Booster Seat Law?

Bare minimum of 4yrs and 40lbs. At not even 3yrs old (heck she just turned 2 if her birthday isn't until September!) she is not even close to being ready for a booster seat.

She may be a big 2yr old, but she's still only 2yrs old. She needs to remain in a 5pt harness car seat for at least another 2yrs. Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Maestro, Britax Frontier... all great choices for a taller bigger child to remain in a 5pt harness.

She's not even close to ready, don't even consider a booster for her. A forward facing car seat is outgrown when one of three things happens; the shoulders go over the top harness slot, the tips of the ears become level with the top of the seat back, or the child goes over the weight limit for the seat.

Again one of the seats listed above would be a good choice for her.

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I have a page bookmarked that will explain car seat laws state by state (we take a lot of long car trips). Clicked on TN and your child must be 4 before you can move her into a booster seat. http://babyproducts.about.com/od/statecarseatlaws/qt/tenn... The other thing to consider is how much easier a child can get out of a regular seat belt compared to a car seat. Even waiting until 4, we had a couple of scary moments where my son undid his seat belt and stood in the car (the second time he did it the "baby" car seat got reinstalled for another two weeks to make sure he understood not to undo the seat belt). At three it might be even harder to drive that point home.

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Age is not the only factor -- weight and height are factors too. This law can vary by state and I'm not sure if laws go into things like "backless booster versus booster with back." Go to your state transportation department web site. Also, go to the web site for the federal highway safety administration for tips about car seats and boosters.

Another factor that doesn't get talked about as much: The booster helps position the seat belt correctly for the child, so a much older child might still benefit from a booster. My daughter is 10 and in one of our cars still uses her backless booster because it puts the belt where it belongs -- across her lap, rather than over her belly, which is not a safe place for the lap belt.

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You need to go by the height and weight restrictions for the carseat and/or booster seat that you have. Most states have a minimum size for which kids must be restrained in a carseat of some kind but that is the minimum only and not necessarily the safest for your child. Typcially, the law indicates "according to manufacturer instructions".

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I see you now have all the info on the laws, wieght limits, etc. but while you are shopping for a booster, keep in mind that a 5 point harness booster is the safest for children. I have both the britax frontier AND a safeguard go (which is now safety 1st go hybrid booster).

The safeguard go is the safest booster on the market and it converts from a five point harness, to a high back seatbelt booster, and then you can eventually remove the back and just use the seat booster part. I know it is a little on the pricier side, but you won't ever need to replace this seat.
See the article http://www.safeguardseat.com/media/documents/news/safeGua...

Do your research when it's time. I watched so many crash videos and it didn't take long to convince me that my child's life has no price tag.

After you've done that, go to a store that carries the brands that you are considering and comparing, take the floor samples out to your car and install them. The one that fits the best and installs perfectly is the one for you. Bring your daughter with you, because she must fit in it and be comfortable in it too. (you aren't obligated to buy it there either as with most seats you can find a better deal online).
This is the reason I have both the Frontier AND the Safeguard Go. The Safeguard Go fits better in my primary vehicle, and the Frontier fits better in Dad's truck.
I posted a while back a much larger response with links in it to car seat safety stuff so feel free to see my history of responses. It is 'Booster Seat' and it has a lot of other advice on boosters - good reading.
Good luck!

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LisaC, if I remember correctly, the SafeGuard GO can be used as a 5 pt harness seat or a *backless* booster but not as a high back booster - it has no hard plastic shell and requires a top tether anchor when used as a harnessed restraint http://carseatblog.com/403/safeguard-go-review-hybrid-boo...

I've always been told that 4 and 40 lbs is the minimum but they make lots of great seats with high harness weights and heights why do the minimum when it comes to safety.

Great question! It's more than size, which is why most states have a law that states age and minimum weight. In MA, it's 40 lbs AND age 4. Don't push it before she needs it - you're AT LEAST a year and a half away from even considering moving to a booster. My 5-year-old is still in a convertible because he still fits in it, and my 6-year-old just moved to a high-back booster this year. A 5-point harness is better than a booster and should be used up to the height and weight limit of the seat. The age four minimum is about the child's bones and muscles being developed enough to be OK in a car accident with the lower level of protection that a booster offers compared with a 5-point harness. Also, a booster works by assuming that the child is sitting upright, in the right position, for it to position the belt correctly on the body. If the child slouches, falls asleep with her or her head lolling off to the side, etc. - as most kids do - then a booster will not provide protection in a car accident.

If you have a convertible seat that she is outgrowing, get either a bigger seat that goes up to 65 or 85 lbs that you can use instead of a booster right up through age 8 or 10 or whatever the laws are in your state for not needing a booster, or get a seat that can convert to a booster later. One of our many seats is an old Cosco Eddie Bauer model that has a 5-point harness that we can remove when our son gets bigger and then it will be a high-back booster. It was relatively inexpensive (maybe $60 or $80) compared with some of the other models.

Check on the DMV website for your state.

One more thing--if the top of the back seat of your car is low, a high back might be recommended for longer than what the "law" states too. Really, find a free local inspection site so there is no "guesswork" involved!

Each state is different. I would check the laws locally.

Here it is 4 years old and 40 lbs. My son has been 4 since August and still sits in his convertible car seat most of the time. He will continue to use it until our next one needs it (probably about a year from now, so until he is 5.5). She is definitely too little for a booster...just because she looks big doesn't mean she is ready.