When can i start using a booster seat instead of a 5point harness car-seat for my toddler?
Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at
10:13 am
When can i start using a booster seat instead of a 5point harness car-seat? my daughter is 3 and weighs almost 35lbs. we also live in iowa if that helps your answer
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The minimum age and size is 4 years old AND 40 pounds. However, this is just a bare minimum and few children are actually ready at this point. Sitting in a booster seat has just as much to do with the maturity level of the child as physical fit. At age 4, only 1% of children are mature enough, at age 5, 50% and at age 6, 99%. So waiting until around 6 years old (and at least 40 lbs) is safest.
To be ready for a booster seat a child must meet ALL of the following:
*At least 4 years old
*At least 40 lbs
*Lap belt must lay across thighs and over the pelvic bone, not resting on the abdomen
*Shoulder belt must cross the chest and lay flat on the shoulder, not down on the arm or cutting into the neck
*Child’s knees must bend at the edge of the booster seat
*Child must know to never, ever place the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm. (very dangerous, search ‘seatbelt syndrome’)
*Child must sit upright the entire ride, every single time. This means no leaning over to torment siblings, no twisting around to look at the cool firetruck that just went by, no leaning down to pick up a toy….Every single moment that the child is not sitting upright and proper in the booster is a moment they are not safe.
*Child must not slouch or lean sideways if they fall asleep. (some older kids do fall asleep on occasion in a booster seat and this can be okay as long as they remain in the proper position while sleeping. But if a child still regularly falls asleep in the car, a 5 point harness would be best, no matter the child’s age or if they meet the other requirements)
Once a child meets all of the above, they may safely ride in a booster seat. A 5 point harness is not necessarily any safER than a properly used booster seat. However, a 5 point harness is still safe if you want to continue harnessing your child for any reason. And if even one of the above is not fully meet, 100% of the time, a harness is safer.
Go to YouTube and search "Belle’s Gift" for a real life story of why not to booster too soon.
Most booster seats aren’t recommended for children under 40 pounds. Once your child has outgrown the maximum seat requirements in their forward facing seat, you can move them to a booster seat.
If you check on each Booster seat or toddler seat it will tell you the minimum and max weight and height for the product. 35-40 is normal, but check the porduct information to be certain.
here you go: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/gtsb/English_CPS_Guide.pdf
basically, in iowa, your child must be in a proper FF car seat until 40lbs.
ETA: the law is the guideline, not the seat manufacturer. if the seat is good to ‘x’ number of pounds and/or ‘y’ inches in height, that just means that kids outside those limits are not safe because the seat was not designed for them.
AAP says four years and 40lbs once they are over that age and weight they can go into a seat belt booster. It is actually not by age and weight, what makes it is safe is the development that comes with age.
I have to buy an new car seat for my two year old that is almost outgrown his car seat to keep him in a 5 point harness longer.
Keep your kid in the five point harness as long as he’s the proper size for it. Don’t switch the kid because you "can" even though you may want him to be a Big Boy. The five point system is MUCH MUCH better protection for the child.
Some parents are so eager to put their kids in boosters the second they weigh barely enough or are barely tall enough–it’s stupidity to rush this process. Instead, you should keep the kid in a five point harness for as LONG as you can (which is as long as he meets the requirements for the five point seat) ….if you want maximum protection for your child.