Insurance Institute Names Best-fitting Booster Seats for 2010

According to Consumer Reports, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its 3rd annual list of the best-fitting booster seats and this year’s list shows that there are more options for parents to find a good fitting seat for children 4 to 8 years old.

The IIHS ratings are based solely on how well each booster seat positions the lap and shoulder belt, its primary function, and are not an assessment of crash performance or vehicle fit. A well-fitting booster should put the lap portion of the seat belt flat across a child’s upper thigh and the shoulder belt at mid-shoulder.

Out of 72 booster seats rated this year, 21 of them were considered Best Bets and seven Good Bets. Only nine seats in 2009 received the Best Bet award and 10 in 2008. However, IIHS found eight seats that aren’t recommended because they do a poor job of fitting with the belts.

IIHS Best Bets
Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback)
Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback)
Clek Oobr (dual highback)
Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback)
Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)
Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback)
Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless)
Evenflo Maestro (combination highback)
Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback)
Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless)
Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback)
Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless)
Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless)
Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback)
Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback)
Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback)
Recaro Vivo (highback)
Recaro Young Sport (combination highback)
Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback)
The First Years Pathway B570 (highback)

Consumer Reports adds that when assessing booster fit, ask these key questions:

• Does the booster seat position the shoulder belt across the clavicle/collar bone, approximately mid-way between the neck and shoulder?
• Does the booster seat position the lap belt low and flat across the hips/top of the thighs?
• Does either the booster seat or vehicle head restraint provide some support behind the child’s head?
• Is your child comfortable and not tempted to move the belts or themselves out of position after a period of time?

See the full list of booster seats at www.iihs.org.

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