How Do We Choose Our Best Booster Seats?
A number of factors need to be considered before you buy the perfect booster seat for your kid. We have done extensive market surveys and taken into consideration numerous reviews of real parents who have already used these seats before making our top 10 criteria. We have selected our top 10 best booster seats based on the following criteria –
Safety measures
Safety is one of the biggest concerns when we want something that concerns our baby’s safety. An appropriate booster seat must meet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration safety standards It must not have exceeded its expiry period. Generally, they have an average life span of 6 years and you can check the expiry date yourself by looking at the seat packaging. Experts recommend using only a new booster seat to ensure complete safety, but if you plan to use an old one, make sure to check its expiry date. It is equally important that the old seat you wish to buy has not faced any previous accidents.
Comfort
After safety, what concerns most parents is a child’s comfort. Most booster seats come with good padding that gives support and comfort, but comfort depends on the level of padding and linen used. It is best to go through the manufacturer’s manual and look out for padding and material details before you buy. Hence make sure to buy the best booster seats that provide comfortability to your toddler.
Easy to Clean
Kids are often messy and while traveling they love to enjoy their snacks. Cleaning becomes an added work to the parent, so choose the best booster car seat that comes with removable seat pads. Make sure that the pads are washable in the machine. Seats made of plastic or metal parts can be wiped down with a cloth and cleaned easily.
Easy to Install
Installing a booster seat is usually relatively simple. It can be easily installed on your car’s existing seat belts. Some use a LATCH system which works by latching onto the back of your car seat with the anchors kept in between the cushions. LATCH systems are more recommended by experts as it is completely built to ensure child safety and is easy to install. So when you are buying the best booster seats make sure to select one with easy installation.
Added Features
Apart from the must-haves before buying a booster seat, nowadays many manufacturers provide some extra benefits that are quite useful in the long run. Many best booster seats come with cup holders and small storage places for kids. Since they would be fixed in one position armrests and headrests provide extra comfort on a long journey.
What is a Booster Seat?
Though your child has outgrown the toddler seat, he is still small to fit in your car seat belt system. A seat belt covering the wrong part of the baby puts your baby’s safety at risk. You can use booster car seats for toddlers, for the safety of your baby. The booster seat will boost your baby as your baby needs a boost. The booster seat offers extra height so that your child can reach your existing car seat belt system. Booster seats have clips and other mechanisms to keep the straps in place. Typically, when your child reaches 4 feet and 9 inches in height and reaches 10 years of age, he is likely to fit in a booster seat. There are different varieties of booster seats available in the market. So to buy the best booster seats for your baby you have to keep certain factors in mind.
Why Buying the Best Booster seats is a must?
When your child can no longer sit in the forward-facing car seat, it is likely he needs a booster seat. Booster seats act as the transition between toddler and adult seats. The booster seat helps you boost your child’s height so that your existing car seat belt can work and assure safety in case of accidents. The booster seat is used for school-aged children that have outgrown the forward-facing seats. As there are many types of seats available in the market, we have reviewed some top best booster seats to help you buy the best.
Which Booster Seat Would Suit Your Baby?
You can get 2 types of booster seats that are available in the market and you should select it on the basis of the child’s needs and preferences. Broadly according to their design it is generally is classified as high back booster seats and backless boosters.
High back boosters
High back booster car seats are quite similar to car seats which have a back and a bottom. It does not have its own harness system though. You have to adjust the existing car seat’s shoulder and the belts for the lap and keep them in the proper position. The back of the booster seats are adjustable to various heights and it comes with a headrest to protect your child and keep them comfortable. Experts often recommend high-back boosters as the shoulder part of the belt is in a good position. It also gives side impact protection in case of accidents. As it comes with a separate headrest it is often more comfortable for the child’s long journey. Booster car seats with harness allow adjusting the harness level and headrest level together.
Backless Boosters
Backless Boosters consist of only the bottom seat to boost your child’s heights. The highback is not available with this type of design. This model also has its own advantages. This type of booster seat is very light in weight and you can carry it everywhere. It is highly portable in nature and can be installed in few minutes. But it is more comfortable for older children only.
Booster Seat Safety Tips To Remember
Before you buy the Best booster seats make sure to see the safety tips. To ensure maximum safety of the child, all the safety tips need to be strictly adhered to.
- Reading the manufacturer’s manual before installing the booster seat is a must.
- Once installed, make sure that your booster seats are properly installed and whether your little one can get complete safety and comfort in the long ride.
- Both the LATCH and seat belt systems hold your baby in place. So for either of the systems, you choose to make sure it’s buckled properly and keeps your baby in one place.
- When you are using a backless booster seat you have to make sure that the ear of your child does come up with the vehicle seat or else you must buy a high back booster seat.
- You must not use a booster seat at will, only when your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat you can opt for the booster seat.
Common Questions Parents Ask
1. When do I need a booster car seat?
All children whose weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly.
2. Where to place the shoulder belt in the booster car seat?
The shoulder belt should be ideally placed under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back.
3. Does the booster car seat come without a backseat?
Yes, many booster seats are now available in the market that comes with a backseat.
4. What should I look for when buying a booster seat?
We have mentioned in detail what to look for and which booster is the perfect one for you and your baby in our article. Go through it carefully and get your queries resolved.
5. What is the booster car seat age?
Normally a kid up to 12 years can use the booster seat. But it varies from product to product. Read the manual to know the exact age limit bar.
