This month, ProPublica released a shocking investigative piece that suggests booster seat seller Evenflo ignored safety recommendations in the past, putting children who used its Big Kid booster seat at risk for injury or death. So car manufacturers resources have historically gone into providing safety features (like pretensioners and force limiters) that will help yield the best results for dummies in the front seat. We expected pushback on this, but it wasnt a dealbreaker for our testers, who ended up using their cars cup holders instead. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on how a cars seat beltin particular, the presence or absence of seat belt pretensioners and force limiterscan impact the risk of injury. For example, a booster seat thats lighter in weight and designed with handling in mind will be less annoying to move in and out of a car. Like our other picks, this seat has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat belt fit. In general, we recommend high-back boosters over backless ones for daily use because of the additional head and neck protection they offer. There are two types of booster seats: backless boosters, which simply raise a kid up to put them in the correct position for the vehicles seat belt, and high-back boosters, which both raise the kid up and offer some support and protection to the head, neck, and upper back. Unlike infant and convertible car seats (which have five-point harnesses), boosters are positioning devicesmeaning the cars seat belt is completely responsible for restraining the child. Our main gripe is that it has hook-style LATCH connectors, the least user-friendly type of LATCH. The alligator-style LATCH hooks easily attach to the cars anchors, and they detach just as easily; theres a one-pull mechanism for tightening and releasing them. For example, when crash testing high-back boosters, extremely large or heavily padded side wings would likely help a seat pass side-impact crash tests with flying colors. You may need to use the booster seat in a vehicle position that doesnt have the LATCH anchors, like a middle seat or third row. We looked for seats that, though narrow, have generous height and weight limits that kids wont outgrow too quickly, and for those that can be adjusted or expanded to accommodate older and larger kids. The cup holders on the GoFit Plus can be folded in to give the seat a slimmer profile. There are some drawbacks to the RodiFix; it does not come with cup holders, which are important to some families. The Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus weighs about 10 pounds and is easy to install and remove, thanks to a cleverly designed LATCH system. But LATCH is not actually required for a booster seat to function safely. (Although the lap belt positioner is not required to use this seat, an UPPAbaby spokesperson strongly encouraged it to help fit the belt properly across the childs body.) So the RodiFix is the simplest of all the seats to install, and it offers the strongest, most secure connection. Additional reporting by Ingela Ratledge Amundson. NEVER use child restraint without the seat pad. According to Maltese, The best car seat is the one that fits your kid, fits your car, and is used properly on every trip.. The Britax Skyline is a high-back booster seat with push-button alligator LATCH connectors that can convert to backless. All of our background research and information gathering led us to conclude that the ideal booster seat would: Be easy to use safely: A boosters ability to deliver a proper belt fit is what makes it safe, and several factors contribute to achieving that fit. If it falls off the shoulder or rests on your child's neck, it won't work as well. But for decades, the front-crash ratings have been based on how the dummies in the front seats fare. The seat belt threader on the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus is similar, but it has more of a diagonal at the entry point, which we prefer. Some of us who have worked on Wirecutters car seat guides have opted to keep our own kids in a convertible car seat through kindergarten and beyond. Be appealing to kids: Kids in boosters arent babies anymore, and they are likely to have strong opinions about how they ride (as well as everything else)so its important to have a booster that appeals to them. Unlike child restraints with built-in harnesses, booster seats rely on vehicle safety belts to restrain children. We also like that it converts from high-back to backless, requires minimal assembly, and looks good. Although the specifics can vary, boosters are generally intended for school-age kids who are at least about 40 pounds and 38 to 40 inches tall, and who are ready to graduate from a five-point harness. As my 8-year-old put it, It looks like a booster seat should look. The TurboBooster LX comes in a single color option, a black-and-gray combination. The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix is an expensive high-back booster seat thats great-looking and a pleasure to use. An overall rating for each booster is then assigned based on the range of scores for the lap and shoulder belt measurements. Because of its ample seat padding, the GoFit Plus is bulkier than some other backless boosters. Were the pieces easy to separate, but not so easy that they fell apart each time the seat was moved? Why is proper belt positioning so crucial? 2022 Evenflo Company, Inc. