Moving to Booster Seat?

It really depends on the brand and the type of booster. There are some "boosters" that have the five-point harness seat belt. I shopped for one when my son was smaller, and found that some of those even start at only 22 lbs. Then as the child grows and ages the booster can be used with the vehicle seat belt. I agree with the poster who said to go to Target. I found that their display had both upper and lower weight/height limits for each seat as well as when they could be used with the vehicle seat belt instead of the five-point harness. It gave me a good idea of how long I could expect to use the seat.

It depends on the laws of your state and the specifications of the car seats & boosters. For Arizona, all I see is that at age 5 you can use a booster.

Look in the instruction manual for your daughter's current car seat. It will list a height & weight maximum for using the 5-point harness. Can your seat also be used as a booster / belt-positioning booster? It will have minimum & maximum height & weight requirements for it too.

If you don't have the instruction manual, you should be able to find the seat online.

I would not move her to a booster until she has passed the requirements for her current seat.

When you are ready & need to buy a booster seat, look at the height & weight requirements when making your decision. If your daughter tends to be larger for her age, you may want to get a booster that accommodates larger children so that she can be kept safer longer.

My daughter is 4 1/2 and we currently have a Cosco seat that is a 5-point harness but also a belt-positioning booster. The seat's max height & weight are 40lbs and 43" for the 5-point harness. When my daughter reaches these measurements, I'll switch her to using the seat as a belt-positioning booster. Right now she's still about 5lbs and 5" away. Poor kid is so little she will probably still be using the harness for a while! :)

I was given a ticket for putting my 4 yr old in a booster. His dad is really tall and so is he. I bought the little $12 one and a holster for the shoulder strap to position it correctly. He's way over manufacturer guidelines for his 5 point harness car seat. But our state has a 5 yr old rule. Doesn't matter how tall or how much they weigh or how uncomfortable they are. There are some boosters that have a back to them with slots to put the shoulder harness through. It's an "in between" car seat. The officer reccomended that as a compromise- but he STILL gave me the ticket!.

it matters on the manufactures limites on the seat. Alot of convertable seats are set that the harness is only good til 40lbs, and then the booster seat top should never be below the childs ears. I personally have a seat that the harness goes to 65lbs.

I wouldn't put a child under 5 in a booster for several safety reasons reguardless of how tall the child is. They make lots of seats that harness to high heights and weights.

Go to www.seatcheck.org and find a FREE inspection site near you right away.

What is a little to big for her current seat mean? Is she over the weight requirements? Is the 5 point harness to tight? I wouldn't move her until she has met those requirements first for her own safety.

Your child should be at least 4yrs old AND 40lbs, and around 40" tall to be moved to a HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEAT. It is best to keep your child in a 5pt harness as long as possible though. If your child is under these bare minimums, keep her in a harness. If she's outgrown her current seat, find her a new higher harness car seat to replace hte one she is outgrowing.

A forward facing car seat is outgrown when one of three things happens; the child goes over the weight limit, the tops of the ears are level with the seat back, or the shoulders go over the top harness slot. If even one of these things happens she must be moved to another seat ASAP.

The Evenflo Maestro is $79 and will harness to 50lbs, and hten boosters. My almost 5yr old is 43" tall and still has room to grow in this seat, its a steal for the price.

Evenflo Generations 65 will harness to 65lbs, and then booster, and is $99.

Graco Nautilus is $150 and will harness to 65lbs and then booster to 100lbs. THis is a great seat that will last most kids to age 6/7 in the harness ,then booster!

If you insist on using a booster for her, make sure she is at least 4yrs old, 40lbs, and 40" tall, and that she is mature enough to not sleep in the car, not lean, stretch to the side or down and reach for things ,etc. That she can sit up straight and correctly the entire car ride, and not put the belt behind her back. Make sure its a high back booster seat, and that the belt lays across her shoulder and is low on her hips and not up on her belly. A proper fit is imperative. But in reality, a 5pt harness is safest.

Look on-line at your DMV website, they will have all the info needed on one of their links about the laws in your state reguarding car seats & boosters. To be safe I would either call your peditrican or your local DMV and aks them, I am sure they hear this question a lot and will be able to help!

otherwise I found this link from ABOUT.COM: http://phoenix.about.com/od/parenting/a/childseat.htm

A child who is under five years of age must be properly secured in a child passenger restraint system. There is no weight limitation on this law.
Basic car seat info...
Infant Seats, rear facing: Birth to age one, designed for children from 7 to 20 pounds
Highback harness buckle, front facing car seat: 20-40+ (the one I have goes up to 80 pounds)
Booster Seats: 40 to 60 Pounds

I had the same questions for my 3 year old daughter. I actually ended up calling the state because I couldn't find a straight answer online. This is the state site that tell you the info: http://www.azgohs.gov/transportation-safety/default.asp?I... When I talked to the safety office at the AZ Governor’s Office of Highway Safety she was extremely helpful and I would highly recommend calling if you have questions. The main rule of thumb is that even if they meet the weight requirements you shouldn't put them in a booster until the bottom of their ears are over the top of the car seat. So while your child may look like they're getting too big, she said they're really not and that the car seats are so much safer than the boosters. Hope that helps!

I'm not sure if you do any shopping at Target. If you do, I suggest taking a look at their isle where they carry carseats. They have a display that shows what type of seat is appropriate for your child. Plus it includes information on convertibles and they various types of boosters to help you decide which will fit your lifestyle.

You don't have to buy your seat there, but at least it will give you an idea of what is appropriate for your child and situation.