Nedra
Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Okay, so I was just on the Walmart website and saw the Evenflo Tribute (which I thought was a convertible rear-facing/forward-facing seat and in the title is called a "convertible baby seat") described in the product description area as an "infant booster." What the heck is an "infant booster"?
I was already confused enough about why combination seats are called "booster seats with a 5 point harness" instead of "forward-facing car seats that can convert to a booster." "Car seat" seems like the broader term in comparison to "booster seat."
Am I correct that a booster is -- specifically -- a type of seat intended to boost the child up so that they can use the lap/shoulder belt of the vehicle properly? If it has a 5-point harness, then it can't be a booster because it's job isn't to boost the kid up? Or do I have this all wrong and there are multiple types of boosters and the one I am thinking of is a "belt-positioning booster"?
I feel like there's a lot of confusion over this transition point (from FF harness to booster). I read a blog post by a woman who had gotten two "booster" seats confused and was surprised that her kid wasn't going to be in a harness in the one she had bought. Seems like it would be really helpful to folks to not use the term "booster" so broadly.
I guess this is kind of a vent, but I am also wondering if I'm totally off-base here. This is my understanding:
Combination Seat -- FF harnessed seat that converts to a belt-positioning booster (either highback, low back or backless)
All-in-one -- Harnessed seat that can be used both RF and FF and then also converts to a belt-positioning booster
3-in-one -- FF harnessed seat that converts to a high-back belt-positioning booster and a backless belt-positioning booster.
Booster -- A belt-positioning booster.
Is it my understanding that "booster" can be used to refer to just about anything, though? Including seats that don't position the vehicle belt over the child, such as the convertible mentioned in the Walmart ad?
I was already confused enough about why combination seats are called "booster seats with a 5 point harness" instead of "forward-facing car seats that can convert to a booster." "Car seat" seems like the broader term in comparison to "booster seat."
Am I correct that a booster is -- specifically -- a type of seat intended to boost the child up so that they can use the lap/shoulder belt of the vehicle properly? If it has a 5-point harness, then it can't be a booster because it's job isn't to boost the kid up? Or do I have this all wrong and there are multiple types of boosters and the one I am thinking of is a "belt-positioning booster"?
I feel like there's a lot of confusion over this transition point (from FF harness to booster). I read a blog post by a woman who had gotten two "booster" seats confused and was surprised that her kid wasn't going to be in a harness in the one she had bought. Seems like it would be really helpful to folks to not use the term "booster" so broadly.
I guess this is kind of a vent, but I am also wondering if I'm totally off-base here. This is my understanding:
Combination Seat -- FF harnessed seat that converts to a belt-positioning booster (either highback, low back or backless)
All-in-one -- Harnessed seat that can be used both RF and FF and then also converts to a belt-positioning booster
3-in-one -- FF harnessed seat that converts to a high-back belt-positioning booster and a backless belt-positioning booster.
Booster -- A belt-positioning booster.
Is it my understanding that "booster" can be used to refer to just about anything, though? Including seats that don't position the vehicle belt over the child, such as the convertible mentioned in the Walmart ad?