As reported by IIHS
ARLINGTON, VA — New ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety take the guesswork out of selecting boosters most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles. The Institute rates 9 belt-positioning boosters BEST BETS, and 6 are GOOD BETS out of 60 models examined in a new round of evaluations. Eleven boosters aren't recommended at all because they do such a poor job of fitting the belt. Boosters elevate children so belts will fit their small frames better to protect them in a crash.
A good booster routes the lap belt flat across a child's upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder. The Institute released its first booster ratings last year, evaluating 41 seats.
The new ratings cover almost all models sold in the United States right now. Manufacturers provided seat model numbers, and the Institute conducted its own check of retail inventories before purchasing seats.
A few just-released boosters didn't come to market in time for this round of evaluations, but the Institute will rate them soon and post the results on this site. The plan is to assess new models throughout the year, much like the Institute evaluates new vehicles for Top Safety Pick awards.
Boosters come in 2 main styles, highback and backless. Some highbacks, called dual-use, convert to backless by removing their backs. These boosters get 2 ratings, one for each mode, because belt fit can differ by mode. Highbacks have built-in guides to route shoulder and lap belts and can offer some head support. Backless models have lap belt guides but may need a plastic clip to properly position shoulder belts in many vehicles.
Ten of the highbacks are combination seats that can be used as forward-facing restraints for toddlers and then as boosters as children grow. In booster mode, parents remove the built-in harness and use vehicle lap/shoulder belts to restrain their children. Seven highbacks are 3-in-1 seats. These are similar to combinations but also can be used rear-facing for infants.
BEST BETS and GOOD BETS: The best-rated boosters are the Combi Dakota backless with clip, Recaro Young Sport highback (combination seat), Recaro Vivo highback, Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR dual-use highback, Evenflo Big Kid Amp backless with clip, Eddie Bauer Auto Booster dual-use highback, Cosco Juvenile Pronto dual-use highback, Britax Frontier highback (combination seat), and Clek Oobr dual-use highback.
·Full ratings list with model numbers and photos of seats
GOOD BETS are the Combi Kobuk dual-use backless with shoulder belt clip, Maxi-Cosi Rodi dual-use highback, Evenflo Symphony 65 3-in-1, Britax Parkway SG dual-use highback, Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Wander dual-use highback, and Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Sachi dual-use highback.
ARLINGTON, VA — New ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety take the guesswork out of selecting boosters most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles. The Institute rates 9 belt-positioning boosters BEST BETS, and 6 are GOOD BETS out of 60 models examined in a new round of evaluations. Eleven boosters aren't recommended at all because they do such a poor job of fitting the belt. Boosters elevate children so belts will fit their small frames better to protect them in a crash.
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A good booster routes the lap belt flat across a child's upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder. The Institute released its first booster ratings last year, evaluating 41 seats.
The new ratings cover almost all models sold in the United States right now. Manufacturers provided seat model numbers, and the Institute conducted its own check of retail inventories before purchasing seats.
A few just-released boosters didn't come to market in time for this round of evaluations, but the Institute will rate them soon and post the results on this site. The plan is to assess new models throughout the year, much like the Institute evaluates new vehicles for Top Safety Pick awards.
Boosters come in 2 main styles, highback and backless. Some highbacks, called dual-use, convert to backless by removing their backs. These boosters get 2 ratings, one for each mode, because belt fit can differ by mode. Highbacks have built-in guides to route shoulder and lap belts and can offer some head support. Backless models have lap belt guides but may need a plastic clip to properly position shoulder belts in many vehicles.
Ten of the highbacks are combination seats that can be used as forward-facing restraints for toddlers and then as boosters as children grow. In booster mode, parents remove the built-in harness and use vehicle lap/shoulder belts to restrain their children. Seven highbacks are 3-in-1 seats. These are similar to combinations but also can be used rear-facing for infants.
BEST BETS and GOOD BETS: The best-rated boosters are the Combi Dakota backless with clip, Recaro Young Sport highback (combination seat), Recaro Vivo highback, Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR dual-use highback, Evenflo Big Kid Amp backless with clip, Eddie Bauer Auto Booster dual-use highback, Cosco Juvenile Pronto dual-use highback, Britax Frontier highback (combination seat), and Clek Oobr dual-use highback.
·Full ratings list with model numbers and photos of seats
GOOD BETS are the Combi Kobuk dual-use backless with shoulder belt clip, Maxi-Cosi Rodi dual-use highback, Evenflo Symphony 65 3-in-1, Britax Parkway SG dual-use highback, Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Wander dual-use highback, and Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Sachi dual-use highback.
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