Why fit matters:
No federal standard dictates how a booster should position belts. The government's dynamic tests of crash performance don't measure what boosters are meant to do, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration only ranks boosters by how easy they are to use. Manufacturers crash test boosters, but these simulations don't tell parents how boosters will fit kids in their cars. Every state and the District of Columbia has a child restraint law, but they differ when it comes to booster-age kids. In 27 states and DC, the laws cover kids until age 8, with exceptions for kids who are big for their ages.
The Institute in 2008 began evaluating boosters to help make selecting appropriate ones less of a guessing game. Since then some manufacturers have adopted the Institute's test protocol and booster seat fixture to help evaluate belt fit on the new boosters they're designing. Britax Child Safety Inc. is one. The North Carolinabased company has 1 BEST BET (Britax Frontier 85) and 1 GOOD BET (Britax Parkway SG) this year.
Belts do the main job of keeping kids in boosters safe in crashes, but belts along with vehicle seats are designed for adults, not children, so it's important for boosters to lift kids into position for lap/shoulder belts to provide proper restraint. Children 4-8 who ride in boosters are 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries in crashes than children restrained by belts alone.
Wider variety of seats
New this year to the BEST BET ranks are seats by Chicco, Cybex, Graco, Harmony, and The First Years. These manufacturers join Britax, Clek, Combi, Dorel, Evenflo, and Recaro, which had BEST BET boosters in Institute evaluations last year and have models in the latest round.
"Parents looking for top-rated seats now have more choices that include several affordable picks," McCartt says. "Consumers don't have to spend much money on a booster to get good all-around belt fit. In fact, shoppers can find several BEST BET boosters for $50 or less through online retailers."
Forty-nine boosters are carryovers from the Institute's 2009 ratings because they still are in production. These include 7 BEST BET models, 5 GOOD BET boosters, and 6 that aren't recommended.
Harmony improves
It's clear that some manufacturers are taking the ratings to heart. Harmony Juvenile Products has 5 BEST BET boosters, more than any other manufacturer. One of them, the Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe backless, wasn't recommended last year. The company modified it to eliminate the earlier problem with lap belt fit.
Dorel Juvenile Group has 5 seats that rate either BEST BET or GOOD BET, including the new Safety 1st Boost Air Protect. The firm sells seats under the names Cosco, Dorel, Eddie Bauer, Maxi-Cosi, Safeguard, and Safety 1st. Dorel also makes 4 boosters the Institute doesn't recommend, down from 7 in the prior round of evaluations.
What should parents do if a booster they already have isn't one the Institute recommends using? McCartt advises parents in this situation to take note of how the safety belts in their vehicle fit their child next time they're in the car.
"If the booster isn't doing a good job -- if the lap belt is up on your son or daughter's tummy or if the shoulder belt is falling off your child's shoulder -- then find a replacement booster seat as soon as practical, but you'll probably want to keep using the old one until then," McCartt says.
No federal standard dictates how a booster should position belts. The government's dynamic tests of crash performance don't measure what boosters are meant to do, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration only ranks boosters by how easy they are to use. Manufacturers crash test boosters, but these simulations don't tell parents how boosters will fit kids in their cars. Every state and the District of Columbia has a child restraint law, but they differ when it comes to booster-age kids. In 27 states and DC, the laws cover kids until age 8, with exceptions for kids who are big for their ages.
The Institute in 2008 began evaluating boosters to help make selecting appropriate ones less of a guessing game. Since then some manufacturers have adopted the Institute's test protocol and booster seat fixture to help evaluate belt fit on the new boosters they're designing. Britax Child Safety Inc. is one. The North Carolinabased company has 1 BEST BET (Britax Frontier 85) and 1 GOOD BET (Britax Parkway SG) this year.
Belts do the main job of keeping kids in boosters safe in crashes, but belts along with vehicle seats are designed for adults, not children, so it's important for boosters to lift kids into position for lap/shoulder belts to provide proper restraint. Children 4-8 who ride in boosters are 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries in crashes than children restrained by belts alone.
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| Not all boosters provide good belt fit. This lap belt is too high on the abdomen, and the shoulder belt is too close to the neck. (Photo: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) |
Wider variety of seats
New this year to the BEST BET ranks are seats by Chicco, Cybex, Graco, Harmony, and The First Years. These manufacturers join Britax, Clek, Combi, Dorel, Evenflo, and Recaro, which had BEST BET boosters in Institute evaluations last year and have models in the latest round.
"Parents looking for top-rated seats now have more choices that include several affordable picks," McCartt says. "Consumers don't have to spend much money on a booster to get good all-around belt fit. In fact, shoppers can find several BEST BET boosters for $50 or less through online retailers."
Forty-nine boosters are carryovers from the Institute's 2009 ratings because they still are in production. These include 7 BEST BET models, 5 GOOD BET boosters, and 6 that aren't recommended.
Harmony improves
It's clear that some manufacturers are taking the ratings to heart. Harmony Juvenile Products has 5 BEST BET boosters, more than any other manufacturer. One of them, the Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe backless, wasn't recommended last year. The company modified it to eliminate the earlier problem with lap belt fit.
Dorel Juvenile Group has 5 seats that rate either BEST BET or GOOD BET, including the new Safety 1st Boost Air Protect. The firm sells seats under the names Cosco, Dorel, Eddie Bauer, Maxi-Cosi, Safeguard, and Safety 1st. Dorel also makes 4 boosters the Institute doesn't recommend, down from 7 in the prior round of evaluations.
What should parents do if a booster they already have isn't one the Institute recommends using? McCartt advises parents in this situation to take note of how the safety belts in their vehicle fit their child next time they're in the car.
"If the booster isn't doing a good job -- if the lap belt is up on your son or daughter's tummy or if the shoulder belt is falling off your child's shoulder -- then find a replacement booster seat as soon as practical, but you'll probably want to keep using the old one until then," McCartt says.
| Booster Evaluation | ||
| Best Bets | Good Bets | Not Recommended |
| Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback) | Britax Parkway SG (dual highback) | Eddie Bauer Deluxe (combination highback) |
| Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback) | Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless) | Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (highback) |
| Clek Oobr (dual highback) | Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback) | Evenflo Express (combination highback) |
| Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback) | Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback) | Evenflo Generations 65 (combination highback) |
| Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback) | Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback) | Evenflo Sightseer (highback) |
| Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback) | Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback) | Harmony Baby Armor (dual backless) |
| Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless) | Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback) | Safety 1st All-in-One (3-in-1 highback) |
| Evenflo Maestro (combination highback) | Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (3-in-1 highback) | |
| Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback) | ||
| Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback) | ||
| Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless) | ||
| Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback) | ||
| Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless) | ||
| Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless) | ||
| Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback) | ||
| Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback) | ||
| Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback) | ||
| Recaro Vivo (highback) | ||
| Recaro Young Sport (combination highback) | ||
| Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback) | ||
| The First Years Pathway B570 (highback) |