Car seat vs. booster seat?

Question

I'm on bed rest with my second child, so I'm pretty housebound and both my parents and my in-laws are helping out a lot with the care of my older child. The last time my in-laws were here they mentioned that they had bought a new car seat for their car. They told me that it was for 30+ pounds, but when they explained it to me I also realized it was a 3 point harness instead of a 5 point. My MIL was supposed to pick up my son at my mom's house tonight and I asked my mom to take a look at their car seat and let me know what she thought of it. She just called me and told me that it looks more like a booster seat than a car seat. She said it just has the seat belt going through the seat and holding him in. He is only 2 years old and I don't think they are supposed to be in a booster until they are 4. Isn't the difference between a booster and a car seat that in a booster the belt goes over the child, but in a car seat a separate harness holds them in? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

its  a booster and its not safe your  little one should be a in a five point and don't accept less

Answer 2

OMG I have also been wondering about this because I am home with my newborn son and my mom is taking my 2yr old daughter around in what I think you would call a booster seat. It looks like just a chair and you use the seatbelt to strap them in. Honestly if the seat belt is strapped around his waist and chest i think he is ok but my mom takes the top part and puts it behind the seat to get it out of my daughters way which still gives her the ability to be rathered jumbled and thrown if an accident did occur.Honestly I think the car seats with the seat belts attached to the seat is better because the child is more secure in the seat and the seat is more attached to the car. Its really your own judgement I think. Good luck!

Answer 3

Whether it's a short distance or not he NEEDS to be in a 5-pt harnessed seat. It doesn't matter if it can convert to a booster later or not just as long as it fits him well. Seat belts failing is one of the biggest reasons children are killed in car accidents. If they are in a 5-pt harness seat there is no chance the child will be flung from the seat like can happen with a seat belt. I would tell the in-laws to take the seat back and get a different one. If you are uncomfortable doing it have your DH.

Answer 4

Well, I hate to add more to your very full plate right now, but your suspicions are right: they bought the wrong seat. He absolutely needs to b ein a 5 point harness still, and in fact, in many places it is illegal for a 2 year old to be in a booster seat. What probably tripped them up is that most booster seats DO say that they can be used for 30lbs and up. Unfortunately, this comes mostly from wanting to sell car seats to as big a market as possible and not at all from a safety standpoint. The low weight limit is also there for those very rare children who are 4-5 years old and only weigh 30lbs.

It is not only weight, but also age, and mostly, maturity that determines when a child is booster ready. And at 2, there's no way. The bare minimum for safe booster use is 4 years old AND 40lbs, adn experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics and CPSTs (Car seat techs) say keep them in 5 point harness as long as possible, preferably to 5 or 6 years old.

Another thing that likely steered them was a cheaper price. Boosters are cheaper than harnessed seats. My best advice for a seat that he can use now, and they will never have to buy him a seat again for their car is the Graco Nautilus. Harnesses to 65lbs then becomes a booster seat. Unlike other combo seats (combination seats are harnessed seats taht become boosters), the Nautilus is both a great harnessed seat and a great booster later. Most combo seats only go to 40lbs, so many kids outgrow them before 4 years old (like mine!) and then they make crappy boosters. That's why they're cheaper. :)

Here's more info to share with them for WHY (besides the law) they need to get him a harnessed seat:

WHY KEEP THEM HARNESSED:

Compare the following crash tests for your self and see the major difference a harness makes.

Forward facing harness vs. booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A lateral test (the third view in) of a harnessed seat: http://www.oeamtc.at/videobox/index.php?...

A deep winged high back booster like a Parkway: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

A shallow winged high back booster like the Turbobooster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

And a no back booster: http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seite...

VIEDOES OF KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DESPERATELY WISH THEY'D KEPT THEM HARNESSED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcq...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBSEQ4xb...

We also now know the spine is not solid until age 6.

