IIHS releases list of recommended booster seats for child safety

WASHINGTON — Child booster seats are getting better at keeping children safe, according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“We evaluated 54 boosters from 2023 and found that 47 of them get our top rating of ‘best bet,’ explained Jessica Jermakian, IIHS’ Vice President of Vehicle Research.

IIHS defined its ‘best bet’ rating as “providing good seat belt fit for a typical four- to eight-year-old in almost any car, minivan, or SUV.” One received the rating of ‘good bet,’ which provides acceptable fit in almost any vehicle, and six received a ‘check fit’ rating, which IIHS says could work for some children in some vehicles. An additional designation of ‘not recommended’ encourages parents to avoid use of rated seats altogether.

“When we first began rating booster seats 15 years ago, we found that many seats were not recommended,” said Jermakian. “Now, we have no seats that are not recommended and nearly all seats get our top rating of ‘best bet.’ This is really good news that booster manufacturers are designing seats that are providing good belt fit.”

Booster seats are recommended for all children who have outgrown infant and toddler car seats, but are still too small for vehicle seat belts to work effectively.

“Children shouldn’t get out of their booster seats until they can sit in the vehicle seat properly and use the vehicle belts, and for many kids, that’s not until the age of 10 or 12,” said Jermakian. IIHS says young children are 45% less likely to sustain injuries in crashes if they are in booster seats, compared to using only seat belts.

The booster seats rated by IIHS range in price from $25-$450. You can see a full list of the ratings on IIHS’ website.

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