Choosing the Best Booster Car Seats 2014 – Relevant Factors
There are a number of factors that parents need to consider when choosing the best booster car seats for their children in 2014. They include comfort, ease of installation, ease of cleaning and seat accessories. However, the most important factor is obviously the safety of the booster seat.
Since there are no comprehensive and universally recognised independent tests to rank seats in order of safety, making the right choice can be a difficult process. Seats are simply released onto the US market as safe when they pass the minimum national safety standards.
However, there is one body of experts that has recently carried out extensive testing of booster seats and I am going to tell you what they did and which of the tested seats scored most highly. I hope that this information will help you to make a better informed decision when choosing a booster seat for your child.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Tests
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recently carried out safety tests on US booster seats and published the results so that parents can consider them as part of their decision making process.
Watch the IIHS’s Video Explanation of their Testing Process & Criteria
The tests essentially boil down to 2 important fitting factors:
- Shoulder belt fit
- Lap belt fit
As you can see from the IIHS video:
- the shoulder belt should NOT cut across the neck or across the bicep area of the child’s arm – it should fit over the shoulder like a sash.
- the lap belt should NOT cut into the pelvis or hip areas – it should rest on the top of the thighs.
The IIHS placed each tested seat into 1 of 3 categories: Best Bet, Good Bet, Not Recommended.
Those in the “Good Bet” category are perfectly fine to purchase, but those in the “Not Recommended” should be avoided in my opinion. The seats to be avoided are the “Safety 1st All in One” and the “Safety 1st Omega Elite”.
Some Great “Best Bet” Booster Seats
I have previously reviewed a number of booster seats and 3 of them appear in the top “Best Bet” category.
They are:
- Graco Affix (highbacked and backless)
- Graco TurboBooster (only supplied in backless)
- Diono Radian RXT (only supplied in backless)
#1 Graco Affix
This video will give you a good overview of the Affix’s features.
Read my Full Review of the Affix
Check Canadian Graco Booster Prices
#2 Graco TurboBooster
This video will give you a good idea of the TurboBooster’s features.
Click Here to Check US Price of the TurboBooster
Click Here to Check the Canadian Graco Booster Prices
#3 Diono Radian RXT
This video will give you a good idea of the Diono Radian RXT’s features.
Read my Full Review of the Radian RXT
Check the US Price of the Diono Radian RXT
Check the Canadian Price of the Radian RXT
**The NEW Diono Rainier Convertible Car Seat**
Although it is a little early to provide a full review of the new Diono Rainier based on User Reviews and experiences, it looks like a great addition to the premium car seat options.
The most obvious improvements include thicker deeper head wings and increased rear-facing limit of 50 lbs. You can also fit 3 of them side-by-side in many standard sized vehicle.
Read My Review of the Diono Rainier.
Check Price of the Diono Rainier here.
2 other Great “Best Bet” Booster Seats From Recaro
#4 Recaro Performance Booster
This video will give you a good idea of the Recaro Performance Booster’s features:
Check Price of the Recaro Performance Booster.
#5 Recaro Pro Booster
This video will give you a good idea of the Recaro Performance Booster’s features:
Check Price of the Recaro Pro Booster.
Safety Information
After purchasing any child car seat, you should always read the User Manual thoroughly before using it. It is also advisable to visit your local Fire Department or NHTSA Child Car Seat Inspection Centre to ensure that the seat is definitely suitable for your child’s specific requirements and that you have installed it correctly. These services are usually provided free of charge.
You can find your nearest NHTSA Centre here.
Do You Need More Help?
If you need any further advice or assistance whatsoever, please feel free to contact me and I will do my very best to help.
If you have any feedback about my “Best Booster Car Seats 2014” post, please feel free to leave a comment in the box below, or send an email to kristian@kidsafetyfirst.com
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