Passenger babies and children should be well secured with proper types of seats or restraint. Booster seats, car seats, and right seat belts can protect your child from injuries or death in case of a crash.
As your child is growing, you will need to make adjustments on their car seat depending on their weight or height, and age. At an early age, you can use a car seat with an adjustable harness.
Nonetheless, when the child grows bigger, you can shift the child to a booster before heading to the seat belt.
In this article, we are going to explore proper child protection in the vehicle.
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Difference Between a Harnessed Car Seat and Booster Seat
Before you switch your child from the car seat to the booster seat, you must understand the difference between them. While the seat uses an adjustable harness to restrain your child, the booster seat uses your seat belt to protect your child.
The main difference between a harnessed car seat and seat booster is that the 5-point adjustable harness is a restraint; when it’s tightened well, it does not allow the child to change their position.
Booster seats give your child the freedom to move out of position while still protected. When using a booster, your child can lean sideways, pick a toy from the floor or bother their siblings on the other seat.
Changing Between a Harnessed Car Seat and a Booster Seat
The time to switch your child to a seat booster depends entirely on their ability to sit properly in position throughout the journey. If your child is out of position and a crash occurs, it leaves them vulnerable to injuries.
To get a clear understanding of when to switch the two, first, let’s evaluate the harnessed car seats and booster seats.
Harnessed Car Seats
When your child outgrows the rear-facing infant seat, and they are above one year of age and weighs over 10kgs, you can change them to a forward-facing car seat with 5 point’s adjustable harness.
Its booster and rope are responsible for limiting your child’s forward movement during a crash. You can use this unit until your child weighs at least eighteen kilograms and can sit upright without changing positions.
Types of harnessed car seats.
There are four types available in the market:
1. Convertible
Convertible seats are those that can convert from rear-facing to forward-facing car seats. Many convertible harness-to-booster seats have a weight limit of at least 65 pounds; this means that your child will use it up to above five years of age.
2. Combined
A combined seat with a harness can be used as a forward-facing car seat and have an adjustable harness. They are suitable for children weighing around 40 to 65 pounds. When the car seat harness is removed, it can serve as a booster seat for children weighing between 100 and 200 pounds.
3. Integrated
Integrated seats are seats that are inbuilt in some vehicle models. In these car seats, height and weight limits vary depending on the model. Read the vehicle manufacturer’s manual before using the chair.
4. Travel Vest
Travel vests can be used on children weighing 28 to 168 pounds and can be an option for a forward-facing car seat. They are used when the vehicle has only a lap seat belt in the rear and ideal for children when specific special needs.
Make sure you install your five-point harness or car booster seat properly to ensure the safety of your child. First, place the car seat at the back of your vehicle. Secure the car seat with the universal anchorage system or your vehicle’s seat belt. Ensure the car seat is well held in position and does not move more than 2cm when the child is ready, and the vehicle is moving.
If you are installing a forward-facing car seat, ensure that you use the tether strap attached at the seat’s top. For the rear-facing seat, ensure that you stick it at a reclined position.
Booster Seat
When your child has outgrown the five points harness, and they weigh at least 18kg, you can change them to a belt position your child to a booster seat. Suppose you wonder if your child is tall enough for a booster seat or if there is any weight or height limit.
You can quickly test the weight or height limit of a different booster seat or see if your baby will fit them according to the manufacturer’s manual. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the child should remain in the car seat until:
- They can sit properly in the booster seat without leaning.
- Weigh at least 40 pounds, although some boosters start at 30 pounds.
- Have exceeded the weight or height limit of the car seat harness and booster.
- Ideally, be five years old.
Types of Booster Seats
There are basically two types:
1. High Back Booster Seats
The seat consists of a piece that supports your child back. To secure your child on this booster position, the child’s laps and the shoulder straps over your child. Many children will ride on this booster from the age of five years to ten years old.
It features an adjustable shoulder belt that lies at the center of your child’s shoulders. You can adjust the belt as your child grows. It is also essential to adjust the headrest as your child grows. Also, ensure that you use this booster seat together with the vehicle seat belt.
2. Backless Booster Seats
This booster does not have any piece behind the child’s back. Here the shoulder belt falls into position automatically. This booster seat is designed to boost your child’s weight or height to allow the seat belt to fit correctly. It works best with vehicles that have headrests.
The ideal time to move your child from harness to booster seat is different for each child. Despite many experts giving a minimum age limit of 3 years, you will realize that in many cases, children are not ready for a booster seat yet at this age.
