just curious

pj2rc · Sep 10, 2010

since booster seats only booster and position, don't actually hold th kids in, te car seat belt does that .....are expired booster seats "as bad" ... no that I would do it or recommend it ... just a random question I had. ie -- would that fall under parental choice o would it still be a fail.

ca2003 · Sep 10, 2010

I don't know that they are "as bad" as an expired car seat but I would definitely have concerns using them. I would fear in an accident an expired high back booster would break from force more than a non-expired one. I would be worried the head wing area would crack and the child's head could hit a rough edge.

pj2rc · Sep 10, 2010

ca2003 said:
I don't know that they are "as bad" as an expired car seat but I would definitely have concerns using them. I would fear in an accident an expired high back booster would break from force more than a non-expired one. I would be worried the head wing area would crack and the child's head could hit a rough edge.

those are basically the exact same thoughts I had. Just curious. I wouldn't do it .. but wondered if your were "picking your battles" with other people ... if this was horrible ... or worth passing on --- as opposed to a harnessed seat that is acualy holding the kid in and if if fails, could be very bad.

Aurezalia · Sep 10, 2010

The armrests on most boosters provide act as artificial hips for the kids and need to be able to take those forces. This is the same reason we stress putting the screws in the TB - the arms take a lot of force! If even a backless booster is expired and brittle, it runs the risk of not working properly.

MomToEliEm · Sep 11, 2010

Boosters are being redesigned each year to make them safer. Booster seats today do a better job at positioning the lap/shoulder belt on the child than many booster seats made 8 years ago. Also many seats have added improved side-impact protection.

Just look at the new IIHS booster rating article :
http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr090810.html

It's clear that some manufacturers are taking the ratings to heart. Harmony Juvenile Products has 5 BEST BET boosters, more than any other manufacturer. One of them, the Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe backless, wasn't recommended last year. The company modified it to eliminate the earlier problem with lap belt fit.

From the IIHS ratings news release, it is clear that some manufacturers are trying to improve their seats. With booster seat expiration, those older, less safe booster seats can get removed from use. Without seat expiration, shield boosters might still be on the market. They were never recalled, but proved dangerous, so manufacturers stopped making them.

Booster seats do suffer from plastic degradation as the shell still needs to be strong enough to hold the seatbelt in place during a crash. Lost parts and instructions also are something that happen to older booster seats.

Booster seat expiration is probably a little less of an issue than with a harnessed carseat, but it is still something that should be followed.

just curious

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