Age for Booster Car Seat

When can my kid stop using a booster seat?
Well, why does my 9-year-old still ride in a booster seat? Because that is what is safest!
Your big kid may be ready to ditch their booster car seat but, not so fast!
Car seat safety doesn't stop when your child hits big kid status. What is safest isn't always what is convenient or even what your state's booster seat requirement is. In this video, I take you through the 5 Step Test to determine if your kiddo can safely and correctly ride in the vehicle seat without a booster seat.
The road to car seat safety is a long one. Let's make sure you aren't speeding ahead too quickly. Check out my video Ages & Stages to be sure your big kid's journey is a safe one. From high back booster seat to seat belt you've got this! • Why Your Kid will be i...
Drop any questions about big kids and car seat safety below!
Featured Booster Car Seat: urlgeni.us/amzn/JiuI
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Diono Monterey 5iST High Back Booster Review: safeintheseat.com/full-review...

[@amberm.a3705]

Jake, thank you for always supporting your mom and being apart of her videos! These videos are extremely helpful for myself and my husband. You’re a great actor! Can’t wait for more 😊

[@Gangstasaurus13]

I was just thinking it was time to take my son’s out, now I know that’s a bad idea! Jake did a great job! I was able to show my son and he felt way more comfortable in his seat after seeing a big kid like him in one!

[@amymero7396]

Hey Jake, thanks for showing my almost 8 year old son that it's cool to be safe in the seat!👍

[@lizpatman3630]

Thank you for continuing to teach us the importance of car seat safety even as older children! The confidence you display when you said you felt safe is something I hope one day my kids feel even when I’m not around to double check! You did a great job, Jake!! Thank you!!

[@littlealex516]

Yay Jake! You did such a good job helping your mom teach us all how to be safe in the seat :) Thank you for the wonderful information and the excellent visuals to go with it.

[@kathryncramer566]

Yay Jake! Thanks for helping to make this easy to understand and keeping our kiddos safe in the seat!

[@rachelthornton8692]

Thanks for your help, Jake! You are setting a great example and are helping keep kids safe!

[@MAdams-vg6wm]

Thank you for sharing this information. I feel so much better knowing my kids are safe. Thank you Jake for being a great example of what I need to look for! You did a great job!

[@kristinholt2512]

Thanks for helping us all learn how to keep our kids safe, Jake! You are such a good sport and seem like you are your mommas hype man and she’s yours. 💜

[@kerensapierce]

It is so helpful to see the 5 step test in a video. I have seen the graphics/ visuals previously, but it helps me understand to see with your family. Thank You.

[@safeintheseat]

Glad it was helpful!

[@estelasanchez2305]

This is a great video. I have a 9 yr old too so love that Jake was in the video for other big kids to see and hear from a big kid. I love how he is such a hard worker always helping you. ❤️

[@julialites9974]

Jake, you did a fantastic job! Thanks for helping your mom make a great video for us who wanna keep our kiddos safe too.

[@nuthead4]

Jake, thank you for being the prefect model for this video. I hope to see more with you! Sending ❤

[@bigpictureplay8677]

Jake you did so good in this video!! Love when you said “it feels safe” ❤️🙏

[@akl03c]

Great job Jake! You’re so smart and great in videos. I love seeing you support your mom!

[@danielletacher3248]

Awesome job Jake!!!! Thanks for helping parents learn how to keep kids safe!!!

[@kellytaheri2288]

Thanks for helping all of us learn Jake!

[@bruinlover11]

Awesome job Jake and Michelle! As a parent of a young guy, I won’t have to worry about this quite yet but I’m impressed with your confidence and desire to be safe!

[@michelleluttmann9691]

Jake did an amazing job! I feel much more confident keeping my almost 8 year old in a booster seat now. I’m constantly getting asked when he doesn’t need one anymore by family. Now I can answer more directly.

[@HeatherForeman]

Great job, Jake! Thank you so much for helping your mom help us! ♥️

[@sholehmunion9]

Great job! Thanks for helping us keep our kids safe, Jake!

[@amandadetommaso5485]

Great Job Jake!!! I learned a lot from you and your mom today!

[@jasminerojas8254]

Such great info! Awesome job, Jake!

[@katiecamacho3724]

Love that you told us where to get it jake! He’s hustling for mama!

[@LoriVasquez-wo3jn]

Well done! Very good visuals for us, great job to Jake too!

[@bethanymccarthy2020]

Jake is such a natural! So poised and mature! Keep up the good work, Bud!

