Can I use a booster seat for my son, 3 and 1/2, who is 39 inches and 38 pounds?
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at
6:26 pm
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Depends on which state you live in. Some have laws that say 3 yrs and 30 lbs or 4 and 40. If yours is 4 and 40, then nope. You’ll need to get a new car seat. I’d recommend doing that either way. It’s always safer to have a 5 pt harness. Boosters when compared to 5 pt harnesses don’t do a thing in the event of a crash. All it does is reposition the belt on your child.
Irony of all ironies, belts are designed for adults, so repositioning the belt so it fits across your child better doesn’t really do a thing except not decapitate your child in a crash. It doesn’t prevent your child from slipping through the belt or being thrust against it and shattering his bones.
A harnessed seat is better padded and has side impact protection foam (depending on which brand you go with) so it’ll keep your child from moving in an impact, and therefore, improving his chances of dying in a crash.
A great seat for your child would be a Britax Regent which holds him harnessed to 80 lbs. It’s expensive, but it’ll save your child in a crash.So will a Sunshine Kids Radian seat.
Another option is the Graco Nautilus which will hold him to 50 lbs in a harness, and then it will convert to a high backed booster seat.
yes
I would think so.
You are supposed to use the 5 point harness until they are 40lbs. That is what the guidelines say any way. If it doesn’t fit, then it isn’t protecting him properly any way. I stopped using the 5 point harness when my son was only 35 pounds, but at the time, he was already 5! He is a tiny little thing and didn’t’ want to be buckled in like that any more!
It’s best to harness a child for as long as you can. My advice is to look into getting a car seat though harnesses up to 65lbs. They have a few out there. The one that I have is the Graco Nautilus. It harnesses up to 65 and then turns into a highback booster then a no back booster. I would try something like that before switching him to a booster. They just arn’t that safe.
Your answer will come in the manufacturer’s instruction book for the booster seat in question. If it’s designed to hold a 3 1/2 year old, then yes.
Instinctively, I’m guessing that it won’t be.