Booster carseat question

DS is almost 6, and I plan on switching him out of his carseat on his b-day (he's getting close to the height limits).

Is there a difference between just the seat booster, and the booster with the back? I'm thinking they should be about the same, since I'll be using just the car's seat belt either way, and they will both raise his hips and shoulders to the proper height.

The seat-only one is cheaper and easier to deal with, that's why I ask....

Re: Booster carseat question

My DS is almost 6 too and has been in a booster with a back since he was about 4 1/2. Now that he is getting older and bigger, I am planning on putting him in a backless booster soon.

Re: Booster carseat question

My son is almost 5 and he is now in the Graco TurboBooster Safeseat. It has a back and it also converts to a backless, seat only too. I bought it at BRU when they were having a sale, plus I used coupon and a $10 promotional gift card I got after buying two boxes of Pampers, so I only paid about $40+ for it. This is the one I got, it has much more padding in the seat and back area than the regular turbobooster. And they are very easily removed for washing!Here

I don't really know the criteria for using a booster seat vs. one with a back. Maybe pose that question to CarSeatGuy?

Re: Booster carseat question

The carseats with the backs provide a spot for the shoulder strap to loop through so it's not too high on their shoulder, which a backless one obviously doesn't. If the child is smaller, it would be in their neck or face. Not only would it be uncomfortable but I would think most kids would try to put it behind them, hence an additional safety problem. My nephew is 6 and is in a backless. He is very tall though. My DS is also 6 but I am not ready to put him in one without a back bc of the shoulder issue.

Re: Booster carseat question

When it comes to boosters, there is no real safety difference between the two.

The purpose of a booster is to raise a child up so that the lap belt sits across their hips and off the stomach. Furthermore, the booster positions the child so that the shoulder strap sits between the neck and the shoulder.

This is the main reason why boosters are also called belt positiong car seats or belt positiong boosters.

High back boosters were first introduced when older model vehicles had low back seats and no head rests. Had a child been placed in a backless booster in these cars their heads would have been above the top of the back seat and therefore no head support would be present.

Many parents like high back boosters because often times their children still fall asleep in their car and use the wings to rest their heads on. This is especially true of younger children.

Just remember that New York State Law requires that a child be in a seat, including boosters up to the age of seven. However, until a child can sit in a regular automobile properly with the shoulder and lap belts positioned correctly, they should remain in a booster.

The Law and Safety are two diferent things sometimes.