When a child reaches age 3 to 4, using a car seat becomes unfeasible. That is because the child has outgrown the car seat either in weight or in height. At that stage, getting a booster seat is the best thing to do.
Graco, being one of the top players in the baby industry, has some of the safest and most comfortable booster car seats for kids.
Booster seats can be in the form of backless seats or high back seats – harness booster car seats and belt-positioning booster car seats. How do Graco booster car seats attach to cars?
In this short write-up, we will go through the different Graco booster car seats and how they attach to a car. We shall also look at the best Graco booster car seats to buy for your child.
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Graco Booster Car Seats And How They Attach To A Car
Below are the different types of Graco car seats and how they attach to a car for a safe and comfortable ride.
Backless Booster Car Seat
Just as the name implies, a backless booster car seat is a cushion that raises your child off the car seat to make it possible for your child to use the vehicle’s seat belt. In such a case, your child uses the vehicle’s backrest.
You can either install a Graco backless booster seat using the seat belt or the LATCH system. If you are using a vehicle that is manufactured after 2002, the vehicle should have a LATCH connector for easy connection with the booster seat.
However, if the booster seat doesn’t have a LATCH system, you can install it by using the car’s seat belt as long as it is done correctly. Just make sure you go through your vehicle and booster seat instruction manual for clearer instructions.
If after installing the seat, the seat belt is not properly sitting on your child’s shoulder, there is a shoulder belt adjustment guide to help remedy the solution.
You must be certain that your child is suitable for a backless booster seat before using the seat. When seated on the booster seat, the car seat must come up to your child’s ears before you can use the seat.
If the height of your child’s ears is higher than the car seat, it is not safe to use the backless booster seat because it could lead to severe injuries in case of any impact. In such a case, you should stick to a highback booster seat.
For Graco backless booster seat, the Graco turboBooster LX Backless Booster is a good one to consider.
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High Back Booster Car Seat
Graco booster car seats come in two forms – belt-positioning booster car seats and a combination of a harness car seat and booster seat.
Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat
This booster car seat is similar to the backless car seat in that it uses a vehicle’s seat belt to restrain your child on the booster seat. However, unlike the backless seat, the belt-positioning highback booster seat has back and head support.
One of the advantages of the high back belt-position booster seat is that it can be converted to a backless booster seat. You can easily detach the back of the seat, leaving only the cushion.
This seat comes with a LATCH system for easy and secure installation. The Highback booster is suitable for kids weighing from 40 to 100 lbs, between 43 and 57 inches tall, and at least 4 years old. The same specifications apply to the backless booster (if you are detaching the back).
The Graco TurboBooster LX Highback Booster is one of the best highback belt-positioning booster car seats, and it costs $89 on Amazon.
A Combination Of Harness Car Seat And Booster Seat
Apart from the highback belt-positioning booster seat that uses a vehicle’s seat belt, Graco also has harness car seats that convert to booster seats. This seat can be used as a forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness or a belt-positioning booster seat.
This type of Graco booster car seat attaches to a car either via the LATCH system or the car’s seat belt.
In this category, the Graco Nautilus SnugLock 3-in-1 booster seat is one of the best you can get. This booster seat is a 3-in-1 seat that converts from a forward-facing car seat to a high-back booster and a backless booster.
The Nautilus High Back mode is suitable for a child between 3 and 10 years old, 30 and 100 lbs, and 38 and 57 inches tall. The Backless mode is suitable for children from 4 to 10 years, 40 to 100 lbs, and 40 to 57 inches tall.
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Best Practices for using a booster car seat
Below are the best practices to follow when using a booster car seat for your child.
- Always make sure you go through your vehicle and the booster car seat instruction manual to get the installation guide.
- The vehicle’s lap belt should be resting flat on the top of your child’s lap. A booster seat that places the lap belt on your child’s stomach is not the right one to use.
- Always go with a booster car seat that has a shoulder belt guide. This guide allows the shoulder belt to slide freely.
- Make sure the shoulder belt is lying flat on your child’s shoulder and not his face. If there is room for adjustment to get the right placement, you can adjust the booster seat. If not, look for another suitable booster seat.
