Booster Seat

My son is 6 years old, about 46 inches and 48 pounds. We still have him in the high back booster. We have a Graco, and the back has an adjustment to raise it as he gets taller. We will use the back until he is too tall (the belt comes out lower than his shoulder)for the tallest setting. We've used just the bottom on airplane trips (for car once we land), but I'm not comfortable with where the belt hits him at home to do it on a regular basis.

I know you got a lot of answers but I don't plan to take the back off until the seat belt goes across his shoulder correctly without it. My son is the same height as your son and I like the fact that the back threads the shoulder belt through it. I'd be interested to see if without the back if the shoulder belt would cut him more across the neck, instead of the shoulder. Try it and see!

My son is turning five this month and he is just slightly bigger than your son is. I like the high back booster not only for the reasons mentioned (shoulder height of the seatbelt), but also because it offers a headread when/if he falls asleep in the car. I can't imagine how slumped he would be in the regular seat if he didn't have the sides of the booster to hold him up. He doesn't fall asleep in the car very often, but it is nice when he has the head rest when he does!

We went to a car seat safety fair where they had inspectors there. She told us that the back could come off when you wanted it to. It was mostly a comfort thing. Just put the seatbelt through the attachment in the car that lowers it to the child's shoulder rather than across their neck. My son likes his back though for long car trips so he has something to rest his head on.

Your child will have outgrown a high-back booster by height when the tops of the child's ears are above the top of the booster shell.

I was told by a DPS officer at "Everything Baby Fest" last year that the Lowback Booster seats were not safe. Because the seatbelt doesnt stay in the proper position and is not as safe has the highback carseats. Also in a crash the childs head is not proctected on impact where the Booster Seats with the head rest does protect their necks from sudden impact.

I would reccomend purchasing a new carseat that grows with your child. We will be moving our daughter to the 'Compass - True Fit Convertible Car Seat by First Years' It is good for your child up to 65 lbs. Our DD is very big we had to move her to a booster seat at 7 months...she is already 35 lbs and is only 23 months. I give her six months before we have to upgrade the seat.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7941659

My son will be 8 in July and we just now moved him out of the high back booster seat. He is now using the seat only ones though he wants to get rid of it permanently but he has to be safe and right now is not tall enough. My daughter will be 5 this June is using her brother's old high back booster though I would prefer she would have stayed in the 5-point harness but she was getting too tall for it.

I know in Florida you have to use a booster until the child is 80 lbs.

J. S.

I've wondered about this, too. My son's ears have hit the top of the high-back booster, but he's still well below the 4'9 measurement- what's a mom to do? It is very confusing... I'm keeping him in the high back booster for the time being. I read up on it at http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7d635... or google booster seat requirements and find the government link there. Good luck!

I also have a 4 1/2 year old and he's 47 pounds. After much research we're compelled to stick with a 5-point harness system as long as possible. We also have a 3 year old and 22 month old so we own a lot of car seats. Anyway, we're purchasing the Radiant 80 that holds a child up to 80 pounds. There is also a Radiant 65. These seats have gotten very good reviews.

A.,

Hi I was directed her by a friend. I am a child passenger safety instructor. With your child only being 4 1/2yrs old & 44lbs it is best to keep him in the high back at this time. A high back booster does offer some side impact protection and also allows the child to be comfortable esp if he still naps in the vehicle.

Another poster said lowback booster are not safe which I want to clear up. Lowback booster are safe to us so that info that they received is not accurate by any means. If they weren't safe then they wouldn't be sold in the US. All seats (including boosters) must meet federal motor safety standards (FMVSS) guidelines. Each milestone in car seats/booster is a seat down in safety. That is true but low backs are safe but not ideal for a 4 1/2yr old. I would wait until he has outgrown the high back when the booster seat back is fully raised to the top positions & his shoulders go over the red belt guide (where the shoulder part of the seatbelt feeds through on the booster).

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask.

J.-CPST/I
Mom to 2 girls ages 6 1/2yrs old & 4 1/2yrs old forever harnessed in Britax Regents