is your car booster recommended?

Think car booster seats are all the same? Think again. I just ran across some useful information this morning from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety with their list of those booster seats that are Best Bets for your kids (and those that are not).

Now, we understand you may not be to this point yet since some of you are deciding on a second car seat or trying to fit a third car seat in the car, but at some point you're all doing the infamous car seat shuffle so this bit of information is good to have on hand.

What I find interesting is by the time you're to the booster phase, the actual booster isn't doing the restraining, the belt is. The booster is merely helping position the belt and your child so that in the event of a crash, the seat belt actually does its job and won't strangle him or hurt her belly.

I will admit my youngest is in our oldest and apparently a not-recommended booster seat: The Safety First Alpha Omega, which was fine when my kids were little, but I HATE as a booster now. And I hate the booster for the exact reasons they state in the article. The belt fits too close to her neck. We have since moved it to the car we use the least.

Take a look over the list before you buy. Do consider, as they recommend, that it's about the fit in your car and for your kid. We know being in your car is already challeging what with sippy cups flying, kids crying and loading/unloading everyone, but please make sure it's always as safe as possible.

Comments

[staying where my hands are]

We LOVE our Clek, especially with having the latch system so that we don't have to buckle the seat in when no one is in the seat and we are driving. That was something unknown to us, how dangerous an unoccupied booster can be when it becomes a projectile in an accident or sudden stop.

[Cassie Brendan]

In buying car seats for children, you must be meticulous and check well the features. It could be quite difficult for amateurs. Well, it would be good if they do research and ask a car expert about this, so they could choose the best car seats for their babies.