Our Top Recommendations
Booster seats come with a lot of anxiety that goes beyond just choosing whether you want a highback or backless booster car seat. Our little humans become not so little during these years, and we hope, are safely learning independence and responsibility.
Simply searching for the best booster car seat can quickly become overwhelming. Crash test results and safety scores tend to be tricky because booster car seats do not undergo the same scrutiny as other types of child car restraints. With a vast range of features and extras, the options become that much more stressful.
We are going to help break down the ones with the specifics you and your family need.
At a Glance: Safest Booster Seat: 15 Best Booster Car Seats for Every Need
Image | Name | Length | Width | Height | Weight | Best For | Header |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicco KidFit | 28" | 19" | 8.5” | 10.2 lbs | ErgoBoost double foam padding | |
| Evenflo Maestro Sport | 17” | 19" | 27.5” | 12.5 lbs | Shoulder Belt Guide | |
| Peg Perego Viaggio Flex | 17.25" | 22" | 26" | 14.8 lbs | Rigid Latch, Aluminum Backrest | |
| GoFit Plus Backless Booster | 15" | 17" | 8.5" | 5.5 lbs | Comfort & Convenient | |
| Evenflo Big Kid LX | 28" | 15" | 16" | 3.2 kg | 2 seats in 1 removable back | |
| Cosco Finale DX 2-in-1 | 18.25" | 19" | 29.75" | 11.5 lbs | Built for growing families | |
| Graco Nautilus SnugLock | 20.94" | 12.32" | 39.65" | 25.22 lbs | SnugLock Installation Technology | |
| Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster | 18.5" | 21.2" | 32.2" | 11.24 lbs | EZ Off-N-Wash Pad | |
| Graco Tranzitions | 19" | 17.4" | 26.5" | 1 lb | Lightweight & Portable | |
| Britax Advocate ClickTight | 23" | 20.5" | 23.5" | 30.1 lbs | 3 layers of Side Impact Protection |
Safest Booster Seat: 15 Best Booster Car Seats for Every Need
Safest Chicco Booster Car Seat – Chicco KidFit
Chicco KidFit | |
|---|---|
Length | 28" |
Width | 19" |
Height | 8.5” |
Weight | 10.2 lbs |
Chicco has a lot of great choices when it comes to child car restraints in general. The Chicco KidFit is a highback to backless booster car seat that has fantastic crash test results. With the addition of DuoZone head and shoulder protection and ErgoBoost double padding, the overall safety score is incredible.
The overall ease of use and installation for the Chicco KidFit is as fantastic as their safety scores. The instructions are super clear, and the SuperCinch tightener makes LATCH installation a breeze. The only issue with the KidFit highback to backless booster car seat is that it does not come assembled.
Additional Safety Features:
The KidFit is one in a line of booster car seats that Chicco offers. It is a budget-friendly model that provides safety and comfort without being overly complicated. Other than a little assembling, putting the KidFit highback to backless booster to use is trouble-free.
Pros
Cons
The Chico KidFit highback to backless booster car seat is a good choice for families on a budget. The crash test results and safety score helps soothe the worry that comes when our child begins to transition from a forward-facing child car restraint to a booster seat car seat.
Safest Evenflo Car Seat – Evenflo Maestro
Evenflo Maestro Sport | |
|---|---|
Length | 17” |
Width | 19" |
Height | 27.5” |
Weight | 12.5 lbs |
One of the benefits of watching our kids grow up is watching them find their independence. The Evenflo Maestro booster car seat is a toddler and highback booster car seat combo with excellent crash test results. The all-around crash protection at an affordable price makes the Maestro a parent favorite.
Fans and technicians agree that the Evenflo Maestro booster car seat is both easy to install and use. The LATCH system makes it easy to get in and out of a vehicle, and the harness storage is a happy bonus. The Maestro has a fantastic fit-to-vehicle score and gives you enough room in the backseat for passengers.
Additional Safety Features:
The Evenflo Maestro is an incredibly easy-to-use booster car seat option. The low price tag adds another aspect that makes it hard to pass up. The Maestro booster car seat scores well across the board, and you will not struggle to install and use it.
