Combination seat: A high-back booster seat with five-point harness is called a combination seat. The five-point harness can be used for children who weigh 40 pounds or more. A backless belt-positioning booster seat can be used if your vehicle has head rests or high seat backs.
Ideally a 5 year old should be in a forward facing 5-point harness car seat. That can either be a convertible car seat (rear facing/forward facing), a combination car seat (forward facing/booster seat) or an all-in-one car seat (rear facing/forward facing/booster seat).
Consumer Reports says high-backed boosters are safer than backless ones because they do a better job of properly positioning the seat belt across the child's chest, hips and thighs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says booster seats can reduce a child's risk of serious injury by 45 percent.
NHTSA recommends children 4 to 7 to remain in a forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the seat. At which time, the child can move into a belt positioning booster. (There are other belt positioning devices like the Ride Safer travel vest.
Portable Car Seat For A 6 Year Old Comparison
| Travel car seat | Size |
|---|
| Evenflo Maestro Sport | forward-facing or high-back booster; 9 lbs |
| Graco Tranzitions/ Graco Tranzitions SnugLock | forward-facing, high-back booster or backless booster; 12.5 lbs |
| Ride Safer Travel Vest | booster seat alternative; 2 lbs |
| hifold | highback booster; 10lbs |
So, a booster seat causes your child to sit higher so that your car's seat belt fits correctly. According to AAA, children should use booster seats until they are at least 4'9” tall. Most children will use a booster seat until somewhere between the age of 8 and 12.
Safely Switching Your Child's SeatIf your child is over 20 pounds and more than 1 year old, you may be tempted to temporarily face the seat forward—if your car seat is approved for forward-facing use—on long trips.
Generally, children must be at least 4 feet 9 inches tall before they stop using a car seat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children use a forward-facing car seat until they reach at least 5 years of age, however.
All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. Most convertible seats have limits that will allow children to ride rear facing for 2 years or more.
When choosing convertible car seat for your child, you'll want to look for features that make sense for you, your family, and your lifestyle. Consider factors such as: your vehicle size. if you have other children in car seats and need to fit three across.
Guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011 recommend that kids use a booster seat until they are at least 4'9” tall (57 inches) and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. This will likely be around the ages of 8-12 years. But it's the physical dimensions that matter most.
Place the booster seat forward-facing in the back seat. It's best to put it in the middle of the back seat where there is a lap and shoulder belt. Have your child safety seat checked at a child safety inspection station to make sure it is installed correctly.
Weight is 30 to 35 lbs, Total height is 28 to 35 inches. Torso height is when there is less than one inch from the top of the child's head to the top of the carrier.
Booster seats are held in place by the child's weight and the vehicle's lap-and-shoulder belts. These seats boost children up to ensure a correct seat belt fit.
To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer's height and weight requirements. Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12. Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.
