If you are thinking of getting a booster seat, or if this has been recommended to you by a manufacturer, you should know the different features behind it so that you can get the best one suited to your needs. When babies go from a car seat to a seatbelt, some parents usually miss using a booster seat for the kid that has outgrown their forward-facing toddler seat.
What is a booster seat?
This seat can raise a kid allowing the seat belt to fit correctly. This can better keep your child safe when an accident occurs. The shoulder belt must cross the kid’s chest. It should rest snugly on their shoulder. The lap belt must rest low across the kid’s pelvis or hips. It should not be across the stomach. The child’s ears must not be above the car’s back seat cushion or also the back of the high booster seat.
When to get a booster seat
Generally, kids that have outgrown their child safety seats must be carefully restrained in the booster seat until they are around 8 years and 4 feet 9 inches tall. You will use a rear-facing infant seat from birth till at least 1 year and at least 20 pounds. The forward-facing toddler seats will be needed from around 1 year of age till about 4 years of age. The kid should be 20 to 40 pounds. A booster seat must be used when your kid is around 4 years old and 40 pounds till at least the age of 8 and they should be 4 feet 9 inches tall. A kid can finally use a seat belt when they are 8 years or more. They should be taller than around 4 feet 9 inches. Children who are 12 and below must ride within the back seat.
Different types of booster seats
You will see that there are three kinds of booster seats. Follow any instructions and choose the one most suited to your needs.
No-back booster seat– This should be used with the lap and shoulder belt. The car’s seats must have headrests that can come above the child’s ears when they are sitting in the booster seat. These seats tend to be simple to pack up and also move from one vehicle to another.
High-back booster seat– This will be used with the lap along with the shoulder belt. It can keep kids safe against whiplash within vehicles that have low-seatbacks. The seat can be used in vehicles that have or do not have headrests.
Forward-facing seat with harness or the combination seat– The seat mixes a car seat and a booster seat. Your kid can use this one seat as they grow up.
Look to see if the booster seat follows safety standards like booster seats in Australia. Be sure to get the right one for your child and vehicle.