High Back Or Backless Booster
Evenflo EveryFit 9 years old
We tend to prefer that children start out in a high back booster simply because the structure of the high back helps remind them to sit correctly. High back boosters also usually do a better job positioning the seat belt on smaller children than their backless counterparts. If your child likes to sleep in the car, a high back booster often makes it easier for a child to sleep comfortably without slumping out of position. When your child does move to a backless booster, be sure that they have a vehicle head restraint behind their head, at least up to the tips of their ears.
When To Change Your Child From A Harness Car Seat To A Booster
The forward-facing seat is the last harnessed car seat your child will ride in before moving to the booster car seat. The forward-facing car seat follows the rear-facing car seat, and this stage of the seating process is predominantly for toddlers and preschoolers.. Commonly, you will see children within this group aged between 2-7 years old, however, age does not purely define the
Time For A Change: Car Seat Booster Seat Seat Belt
Moving to A Booster Seat. Many parents arent sure when to switch their child to a booster seat. Sometimes parents get pressure to use a booster seat from friends, relatives or the child. We understand that pressure and concern, but it is safer to move from a forward-facing car seat to a booster seat only after your child reaches the weight or height limit of the seat you are using.
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When You Should Change From A Car Seat To A Booster Seat This Lady Blogs
A rear-facing car seat is the safest option during an auto accident, and one of those devices will prevent a wide variety of injuries in many different scenarios. As they grow larger, you will need to turn the car seat forward before they move to a booster seat. Around the age of two, the average child must switch to a forward-facing car seat
Wearing Bulky Coats/sweaters While Buckled Into A Car Seat
Consequence: Unapproved padding, including coats and sweaters, placed behind or under the harness can compress in a crash, creating slack in the harness system.
Recommendation: Place blankets or jackets over the child after the harness is snug and secure.
Dont rush! To protect your child, keep them rear-facing for as long as possible, at least until age 2. The old 1 year and 20 pounds milestone is no longer the recommended standard.
Unfortunately, it takes time for state laws to catch up with best practice safety recommendations. All major safety organizations along with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend this new guideline.
Children in the second year of life are five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride in a rear-facing car seat. Turning a child under age 2 to a forward-facing position can result in head, neck or spinal cord injuries in the event of a crash. Babies under age 2 simply arent yet strong enough to withstand strong crash forces without the extra protection that a rear-facing car seat provides.
When your child outgrows their infant-only bucket seat, its time to use a convertible car seat a seat that can be used in a rear-facing position, and when theyre older, in a forward-facing position.
When your child reaches the height or weight limit of the convertible seat, its time to switch to the forward-facing position.
Dont Skip a Step
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What Type Of Car Seat Should I Use
Rear-facing car seat:
- All infants must use a rear-facing car seat. A rear-facing seat provides the best protection for your childs head, neck, and spine in a sudden stop or crash. Once your baby outgrows the infant seat, use a larger, rear-facing seat. As long as your child still fits within the manufacturers weight and height limits, they are safest using a rear-facing seat until 2, 3, or even 4 years old.
Forward-facing car seat:
- Once your child has outgrown the larger rear-facing car seat and is at least2 years old they can move to a forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness. Keep your child in a 5-point harness until they weigh at least 18 kg and can sit straight and tall without moving out of position or unbuckling. This may be at 4, 5, or even 6 years old. If your child outgrows the seat before they can sit correctly, you may need a 5-point harness that will hold a taller, heavier child.
Booster seat:
- When your child is at least 18 kg and at least 4 years old, and has outgrown their forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness, they may be ready to move to a belt-positioning booster seat. To safely use a booster seat, your child must be able to sit correctly. Keep your child in a booster seat until they safely fit the adult seat belt. For most children, this will be between 9 and 12 years old.
Seat belt:
If your child cannot sit like this for the whole trip without slouching, continue to use a booster seat.
