New ratings released: Here are the safest car booster seats for children
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested 54 booster seats.
Posted — UpdatedNew ratings show which car booster seats are the safest for your child.
Booster seats are intended for 4- to 8-year-olds and can reduce the risk of injury in a crash by 45% versus a seat belt alone.
Boosters help seat belts fit correctly, meaning the belt sits flat on a child’s upper thighs, not against the stomach. The shoulder belt should also fit snugly across the middle of the shoulder, not over the neck.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [IIHS] tested 54 booster seats.
Overall these seats tested really well, with 47 getting the highest rating of "BEST BET."
One got the next rating down of "GOOD BET."
Six were rated lower with a "Check Fit" designation, meaning they had varied results depending on a child’s size and the vehicle they were in.
None of the boosters tested received a "Not Recommended" rating.
Officials say children should use a car seat until they grow out of it, then use a booster seat until a vehicle’s seat belt fits correctly by itself. For some kids, that doesn’t happen until age 12.
As for the price of booster seats, the Harmony Youth Booster Elite with LATCH got a "BEST BET" rating and it costs just $25.
IIHS says there are several top options available for less than $40.
The most expensive booster was $450.
Here’s a complete list of all the booster seats IIHS tested and their rating:
- Britax Highpoint (highback mode)
- Britax Skyline (highback mode)
- Century Boost On 2-in-1 Slim High Back Booster (backless mode)
- Century Boost On 2-in-1 Slim High Back Booster (highback mode)
- Chicco KidFit Zip Air (backless mode)
- Chicco KidFit Zip Air (highback mode)
- Chicco KidFit Zip Plus (backless mode)
- Chicco KidFit Zip Plus (highback mode)
- Cybex Solution B2-Fix + Lux (highback)
- Cybex Solution B-Fix (highback)
- Diono Monterey 2XT (backless mode)
- Diono Monterey 2XT (highback mode)
- Diono Monterey 5iST FixSafe (highback)
- Diono Radian 3QXT (highback)
- Diono Radian 3RX (highback)
- Diono Radian 3RXT Safe+ (highback)
- Diono Radian 3QX (highback)
- Diono Solana (backless)
- Diono Solana 2 (backless)
- Evenflo ALL4One (backless mode)
- Evenflo ALL4One (highback mode)
- Evenflo All4One DLX (backless mode)
- Evenflo GoTime (backless)
- Evenflo GoTime LX (backless mode)
- Evenflo GoTime LX (highback mode)
- Evenflo GoTime Sport (backless mode)
- Evenflo GoTime Sport (highback mode)
- Evenflo Revolve360 (highback)
- Graco 4Ever DLX Extend2Fit (backless mode)
- Graco 4Ever DLX Extend2Fit (highback mode)
- Graco 4Ever DLX Extend2Fit SnugLock (backless mode)
- Graco 4Ever DLX Extend2Fit SnugLock (highback mode)
- Graco 4Ever DLX SnugLock Grow (backless mode)
- Graco 4Ever DLX SnugLock Grow (highback mode)
- Graco Nautilus SnugLock Grow (backless mode)
- Graco Nautilus SnugLock Grow (highback mode)
- Graco Tranzitions SnugLock (backless mode)
- Graco Tranzitions SnugLock (highback mode)
- Graco TriRide (highback)
- Graco TurboBooster LX (backless)
- Graco TurboBooster Stretch (backless mode)
- Graco TurboBooster Stretch (highback mode)
- Graco Turn2Me 3-In-1 Car Seat (highback)
- Graco 4Ever DLX SnugLock (backless mode)
- Harmony Dreamtime Elite with LATCH (backless mode)
- Harmony Dreamtime Elite with LATCH (highback mode)
- Harmony Youth Booster Elite with LATCH (backless)
- Evenflo All4One DLX (highback mode)
- Britax Highpoint (backless mode)
- Britax Skyline (backless mode)
- Century Drive On 3-in-1 (highback)
- Graco 4Ever DLX SnugLock (highback mode)
- Graco SlimFit3 LX (highback)
- Graco True3Fit LX (highback)
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