Okay one of my friends has a son who turned 5 in Oct. She is wondering when and if she should change him into a booster instead of a car seat. He is about 38-40 lbs and is between 3'2 and 3'4. It has been so long I have no clue what to tell her. Any advice would be appreciated.

By Cat on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 02:33 pm:

As long as he's within the limits for the car seat (he should be at that height and weight, but she should check the manual) she doesn't need to change him yet. A 5-point harness is always safer than the three points he'll get with the booster seat. Most booster seats start at 35lbs, so technically he could move to one. The biggest thing about boosters is will the child sit in the properly for the entire ride. If they're moving the seat belt, leaning over or otherwise not sitting in it correctly, it's best to leave them in a 5-point. Heck, we'd be safer in 5-point harnesses! lol

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 08:25 pm:

Ditto Cat. She should check the weight limit of his car seat. Many only go up to 40 lbs. If that is the case or his shoulders are above the top harness slots then he has outgrown the seat.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, November 13, 2008 - 08:26 pm:

To find a CPS Tech in your area:

SeatCheck.org