At what age is a booster equally safe as a 5 point harness

Thanks. Trying to find some info for a friend.

Honestly, I don't think there's anything definite on when it's equally safe. Most here I think would say 6 and 40# and are able to sit well is an o.k. time to start using a booster full time. 5pt harness to me seems it'll always be a safer option assuming child can still fit.

I would also like to know what people think. My dd is 7 and is in a husky. I was thinking about putting her in ds monterey and getting ds a clek.

I don't think there is an age. I think it depends on the weight, size, and maturity of the child, the vehicle, vehicle seats, seatbelt anchor locations, and many other factors. Obviously I advocate EHing over early boostering.

My 8.5 year old is still in a Regent (her choice) in my car and a booster in the nanny's car. She does fine in the booster as well, and I can comfortably say that I *think* she would be equally safe in a significant side impact or even rollover accident in either seat. Now a year ago? No way- she just wasn't tall enough (even though she is a little tall for her age) that I would have felt quite as comfortable in the booster than the Regent.

There isn't any research to my knowledge that prove that after a certain size/weight/height that a 5 pt is any safer than a booster, but there ARE plenty of cases of children boostering too early/small/immature who are involved in accidents and have negative outcomes, so it becomes parental/caregiver decision to make the best choice for them.

I think a 40 pound, mature 5 year old would be equally safe.

It's mostly about size and proper use, but age is also a factor IMO.

I don't booster my kids full time until they are 6.

Assuming the child is physically and developmentally typical, meets the manufacturer's minimums and fits the booster well, and the booster can be used properly in the car (shoulder belts, headrests if required, etc.), IMO/IME, very few 4yos are ready, some 5yos are ready, most 6yos are ready, and almost all 7yos are ready.

If I had to pick an age, and I'm not really comfortable doing that because of the range above, I'd go with 5.5.

I think it depends on the kid. I personally prefer mine be in a 5-pt but soon we won't have that option as he's outgrowing the Nautilus harness.

Any child is completely safe in a booster when the following criteria are met

1. The child is at least 4 years old
2. The child is either 40 pounds or at least meets the minimum weight limits of the booster by the age of 6
3. The child has the emotional and mental maturity to use the booster correctly 100% of the time. Most kids reach this by the 6th birthday.

I would say there is probably minimal benefit to harnessing a kid once those three qualifications are met.

I'd say older than five...
"As can be seen in Figure 9, there is anoticeable increase in MAIS 2+ injury rate if thegrowing child switches from rearward-facing toa forward-facing booster at around 3 years ofage. The injuries to the 2-4 year-olds in boosters are mainly head injuries. Two children in frontal impacts sustained spine fractures; one of them a combination of fatal head and neck injuries. Theinjury rate in a booster decreases somewhatwhen the child grows older. At the switch to theadult belt only, between age 7 and 10, there is a remarkable increase in injury rate. The injuries for these children are spread over the wholebody, with a distinct difference in abdomen injuries, which are only seen for the belted-onlychildren. More than half of the MAIS 2+ injuredbelted-only children aged 7-10 had AIS 2+abdominal injuries"

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache....pdf+volvo+nhtsa+nrd&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

(Obviously, kids need to be in boosters longer, too, but that's a whole different can of worms).

But I don't really worry if people insist on a booster for their 4 year old, most people are so grievously misusing their harnessed seats it probably balances out... well, they're likely to use their booster wrong too, oh well. My own 3 yo has ridden in boosters across parking lots and on private roads

kimk2230 said:

I would also like to know what people think. My dd is 7 and is in a husky. I was thinking about putting her in ds monterey and getting ds a clek.

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I would raise the headrest up on the Monterey so that the seat belt lies closer to his shoulder. What is the weight/height of your 7y/o? The Monterey fits huskey kids very well so that would probably work out well. How old is your ds?

I will say, i'm more comfortable with my 6.5 year old in a booster then in a harness without a tether...

So I think there may be situations where a booster is "safer" then a harness... but clearly the child must be able to sit properly the entire time.

DD is 50 pounds and I am not sure how tall. She still has a way to go before she outgrows her husky. I think it will expire before she outgrows it. DS just turned 10. I did raise the headrest and it seems to fit him better. I think I will take a picture later to see if I need to take the back off or if he fits ok.
Thanks