Pros
Cons
Parents of school-aged children enjoy the Evenflo Maestro because it makes it easy to learn responsibility by buckling and buckling themselves in a vehicle. And, they can be your little helper when carpooling or using public transportation. The lightweight and portable option, along with the easy use, goes a long way towards their independence.
Safest Peg Perego Booster Car Seat – Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120
Peg Perego Viaggio Flex | |
|---|---|
Length | 17.25" |
Width | 22" |
Height | 26" |
Weight | 14.8 lbs |
Peg Perego is an international brand that provides safe booster car seats to parents that meets the standards of several countries including the United States and Canada. The Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 highback booster car seat exceeds international safety standards and has rigid LATCH attachments that keep the seat secure in the seat even when empty.
The LATCH system helps with installation, too, making it swift and hassle-free. However, the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 highback booster car seat does lack some labeling that would make the process smoother, but the ease of use is just right. The highback booster car seat uses 4D Total Adjustment Technology to help you make adjustments and eliminate human error.
Additional Safety Features:
Peg Perego child car restraints are not cheaply made or cheaply priced. The Viaggio Flex 120 has more features than most other highback booster car seats. It is one of the top all-around performers in its category.
Pros
Cons
The Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 is a fantastic highback booster car seat option for families that can afford it. It protects kids of all sizes and shapes, even those that are taller than average. The comfort level is hard to match because the Viaggio Flex 120 has layers of padding and extras to make traveling smooth and enjoyable.
Safest Highback Booster Car Seat - Cybex Solution M-Fix
cybex solutions m-fix | |
|---|---|
Length | 42 cm |
Width | 54 cm |
Height | 63 cm |
Weight | 12.79 lbs |
Cybex goes above and beyond to provide the safest highback booster car seat they can. The premium-priced Cybex Solution M-Fix exceeds standards and boosts its safety score with features like Linear Side Impact Protection and rigid lower anchors.
The same LATCH system that keeps the Cybex Solution M-Fix highback booster car seat secure in your backseat works towards making installation and use simple and easy-to-understand. It does come in multiple parts, which are not ideal for everyone, but the instructions are simple to follow. The Solution M-Fix could use a little better labeling for its belt path, too, but overall, it is a straightforward highback booster car seat.
Additional Safety Features:
The Cybex Solution M-Fix is not a cheap highback booster seat, that is for sure. But, it has a few features that you will not find anywhere else. The Optimized Ventilation System is one of the more unique features of the Solution M-Fix. It helps to keep your child at a comfortable body temperature for long and short rides, alike.
Pros
Cons
The Cybex Solution M-Fix is an all-around great highback booster car seat for parents who can afford it. Growing toddlers of all sizes benefit from the design and weight and height limit. With the use of innovation, the Solution M-Fix works for families that like to travel or commute in harsh climates.
Safest Backless Booster Car Seat - Chicco GoFit
GoFit Plus Backless Booster | |
|---|---|
Length | 15" |
Width | 17" |
Height | 8.5" |
Weight | 5.5 lbs |
It is not always cut and dry to understand how safe a backless booster car seat is. The Chicco GoFit exceeds safety standards and works to offer other protections that improve its score. Its lower anchors help to secure the backless booster seat to the backseat.
The Chicco GoFit is so easy to install and use that it makes a great booster car seat to teach your child independence and responsibility. A built-in handle even makes it a breeze for them to carry it around without an adult’s help. It is an overall great backless booster car seat.
Additional Safety Features:
Chicco provides parents with a simple solution to a backless booster car seat. The GoFit is an overall excellent toddler booster seat and easy enough for them to use without your help. It does not have any bells or whistles, but the affordable price makes it a great choice for many families.
Pros
Cons
Commuters and carpoolers get the most out of the Chicco GoFit backless booster car seat. It does not cost an arm and a leg and provides a growing kid the chance to learn how to get themselves in and out of a vehicle. The GoFit is super light, and they can carry the booster car seat without any problems.