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. These conclusions were made based on the movements of child-size crash dummies during testing. That can be helpful for kids who are transitioning from a five-point harness and need additional support to keep the belt in position and/or for those who are prone to dozing off and then creeping downward in their seat, creating an unsafe posture. This system allows you to install a car seat by attaching a pair of metal hooks or clips that are built into the seat to a set of anchors that are built into the car. Although we believe most kids will fit comfortably in the KidFit ClearTex Plus, its slender frame may be less appealing to bigger kids who prefer a wider seat. Its lightweight (6 pounds), and it is a very good option for caregivers who want to keep an extra high-back booster in their car or garage in case of carpools. The kid testers who sat in this seat found it comfortable. Shoulder belt fit The shoulder belt should fit snugly across the middle of the child's shoulder. We do not ship to PO Boxes or US territories. To convert the booster to backless mode, you pull a lever on the headrest and lift. Both the lap and shoulder belts must fit your child correctly. The bottom line: Always follow the AAP guidelines when it comes to buying a car seat, and don't skimp on safety when using it. Although the RodiFix does not have cup holders and cannot be converted from high-back to backless (two features that some might deem essential), in all other ways it was the most enjoyable seat to engage with of those we tested. As my 8-year-old explained to me, it has the look and feel of a more-grown-up seatless like a five-point harness seat and more like something an older child would want to sit in. When I worked on the first version of this guide, in 2018, I became certified as a CPST, completing a 40-hour training program through the Safe Kids Worldwide organization, which teaches the proper installation and use of car seats. And, like our top pick, this model has a relatively narrow footprint (it may be possible to fit three seats across, depending on the vehicle). They are able to keep their knees naturally bent at the edge of the seat. How could they make this claim? Kids said the KidFit ClearTex Plus was comfortable to sit in, or, as one kid put it, It feels fine. After 10 hours of research and trying out eight travel car seats, we found that the Cosco Scenera Next is the best convertible option.
The TurboBooster LX should accommodate most older kids, butas with our other picksa kid who needs a wider seat may outgrow this early. It should be easy for a kid (or the adult whos helping them) to pull the belt through the belt-positioning mechanism and get buckled in. The Alta is a heavy seat, weighing in at 16.6 pounds. (Its also the only one of our picks that reclines.) The TurboBooster LX has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat belt fit. As the name implies, a boosters primary function is to raise a child up so that the cars seat belt can be positioned properly. If you want an extra-wide backless booster with LATCH: The Diono Solana 2 XL is a high-end wide booster (20.1 inches across) that could work well for kids who want or need more space. Follow the cleaning instructions for your particular seat: The correct method for cleaning your booster seat will depend on the make and model that you have. Like the UPPAbaby Alta, this seat has an optional crotch buckle, which can help with correct posture and positioning; the buckle can also be a nuisance and a particular deterrent for older kids. The company does make another high-back booster, the Maxi-Cosi Rodisport, which has rigid LATCH and converts to backless but is wider than the RodiFix (22 inches) and has a lower weight limit (100 pounds). Manufacturers must only prove that their products pass head-on collision testing. In a nutshell, crash testing can be extremely useful for determining good versus bad, but it is less helpful for determining really good from really, really good. This seat has a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide a proper seat belt fit. This seat is relatively slendermaking it possible to fit three across, depending on the vehicle. Also, by the time the editors (very tall) son was 8, he could no longer sit comfortably in the seat in high-back mode (the lower seat cushion wasnt deep enough), so he had to transition to backless mode. The IIHS independently ranks booster seats based on their ability to provide a good seat belt fit; we relied on those rankings to help steer our decisions on which seats to test ourselves. Right? Our testers found the hard plastic shell of the MiFold uncomfortable. For this update, we tested 12 models of high-back and backless booster seats, and weve made new picks. ProPublica released a shocking investigative piece, A November 2018 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The GoFit Plus weighs just 6 pounds, so its not the lightest booster out there, but it is about average for backless boosters with LATCH. The good news: Of all the car seats, boosters are, by design, typically the most straightforward to install and use. (The Chicco KidFit ClearTex also has a handle, which can be used when the seat is in backless mode.). Also, the addition of LATCH to a booster almost always translates to a higher price tag. Indeed, they claimed that the Big Kid booster seat passed side-impact tests they conducted. Copyright The armrests, cup holder, and seat pads need to be attached, and it takes a moment to connect the top and bottom half of the seat. As we were working on the update to this guide in late 2021 and early 2022, this seat was being updated, and there was no sample available for us to review. Being a parent has enough stress as it is, that's why we can assure you that we can give you Clek makes a less-expensive version called the Ozzi, which does not have the quick-release feature, carrying strap, or cup holder, but its still pricey. Any car seat that has been involved in a moderate or serious accident should also be thrown away, since the damage or structural changes incurred