Booster Car Seat – Install it for Childs Safety and Fear Free Traveling

Are your children uncomfortable in their seats inside the car? Is it because they are too small to wear the seatbelts properly? Then you might find “Booster Seats” to be just what you need! There are various types of Booster Seats in the markets. So, it’s important to choice a right booster car seat as well as install it proper way in your car.

Be a cautious and caring parent and get Booster Seats for your little loved ones today!

What is Booster Seat and why are they needed?

Seatbelts were probably one of the most important inventions for the cars we drive today. They fit the average adult and do what they are supposed to do – keep passengers safer in the event of hard braking and crashes.

However, they only fit adults perfectly, not children. The seatbelt might be awkwardly worn over the neck and stomach of the child most commonly. This placement does not dissipate the crashing forces to the ablest parts of the still-developing child’s body. Hence, front-facing harness seats and booster car seats are being manufactured so children are safer in cars.

When a Booster Car Seat need for a Child?

Once children grow out of the typical front-facing harness seats when they are in elementary school, a booster seat is a way to go from then on. A booster seat’s basic purpose is to lift the child to a height that is proper for them to wear the standard seatbelt. So, some of them are without backs, acting as a cushion that raises them.

They also make sure the knees of the child do not slouch because of the extra height. The booster seats may come with latches that attach to a car seat, preventing the booster seat from becoming a projectile when the car stops abruptly.

Safety Points of Booster Seat

The typical three-point belt, one over the upper thigh and the other across the torso from the shoulder, works in tandem with booster seats in minimizing the sudden jerking of the head. After buy a booster car seat need to install properly on the back sit of the car. If the seatbelts do not fall upon the positions mentioned above, try searching for another booster seat as the requirements set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are mandatory for the child’s safety.

Booster Seat Variants

These seats are customizable to the point that they come with headrests, depending on your child’s needs and your car. Hence, they come in many variants. Some of the popular ones are listed below.

There are 2 variants you could found in the market. Depend on your Childs age and weight both are important.

01.       High-back Boosters

High-back Boosters differ from Backless Boosters in the fact that the former has a tall backrest in case the back of the car’s seat comes short with the cushion of the backless booster in place. The headrest is typically curved, and its height is adjustable to the needs of a growing child. Since the headrest is curved, the child retains correct seatbelt placement even while sleeping.

General Features of High-Back Booster Car Seats

With loops for seatbelts that go under the headrest, Belt-Positioning Boosters (BPB), a type of High-Back Boosters, can guide the seatbelt over the shoulder and across the torso. BPBs have removable backs that can turn them into backless boosters for storage reasons if needed, and for when the child outgrows the height of the headrest of the BPB.

• There is also an All-in-One High Back Booster, with a fixed back, that has an extra removable harness.
• The harness provides more safety and supports up to 18 kilograms usually, above which the car seatbelt is mandatory.
• In general, High Back Boosters provide better neck and spine positioning and are more comfortable for growing children than Backless Boosters.
• It is heavily recommended if the family is commuting over longer distances and the child frequently sleeps along the way.
• A bigger winged High-back Booster Seat is almost always a safer option than a Backless Booster, even if it comes at a greater cost.

02.       Backless Boosters

They are what it says on the tin – a raised seat without a back. They are usually the least expensive and lightest of the bunch. The back of the seat of the car should, in general, at least reach the ears of the child.

General Features of Backless Booster Car Seats

• It should be noted that backless boosters do not have their own harnesses and are dependent on the car’s seatbelt.
• Some come with guidelines over where the seatbelt should go.
• If the child can wear the car seat belt across the shoulders and torso, but not around the child’s neck, then a backless booster may be preferred over others.
• Backless booster seats are unobtrusive and invaluable for less spacious cars.

Steps of Booster Car Seat Install

Before purchasing one’s choice of Booster Seat, it helps to register the Booster Seat with the manufacturer for warranty validation. Once purchased, the following steps might be of use for booster seat install.

1.  Read the manual.

It should be a no-brainer to read the manual since booster seats always come with an illustrated instructions page that one must follow when installing the seat onto the car. Not every Booster Seat is the same and each comes with its own technicalities.

2.  Always install it on the back seat.

The safest position inside a car is the back seat. Booster Seats must always be installed on the back seat; whichever side has the three-point seatbelt will do. High-back Boosters are preferred in case there are no headrests in the middle back seat.

3.  Make use of the seatbelt loops.

High-back Boosters, and even Backless Boosters sometimes, have seatbelt loops that guide where the seatbelt should go. The booster seat should always be strapped tightly to the seat of the car, so the child does not wobble in the booster seat. This should be checked regularly. The seatbelt itself on the child does not need to be as tight as can be, it needs to be attached such that it is breathable and the child can snugly sit on the booster seat.

4. Have a professional to check it out.

Local police departments have professionals who can check if the installation is correct or not.

5.  Avoid overuse.

Several countries have different guidelines on this, but it generally weighs on three factors: the mass, the height, and the age of the child. Until they are either 12 years old or taller than 4’9” to fit the average seatbelt, booster seats should be kept for use. Laws and regulations differ by region and should be checked in case.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Which age/weight is the best for Booster Seats?

      Booster Seats is an upgrade from the rear-facing harness seats. While different regions follow different regulations, the weight of the children is very important. If the weight exceeds the safety limit of the harness, 18 or 36 kilograms usually, a change is inevitable.

Q: When should a child switch to a backless booster?

      When the child is tall enough for the headrest of the backseat such that the seatbelt of the car meets CDC’s standards, only then is a switch acceptable. In the case of a three-point seatbelt, one part should go over the shoulder and across the torso while the other should go over the upper thighs of the child. This is to ensure maximum protection against and distribution of crashing forces towards the stronger parts of the child’s body.

Q: Are backless boosters safe?

     They are safe enough if the seatbelt positioning matches the CDC’s standards. Also, the child needs a headrest, and if the back seat does not have a headrest by default, then a High-back Booster is of utmost importance.

Q: Do booster seats expire?

     It depends on the type of material the booster seats are made of. The manufacturer will detail the service life (and expiration date, if at all) of the booster seat. Usually, one is enough, as a child grows fast enough so that another booster seat is not required.

Final words…

There are many more types of Booster Seats available in the world now that engineers have pondered over the problem of child safety in cars since the sixties. However, one fact remains constant all booster seats save lives. There are so many types of booster seats that, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t suit your baby’s needs. Properly booster car seat install is very important. Because once children grow out of their harness seats, a booster seat is always recommended for their future safety.