Safest Highback to Backless Booster Car Seat - Evenflo Big Kid Sport
Evenflo Big Kid LX | |
|---|---|
Length | 28" |
Width | 15" |
Height | 16" |
Weight | 3.2 kg |
No one said that a booster car seat could not be comfortable and safe, too. The Evenflo Big Kid Sport is an affordable highback to backless booster car seat that exceeds safety regulations, with great fit-to-vehicle and fit-to-child scores that help with its overall security. The energy-absorbing foam (EPS) goes a long way to add both safety and comfort for your child.
The Evenflo Big Kid Sport highback to backless booster car seat is so easy to use that your growing kiddo can set it up and secure themselves with very little adult assistance. One of the only cons of using and installing the Big Kid Sport is that the shoulder belt path is not labeled properly.
Additional Safety Features:
Evenflo offers the 2-in-1 model to parents at an affordable price. The Big Kid Sport takes into account how rough growing kids are on child restraints, making it easy to clean and incredibly portable. The highback to backless booster seat meets parents’ needs across the board, including the fact that most of the components are recyclable.
Pros
Cons
Evenflo has created a highback to backless booster car seat that is safe, comfortable, and easy to use. Parents that have children with an independent streak benefit a lot from the Evenflo Big Kid Sports booster car seat. Guardians who carpool save a lot of time and energy with the Big Kid Sports booster car seat because of its straightforward design.
Safest Toddler Booster Car Seat - Cosco Finale 2-In-1 DX
Cosco Finale DX 2-in-1 | |
|---|---|
Length | 18.25" |
Width | 19" |
Height | 29.75" |
Weight | 11.5 lbs |
Toddler booster car seats are the last step for our school-aged children. The Cosco Finale 2-In-1 DX exceeds the safety standards for toddler booster car seats and is structurally safe and sound. The LATCH system has a weight limit of 50 pounds, but the rigid anchors do keep the seat firmly in the backseat.
The LATCH system helps with the installation. The Cosco Finale 2-in-1 child car restraint has a user-friendly barebone design. It has one crotch strap buckle and three sets of harness slots that make it easy to use. The labeling could use some improvement, but once you get the hang of how to use it, even your child can get in and out without your help.
Additional Safety Features:
The Cosco Finale 2-in-1 DX is as straightforward as a toddler-booster can get. It has its limitations, but it is an overall good performer with ease of use, comfort, and safety. It certainly helps that it is super budget-friendly, making it useful as a spare or to keep in grandma’s car.
Pros
Cons
Families on the go get a lot of assistance from the Cosco Finale 2-In-1 DX because of its lightweight and fit-to-car features. The toddler child restraint goes the extra mile in its design to fit securely in the back seat and makes room for other passengers. The comfort level is pretty spot-on, too, making commutes and trips a breeze.
Safest Convertible Car Seat – Nuna RAVA
Nuna rava | |
|---|---|
Length | 16" |
Width | 19" |
Height | 25" |
Weight | 27.2 lbs |
A part of the Nuna brand is providing premium child car restraints. The RAVA is super expensive but has many bells and whistles that make it a splurge-worthy choice. It has impressive crash test results with additional side impact protection that improves its overall scores.
The Nuna RAVA has fantastic ease of installation and ease of use scores. The LATCH system goes a long way to making the process simple and secure. The convertible car seat transitions from rear-facing to forward-facing to a booster car seat. The no re-thread harness makes every use and conversion trouble-free.
Additional Safety Features:
The Nuna RAVA is certainly not cheap, but it is incredibly well-made. The investment is worth it if you can afford one of the best convertible car seats on the market. The thing about 3-in-1 seats is that the weight and height limit is lower than child car restraints that are just booster car seats. Always check a child’s car seat’s weight and height limits to keep them safe and sound for years to come.
Pros
Cons
One of the best things about child car restraints that convert from stage to stage is that it keeps your little one safe for longer. The Nuna Rava convertible car seat is a great choice if you can afford it. Some children grow faster than others and require a faster transition from seat to seat, which is why you should always consult weight and height limits before making the investment.