may compromise its ability to perform safely in the future. The KidFit ClearTex Plus seat in backless mode. We also considered the ratings and recommendations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which evaluates booster seats based on their ability to provide a proper belt fit. If you want a cheap, light, zero-frills backless booster without LATCH: The Cosco Rise is less than $20 (but it can go on sale for as low as $12). Despite its high price, the RodiFix does not have cup holders, and it also cant be converted from high-back to backless, which may be a no-go for some people. The GoTime Sport is the replacement for Evenflos popular Big Kid booster, which has been discontinued. The previous KidFit model had the belt threading into the loop from top to bottom, but now its from bottom to top. Caregivers can take comfort in knowing that most car seats do their jobs very well. The KidFit ClearTex Plus is easy to install and remove, thanks to its alligator-style LATCH connectors, which are equipped with a clever tightening mechanism called SuperCinch (you just clip them to the vehicles anchors, and then pull on a center strap at the front of the seat to tighten and snug the seat into place with one tug). The TurboBooster LX converts from high-back to backless the same way the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus does, by separating the top half of the seat from the bottom half. No one is calling them out on the absence of pretensioners and force limiters in the back seat, Baer said. Thats why were big fans of seats that can convert from high-back to backless, like our top picks from Chicco and Graco. 15.2 in, 13.25 x They responded to detailed questionnaires about what it was like to install and move the seats into various cars, the buckling-in process, whether their kids were able to get a proper seat belt fit once buckled in, the overall look and feel of the seats, and how easy the LATCH system was to use (if applicable). If your kid tends to fall asleep (and slide down) in the car: The UPPAbaby Alta is an expensive high-back booster seat that has a lap belt positioner (aka a crotch buckle), which helps keep the lap belt and passenger securely in place. (However, we wish there were a place to store the connectors when not in use; if youre carrying the seat around, they flap.) For bigger messes, the entire cover can be removed in two parts. After careful consideration and consultation with experts, we reached the decision that field testing alone, without crash testing, should dictate our picks within this guide. Its lightweight enough (10 pounds) to move around easily within a car or between locations. And to identify trends and themes, we combed through consumer reviews on sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. It has the main features that matter in a high-back booster and costs less than our top pick, the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus. After researching dozens of seats and testing 12, weve concluded that the Graco Extend2Fit Convertible is the best convertible car seat for most families. Some forward-facing seats have a maximum weight of 65 pounds, for example, while others go up to 85 pounds, says a safety report from ProPublica. Spot-cleaning the material takes very little effort; stains wiped off easily. The included belt clip helps safely position the vehicles It also has expandable cup holders and a built-in handle on one end. The padded seat adds comfort on long road trips, and is removable and machine-washable for easy cleaning. The Chicco GoFit Plus backless booster is the best of all the backless-only boosters we tested. And we looked closely at the results of government testing conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), the federal agency charged with road safety. The Chicco KidFit Zip Plus is also the same seat as our top pick, but it has extra seat and backrest cushions that zip on and off and a detachable console compartment, where kids can stash small toys and other treasures. Need some real-time help? We also asked three other families to try out the booster seats; each family (with kids ranging in age from 4 to 9 years old) tried four to five seats. Our plan had been to crash test the four to six booster seats that had already performed the strongest in our field testing, based on criteria like accessible installation, ability to provide a proper belt fit, and ease of use. It should be machine-washed in cold water on the delicate setting with mild detergent, and then air-dried before being put back on. But that leads to another issue: ProPublica reports that at least six other companies, including Graco, produce booster seats claiming safety for children who weigh "as little as 30 pounds.". When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. The instruction manual calls for the cover to be machine-washed in cold water on the delicate cycle, using mild detergent, and then air-dried. Youll find plenty of booster seats out there that offer LATCHincluding our top picks in this guide. Rigid LATCH creates an extremely secure connection between the seat and the car, preventing any movement or shifting. But it doesnt have cup holders. Passenger weight and height limits for high-back mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches, Passenger weight and height limits for backless mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 43 to 57 inches. Press the red button several times while the buckle is in the water. Attaching the booster to the car will help prevent the seat from shifting around when a child is getting in or out, and it will keep the seat securely in place when unoccupied and prevent the seat from becoming a projectile in the event of a crash or sudden stop. Youll find instructions