicle to another. Select a lighter weight, easy to carry booster seat for carpooling and travel. Backless models are quite nice for these circumstances due to their portability.
You also need to think about how much available space you have in your vehicle. You might have a smaller car with a cramped back seat. Maybe you need to fit multiple car seats in just one row. If this is the case, look for a car booster seat with a narrow width in order to maximize your space.
Does your family take frequent long trips in the car? If so, your car booster seat needs to be comfortable enough to allow your child short naps. Look for adequate padding and adjustable harnesses. A high back booster is perfect for children who are heavy sleepers while riding in the car. The wings prevent their head from slumping.
Some parents like the booster seat to match the car’s interior. Many models are available in a variety of fabrics ranging from neutral colors to vibrant hues. Color can also work to your advantage when persuading a reluctant child to use their new booster seat. Ease the pain by letting them pick their own color.
Remember that your booster seat is going to need to survive spilled drinks, dirt and grime, knocked over snacks, and the occasional car sickness. Look for seats that are covered with removable fabric that you can machine wash.
Whether your car has low seat backs or contoured seats will make a difference in which booster seat will work best. The booster seat needs to fit properly and grip the surface of the seat correctly. High back booster seats will best protect your child if you have low back seats or seats without headrests.
Are you expecting to use the booster seat for more than one child? Many models have an expiration date. Your child could be using this seat for four or more years. This is why it is important to check the expiration date.
Recommendations
If you are looking for a high-end car booster seat, the Evenflo Maestro Booster Car Seat will fit the bill. This model converts from a five point harness seat to a belt positioning booster easily. It has two cup holders, and it is equipped for both a latch and a tether system. It does come with a high price tag, but budget minded parents can take comfort in the Cosco Topside Booster Car Seat. For under $15 you will still get plush padding and plenty of safety.
The Graco Affix Youth Booster Seat with Latch System is a very nice mid-priced design with added features like the two cup holders. Its high-back design and comfortable arm rests keep sleepy children safely upright. Another interesting booster seat worth taking a look at is the Bubble Bum Inflatable Booster Seat. Although you may not want to use it on a day to day basis, this booster is great for travel. When it is deflated it can easily slip into any bag or purse.
Top Rated Car Booster Seats
If you're looking into finding the best rated car booster seat, you should probable check out the Graco Tranzitions 3 in 1 Harness Seat. We looked at various sources of reviews and found this one to have the best mix between review count and average rating stars.
The Lowest Price We Could Find
Often, going for the best price is a simple but good option. With a price of $27.99 (last checked this morning), we do not list any other car booster seat cheaper than the Evenflo GoTime No Back Seat. Just remember that it's not always the best option to go for the cheapest one.
The Car Booster Seat With the Most Reviews
With at least 1639 reviews and counting, the Bubblebum Inflatable Backless Seat might be another option to consider. This large amount of reviews signalizes that many people are using it, with most of them beeing satisfied.
High Quality Car Booster Seats
It's quite rare that the saying "You get what you pay for" turns out incorrect. If you have the money on the sideline, feel free to choose the most expensive item from our list: The Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Convertible Seat currently sells for $199.99.
The Car Booster Seat With the Most Clicks
If you trust us and our users, feel free to check out the Bubblebum Inflatable Backless Seat. Our statistics say that it is the most favorite Car Booster Seat from the list above.
Our Bestseller
If you're still undecided, I would recommend that you go with the masses and choose the top selling car booster seat: The Graco SlimFit 3-in-1 Convertible Seat is the hottest bestseller in this category right now.
Car Booster Seat Reviews
Further Reading on Car Booster Seats
Research
A child's car booster seat that cooperates with the automobile's existing safety belt restraint system is disclosed. A contoured seat bottom elevates the child above the existing automobile seat. A frontal shield is fixed pivotally and slidably along one side of the seat and …
An improved seat belt for a child car booster seat, having a novel five-point seat belt harness with a belt adjusting mechanism. A novel belt tightening and loosening mechanism is disclosed. The booster seat may be secured preferably by one of two ways: either employing …
… Conventional car seats tend to collapse forward into a folded position … US4502732A (en) *, 1982-09-27, 1985-03-05, Glen Williams, Child car restraint. US4643474A (en) *, 1985-02-14, 1987-02-17, Gerber Products Company, Child's car booster seat and restraint system …
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It was last updated on 2024-10-11 08:02:41 and has been viewed 3292 times.