Five Point Harness Booster Seat Age

You can secure your child based on his or her age using the 5 point harness which is designed for children who are at least two years old or you could use your vehicle s seat belt which is good for children who are at least four years old.

Five point harness booster seat age. Children are better restrained and consequently safer when secured by a five point harness in a forward facing car seat than when they re using a seat belt in a booster seat. This is usually not until at least age five. Three year olds are not ready to ride in a booster seat even if they fit within the manufacturer s height and weight guidelines. For infants and toddlers up to 40 pounds the safest way to travel is using a five point harness 1.

If you want to keep your child in a forward facing car seat a little longer look for a model with an extended weight and height capacity. That s right there aren t any. The american academy of pediatrics recommends that kids use a car seat until they reach the maximum height or weight for that five point harness. A forward facing car seat with a five point harness system is the safest option so keep him there if possible.

First let s look at the studies that have compared properly fitting seat belts meaning in a booster for kids age 5 and up and 5 point harnesses in similar crash circumstances. But many kids are nearing the weight limit by around age 5. Children under the age of 8 and less than 57 inches tall must be secured in a forward facing child restraint equipped with a 5 point harness until the child outgrows the top height or top weight recommendations of the child restraint or in a booster seat. Allow your child to enjoy his or her favorite drink and snack with the two built in cup holders.

It should not be used until your child is at least 5 years old and will stay seated the entire ride in the back seat with a seat belt across the shoulder and hips. The great news is that for most kids there is no rush whatsoever to move into a booster seat. Notice that as long as possible is the crux of their argument here and that most kids can safely fit in car seats well beyond 4 years because the fact is that most car seat manufacturers make 5 point harness seats that fit kids up to 7 or 8 years old.