Boosters and LATCH

A

Astacy

Guest
Boosters and LATCH

I'm going to be in the market for a booster seat very soon, and I have to say I find it completely counterintuitive that boosters are not typically attached to the car, with LATCH or by other means. Most of the time I am in my car, my son is NOT with me, which means his booster will be a loose object in the back seat (unless I buckle it in place after he gets out - what a hassle!). I don't like the idea of this potential projectile back there....are there any belt-positioning boosters which DO install with LATCH? Can anyone explain this to me in a way that makes sense? Thanks in advance for your responses.

Amy
 
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C

CPSDarren

Guest
Not many-

Most boosters are designed simply to raise the child up so they fit better in seatbelts, and to provide an adjustment for the shoulder belt.

There are a couple reasons they do not allow lower anchors or tethers to be used. One is cost. The addition of even $10 in hardware can make a model look far less attractive compared to others on the shelf. The other is that the seat may have failed crash testing in that manner.

As you have found, most models do not allow you to use lower anchors or tethers when used as a booster above 40 pounds. In fact, most of the seats which are only boosters do not have lower anchors or tethers at all. The Recaro booster is one exception which does have a tether.

www.babytrend.com/Recarocarseat.htm

A few combination booster models that have an internal harness also allow you to use lower anchors and/or top tethers, even after you remove the harness for kids above 40 pounds. You have to verify this in the manual. Many Century/Graco and some Evenflo combination seats may allow you to use the top-tether to stabilize the booster seat. Some Cenury models that did NOT come with LATCH may be used with lower anchors as a booster, but you need to purchase the optional Century EZ LATCH Kit.

Again, you should verify this in the instructions, as they are apt to change or vary depending on the model.

I hope that helps!

Darren
 

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