Safest 3-in-1 Booster Car Seat - Graco Nautilus SnugLock LX
Graco Nautilus SnugLock | |
|---|---|
Length | 20.94" |
Width | 12.32" |
Height | 39.65" |
Weight | 25.22 lbs |
What makes a 3-in-1 booster car seat worth the investment is knowing you will not have to replace your child restraint every few months as your kid quickly grows. The Graco Nautilus SnugLock LX exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards and goes a step further in securing the seat with its premium LATCH lower anchors.
The ease of use and installation is straightforward, and the user manual is easy to read. The Graco Nautilus SnugLock LX 3-in-1 booster car seat uses SnugLock installation that allows for quick and parent-friendly use. However, you should be aware that it does lack some labeling.
Additional Safety Features:
The Graco Nautilus SnugLock LX 3-in-1 toddler-booster and highback to backless booster is a premium-priced model from a trusted brand. It is made to last and transition with your growing child. It has additional features that many other booster child restraints do not have and is made to make your life easier.
Pros
Cons
If you can afford it, the Graco Nautilus SnugLock LX 3-in-1 booster car seat has an extended life span and versatility that many other child restraints lack. Families with multiple children genuinely get the most of the SnugLock LX because as one child outgrows it, it is still safe and secure for their younger siblings.
Safest Booster Car Seat for Travel - Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster 2-in-1
Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster | |
|---|---|
Length | 18.5" |
Width | 21.2" |
Height | 32.2" |
Weight | 11.24 lbs |
Vacations and road trips are part of growing up. Your growing kid will enjoy seeing the sights from the Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster 2-in-1. It is a safe highback to backless booster car seat that passes International standards and has side-impact head protection that adds to its safety scores.
The Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster 2-in-1 has the best ease of use feature in its name. The highly portable booster car seat folds, making it easy to store and tote around. Baby Trend provides detailed instructions that make installation and use as straightforward as possible.
Additional Safety Features:
The Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster 2-in-1 is a quality highback to backless booster car seat that comes at a reasonable price. It seems purposefully made for families who like to take adventures because it is highly portable and comfortable for your growing child.
Pros
Cons
The Baby Trend Yumi Folding Booster 2-in-1 is so good at its job because long trips and commutes become comfortable and easy with the highback to backless booster car seat. The padding and features make adventures and vacations enjoyable and safe at a price most parents can afford.
Safest Cheap 3-in-1 Booster Car Seat - Graco Tranzitions
Graco Tranzitions | |
|---|---|
Length | 19.1" |
Width | 7.4" |
Height | 26.5" |
Weight | 1 lb |
Most transitional booster car seats are expensive, or they lack what you need to secure your child safely. The Graco Tranzitions booster car seat has high crash test results, and the added built-in features up its overall safety score.
Some of Graco Tranzitions’ best features are the ones that make it parent-friendly. The installation and use are trouble-free, which is not always easy to find with transition booster car seats. The LATCH system and its no-rethread harness make the whole process nearly seamless.
Additional Safety Features:
Graco focuses on making booster car seat models that are not only safe but hassle-free. The Graco Tranzitions is made for that reason. It is a low-cost transitional booster car seat that actually has features that help your child remain comfy and secure without you having to struggle through installation and use.
Pros
Cons
The advantages that the Graco Tranzitions brings to the table is hard to ignore if you are looking for one of the best transitional booster car seats. The 3-in-1 child car restraint has excellent all-around scores at a price you can afford. You can watch your little human grow without worrying about having to buy a new booster seat every few months.
Safest Premium Convertible Car Seat - Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB
Britax Advocate ClickTight | |
|---|---|
Length | 23" |
Width | 20.5" |
Height | 23.5" |
Weight | 30.1 lbs |
Not every 3-in-1 convertible car seat works well when in booster seat mode. It has a lot to do with weight and height limits. The Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB is safe for children up to 65 pounds. It has passing crash test results and tons of safety features, including three layers of side-impact protection and a steel-reinforced seat and base.
The Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB has equally fantastic ease of installation and ease of use scores. Its ClickTight technology helps with both safety and swift installation. The Advocate ClickTight ARB uses the latest technology and features to create a parent-friendly experience, including excellent labeling and an easy-to-read user manual.
