Hot Mama In The City

Add caption

Children who have reached the weight and/or height limit on their 5 point harness carseat should be placed in a booster seat. The minimum recommended requirements for a child to be placed into a booster seat is 4 years AND 40 pounds not one of the other, in most states it's the law. It's best to keep your child in a 5-point harness carseat until they have reached the maximum weight and height even though they meet the minimum requirements for a booster seat. 

A booster seat raises and positions your child so that the lap and shoulder belt fit properly around your child. A booster seat keeps the lap belt from causing injury to your child's abdomen and keeps the shoulder belt in place to protect your child's upper body from injury as well.


Kids should not be placed into a booster seat until they are mature enough to be responsible for their own safety. Meaning they well not unbuckle their seat belts while the vehicle is in motion or move out of proper position.

The picture above is my daughter in a Bubble Bum booster. At the time of the photo she was almost 5 years old and 43 pounds and still in a 5-point harness.

Here are some tips and recommendations for booster seat safety:

• Minimum recommended booster seat requirements are 4 years AND 40 pounds. Law in most states
• The best booster seat is one that fits your child and car and one that will be used correctly every time.
• Children 12 and under should always ride in the back.
•  Never let children put the shoulder belts under their arm or behind their backs.
• Children will need to use a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall and between 8-12 years old, some states have passed a law that require child to use a booster seat until they are 8 or 80 pounds. Check your state's law.
• The lap belt should fall across the child's upper thighs not stomach.
•  The shoulder belt should go across the middle of the shoulder and chest not across the neck.
• Check the manual for the booster seat for manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.

Want to know if your child still needs a booster seat? Try the 5-Step Test to see if your child is ready for a just a seat belt.

The 5-Step Test
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit correctly to insure the best crash protection. Less than 50% of 4' 9" tall kids will pass the 5 step test.

Graduating your child to a booster seat or lap belt prematurely can have serious and deadly consequences.

If you want to have your car/booster seat checked, get assistance in learning how to use it, or to have hands-on experience with a certified technician. A national list of certified child passenger safety technicians can be found at: http://cert.safekids.org

*Disclosure: I am not a carseat tech. I did gather info from reputable websites. I would like to thank the carseat technicians who offered their expertise advice for this post.