So to sit in a booster and use just the seatbelt like an adult (basically a booster just fits the belt to the child,so it's essentially the same), they need to be able to not have the lapbelt cause those injuries, have the head proportionate like an adult, and have a solid spine like an adult. kids under age 5 have higher rates of head injury if they are riding in boosters than kids over age 5 (presumably because younger kids have heavier/larger heads in proportion to their bodies, so they fly forward farther or with greater force, thus incurring greater injury if/when they come in contact with vehicle interior or intrusion?).

"Another type of misuse is a child not using the restraint designed for its size and age. The

study of Isaksson-Hellman et al. (1997) showed

that the maximum effect of a restraint system is

not attained if the child is not using the optimal

CRS for its age. Also, a tendency of higher

injury risk was identified when the growing

child switches from one restraint to another, i.e.

when the child is at the youngest age

recommended for the restraint. " -SAFETY FOR THE GROWING CHILD – EXPERIENCES FROM SWEDISH ACCIDENT DATA

Lotta Jakobsson

Irene Isaksson-Hellman

Björn Lundell

Volvo Car Corporation

Sweden

Answer 5

No way should your child be in a booster seat at 2. My son is 2 1/2 and he is no where near ready to be put in a booster.  

Answer 6

That is definitely a booster seat, and your child is way too young to be safely in a booster.  Even though he weighs enough, you cannot trust a two year old to keep the regular car seat belt on.  And if there's a car accident, your child will be in serious danger.  A child belongs in a car seat until they outgrow the weight requirements on the car seat - which is usually 40-60 lbs, depending on your car seat (you would have to check your manual to know your seat's weight limit).  Don't let your son in their car unless they borrow your car seat and/or buy one that you approve of!  :)

Answer 7

No your child shouldn't be in that and I will tell the parents. Because if they get pulled over they would get into trouble because he not the right age or weight. He should still be in a carseat with 5 harness. They not post to be in a booster seat the age of 4 and are 40 pounds. My son is four year old. I have him in a booster seat when I am around town. I drive an hour to his doctor appointment I have him in his 5 harness seat. Tell your in laws that he needs to put in car seat with 5 harness if they don't then he not allowed to ride in their car.

Answer 8

It does sound like a booster seat. My 31/2 year old now rides in a booster but thats because I have a younger daughter that needed the carseat. 2 is too young in my opinion to ride in a booster. If it's only a one time thing and it is a short distance it's probably Ok but maybe tell them you're not comfortable with that.

Answer 9

What your In-Laws have is a booster and it is not the right kind of seat for your child.  I will tell you what the Department of Motor Vehicles  told me.  When they are 40lbs then they are ready for a booster or if their head is half past the top of the car seat they are ready for a booster.  I would go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles and get their thoughts and materials on the subject in order to inform your In-Laws about the laws and regulations when it comes to car seats and boosters.  Hope this helps.

Answer 10

it depends on how much they weigh. my son's only 3 but he's 3 1/2 feet tall and 42 pounds so he sits in a booster. but i doubt that any 2 year old is big enough for one. i'd talk to them about it and tell them that he's not big enough for one.

Answer 11

If they are using the harness, I think he will be fine. If they are using the seat belt over the carseat, I don't think that's legal for him where I live.

My seat can be used BOTH ways  for when my son gets bigger and older. Right now, we are using the 5-point harness.

Do you know the brand and model they have? How tall is your son and how much does he weigh?

ETA: I tried to find a 3-point harness booster seat online and couldn't find one. Are you sure it isn't a five-point?

Take a look at this: http://www.aap.org/FAMILY/carseatguide.h...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcq...

Answer 12

Your son is too young to be in a booster seat(that is the only where it is only held by a seat belt instead of a five point harness). Your son needs to be in a harnessed car seat until at least 4,but longer is better. I have a Britax Regent which will hold a child in a five point harness until he is about 7 or 8 years old. Please go to this website or have your parents go to this website to learn more about the importance of the 5 point harness: www.kyledavidmiller.org.