Getting a Convertible Car Seat vs Booster Seat

When you've got a child, it's your job to look out for his safety for as long as he is too young to look after himself. This means taking charge of your child's diet, daily routine, and even his safety equipment. You'll need to think about his security when buying items like cribs, strollers, and even car seats. The buying decisions that you make will have an impact on your little one's well-being, so it's important to choose the right products for your child. For instance, you'll have to know which option is best when choosing between a convertible car seat vs booster seat.

When choosing between car seat vs booster seat, it's important to be well-informed regarding the products that you're thinking of buying. All car seats and booster seats are intended to keep your child safe while on the road, and they work with your car's own safety system in order to provide the needed protection in case of an impact from the front, back, or side.

In the beginning, you'll probably want to get an infant car seat for your baby. An infant car seat is a good first purchase because it's considered safest for babies until they're about a year old. A rear-facing infant seat isn't just a piece of safety equipment. It also functions as a carrier and a recliner for your baby. For instance, when you're dining out you can simple put the baby in the infant seat and keep him close to you while you eat.

Of course, your child will outgrow the infant seat after 12 months or so. When this happens, you'll need to get a convertible car seat, or a forward-facing seat. A convertible seat that can be used rear-facing or forward facing is usually good until he weighs 40 lbs, although some 3-in-1 models can also convert into a booster seat that's good for children up to 100 or 120 lbs in weight.

If you've got a child who is at 20 lbs or more, then you definitely need to upgrade to either a convertible car seat or a booster. Which one you choose depends largely on your child's size as well as the kind of convertible or booster seat that you intend to buy. If your child is on the large side or has been using an infant seat with a weight limit of 30 lbs like the Chicco Keyfit for example, then you won't get much use out of a convertible seat with a weight limit of 40 lbs.

Get a booster seat if your child is already 40 lbs in weight. But if your baby is just 20 lbs, get a convertible model for your next car seat. If you'd like to cut down on expenses, get a convertible car seat that can also turn into a booster with a limit of 100 or 120 lbs.

In the convertible car seat vs booster seat debate, you'll need to go by your child's specific needs and weight.

Related article: Top 3 best booster car seats

How to Pick an Infant Booster Seat

When you have a baby for the first time, you'll have to become familiar with all types of baby products and equipment. For instance, you'll need to inform yourself about things like infant seats and car seats. These items are of the utmost importance to your child as they will keep him safe while he's on the road. In fact, it is illegal in many states to let your child ride in a car without using an infant booster seat or a similar piece of equipment.

What does an infant booster seat do? Essentially, it allow your child to ride in the car with some form of safety restraint, even though he is still much too small to make use of seatbelts designed for adults. While parents in the past did allow their children to ride in the back seat without any form of restraint, it has now been proved dangerous to do so. The danger of such a practice has also been heightened by the fact that families today use the car far more often than families in the past. If you're one of those parents who uses a private car – and even if you take public transportation most of the time – you'll need to know how to pick an infant booster seat.

Buying a booster seat is about safety, first and foremost. All the car seats on the market have been designed to offer some kind of protection during a crash, but not all of them perform equally well. For instance, some models may have additional features built into them that enhance their performance. Look for a car seat that has side-impact protection, especially head and neck support.

Another thing to look for in a car seat is comfort. A comfortable seat is great for your baby and great for you as well, since it makes for a stress-free trip. What you want is a car seat that is well padded and has a "breathable" seat cover that won't make your child's back hot and sweaty even on longer car trips. Enough space for your child to move without feeling cramped is also a must.

Of course, convenience is also key. Look for a car seat that cleans easily, since you can expect it to absorb plenty of spills. It will also probably be exposed to bouts of car sickness if your child is prone to the condition. A good car seat should also have additional features for your child's convenience, like a cup holder or arm rests.

A booster seat is an investment, so make sure that your child is willing to use it. You don't want to spend money on a seat and find that your little one hates it. Bring him car seat shopping and allow him to test the seat in the store. If you're buying online, give him a say in choosing the design or the color.

Choosing a good infant booster seat is important, so make sure you get the right one. For more information please visit: 3 best booster car seats.

What is a Toddler Booster Car Seat?

