What Age Do Kids Go to Booster Seats? Points to Keep in Mind
A concerned parent always wants the best for his baby, and will do everything in his power to make sure that baby's needs are met. That includes getting all the right equipment and apparel as soon as baby outgrows his current set. If you are such a parent, you will want to apply your concern to every aspect of baby's growth - and be especially careful about purchasing items that pertain to your little darling's safety. Child car seats are among these things. So ask yourself: What age do kids go to booster seats? And what age do they outgrow these booster seats, and move on to "big kid" seatbelts?
As a matter of fact, it's not as important to know what age do kids go to booster seats, as it is important to know what weight. Like the infant seat, a booster car seat relies more on the weight of the baby, as the width and girth restrictions are precisely what keep your baby safe in the event of an accidental jarring, or even a major impact. Some children grow faster or slower than others. Premature babies who may suffer from low birth weight, or infants with delicate medical constitutions, may need to wait a little longer than other children before graduating to booster seats.
For babies with medical problems, buying a convertible seat might be best. A convertible seat, unlike ordinary seats, can expand or fold up to accommodate your baby in her different stages of growth - in so doing, it could figuratively "grow" with your baby. So your baby's infant seat can be turned into a booster seat at your baby's own pace. In fact, convertible seats would be convenient even for parents of babies in excellent health. Convertibles may cost slightly more than regular seats, but if you take good care of your baby seat, you'll be able to enjoy its full benefits for years!
Technically, babies should all start with rear-facing infant seats (to be installed at the backseat ONLY) until they reach the age of 1 year, or over 20 pounds. Then they should be shifted to forward-facing seats while they're in preschool age, or 1-4 years old and weighing approximately 20 to 40 lbs. After this, they should be using booster seats until they are the age of 8, or four feet nine inches or 57 inches tall. Past this age/weight level, children may already benefit from using adult seatbelts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has more on this matter in its guide on the correct usage of safety seats.
You may have asked yourself: What age do kids go to booster seats? But it's not the age, as much as it is your child's height and weight. Parents should be the one to decide this, and federal rules should only provide the guidelines for deciding.
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