Most popular booster seats have a lower weight limit of 40 pounds, although some go as low as 30 pounds. However, you can wait until your child has outgrown the harness to switch them to booster seats. There is a high likelihood that a small child can slide forward and slip out of the belt if a crash occurs.
How to Correctly Strap Your Kid
Follow these simple steps to strap your child properly.
Remove Fluffs
Before using the car seat harness, remove any bulky clothes or jackets from your child. Puffy dresses can affect the way the straps sit into your child’s body. The harness and booster need to be as close as possible to your baby’s body to be effective. To keep your baby warm, you can cover them using a warm blanket after strapping.
Ensure the Harness is at the Correct Height
If you are using a rear-facing seat, ensure that the harness settles below your child’s shoulders. For front-facing seats, ensure that the straps are just above the child’s shoulders. An incorrectly installed harness or booster is both uncomfortable and dangerous to your child.
Untwist the Harness
Make sure that it is straight and as long as possible. If your saddle is twisted, they may not absorb energy effectively in case of collision or crash. It is essential to check your harness before using the car seat to ensure that they are straight and as long as possible. Position the shoulder pads
Ensure that the shoulder pads are in the right position. Pull the shoulder straps above your child’s shoulder to adjust the pads’ positions. Also, ensure that the chest pads are in the right place. Pull the snug towards your child’s body until the harness is tight enough. Ensure that the harness straps are long as possible and close to an extent, you cannot pinch it on the shoulder area.
Importance of proper harnessing
- The secure harness protects your child from being ejected from the seat.
- Proper or tight harnessing prevents child movement during the crash, which lowers the chances of them winding up outside the seat shell’s protection.
- It distributes the crash forces into the more substantial parts of the child’s body, the hips, and shoulders, while protecting their delicate spine.
- A tight strap keeps your child in position, and it limits the transfer of crash forces to the child.
Is a harnessed car seat safer than a booster car seat?
If your child has outgrown the harnessed seat, they will be safer in the booster. The thing is, using boosters before a kid is mature enough can put them at risk. You should not rush to switch your child from the harnessed car seats before they are ready. If both the harness and the booster are used appropriately, they will offer equal safety to your child.
A five-point harness, however, offers better protection than a car booster seat in the following ways:
A properly fitted harness will result in a less forward excursion, which lowers the chances of injury on the head, chest, and shoulders in a crash. It prevents the torso from rotating, something that boosters do not do.
Reduced head forward also prevents your child from contacting loose objects if a crash occurs. The reduced excursion also keeps your child head and torso and offers side protection in a crash.
Another uncommon benefit of using a harnessed car seat is energy attenuation, which refers to the dissipation of energy during a crash; the belt does most of the energy attenuation during a crash.
There is less webbing in contact with your child when using a booster. The energy is concentrated in a small area, leading to serious injuries in case of an accident.
Booster seat age is the age of a child in which they are ready to transition from car seat to booster seat. The right time to switch between the two is mostly between 4 and 5 years, while the weight limit ranges between 40 and 50 pounds. However, some high back booster seats have a lower height and weight limit of 30 pounds.
Some children may not be ready for seat boosters, even past the age of five years, as expected. If your car has a lap seatbelt only, you may want to keep your child in a harness for as long as possible. Extended harnessing and using a harnessed car seat with a higher height and weight limit is highly preferred before moving your child to a lap seat belt.
You may be wondering if your child is tall enough for a booster seat or if there is an ideal age to transition. It is easy to check the weight or height limit of different booster seats and follow the manufacturer’s manual to determine if your child is ready for the booster seat.
The booster seat offers better protection to your child than a seat belt; harnessed seats, on the other hand, provide protection better than the two.
The five tests
Your child will need to use a booster seat until they are 4.9″ tall, which is around 11 years of age. To ride without a booster seat, your child is required to pass the following tests:
- Should be able to sit on the back against the vehicle seat.
- Bend their knees at the edge of the car seat and their feet on the floor.
- The lap belt should pass on their Hips, touching the top of the thighs.
- The shoulder belt should fit evenly across the collarbone and sit flat on their torso.
- Can stay seated the entire journey comfortably.
Conclusion
Federal regulation states that improper child car seat installation is a significant factor contributing to child deaths in vehicle crashes. Another study from NHTSA concluded that at least 46% of infant car seats tested had one error, reducing a child’s safety.
It is evident how many parents and caregivers don’t understand how improper car seat usage can be dangerous to the child. If you keep your child’s harness too loose, it increases the chances of injury or ejection from their car seat.
It is your responsibility to ensure your child’s safety. With proper restraint, your child will be safe even when an accident occurs. You should know when to change the harness and when to switch and install the booster seat.
