Car Seat Guidelines

My grandson is 6 1/2, weighs 50 pounds and still uses and has a new 5 point harness car seat. It is not worth the risk for a booster yet.

4yrs and 40lbs is the BARE MINIMUM you want to begin using a booster seat. He's not quite there yet, so he still needs to remain in a harness. A forward facing car seat with harness is outgrown when one of three things happens; child goes over the weight limit, shoulders go over the top harness slot, or his ears are level with hte seat back. Until one of these things happens, leave him in the seat he's in.

If he's outgrowing it, there are many car seats on the market now for older children to remain in a 5pt hanress, which is proven safer for kids. A 5pt harness distributes the crash force across the chest and also keeps the child in the seat. With a booster, the crash force is only across the chest, and most kids this age/size submarine under hte seat belt and get severely injured. The three point adult belt, even with a booster, just isn't made or smaller kids.

Evenflo Maestro ($79) will harness to 50lbs, then becomes a booster.
Evenflo Generations65 ($99) will harness to 65lbs, then booster
Graco Nautilus ($150) will harness to 65 and then booster to 100, and eventually a no back booster. Best one out of the three because it will last the longest with the harness, but all three are good choices for his age and size.

If you insist on a booster seat, make sure its a HIGH BACK booster seat. No back booster seats are for much older kids (at least age 6/7) and should never be used for smaller kids.

From the Texas Department of Public Safety: More than 40 pounds, ages 4-8 unless 4'9" tall

Here is the page I got it from: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_inform...

You would also want to check the manual of your specific booster seat.

My opinion is to keep them in a 5-point harness as long as possible. My son will be 6 in the fall, 40lbs and he is still in his Britax with a 5-point harness. His seat will take him to 80lbs.

I would keep him in a car seat until he is at least 40 lbs. I kept my boys until they were 5. Then they went to a high back booster. They are now 6 1/2 and 9 (he is not 4' 9") and they are in the booster with no back. The law is a booster until 8 and the recommendation by the AAP is 4'9". So you're son will have many years in a booster seat. I would stick with a car seat for now.

Seems to me it was 4 years old, 40 pounds and 40 inches, but I think it varies depending on the seat. I'd check the guidelines on the specific seat you want to buy. I think you can use the ones with a back a little sooner if you are eager.

i believe texas law says 4 AND 40 lbs. most 5 pt harness seats can convert to using the same seat with the regular seat belt. I would do that before i put him in a booster with no back.

We had a police officer come talk to our mom's group about car seat safety. He quoted the law as one sentence, "A child must remain in a child restraint system if he/she is younger than 8 years old, UNLESS they are taller than 4 feet, nine inches." He also said to go by what the manufacturer says on the individual booster seat. My son will be 4 at the end of April and weighs 35 lbs. He's been in a high back booster for a couple of months now. Here is a link to the TX Dept of Public Safety website with more specific guidelines. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/public_inform...

I think he needs to be a certain height as well. The 40 / 40 / 4 sounds about right . . .