Though the laws in many states require a car seat or booster until children are 8 years old, the laws of physics work a little differently. Until your Big Kid can pass the Five Step Test, in many cases, the Right Seat for big kids and tweens is some type of booster.
Why? Because the lap/shoulder belt may not fit properly without a little help from a booster, even on kids between 8-12 years old.
Is the big Little in your life ready for a backless booster? Maybe your 8 year old is too tall for their high back booster or your 7 year old needs something more portable for carpooling. There are many choices when it comes to backless boosters. How do you choose which booster will work for you? Let’s narrow the options and look at some boosters that cost less than $20.
The KidFit completes the Chicco birth-to-seatbelt product line, after the KeyFit and the Nextfit. These three seats will potentially allow your child to be safely restrained until he is old and large enough for a seatbelt alone.
When Diono announced the re-release of the Diono Monterey booster, we rejoiced! The Diono Monterey is a favorite among many of the CSFTL older Littles. With a variety of both ease of use and comfort features, it’s a great option for when older children are ready to transition to a booster.
I first met the Lil Fan booster seats at the ABC Kids Expo last fall. It took all of about two seconds for me to find the booster wearing the Ohio State cover and sidle up for a closer look. As a lifelong Buckeye fan, and fan of car seats, clearly it was fate that I met this seat. Seeing the fairly high 21″ top belt guide position made me even more eager to see how it would fit my young Buckeye fans!
In the wake of the Alpha Omega Elite being discontinued, Safety 1st has released its successor, the Grow and Go 3-in-1. With its release comes important questions. How will it stack up to the seat many have both loved and dreaded for well over a decade? Does it fit in vehicles rear facing? Does the booster mode give proper belt fit? Let’s dive right in to the new Safety 1st Grow and Go and find out.
Evenflo recently released an update to their Embrace rear facing only car seat, but it isn’t just a trim change or a fashion update. Their revolutionary new SensorSafe technology promises to change how manufacturers approach vehicular hyperthermia with new child restraint technology. The Advance Embrace DLX with SensorSafe comes with a receiver which plugs directly into the vehicle and a smart chest clip which is on the car seat itself to alert caregivers if a child is in the seat.
This is an updated, and upgraded, version of the Britax B-Safe. Many of the features on this new B-Safe 35 Elite version are new, and some are improved. If you liked the B-Safe model, I think you’ll love the B-Safe 35 Elite. Britax has taken great care to make sure that this new seat is easy to use, visually appealing, and long-lasting, too.
Recently, Graco has released several new convertible seats to the market, adding a wider array of convertible and multi-use restraint options to its lineup. Several questions we’re asked are “What is the difference between these seats?” “Is this seat similar to that seat?” “How do I know which one I want?”
My bigger kids are always on the go it seems. School events, friend’s houses, trips with Grandma; they’re never home and need a light weight booster that is easy to use in various vehicles. Enter the Cosco Topside. At 2.5 lbs., even if it doesn’t fit in their back packs, it’s super easy to carry around. Let’s check it out.