and diagrams on the ProPublica website here. Like our upgrade pick, the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix, the Aace has rigid LATCH connectors, which are the easiest and most secure type of LATCH connectors, and they allow the seat to have a recline feature. If you want a backless version of our runner-up Graco pick without LATCH: The Graco TurboBooster Backless is the backless-only version of our runner-up Graco high-back booster, minus the LATCH option. Also, theres no dedicated storage spot to stow the seats LATCH connectors when theyre not in use, so when youre carrying the GoFit Plus around, they flap about. Machine wash the seat pad separately in cold water, delicate cycle. I also interviewed representatives from car seat manufacturers Chicco, Diono, Nuna, Graco, BubbleBum, and MiFold. Consumers can check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website for recalls on boosters and other child seats. Note: Booster seats are not intended for use with lap-only seat belts, which can still be found in some cars manufactured before 2007. For the seats that convert from high-back to backless, we asked families what they thought of that process. Since younger kids have small frames that are not well matched with adult seat belts, it is the job of the booster to raise and position a kid so that the lap and shoulder belts fit properly across their body. Aesthetically, the Graco TurboBooster LX isnt quite as sharp-looking as the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus. To protect the child restraint from damage caused by weather, rodents, and other elements common to garages, the outdoors, and other storage locations, remove the seat pad and thoroughly clean the restraint and pad prior to storage. But if aesthetics are your main concern, the Aace might be worth the splurge. A booster should promote correct posture; a kid should be able to position themself in a seat correctly and stay that way, so theyre sitting up straight and not slouching. They can do all of the above for the whole trip. And weve subsequently been cautioned by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safetys Jessica Jermakian that volunteer studies have shown that low-height boosters (like the MiFold) may encourage slouching. But once you get the hang of it, it should take only a few minutes. It's been 100 years and Evenflo continues to push the boundaries in baby and childrens gear design and innovation. And boosters cannot be used on airplanes (unlike five-point harness seats, which can be used if theyre FAA-approved). However, LATCH has some perks, such as helping to keep the seat in position and preventing it from becoming a projectile. Youll find instructions and diagrams on the ProPublica website here. But we aimed for seats that would be strong candidates.) The Car Seat Lady website has a helpful tool that allows you to search for this information by make, model, and year. Maintenance matters, too: The headrest should be easy to adjust, and if a seat converts from high-back to backless, that process shouldnt be a headache. When we began working on the update to this guide in 2021, we contacted the company multiple times to inquire about its status but received no response. The included belt clip helps safely position the vehicles belt on the childs shoulder. The kids who tested this seat were happy with how it felt, and they found the cushioning comfortable. Read the seats manual carefully for additional guidance. The TurboBooster LX requires a bit more setup out of the box than the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus. Weve also added a new upgrade pick, the Maxi-Cosi RodiFix high-back booster, and a backless booster pick, the Chicco GoFit Plus. When we began working on the update to this guide, in late 2021, we were open to pursuing independent crash testing once again, eager to take a thorough and comprehensive approach that would arm us with information to inform and improve our decision-making. The biggest compromise with the TurboBooster LX is that it has hook-style LATCH connectors; theyre the least user-friendly type of LATCH. Each transitionfrom rear-facing to forward-facing, from forward-facing to booster seat, and from booster to seat belt alonereduces the degree of protection to the child. The seat is the same width at the base (17 inches) as our Chicco high-back pick, so its possible to fit three across in most cars. If youve already picked the four best seats from all the other perspectives, then you can feel confident that engineers have spent a lot of time designing those seats for a good and safe user experience.. The TurboBooster LXs LATCH hooks can be tricky to get on and off the cars anchors, and its tough to see what youre doing and maneuver around in the tight space behind the seat. IIHS ratings take the guesswork out of selecting boosters most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles. The belt should also retract easily when unbuckled, readying it for the next use. Dual-integrated cup holders keep snacks and Since kids in boosters are often able to clearly articulate their opinions, their feedback was extremely valuable; we were curious to get their thoughts on everything from cup holders to cushions to armrests. For the 2022 update, I consulted representatives from Chicco, Graco, Diono, Maxi-Cosi, Evenflo, UPPAbaby, and Britax. (The Car Seat Lady website includes the RodiFix among its featured recipes for three-across configurations.) Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). The high-back mode fits kids from 40 to 100 pounds and 38 to 57 inches tall; the backless configuration has the same height range but a weight range of 40 to 110 pounds. But put a kid in that seat in the wild, and those same side wings could tempt them to lean forward in their seat, which is an unsafe posture. As we were working on this guide, we learned that the RodiFix is being retired at the end of 2022. Evenflo general counsel Amy Blankenship told ProPublica that the Big Kid booster seat complies with federal regulations, and there have been hundreds of accidents" where children sitting in Big Kid boosters were unscathed or received minimal injuries. In high-back mode, the TurboBooster LX has a weight range of 40 to 100 pounds (the same as the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus) and a height range of 43 to 57 inches (for the Chicco its 38 to 57 inches); the backless range is also 40 to 100 pounds (for the Chicco its 40 to 110 pounds) and 43 to 57 inches (for the Chicco its 38 to 57 inches). It comes in Obsidian (black), Shadow (black/gray), Lilac (purple), Drift (gray), and Reef (blue). (Note: There are many variables that factor into whether its possible to fit three acrossincluding the types of car seats, curvature and dimensions of those seats, and shape and layout of the vehicle itself. Its heavier than the other high-back picks, which may not be ideal if its being moved around a lot. The weight range for the seat is 40 to 120 pounds (20 pounds more than the Chiccos and Gracos weight maximums in high-back mode). Theyre also likely to have a deep appreciation for convenienceand for gear that makes life with kids easier. The old KidFit received a Best Bet rating from the IIHS for its ability to provide proper seat belt positioning; the new model has not yet received a rating. Theyre larger than those on the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus, so some kids might not be able to see as well around them. And since the majority of caregivers we surveyed declared a strong preference for boosters with LATCH, we considered the presence of LATCH to be a plus.
The Like our Chicco and Graco high-back picks, the RodiFix is relatively slender and may be able to accommodate three across, depending on the car. The AAP recommends that kids stay in a belt-positioning booster seat until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years old. Width of seat base (at widest point): 17 inches, Passenger weight and height limits for high-back mode: 40 to 100 pounds; 38 to 57 inches, Passenger weight and height limits for backless mode: 40 to 110 pounds; 38 to 57 inches. The RodiFix has a seat belt threader that we like almost as much as the Chicco KidFit ClearTexs. The KidFit ClearTex Plus was better than any other seat we tested at securely and comfortably positioning the strap on the correct part of a kids shoulder. High-back boosters can also help to correctly position the shoulder belt, and they are potentially comfier for kids who nap in the car. Most families will use a convertible car seat with a five-point harness from the time a child is a toddler, and its ideal to keep using that seat for as long as possible for a simple reason: A car seat with a five-point harness is safer than a booster. After all that, we recommend the Chicco KidFit ClearTex Plus high-back booster because its easy to use and versatile, and it looks and feels great. Kids with special needs who have outgrown convertible seat size limits but are not able to maintain proper posture in a booster will require a special harness seat. Tumble dry 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. You should also check the car seats label for maximum height and weight recommendations. If a kid leans forward and then leans back, the seat belt should be routed in a way that it moves with them. no back booster. If aesthetics are a top priority: The Nuna Aace is a beautiful, expensive high-back booster seat. Every person who has outgrown a booster seat should wear lap and shoulder seat belts, adds the AAP. Weve tried scores of seats with our own kids, enlisted multiple families to put our top contenders to the test in the real world, and carefully considered the feedback of opinionated 4- to 9-year-olds. (All in all, it comes out to just a few minutes extra.) A 2003 study of children ages 4 to 7 found that booster seats are more than twice as effective in reducing risk of injury than seat belts alone. Now that Graco has improved its instructions on how to properly lock the TurboBooster LXs headrest into place (as of March 9, 2022), we hope that will resolve the issue of the headrest sliding down; we will continue to monitor the user reviews. The TurboBooster LXs narrow footprint makes it fairly easy for most kids to buckle themselves in. 19.49 x The RodiFix does not convert from high-back to backless, and it arrives in one pieceno assembly required. Similarly, we stayed away from seats that are so large or wide that they would be unlikely to fit in a lot of different car types or scenarios. You can continue to use a seat after a minor crash if all of the following criteria are met: Youre able to drive away from the crash site; airbags did not deploy; the passengers are uninjured; the car seat has no visible damage; and the vehicle door nearest the car seat is undamaged. Here Are the Rules, When to Turn Your Child's Car Seat From Rear-Facing to Forward-Facing, We Scoured Amazon's Memorial Day Sale and Found the Best Deals for Parents, Why Inclined Baby Sleepers Are So Dangerous, Everything Parents Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccines, The COVID-19 Vaccine and Kids: Everything Parents Need to Know, Here's Everything You Need to Know About COVID-19 in Kids, These Are the Summer Essentials 'Parents' Editors Can't Live Without for Trips to the Beach, Pool, and Park, A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep for Babies, Here's Why Childhood Vaccines Aren't Really Dangerous.
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