[@myralai]

Jake was the perfect model! Thanks for yet another clear video Michelle. You and your kids are rocking this

[@ashleyarcher4809]

Great job on giving us visuals, Jake!

[@rhondadaluz9110]

Jake, you did an amazing job. Thanks for showing us how to ride safely.

[@noreenborja8405]

Great job! Thanks for helping us keeping our kids safe

[@macim.newman3067]

Awesome job, Jake! You’re such a great role model to other kids!

[@CassandraKaiser]

Jake was so helpful demonstrating! Thanks for being such a great model 🎉

[@bekahbaird6929]

Awesome job Jake! This is really helpful because I’m a mom of a 2 year old who will one day get to this stage. I’m also a nanny to a 10, 8, 4, and 2 year old

[@brosiaaa]

Thanks so much for this!

[@safeintheseat]

Thanks for watching!

[@GlamourGirlFTW]

Great job Jake! You did awesome.

[@lindsaycarter7223]

This is a great and informative job - I learned so much thanks to you and Jake!

[@safeintheseat]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thisisnotrose]

Go Jake!! Hope we get to see you in more videos!

[@angie00718]

Thanks for the video!!

[@safeintheseat]

No problem!

[@2015becca]

Awesome job jake! Your mom is so lucky to have such a great helper for her videos ☺️

[@safeintheseat]

I think so too!

[@rachelrlh03]

Wow Jake you did an amazing job! Such a big help!

[@kimberlypixler9029]

Awesome job, Jake!

[@paulawilling7300]

You did great Jake! 😉 Thanks so much for helping your Mom show us why boosters are safer for kids like you! 😁👍

[@kiraluckes5453]

Great job Jake!

[@caelinkordziel5669]

Good work, Jake! 🎉

[@mandydooley233]

Jake! You did amazing!!!

[@mayavasilyeva]

Thank you , so much for this informative video!!!!

[@safeintheseat]

Thanks for watching it!

[@JessyeAnne]

Great job jake!

[@TheLarybonilla]

Go Jake! You did an amazing job!🎉

[@aebencini]

What a pro, Jake!

[@dont4get2arf97]

Jake did great! The best assistant 🤩

[@jannareality]

Jake dude way to remind your mom that we need to know where to get the resources. Great work!

[@BretMarie777]

My almost 9 year old is still in a 5 point harness because she is still in the weight and height to fit in our current harness booster seat and it is the safest. I don't care what anyone thinks about it. My main priority is her safety. We have the Chicco MyFit Harness Booster. Harness goes to 54 inches and 65 lbs. About to switch to a Diono because you can stay in their 5 point harness til 57 inches. She also rode rear facing until she was 5 again because it is the safest.

[@safeintheseat]

The Diono will be outgrown for sure. It has way lower harness slots than the Myfit does. The highest harness height is 17" on the Diono and 19.5" on the Chicco.

[@user-rd3co1sk1h]

I'm so glad your spreading awareness about the 5 step test, it seems still not enough people know how important it is that kids be properly restrained in the car wich should be everyone who drives obviously. I still hear from people that kids in double digits and even 9 and 8 year olds are too old for car seats and it's scary. How kiddo fits in the car is what matters not age. My daughter is 11 but very small for her age ( shes perfectly healthy weve had her checked dont worry) and still rides in an evenflo big kid amp high back booster seat and she totally loves it. She likes having her owne special seat in the car with cupholders and her owne little compartment for snacks.

[@safeintheseat]

To still fit in the Amp she must be on the small side indeed! We see a lot of 6 and 7 year olds riding in just the seat belt. I'm glad you know that's not safe.

[@user-rd3co1sk1h]

@@safeintheseat yeah shes a little girl dynamite comes in small packages LOL. It's scary that 6 and 7 year olds are in just the seatbelt, hopefully more parents will know better soon.

[@nikkivelazquez3766]

You did so great Jake! This video is so so helpful. My son is getting to the age of harness vs high back booster. How to determine when to switch over to seatbelt?

[@ericaelizabeth8993]

When your child outgrows either the weight limit, height limit, or headrest of their car seat, that’s when it’s time to move over to booster mode from harness!

[@fatbowe]

Jake is thinking where is Dad taking me after this😂

[@micaelawedge]

I have that problem and I am 30 right now. I'm just a shorty. With my back all the way against the seat, I am almost to where the seat bends. It can be hard to reach the pedal because you have to be at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel. It is a little more comfortable slouching, but I try to make sure I keep myself all the way back. I'm not sure if there's anything you can do for adults.