Additional Safety Features:
Some child car restraint systems have everything a parent could want or need, but it comes at a price. The Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB convertible car seat makes growing up easy on everyone. It is an overall impressive performer in nearly every category.
Pros
Cons
The Britax Advocate ClickTight ARB is safe for children from birth until they are 65 pounds. Not every parent feels secure when jumping from a forward-facing car seat to a booster, and the Advocate helps with that worry. You can decide when your little person is ready to transition from stage to stage without the pressure to jump to a last-minute replacement choice.
Safest Booster Car Seat for Larger Kids - Diono Monterey XT
diono monterey xt | |
|---|---|
Length | 16.1" |
Width | 19.9" |
Height | 27.2" |
Weight | 15.2 lbs |
Kids come in every shape and size. For kids on the larger side, the Diono Monterey XT is made to keep your growing child safe and sound as they ride. The highback to backless booster car seat has great crash test results and lower anchor connectors that give it a great overall safety score at an affordable price.
The ease of installation for the Diono Monterey DX could be better, but it is not overly complicated, either. The labeling and instructions are lacking, but the LATCH system is straightforward when securing it. The Monterey DX highback to backless booster has retainers that keep the belt positioned so that it is easy enough for your little person to secure themselves in their booster car seat.
Additional Safety Features:
The Diono Monterey XT is a premium model at an affordable price. It is specifically made for larger children, but it will work for any school-aged child. It does not cost an arm and a leg and has a few features that you may find useful.
Pros
Cons
The whopping 120-pound weight limit makes the Diono Monterey XT perfect for parents with kids that just seem to grow faster than others. School-aged children will also find a little bit of freedom in that they can get themselves in and out with minimal assistance.
Safest Booster Car Seat for Smaller Kids – Graco Affix
diono monterey xt | |
|---|---|
Length | 15.5" |
Width | 16.5" |
Height | 26.75" |
Weight | 9.8 lbs |
Many booster seats are not made for school-aged kids that are on the smaller side. The Graco Affix is a highback to backless booster car seat that exceeds safety standards. The addition of several layers of thick padding improves its overall safety scores because it enhances side impact protection.
Part of what Graco does is give parents options that are user-friendly. The Graco Affix booster car seat is super simple to install because of its use of the LATCH system. The ease of use could be a tad better with more labeling, and it does not come fully assembled.
Additional Safety Features:
The Graco Affix is a very basic model at a highly affordable price. The highback to backless booster car seat does not have tons of extras, but it is a reliable child car restraint. The Affix has a few flaws, but none that puts your little person in jeopardy.
Pros
Cons
Every kid is different and needs different things. The Graco Affix is made to support and secure kids that are on the smaller side. The six different headrest positions and the low end of its weight limit make it a good choice. The Affix is not perfect, but it is safe for children from 40 to 100 pounds.
Safest Narrow Booster Car Seat - Harmony Youth Booster
harmony youth booster | |
|---|---|
Depth | 14.8" |
Width | 16.5" |
Height | 7.5" |
Weight | 2.4 lbs |
In the world of rideshares, we do not always know what size car is headed our way. The Harmony Youth Booster car seat is a backless option with a super narrow base and exceeds safety standards. Specifically, the Harmony Youth Booster keeps tinier kids safer than many other backless booster car seats.
The ease of use and installation is spot-on with the Harmony Youth Booster. It is a simple seat, and while you might have to use both hands, the belt-positioning is trouble-free. When a growing kid transitions to a backless booster car seat, we hope they can buckle and unbuckle themselves; the Harmony Youth Booster gives them that freedom.
Additional Safety Features:
The Harmony Youth Booster is a barebones backless booster car seat model. It has nearly no extra features, and comfort is not great. It is affordable to most families and makes for a great spare or quick replacement child car restraint.
Pros
Cons
FAQs: Booster Car Seats
Transitioning into booster car seats is not something you have to rush into doing. If your child can comfortably and safely continue using forward-facing child car seats, it is the best action plan because child car restraints that use harnesses are the safest. But, weight limits are a thing, and you should regularly check those numbers as your little ones stop being so little.
Laws about booster car seats vary from state to state, but the average age and weight limit are five years old and 40 pounds.
