age and weight to switch to booster seat
Until your child is 4’9″, they should be in a booster. Here are some more common sense booster seat reminders: 1. Children who have outgrown forward-facing car seats are ready to use a booster seat if they are less than 4 feet 9 inches tall and weigh between 40 and 80 pounds (18-36kg). Putting your child in a seatbelt before he is big enough puts him at risk for serious injury or death in a crash. Don’t Skip a Step. 1  A child who has outgrown the internal harness or height limitations of a forward-facing child safety seat. 2  Within the range of 40 to 80 pounds but under 4’9”. Within 4 to 8 years of age and is at least 35” tall. Of the 34 booster seat models in our tests, 28 state a minimum allowable weight of between 30 and 33 pounds. Current growth charts, however, show that the average 30-pound child is about two-and-a-half years old, far too young to move a child out of a seat with a harness, according to our safety experts. 8 - 12 Years. Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries: 1  Car seat use reduces the risk for death to infants (aged <1 year) by 71%; and to toddlers (aged 1–4 years) by 54% in passenger vehicles.2. Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4–8 years when compared with seat belt use alone.3. Risk Reduction for Every Age. Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries: Car seat use reduces the risk for death to infants (aged <1 year) by 71%; and to toddlers (aged 1–4 years) by 54% in passenger vehicles.2. Your child is ready for a booster seat when they have outgrown the weight or height limit of their forward-facing harnesses, which is typically between 40 and 65 pounds. Read your forward-facing car seat’s owner’s manual to determine height and weight limits, and keep your child in a harnessed seat for as long as possible. The answer depends on your child's size and age, the kind of vehicle you drive, and the law in your state. Laws aside, kids aren't ready to make the switch from a booster seat to seat belts until they're at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and can pass the five-step test below — typically between ages 8 and 10. Why the wait? 4 - 7 Years. Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat. A child who has outgrown the internal harness or height limitations of a forward-facing child safety seat. Within the range of 40 to 80 pounds but under 4’9”. Within 4 to 8 years of age and is at least 35” tall.
weigh between 40 and 80 pounds and Within 4 to 8 years of age