The Best Child Booster Seats

Child booster seats are required when your child is between 40 and 80 pounds, approximately four to eight years old. Prior to 40 pounds children are in a rear-facing infant car seat or a convertible car seat that can eventually convert to a booster seat. Some children do not like the look or feel of convertible car seats and prefer booster seats, as they are more discreet. Choosing a booster seat will depend on what is most important to you: ease of use, budget or vehicle consideration.

  1. Best Booster Seat on a Budget

    • Booster seats can cost between $25 and $275. The price doesn't necessarily reflect the value of the booster seat, though. In some cases, the name brand or high profile accounts for the excessive pricing. In other cases, the expensive booster seat comes with more convenience, like not having to buckle it into the seat when it's not in use. The best booster seat on a budget is the Graco Turbobooster SafeSeat. The average price of the Graco Turbobooster is $60. You can buy it backless or buy it with a back and remove it when your child is over 40 pounds or doesn't want the back anymore. The booster seat with a back provides extra protection with side wings for head support and the backless may be more appealing to older children who don't want to feel like they're in a car seat.

    Best Booster Seat for Portability and Ease of Use

    • Being able to fold a booster seat down when not in use is an attractive option to some parents. The best folding booster seat is the First Years Compass models. Model numbers are B505, B510, B530, and B540. Each increasing model number comes with nicer fabric and more features as well as higher pricing. All of the models have crash-protection foam, side wings, flip-up cup holders and arm rests, a no-gap adjustable back feature, and the folding back technology. The First Years Compass models are made for children ages 3 to 10 years or weighing 30 to 100 pounds. The National Highway Safety Administration rated these booster seats as perfect in the ease-of-use category while the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) did not include these booster seats in the best or good ratings because they don't work as well in all types of vehicles.

    Best Booster Seat with Extra Safety

    • Booster seats are designed to align a vehicle's seat belt over a child safely, in order to protect her neck and abdomen. The biggest safety concern with booster seats is the ability for children to slide out beneath the belt when slouching or during a high-impact collision. The best booster seat providing an extra measure of safety is the Britax Parkway SG, which features an extra latch, called a SecureGuard latch. The SecureGuard latch is a crotch strap that clips to the lap belt. This feature improves the safety rating for this booster seat but also receives some complaints that it takes a little extra time and may be more restrictive depending on the outfit a child is wearing. The Britax Parkway SG also converts to a backless booster seat and is rated for children weighing 30 to 100 pounds or up to 63 inches tall.

    Best Booster Seat for Bigger Kids

    • The best booster seat for bigger kids is the Sunshine Kids Monterey booster seat because it has an adjustable seat back to accommodate for larger sizes. There are 11 positions for the headrest for comfort and protection. The Sunshine Kids Monterey booster seat also has an angled seat bottom to prevent it from sliding around in the car when empty. The seat converts to a backless booster as well and is rated for kids up to 120 pounds or 63 inches. Complaints about the Sunshine Kids Monterey include difficult to use latches and connectors and a cover that is hard to remove for cleaning. According to the IHHS, it may not be compatible with all belt types in all vehicles.

    Best Backless Booster Seat

    • The best backless booster seat is the Combi Dakota, which was awarded a "best bets" rating by the IHHS. Lightweight and comfortable, the Combi Dakota booster seat features a deep, padded seat. It may be too deep and comfortable for smaller children, but parents have not complained about the size. On the contrary, parent reviews state that the Combi Dakota is easy to clean and easy to use. The Combi Dakota booster seat is rated for kids weighing 33 to 100 pounds or 57 inches, though it is not advisable to place a child weighing less than 40 pounds in a backless belt-positioning booster seat.

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