Car Seat to booster seat

When your child has grown a little taller, when the shoulders are higher than the top set of the harness-strap slots in the car back seats, when your child starts to weigh a little more than the seat can carry or when you think/feel that he/she is a little old enough to travel in a booster seat, then you know that it's time to swap. There is no starting age to this (sometimes age 4, others age 8, some even at 12 years old but NEVER under age 3), but you as a parent will know when the time is right for the swap. We all know that a car seat is the safest option, so never risk switching to a booster seat until the time is right.

The difference between the two is that a car seat is attached to the car by the car's seatbelt and has its own harness to secure the child, usually a five-point harness whereas a booster seat boosts the child's height and therefore a child is able to use the car's own three-point seatbelt. Also note that using the two-point lap belt (usually found in the middle rear seats) is not recommended and isn't advisable to attach any car or booster seats to. This is one mistake many parents make.

We should always be reminded that for better protection, safety is very important and no matter what a car or booster seat costs, nothing can compare to saving a child's life. When choosing a car or booster seat, always choose one that complies with approved safety standards, it is only for yours and especially your child's benefit. In this way, you won't have anything to lose.

Other helpful tips: (1) never let your child sit in the passenger's seat up until he/she is around 12 or 13 years old, (2) after outgrowing a car seat, best to switch to a booster seat before getting strapped with just an actual seatbelt as these belts are sometimes too high and can cause strangling in case of any accidents and (3) always use your common sense with regards to safety.