When To Stop Using A Booster Seat
Step 1: Check the weight/height limitation of your seat
If your booster seat is approved to ECE R44-04, you have to stop using your seat once the maximum weight has been reached, which is 36 kg based on the regulation.If your booster seat is approved to UN R129, you have to stop using the seat once the maximum height has been reached, which is 150 cm based on the regulation.
Step 2: Check your national laws
Each country has own regulations regarding until when a child car seat has to be used. In the UK you are required to use a child car seat until your child is either 12 years old or 135 cm tall whichever is reached first. In Ireland, children are required to sit in a child car until either 12 years old or 150 cm tall.
Step 3: Check how your child sits in the car without a child car seat
In addition to step 1 and 2, you can do the 5-point check to see if your childs body would be ready to sit in your car without a child car seat. If one of these 5 points is not reached yet, your child should still sit in a booster seat:
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What Is A Booster Seat
Harnessed car seat
First, lets define harnessed car seat versus booster seat: A car seat with 5 point harness has you guessed it! 5 points of contact: shoulder, shoulder, hip, hip, crotch.
Booster seat
A belt positioning booster is a device designed to position the adult-sized seat belt in the correct locations over a childs body. Boosters work by positioning the lap portion of the vehicle seat belt low on the childs hips, contacting both the hips and thighs. Boosters also align the shoulder portion of the vehicle seat belt on the childs shoulder, ideally placing the seat belt flat and snug across the collarbone.
Are There Any Other Safety Tips
- Many seat manufacturers have online video tutorials that can help.
- Some local community resources offer car seat clinics. There may be someone who has been trained to help with installation or check that you have installed the car seat correctly.
- If you use an infant carrier outside of a vehicle:
- Always keep your child buckled.
- Do not put the seat on a raised surface because it may fall.
- Always take your baby out of the car seat when you arrive. A car seat is not a safe place to sleep.
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The Child Is Too Big For The Car Seat
This is the most obvious reason to change your childs seat. The first goal is to keep your child in the most protective type of seat available for their height and weight. Granted, this should not mean keeping them in a rear-facing seat if their heads are above the back of the car seat. But dont be in a rush to move to the next car seat. The more protection against a crash or collision, the better.
When Can A Child Start To Use A Booster Seat
A child is ready for a booster seat when they have outgrown the height or weight limit of their 5-point harness car seat. This is usually when they reach over 65 pounds or 49 inches. You can check your car seat’s manual for its height and weight limits and if it can be converted to a booster seat.
There is no one age that means your child is ready to switch from a car seat to a booster seat. Generally, kids are between the ages of 5-9 when they begin to outgrow the weight limitations of a 5-point harness car seat. Before you make the move to a belt-positioning booster seat, make sure your child meets these requirements:
- Generally, kids weighing over 65 pounds are ready to switch to a booster seat.
- When your child reaches 49 inches tall.
- When you believe your child is mature enough to properly sit in a booster seat with the seat belt correctly positioned at all times.
It’s important not to rush the switch to a booster seat. If your child still fits the height and weight requirements of their car seat, that is their safest option.
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Booster Seat Registration Card
Don’t forget to mail back the registration card. If you don’t, you will not be notified if the booster seat is recalled or has other safety problems.
If you moved since you mailed the card, make sure you call your booster seat manufacturer to update your address.
If you misplaced the registration card that came with your booster seat, please and mail or fax it as instructed.
How To Convert A Car Seat Into A Booster Seat
Car seats are vital in securing children in a car and save countless lives every year. Almost every state has laws regarding child safety in a car and the requirements for car seats. However, as a child grows, his needs change and he will need different types of car seats. Many car seat manufacturers now make car seats that can convert from the simplest stage for infants all the way to a booster seat that enables a child to be protected correctly by a cars seat belt.
Check the limitations and recommendations in your car seats manual for when to change the car seat to a booster seat 1. Check your state’s requirements as well. In general it is recommended that a child be 40 pounds before they go to a booster seat. You also want to make sure that the child is the proper height for the seat belt to go across her shoulder and lock in place without going across his face or neck.