When you become a parent, you'll find yourself learning all sorts of new things about child care and the equipment that you need to keep your baby safe and healthy. For instance, you will find that one of the most important purchases that you will ever make for your baby is a car seat. There are several different kinds of car seats on the market. You'll first have to choose between an infant seat and a convertible car seat when your baby arrives, then get a toddler booster car seat when he's older.

But what exactly is a toddler booster car seat? Toddler booster seats are very different from both infant seats and convertible seats, although they also serve the primary function of keeping a child protected while on the road. Infant seats are commonly used as recliners and infant carriers aside from being used to secure a baby in the car. They are rear-facing and must be replaced when a child is a year old. Convertible seats meanwhile are meant to be used rear-facing or forward-facing until a baby is at least four.

A booster car seat for toddlers is a forward-facing seat. Unlike a convertible seat, it can only be used in a single position. It fastens onto a vehicle seat by means of the built-in seat belts and safety restraints, and is meant to be used every time a child travels in the car. This last point is important, as many parents are less careful with car seats when their children are bigger and have already transitioned to a forward-facing seat.

Booster seats are intended for the use of older children, and a booster should be the last car seat that you buy. Babies can be kept in rear-facing infant seats until they are about 20 lbs in weight, and in convertible seats until they weigh around 40 lbs. You know your child is ready for a booster when he weighs more than 40 lbs and 4 years old. Both requirements should be satisfied; if he is lighter than 40 lbs he will not have enough bulk to be safe in a booster. If he is less than 4 years old, his bones and muscles may also be inadequately developed.

There are two different types of booster seats. The first type of booster has a high back which has its own harness and provides some form of back and neck support and also protects your child's head. Backless boosters meanwhile only provide your child with enough height to allow the car's regular seatbelt to lie correctly across his body. Experts agree that a high-back booster is safer because it gives more protection in the event of a crash.

When your child reaches 4 feet and 9 inches in height and has turned eight years old, then you may take him out of his booster seat and use the adult seatbelts in your vehicle. Before then, make sure that he's strapped into a toddler booster car seat when you go out for a ride.

Click here to checkout my best booster car seat list.

Benefits of a High Back Booster Car Seat

When it comes to your child's safety, it always pays to be well-informed. This is especially true when it comes to car seats. Whether your child is a newborn or already a preschooler, he will need special restraints for the sake of his safety when he's travelling in a car. That's because the car's built-in seatbelts are designed to protect adults and are not sized correctly for small children. If your baby is above four years old, you'll have to consider getting him a high back booster car seat.

You actually have a couple of options when it comes to your child's booster. You can get a high back booster car seat or a backless booster. A backless booster is simply a platform that gives your child the boost he needs to use your car's shoulder and lap belts. It's a lot cheaper than a high back booster, and it's also a lot easier to carry around. However, there are also several distinct advantages to getting a high back booster rather than a backless model.

1. Better side impact protection
A majority of car crashes involve an impact from the front and sides. That's why many car seats today come equipped with a side impact protection system. This system typically includes a deeper “shell” or seat that is lined with high-density foam to absorb some of the energy during a crash. A high back booster does come with this type of feature, so that's a bit of added protection for your child while on the road.

2. Whiplash protection
One of the things that you should also look out for during a car crash – even a minor one – is whiplash. Whiplash can cause serious injuries to the neck and head, especially with children whose tissues are not yet fully developed. A high backed booster comes with provisions for head and neck support, thus making it better than a backless booster in this regard.

3. Better sleep support
When you are on the road for a long time, you can expect your child to nod off to sleep. If he is sleepy but can't get comfortable in his seat, he's liable to be cranky especially if he becomes hungry, thirsty, bored or nauseous into the bargain. An hour or so of shut-eye can be a lifesaver on a trip, so if you are a frequent traveller you might want to get a high back booster for the sake of the more comfortable rest it can give your child.

4. Better for keeping your child still
As mentioned earlier, a high backed booster can give your child more back support and greater comfort. If you have a restless child, this will help him sit still and feel more calm and secure for the duration of your drive.

While a high back booster car seat is more expensive than a backless model, it has several benefits that make it more ideal for families who tend to spend plenty of time on the road.

Visit this page to checkout Top 3 best booster car seats.

