We are booster seat shopping, and I am confused. I am finding plain booster seats and booster seats with backs. What is the difference between booster seats with backs and just a regular car seat? My car seat is rated for 65 pounds - should I just stick with that? What is the benefit of having a back on the booster seat? Thanks!!
So confusing isn't it? I found a great article online that really outlines the different styles of carseats and boosters. It also defines the ages and weights best suited for each:
http://www.onestepahead.com/custserv/shop_smarter_article...
Hope that helps!
The high-back boosters are safer than the no-back boosters. We have the Britax Frontier and it is also a 5 pt. harness, so super safe.
http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/frontier
If your child hasn't outgrown the 5-point harness, you should really stick with that. If you want to get a booster to use in other cars etc: a high back is generally safer than a backless, but only in so much as it has the second guide to make sure the belt is laying properly. The benefits of the back are that they 1) help the child stay sitting up straight rather than slumping to the side, and 2) keep the shoulder belt up where it belongs rather than ending up behind and arm or head or something.
With or without a back, the seatbelt is the only thing keeping the kiddo from flying through the window... the booster is to adjust his position so that the belt lays properly.
My son is 6 and 48" tall. He still rides in a 5-point harness (Graco Nautilus) in my car, but uses a booster in SO's car and for daycamp fieldtrips etc. We have a highback Graco Turbo booster as the primary booster and a backless one to leave with babysitter or whatever.
Hope this helps,
T.
my daughter just turned 7 is about 45 pounds and still in her 5 point harness (graco nautilus) and will be until she doesnt fit. i'd rather be safe than sorry. you dont mention your childs age but mine still falls asleep in her seat and then slunches to the side if she wasnt in a 5 point harness she would be falling over the seat. not safe at all. really a child should be in a 5 point harness at least until age 5 because their insides arent strong enough to withstand an accident at even a slow 35 mph hit. the seat belt that goes across thebelly will internally cut them in half...it has happened where one child will be fine after an accident yet the sibbling dies because he was only using a booster with or without a back in the SAME car accident. i dont see why many choose to gamble when it comes to their kids safety but to me it's a no brainer...stick with the 5 point harness as long as you can.
http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/safety/programs/car_sea...
http://www.vahealth.org/Injury/safetyseat/laws.htm
http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/default.html
Check the law with the highway patrol or online to be sure. The back is for certain ages and weight and the one without is for older kids but not ready to be in just the seat with seat belt.
How old and what height/weight is your child? Five pt harness is the safest for as long as possible. If your child still fits in the 65 lb seat I'd use it still. Check with the manual for the height restrictions on it! They can be 50 lbs but too tall. After our dd outgrew the 65 lb convertible seat, we put her in the britax frontier so she could stay harnessed to 85 lbs, then with the back it uses the seatbelt to 120lbs. Always safer to have a back on it, the small boosters are only best for bigger and older children, they're very basic and provide the least support and protection.
Good question.
Personally, our Marathon is rated to 65 lbs. As long as it has not expired and DD fits, we will use that as our FF seat and DD will remain in the 5pt harness. My cousin uses a backless booster for her 7 yr old to help her child have the right seatbelt position. Another friend has a booster with a back, but it essentially does the same thing. The seatbelt goes through the back to strap him in. I think they chose the back for side impact protection? I honestly don't know. I'll have to watch this thread.
The back usually has a spot to hook the belt in so it hits the child in the right spot when they are still too short for it to hit right when they sit and just pull the belt accross them. The biggest difference I think in the car seat and bootser is apperance. When kids get bigger they don't want to look like they are in a car seat.
We have a backless Graco booster that is rated up to 100lbs. My daughter has always been larger than most kids and this works for her size (she is not fat or obese just tall and husky). I would check on line for the safety ratings on all the booster seats. IMO I think that a smaller frame child should have the high back seat so that they will fit better. You should also consider what will fit best in your vehicle. Some car seats are just so large and don’t fit well into smaller vehicles and if it doesn’t fit properly then it won’t work properly.
If your car seat is rated to 65 pounds, it might convert to a high back booster. That means it's got the full protection of a car seat, but the child uses the seat belt instead of a five point harness.
High back boosters are safer for little kids than plain boosters - it not only raises them up, but also places them slightly forward, which means the seat belt fits properly.
We're going to stick with our car seats until the kids are about 45 pounds, then convert them to high back boosters until they're 65 pounds. Then we'll go to regular boosters.