Remove the car seat from the car. Look for a way to remove the back of the car seat. You may have to pull off or disconnect some or all of the cushions. Sometimes the car seat will fold down and then the top can be disconnected, leaving just the base as a booster.
Put the booster seat back in the car. Strap your child in using the cars seat belt and pull the belt through any guides on the booster seat. You should attend a safety check at your local fire or police department to make certain the booster seat is installed correctly.
Warnings
Always check to make sure your child is buckled in correctly.
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One Of The Most Common Questions We Are Receiving Is: When Is The Right Time For My Child To Change To The Next Car Seat And This Is A Great And Very Important Question Different Regulations Focussing On Weight Height And Age And Can Make It Quite Confusing We Have Therefore Collected An Overview Of When To Change Car Seats For Your Child
At BeSafe, we categorize the different child car seat stages in a childs life into three groups:
3) Car seats for older children
When choosing a seat for your newborn, there are two paths you can choose from: either to use an infant carrier from approx. 0-1 year, followed by a toddler seat until approx. 4 years or to use a 2-in-1 seat from 0 to approx. 4 years.
When using such a 2-in-1 seat, it is only relevant in this article for you to know when to change to a seat for older children. When to remove the baby insert of your 2-in-1 seat is defined by the user manual of your seat.
When To Move Your Child From A Booster Seat To A Seat Belt
Children should continue to use their booster seat until they have outgrown the seats weight and or height limits shown on the seats instruction labels.
Many booster seats today have removable backrests. Removing the backrest allows your child to benefit from the protection of the booster seat for a little longer. Before you get rid of the booster seat, check how your vehicles adult seat belt fits your child.
Stage 4: seat belts has more information on using adult seat belts without a booster seat. If your child grows out of their booster seat before being ready to use a seat belt only, shop for a different booster seat that fits your child and your vehicle.
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Letting Your Child Use A Regular Seat Belt Too Soon
Why its unsafe: Seat belts are designed for an adult and can cause seriously injuries if they dont fit properly.
What AAA recommends: Use a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits properly with the lap portion of the belt fitting low across the childs hips and the shoulder belt across their sternum and collar bone. Proper belt fit may not be possible in some cases until age 12 or 13.
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When To Switch Your Childs Car Seat Mom Loves Best
Convertible Seat Restrictions. When it comes to convertible car seats, the weight and height restrictions will vary greatly. While many convertible car seats will accommodate up to 65 pounds, some will go even further as theyre considered all-in-one seats .. I went poking around various websites and found some all-in-one seats that could be used all the way up until your child reaches
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What Parents With Booster
If you are using any booster seat, and your child weighs less than 40 pounds and is younger than 4 years old, CR recommends that you return your child to a forward-facing harness seat. If your child weighs more than 40 pounds, is at least 4 years old and already using a booster seat, he can continue to use it. But be sure that the seat belt fits your child properly in her booster seat and that your child can stay that way for an entire car ride. If he hasnt yet moved to a booster seat, keep him in a forward-facing harness up to the car seats height or weight limit.
How Do I Use A Booster Seat
- A booster seat positions your child so that the seat belt fits across the strong bones of the hips and pelvis and not the abdomen, to protect your child from injury.
- While seated in the booster seat, the lap belt should fit low and snug across your childs hips, and not up on their belly.
- The shoulder portion of the seat belt should be positioned over the chest and collarbone, staying between your childs neck and shoulder so that it does not touch the neck.
- Follow the directions for the booster seat to know how to route the seat belt under any armrests or through any belt guides, as directed.
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When To Change The Earliest From A Toddler Car Seat To A Booster Seat
We at BeSafe advise you to keep your child rear facing for as long as possible or at least until the age of four. Therefore, we recommend you to move your child to a booster seat only when all three of the following conditions are met:
