Is a 3-year-old safe in a booster seat?
It’s still happening all across America. Parents are graduating preschool-age children into booster seats too quickly. The problem is, it’s not a “graduation”. It’s a demotion in safety. And it’s putting young children at risk for serious and possibly fatal injuries in a crash.
Here are the main reasons why 3-year-olds (and even many 4-year-olds) have no business riding in a booster seat in the car:
- 3-year-olds (and young kids, in general) lack the maturity to stay properly seated for every ride in a booster seat
- Even though some older booster seat models are rated down to 30 lbs., children under 40 lbs. are best protected in a seat with a 5-pt harness. Most booster seats on the market today have a 40 lb. weight minimum.
- Some booster seats do not position the seatbelt optimally on the body of an average 3-or-4-year-old which could lead to internal injuries in a crash
- Many boosters seats have a seating depth (front-to-back) that is too deep for the shorter legs of a younger child. If the child has to slouch or scoot forward to bend his/her knees over the edge of the booster, that will promote poor seatbelt fit which increases injury risk.
- Having a 3-year-old in a booster is illegal in some states (like New York), although there may be exemptions
Think of it this way – when your child rides in a carseat with a 5-point harness, the responsibility for the child’s safety rests on you, the parent or caregiver, to make sure that the child is safe in the vehicle. It’s the parent/caregiver’s responsibility to make sure the seat is installed tightly and the harness straps are snug around the child. The child is responsible for nothing. God forbid, in case of a crash, the child should be in the proper position to allow the carseat to do its job.
Now, once your child transitions to a belt-positioning booster seat using the vehicle seatbelt – that responsibility for the child’s safety switches to the child. The booster seat can’t do its job if, at the moment of impact, the child has leaned over to pick up something off of the floor of the car. Or leaned over to mess with their little brother or sister. Or fallen asleep out of position. Or put the shoulder belt under their arm, etc, etc. Booster seats are for children who are mature enough to sit still and stay in the proper position. And they have to be able to stay in that proper position for the entire ride. Awake or asleep.
Definitely NOT Ready for a Booster Seat!
I know there are some 3-year-olds who can do that but the vast majority cannot. 3-year-olds (and many 4-year-olds) are just too wiggly! Most are not ready yet for the extra freedom that a booster provides. Usually, by kindergarten age, most kids are ready to start “booster training”. But if your kid is still a wiggle worm with no impulse control – then you should continue to use a seat with a 5-point harness. Just make sure it’s a seat that your kid still fits in.
There are still a few forward-facing carseats with a 5-pt harness that have low top harness slots and a 40 lbs. weight limit on the harness (e.g., Scenera Next, Evenflo Tribute, Evenflo Chase). Those seats will be outgrown much more quickly by weight or by height.
However, there are many more seats on the market today with a 5-point harness rated up to 50 or 65 pounds that also have tall top harness slots to keep those preschool-age kids safely in a 5-pt harness for a few more years. And many of them can also be used in booster mode (without the harness) once the harness is outgrown. We call those “Combination Seats” (pictured below) because they combine a forward-facing 5-point harness seat with a booster seat.
If your child is taller and/or heavier than average, or if you’re just looking for the longest-lasting seats with a 5-point harness, we have a list of the Best Car Seats for Extended Harnessing.
For more information on appropriate seats for preschoolers, please see our list of 2022 Recommended Combination Seats.
When your child is in a five point harness the responsibility doesn’t lie in your child’s hands. Period. What a joke every one of my three-year-olds (I have 4 children) has been able to unhook their five point harness. Making it completely unsafe! Every time they have been willing to sit in a booster and keep the seatbelt on making it far more safe. I thought this article might actually give me a scientific reason for web five point harness is safer than a seatbelt but I see nothing convincing.
I am do a recommendation paper for my writing class recommending that all states have the same child safety laws, making it more of a federal law, but letting each state have their own guidelines, making it easier for parents to know safety standards for their child. I know that this is something that could most likely not ever happen because each state has their own laws for their own reasons. I am just making this a hypothetical, “wouldn’t it be nice and safer if we were all on the same page,” type of recommendation.
So if anyone is willing to comment I am curious on how parents feel about the idea of it and maybe some pros and cons of a law like this.
I look forward to your feedback.
What about 4 year olds? I see so many people put their four year olds in booster seats and they are under the 40lb weight limit , but height wise they are tall. Just wondering is when it comes to booster seats is it height over weight?
It’s height AND weight AND age AND maturity AND minimum requirements set by the boster seat manufactuer. There are many variables so it’s hard to make a blanket statement about 4 year olds. Does the 4-yr-old meet the minimum weight and height limit set by the manufacturer? Is the child mature enough to stay properly seated in the booster when awake and asleep? Does your state law have a minimum age requirement for using a booster and does the child meet that requirement? If the answer to all of those questions is “yes” then a booster seat can be an appropriate option.
When my oldest was in kindergarten, I saw numerous parents just let their kids (kindergarten and pre-k age) climb into the car, not strapped in, and drive off with the kids unsecured, sometimes even in the front seat. I was appalled. I also felt that I was being over cautious because my son, then five, was still in a five point harness. Here he is two years later and he is still in a five point harness. He meets some of the basic requirements (he is over forty pounds and he doesn’t slump when he falls asleep in the car) to move up to the car seat with a seat belt instead of a harness, but I feel more comfortable leaving him in the harness. His car seat is one that will harness up to 65 pounds, and since he’s only 45 pounds full dressed, we still have several more years before he outgrows the harness (although by then, he’ll probably be in a seat belt but with the booster’s back still attached). He’s not complaining, my husband doesn’t complain, and I am in no hurry to switch him over.
It baffles me how people, like a family member will let her two year old ride standing up in the front seat of the car from our house to my in-law’s house 1.5 miles away, and she thinks it is safe because the air bag is turned off, will risk their child’s life just because it makes it more convenient for them. I do not tell/expect people to be like us and have your seven year old still harnessed, but I do tell/expect people to have some common sense and research how their child should be restrained.
Make them more affordable. And I agree, the lo get they stay in one the safer they are!
I understand the intent of this blog is to inform but these blogs are some of the biggest problems in the parent wars. It has a snarky tone, reads as if most parents have no common sense, and really does not give any sources. I had to go to the comments to see any resources. Not all kids are the same. My child is tall and heavy. Your child might be very small. My suggestion is to rethink your tone because people might actually want some advice and not be talked down to. Thanks!
Hi Traci – we appreciate your comment but I fail to see the snark in this article. We are industry professionals and we make it a point to never talk down to anyone – in real life or online. I’m sorry if you felt the tone of the article wasn’t helpful. Our intention is always to educate without judgement as we strive to reduce preventable injuries to children in motor vehicle crashes.
The data simply doesn’t back your thesis, unfortunately.
Oh for petes sake shut up!!! Everyone is an expert and if you blog you know more than ANYONE about EVERYONE.
Did we touch a sore spot, Gina? I guess our decades of safety and technical experience among us (not to mention all of our children) and seeing 3 yr olds scraped off the roadway gives us no authority to advise others on how best to keep their children from becoming statistics. OK then. I guess you really can’t believe everything you read on the internet.
Actually I agree with Gina, this blog post seems to be 100% opinion, I see no facts or references to data. And your experts seem to be very involved economically, inside the car seat safety industry. An industry who if they had there way would have our kids in car seats till their 55 and safety checks ever 30 minutes. Who can say “no” to more safety for children, and I think this industry preys on that emotions response, i.e. “3 yr olds scraped off the roadway”. I don’t want emotionally agruements, I would like facts.
I guess I am just saying I would find your articles more useful, if you had more data and facts, and if your experts did not benefit financially from the car seat industry. More independence would be great.
Car seat technicians do not benefit financially. Most of them don’t even get paid to do this job!!! Death via car accident is one of the leading causes of death in children in the US and most times it is because they are improperly buckled. If YOU did any job for a long time and had seen the same terrible outcome (children killed in accidents due to improper buckling) repeatedly, you probably would get fed up and say “WAKE UP PEOPLE!”, not “hey guys I know it is your kids and it’s up to you if you want to keep them alive but this is safer…”. There are plenty of resources you can use to verify what the blog says instead of being lazy and insulting the author rather than checking it out. That is what is wrong with parents today. Too busy being defensive and pointing their finger at the person trying to help to do anything themselves.
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/pdf/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group_2012-a.pd
Leading causes. Vehicle accidents are not included for small children.
Hi Nlc, Motor vehicle crashes are almost always the #1 or #2 cause of death for children included in the “Unintentional Injury” category. “MV Traffic” fatalities rate in the top few causes of death overall, depending on the years included in the data and the age group of the child. While they used to be the top cause for most age groups, in recent years numbers have declined slightly and they may be a close second to drowning or malignant neoplasms for children of certain ages. You can find the exact numbers using the leading causes of death data search: http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10_us.html .
For example, let’s take booster age children relevant to this blog and use a Custom Age Range of 3-8 years old. I’m going to select data from 2010-2013 (2013 is the most recent year available).
The #1 overall cause of death is “Malignant Neoplasms” at 2,171. The #2 cause overall and #1 cause from unintentional injury is Motor Vehicle Traffic fatality at 1,801. Congenital Anomalies, Homicide, Heart Disease, Influenza/Pnuemonia and Fires/burns are much lower. Pedestrian incidents are included separately at 158 deaths.
Here is an older study that breaks it out a little better:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811620.pdf
is there a safety or comfort difference between a FF convertible car seat and a combination seat. I have a petite 4.5yo (33lbs). She’s not going to grow out of her myride65 for a while, but I’m wondering if a combination seat will be easier for her to get in and out of or more comfortable for long car rides.
It really depends on the brand and type of carseat that you get. I have a 3.5 year old who is on the petite side (26lb). She was in a Britax Pavilion up until I bought her a Diono Rainier a few months ago, which will be the last carseat she will need. It has a lot of cushion to it. I will say, that the sides are lower than the Britax (and also than the MyRide65, which I have also owned), so it is easier not only for her to get in and out, but for me to get her in and out. http://us.diono.com/convertible-to-booster/rainier
Julie, there’s no safety difference, but there may be a comfort difference since combo seats tend to be a bit larger to fit bigger kids and they sit lower on the vehicle seat. If you choose wisely, you can find one that has higher top harness slots than your convertible carseat does and that should last your dd longer as a harnessed seat as well. Check out our Recommended Seats list–we choose combo seats with tall harness slots. https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/
Amy, you may be surprised at the Rainier’s function as a booster when your dd is ready for it. It works well as a harnessed seat, but as a booster, it’s pretty poor because if your child leans forward, the shoulder belt won’t retract back into a snug position on her chest. Check out the video on our review: https://carseatblog.com/29939/diono-rainier-review-diono-adds-depth-to-its-convertible-lineup/ . This is why we don’t classify the seat as a 3-in-1 seat at CarseatBlog.
And what if my 3 year old is larger than most five or six year olds?
@Michael – If you post on the forum and give your child’s weight and height you’ll get recommendations for certain seats that will accommodate your child in a 5 point harness for a while longer. There are plenty of seats on the market right now that can fit a really big kid who isn’t ready for a booster yet. http://www.car-seat.org/forumdisplay.php?f=2
It is more a maturity thing rather than a size thing and I have never encountered a 3 yr old who can sit in a booster seat properly all the time. It is very important they are able to at all times, even when sleeping. There are many options these days for harnessing older and bigger children. My now 14 year old sat in a harnessed seat until she was 8 (now retired Britax Husky) and my 5 year old is nowhere near outgrowing her Britax Frontier. You’d be surprised at the options available.
I’d say 4 year olds have not business sitting in booster seats, and most 5 year olds as well.
*no business
I loved this article and found it highly educational. Thank you. I do however want to say…My daughter just turned 4 Oct. 31st. She is on thicker side than most and the height of a 6 year old. It was very hard to get her in a seat comfortable for her. She always seemed so uncomfortable. She would grab the straps in between her legs and hold them and wiggle the whole ride. She would also get red marks on her upper thighs as well. She would fight to go anywhere. I loosened them s tiny bit but didn’t work. A few months ago we got her a booster seat. Though I’m not sure if it’s an actual booster seat bc it has a back to it. Forgive me, this is my first child. Anyways, she seemed to do great in it. The only concern I have is when she falls asleep she falls to the other side and somewhat hangs over. I had to pull over numerous times bc it gave me too much anxiety. I had to sit her up….then she’d lean over again. If there is any advice, please I’d love to hear it. I want to keep my daughter safe. I did look for car seats for her height and weight and had trouble.
Hi Crystal, the rough guideline for when a typical child is ready to ride in a booster is around 4 years old and 40 pounds. That’s just a guideline, as it is really based a lot on maturity. While a harnessed seat requires a lot of the parent to make sure it is installed and used correctly each trip, a booster seat relies a lot more on the child to remain seated properly the whole trip. A child who keeps putting the shoulder belt behind their arm or back, or keeps squirming or slouching out of position will not be safe in a booster. It sounds like you have a high back booster seat, which may be fine for a 4-year old if she remains seated in it properly. Models with deeper side wings around the head may help for sleeping in some cases, too. If you end up needing to go back to a harnessed carseat, there are plenty of models suitable for kids up to 6 years, 8 years or more. Check out our Combination Seat section in our recommended carseats list. These models convert to boosters later as well: https://carseatblog.com/carseatblogcoms-recommended-car-seats/
You should look into getting the Britax Frontier 85 SICT on Amazon, or the Britax Frontier 90. They both start out in 5point harness mode and can work for your kid they 4’6″ in height I believe, and the suffix number is the maximum weight limit for harness mode. Then they become high-back boosters with 100lbs plus weight limits, depending on the model. Alternatively You could go with a Diono Ranier RXT that goes up to 4’8″ maximum height limit and 80pounds in 5pount harness mode, and then it becomes a high back booster to 110 (?) pounds I believe. The Britax seats have the easy one-hand up/down harness/headrest adjuster, whereas all Diono seats still use the old school rethread mode. Your choice.
The Diono Rainier is 90 pound limit in the 5-point harness, and a 120 pound limit when being used as a booster. 🙂
Check out this site for sizing your daughter properly for her car seat. I bought my daughters from here and she is a very tall and slightly chubby 4 y/o. I got the britax pinnacle and it goes to 90 lbs for the 5 point harness and when she grows out of that it can be used as a booster for up to 120 lbs. http://www.britaxusa.com/car-seats/fit-my-child
Hi Fuller mommy- many older kids kids will fit in adult seatbelts without a booster in most cars by the time they are close to 5 feet tall, preferably if they are at least 8 years old. Weight is generally not a main factor in determining whether or not a child is ready to ride without a booster seat. We refer parents to the 5-step test ( http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm )to determine this, as well as any state laws that may have additional restrictions. Some adults are not even 5 feet tall, but they are well beyond the age of reason and are legally able to make choices about their own safety, including whether or not to wear a seatbelt or to put the shoulder belt behind their arm or back, even if it doesn’t fit them correctly. You are absolutely correct that parents must set the best example by always wearing their own seatbelt!