The three primary types of booster cars seat are - backless boosters, highback boosters, and combination seats.
Backless booster car seat – The models that fit into this category are the most basic child car restraints on the market. They are typically specialized cushions explicitly built to keep school-aged children safe while in a vehicle by raising them up off of the vehicle seat.
Highback booster car seat – Highback booster car seats serve the same purpose as a backless booster, except with more features, including wings that help protect children and make their rides more comfortable. They have shoulder belt guides that backless booster car seats do not have, which is always ideal.
Combination seats – Combination seats generally combine a 5-point harness for kids up to 40 pounds to a belt-positioning booster for those over 40 pounds. The two-in-ones are helpful because you can better track what mode is best for your precious cargo.
You should always check the labeling and the user manual to know the weight and height limits for every specific child car restraint. Children less than 40 pounds and 35 inches tall should not be in a booster car seat at all. Children should continue to use booster car seats until they are over 57 inches tall.
Booster car seats probably range the most when it comes to the price of child car restraints. You can find one from 10 bucks all the way to several hundred dollars. It is about what sort of seat you need, want, or can afford.
One of the most common mistakes parents make is not knowing the safest spot for a booster car seat. The first thing you need to know it is always safest to install child car restraints as far away from airbags as possible. If your little is the only backseat passenger, keep them in the center seat for optimal safety. Turning off airbags that could injure your little one is ideal, for instance, in trucks with one row of seats.
We, as parents, need all the hints and tips we can get. The added stress of so many booster car seats on the market can overwhelm quite easily. The first step is research, and we hope we have helped you wade through a good chunk of essential information.
You are not in a rush to switch from a forward-facing car seat to a booster car seat. If you check the weight and height limit, you will better know when the time is right for you and your kid. Some children are bigger than others, and you will know when it is safe to transition with the correct information.
Choosing between a backless or highback booster car seat requires you to consider a few things including, age, weight, and maturity. Shoulder belt routing guides are one of the most significant benefits of a highback booster because it adds to the safety and you know that they are in their seat securely. Another feature that highback booster car seats have is headrests, which contribute to high safety scores and overall comfort.
Weight and height limit is a huge factor to consider when buying a booster car seat. But, you need to assess fit, too. Some places let you test the fit with a floor model but not all. When you buy a booster car seat, test it out before you go about using it. Keep the receipt so you can exchange it if it does not fit your kid, even if it is by a little bit.
Finding the best seat to fit your budget is not always easy. But, with the various options we provided, we hope we helped narrow down your choices. Expensive does not mean a booster car seat is high quality or even safe.
We are going to mention research again, but as your child transitions from one seat to the next, you should always check recall lists. Sometimes they only recall a single component of a booster car seat, but that is enough to make the entire child car restraint dangerous.
The labeling and user manuals for booster car seats will give you an expiration day. Do not go past that date.
You should avoid seats that do not have labels telling you the manufacture date and model number. If seats do not have a user manual, do not use it, either. Rarely, a booster car seat will arrive with missing parts. Even if it is a single screw, do not use it or try to “fix” it yourself.
You will need to consider a few factors when your child is transitioning to vehicle belt only. When their back is against the vehicle seat, and their knees bend over the edge, they are likely ready to stop using a booster car seat. The lap belt should also fit so that it lies across the middle of their chest.
Typically, kids are ready to transition at 8-12 years old and 4 feet, 9 inches.
We mentioned expiration dates. It is some of the most essential information on a booster car seat. They take wear and tear over time, and the manufacture date is on it for a reason. The time varies from model to model, but they are all typically around six years.
Wrapping It Up
By the time that our little humans grow up enough to use booster car seats, we feel like we know everything there is to know about them. But, staying on top of information and model-specific facts goes a long way to making sure your kid is safe.
The process can be overwhelming because there are simply so many options. But, take one step at a time. Figure out what you need, then what you want, and the rest will fall into place. The important part is that your child is secure in their booster car seat and that they continue to use one for as long as it is safe.
With two kids of my own, I’m passionate about child safety! I’m a research nerd who’s on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids – starting with car seats!
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