[@greeneyes1313]

This video has me wondering if I, a 35-year-old mom, need a booster seat 🤔

[@lakenj]

Maybe its because i'm fat but my belt never is on my legs lol

[@ErinnMcDonough-ff1ow]

Yay jake!!!

[@dianaweatherford5005]

Hi! My youngest is about to switch to a belt positioning booster, and you kept mentioning projectiles in another video- how do you handle a booster without a kid to keep it secure? Can I attach it to my LATCH anchors with carabiners or similar, to keep it from shifting around when no one's sitting on it?

[@safeintheseat]

You cannot use carabiners or anything like that. You simply buckle the seat belt in as if the child was riding in it

[@nectarinepie952]

As a petite, grown woman I have some of these same issues, especially with the shoulder belt fit. How about car manufacturers stop designing everything for 6 ft+ men.. 😢

[@safeintheseat]

They are very slowly doing it. That's why we see more adjustable seats up front with the sliding shoulder belt height. The back seats are still a nightmare though.

[@norabrown8789]

What would you recommend for kids who exceed the weight limit and width of even the highest weight limit boosters (I have not found any that exceed 120 pounds), but do not quite meet all 5 of the requirements for graduating out of a booster entirely? Are there any belt-positioning devices that are not attached to a seat? Thanks!! :)

[@safeintheseat]

At that point, it becomes a parental decision. You can choose to use the booster over the limit, knowing that the manufacturer has not tested it. But you can do this knowing that the seat belt is what is restraining the child in a crash and knowing that without a booster, the seat belt does not fit on the proper parts of the body. You can choose to use the Ride Safer Travel Vest. You can talk to the manufacturer about whether or not your child will fit into it. This is sometimes a good alternative. You can choose to have your child sit in the regular seat belt, knowing that without a good seat belt fit, they have an increased risk of injury.

[@norabrown8789]

@@safeintheseat Thank you! There are not a lot of resources out there for parents in this situation. As a car seat safety advocate, you could really make a difference by speaking out about the lack of safe and appropriate options for kids who are higher weight for their age. Seats need to be built and tested for higher weights all the way from infant through backless booster!! Children of all sizes deserve to be safe in the seat. 🧡

[@ashleyspiano]

Serious question. When I sit in a car my feet don't touch the ground, my knees aren't at the exact spot you say they should be, and the belt is always cutting into my neck. I'm 5'3" but have shorter legs. If these are the measurements you use, why don't we give everyone who needs it a booster? I'm on the fence when it comes to such strict requirements for kids but when I don't meet them, no one expects it to change. This makes me question all of it.

[@safeintheseat]

Adults have fully ossified bones, so it is slightly less unsafe for them to have a poor seat belt fit. However, shorter adults still have a higher risk of injury in a crash since they tend to have poor seat belt fits.

[@amydost]

Where is the ebook?

[@safeintheseat]

It is here: shop.safeintheseat.com/products/car-seat-safety-progression-ebook

[@peter-gz9fj]

Its never comfortable when your legs are hanging specially for a long drive, thats why i always put something where kids can rest their feet. If only car manufacturer make seatbelt adjustable to proper location to suite kids, we will be able to lessen garbage in the landfill.

[@safeintheseat]

I use an inflatable footrest for mine, and that is fine. Anything that's lightweight will do. I know some people use styrofoam coolers for the same purpose. Most of the car manufacturers don't even make the seat belts adjustable enough for women to get a proper fit. The idea of them making them in a way that kids could fit is probably a century away.

[@radhamehta8494]

Can you recommend a good booster seat. Or criteria to assess a good booster seat?

[@safeintheseat]

I have a free car seat finder tool that will help you with this question: carseats.safeintheseat.com/find-your-best-car-seat

[@radhamehta8494]

Thank you so much for replying​

[@fszaba]

So how important is the "feet must touch the floor" requirement in the 5-step test, when having a booster seat results in even greater foot-dangling. After long trips this is unhealthy for the knee joints.

[@safeintheseat]

Very important. The reason is that a child whose feet cannot touch the floor will often end up slouching, which will result in a poor seat belt fit.

[@FlappyBelly]

My wife is only an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier...does she need a booster?

[@safeintheseat]

She has adult bones that are fully ossified. Kids do not. She is still at an increased risk of injury in an accident if the seat belt does not fit her properly. But a child who is too small will generally fare worse.