Car Seat/booster Seat Question

It's 40 lbs to use the car's seat belt, but you can get high-back boosters with a 5-pt harness that are safe from 30lbs on. The Eddie Bauer High-Back Booster is supposed to be rated at the top for safety. I forget some of the others, the Evenflo Chase is also on the list.

Boosters can work for a 30lb. child if there is a five point harness. Once they weigh more and are taller, they can use the booster with the shoulder and lap belt.

Hi, L., (and all Ohio Mamas),

Here are the requirements: (I get all the info on them because I run a childcare facility)

0-12 months AND up to 20 lbs, rear facing seat.
1-4 years AND 21-65 lbs, rear facing OR forward facing with internal harness. (sidenote: I'm told that in Europe, they keep them rear facing until they're 4 or 5 years old)
4-8 years AND at least 40 lbs and up to 4ft 9in, booster seat.
8+ year AND at least 4ft 9 in, take the 5 step test to see if your child is ready for a seat belt alone.

5 Step Test:
Step 1: Does your child sit all the way back against the car's seat?
Step 2: Do your child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the car's seat?
Step 3: Does the shoulder belt fit snugly across the chest, crossing the shoulder between the neck and arm?
Step 4: Is the lap belt as low as possible, snug over the hips or upper thighs?
Step 5: Can your child stay seated like this for the WHOLE RIDE?
If you answer YES to ALL FIVE questions, your child is ready for the seat belt alone. Otherwise, he/she still needs a booster.

Beginning October 7, 2009, Ohio law will require all children to ride in a car seat or booster seat until he/she is at least 8 years old OR 4'9 tall.

(Personally, I think it should be AND, rather than OR, but the law says OR. I still have my 10 year old in a booster, because he is only 4'5".)

Have a great day! J.

For longevity and safety - check out the Britax Frontier. Much much bigger than the other ones mentioned. We just got it for our 5 year old. The key to these seats is the shoulder height more so than weight. Most kids will out grow the shoulder height and still be way under the weight parameter.

This seat starts as a 5 point harness - much safer. Then it can be used as a high back booster and then just a booster. It goes to 21.5" shoulder height where the others are normally only 16.5". It is also to 100lbs.

I have found that the booster seat gives the kids too much wiggle room.

Yes, the law does change as of October 2009. Best thing you can do is contact the Toledo Hospital KISS program. They not only recommend the best car seats for you and check to make sure they are properly installed, but they also sell brand new car seats at discounts prices. I just got a new GRACO booster car seat for $30. Worth it! I don't have their number on me right now, but email me and I will get it for you.

The booster seats are all 30lb and up, but Ohio and a few other states are 40 pounds. The booster seats and something like 45 states say 30, just not Ohio. Your call.

Does this booster seat have a 5 point harness? If not then I would pass on it. I had a booster that went from 30-80 lbs...and you used the 5 pt harness like a car seat until they reached a certain height & weight then you could use the seat belt.

Hi L.,

I am a certified carseat technician, this is my response. I would not put my kids in a booster seat until they were over at least 40 pounds. The new recomendations that are out is to keep them in a 5 point harness for as long as the car seat allows. Graco has a new one out that allows a 5 point harness until 65 pounds, it runs about 150 per seat. If you are looking to keep your boys as safe as possible keeping them in the harness would be the way to go. There are several othermakers of carseats that have higher weight harnesses also. Good luck
H.

L.,
If you truly aren't too concerned with price but instead safety, I definitely recommend the Graco Nautilus. We bought it for my son when his sister was ready for the seat he was using. It has the 5-point harness that can actually be used until, I think, maybe even 60lbs. It is the recommended safety harness for children versus the car seat belt. The seat can be converted to the booster, so you shouldn't need to buy another seat on down the road, which helps justify the price. Plus, my son seems to be very comfortable in it. It also has a deep cup holder that keeps all kinds of treasures within it! :) Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would keep them in a harness for as long as possible. I saw one mom mention that in Europe they have stricter carseat laws, they also have much lower death and injury rates, I see a correlation between the two :)

Hi L.!

My twin boys are 5 now and the are only a little over 40 pounds (they just weighed themselves this morning). We did the boosters with backs. I think the biggest factor is that the seatbelt is hitting them across the chest and not accross the neck. We went through the same delema (sp?) and we opted for the boosters with backs. I have not had any problems at all.

Good Luck with preschool they grow up too fast. My guys will be in Kindergarten this year!

A. Falkenstein

we moved my 4 yr old into a booster at 30 lbs, because his sister was ready to move up to the car seat.
it has been great for him.

we use the Graco high back booster. it converts to a simple booster for use later.
it is super easy to move between cars too.

we have been very happy with it, and he has been comfortable and safe.

My doctor said it has more to do with height. As long as the shoulder strap hits their shoulders it is fine. My 4 year old twins are both over 40 inches and the boosters are fine for them.

I would go for a car seat that converts to a booster. We have the Cosco Summit which, once converted, will fit them up to 100 lbs.

I to have been trying to figure out what kind of seat to buy for my daughter. The new law is hard to understand and after much searching, this is what I think it says. If the child is under 4 years old or less than 40 pounds, they have to be in a car seat. In order to use a booster, they have to be 4 AND 40 pounds. They have to stay in a booster until they're 57 inches or 8 years old - whatever comes first. Here's one of the websites I used to figure this out.

http://www.iihs.org/laws/childrestraint.aspx

I just googled Ohio child safety seat laws. You could also call your local police station or highway patrol. They should be able to explain it. The 30 pounds that you see on some boosters is strictly the manufacturer's suggestion and doesn't fit our laws. Good luck!

I would double check online because I think the requirement for the booster is more about the height than the weight. I think the child has be be 4'9" or 4'11" (I can't remember).

A.