When to Use a Booster Seat

Most parents are very concerned about their child's safety. That's why they make it a point to stay well-informed about the latest safety equipment on the market that's designed especially for little ones. One of the most important purchases any family makes in the line of baby gear would be a child car seat. As a matter of fact, many families buy more than one child car seat, starting off with an infant seat and then upgrading to a convertible seat and then a booster seat.

If you've got a car, then you know that you need to invest in the right car seats for your child. You'll need to learn how to install these seats using LATCH connectors or your vehicles seatbelt system, and you'll also have to learn all about weight ratings and safety features like side-impact protection and five-point harnesses. You'll need to find out when to use a booster seat after your child graduates from his first car seats as well.

When it comes to car seats, your cues should always come from the weight ratings indicated by the manufacturer. For instance, an infant seat is good to use for children weighing 5 to 20 or 22 lbs with some exceptions. Preemies or babies below 5 lbs need a special cot for safety in the car, and some types of infant seats can be used with babies up to 30 lbs in weight. In the meantime, most convertible seats can be used ‘til your baby weighs 40 lbs.

When your child reaches 40 lbs, he may already be ready for a booster seat. It's important not to succumb to the temptation of putting him in a booster too early, even if he does want to try what it's like to ride in a "big boy" seat. Before he reaches 40 lbs, he may not have the necessary bulk to fit well in a booster.

Similarly, you'll have to wait until your child is four years old before you put him in a booster seat. Even if he already weighs in at 40 lbs, his body may not be strong enough or developed physically to the point where he can safely ride in a booster. If you feel that your almost-four-year-old is already big and strong enough, consult your paediatrician. Some doctors will make exceptions on a case-to-case basis for children who are developing precociously.

Your child will need to ride in his booster seat until he is about 4 feet and 9 inches tall or eight years old. It's important to note that when it comes to taking your child out of the booster and switching to grown-up seatbelts, you need to make the decision based on your child's size. He may be ready to leave the booster even before he is eight if he has grown big enough, or if the tops of his ears are already showing above the seat.

Hopefully, the information above will be useful in letting you know when to use a booster seat. You also may checkout this page to learn the Top 3 booster seats.

The Types of Child Booster Seat

When it comes to your child's safety, you know it's important not to cut corners. Parents should always keep themselves well informed when it comes to any safety measures that should be taken to protect their child from the dangers of the outside world, from making sure that their child has all the appropriate vaccinations, to getting the right car seat. For moms and dads with children of preschool age, this means buying an appropriate child booster seat.

A child booster seat is usually the last car seat that a child will need. In the beginning, babies need rear-facing infant seats that are meant to accommodate their small forms. Infant seats often double as carriers and recliners, and can be used until a baby is a year old. Convertible seats are the next in line. They can be used rear-facing or forward facing, and are good until a child weighs about 40 lbs. At 4 years old and past the 40-pound mark, a child is ready for a booster. Here are the types of booster seats that you will find on the market.

High-backed booster

As the name suggests, a high-backed booster seat comes with a back rest that makes it resemble a baby car seat more closely. This type of booster makes use of a car's built-in restraints but it also provides some form of additional protection to children that you wouldn't get ordinarily. This type of seat often has a head rest or a pair of "wings" at the level of the child's head to provide additional support and shield a child's head and neck in a crash.

High-backed booster seats do provide children with the additional inches that they need in order to use the car's adult seatbelts correctly. The "boost" they provide allows the belts to go across the child's lap and chest rather than across his abdomen or neck. This is quite important as improper positioning of safety restraints could result in injury. High-backed booster seats can cost up to a hundred dollars, and can be priced similarly to a convertible or infant seat.

Backless booster

A backless booster is simply composed of a seat or platform that gives a preschooler a bit of extra height so he can use the vehicle's seat belts comfortable. Backless boosters are very simple in design, although others may come with a cup holder at the side for added convenience on the road.

In some studies, it has been found that backless booster seats offer less protection than high-backed boosters because they lack the additional provisions for neck and head support. However, they are considerably cheaper than their high-backed counterparts and can be had for only half of the cost or well under a hundred dollars.

Many parents get a child booster seat because they want their child to be able to see out of the car windows and be amused by the passing scenery. However, it's primary reason is still to provide a child with safety and protection while on the road.

Click here to read: top 3 booster car seats reviews