When to move to booster?

emoxymoose

I've googled but haven't gotten a straight answer, and have no friends with children. I assume it's around the child's 5th birthday, depending on their weight, is that sounding right?

alake

My eight year old just went into a booster.  We moved from Miami, to Canada and she had outgrown by weight any of the harnessed car seats.
My nearly seven year old will be harnessed full time for another year.  She is tiny, at just over 40 pounds and 42 inches tall.  We fly internationally often and when we do she rides in a high back booster.  I have her booster trained.  She rear faced until five.
My absolute minimum is 5, but they have to have the maturity to sit in a proper position, no leaning over to grab something and hold themselves in it while they are sleeping.  They also need to meet the minimum for the booster seat.

kmc84

This is a great article with accurate, up to date information.

https://csftl.org/harness-or-booster-when-to-make-the-switch/

emoxymoose

Awesome @kmc84 and @alake.

 Thank you so much! Just wanted to know since we're about to buy a new harness car seat and I wanted to make sure I got one big enough to last him until he's in a booster, which looks like will be a long long time from now

kmc84

@emoxymoose‌
Take a look at this (combination seats) to help pick the best one for you.

https://csftl.org/recommended-seats/

emoxymoose

@kmc84‌ you're awesome! Definitely going to forego my chicco nextfit and go with the Britax pioneer.

kmc84

The group Car Seats for the Littles in on Facebook. They are a great resource! Their website has tons of reviews and articles about safety and choosing the best seat for your situation. I recommend joining that group to everyone!

=Lee=B

Maturity is a key factor (in addition to size and fit of booster).  The child needs to be able to sit still and proper at all times to be in a booster.  If they are impulsive and will be bending over to reach things and look out windows then leave them in a harness as long as possible.  Also, consider how often they sleep in the car as it takes practice to sleep safely in a booster.