2009 Booster Seat Rankings

If you’re a parent, keeping your child safe, on and off the road, should be one of your top priorities. While it is common knowledge that small children need to be properly restrained in a forward-facing car seat, it is important to remember that the next step isn’t a seat belt, it’s a booster seat.

According to HealthyChildren.org, children who have outgrown their forward-facing car seat should sit in a booster seat for safety reasons. Children should stay in a booster seat until seat belts fit correctly which is typically when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 and 12 years old.

But unlike other items, you can’t judge the quality and safety of a booster seat by the price, design, features and brand.

So how do you tell the good from the bad?

Luckily, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has done the research for you. In their most recent study [pdf], the IIHS rated only 15 out of 60 booster seats as best bets or good bets. Eleven of these booster seats were labeled as not recommended because the seat belts did not fit well.

Here are the results of the IIHS 2009 booster seat evaluation.

Best Bets:
The following nine best bets are the most likely to position lap and shoulder belts correctly on most children in most cars, minivans and SUVs:
1. Britax Frontier (model # E9B54H6)
2. Clek Oob (model #OBM1U )
3. Combi Dakota backless with clip (model # 882066)
4. Cosco Juvenile Pronto (model #22491 and 22255 / 22275 )
5. Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (model # 22888 and 22829)
6. Evenflo Big Kid Amp backless with clip (model # 3401913 and 340XXXX)
7. Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (model # 22223-CIP)
8. Recaro Vivo (model # 351.00.MM14)
9. Recaro Young Sport (model #340.00.MM14 )

Good Bets:
The following six good bets provide acceptable lap and shoulder fit in almost as many vehicle belt configurations as the best bet boosters:
1. Britax Parkway SG (model # E9LA869)
2. Combi Kobuk backless with clip (model # 8970)
3. Evenflo Symphony 65 (model # 3451925)
4. Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Step 3, Sachi (model # 1751523)
5. Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat Sept 3, Wander (model # 1751952)
6. Maxi-Cosi Rodi (model # 22575)

Not Recommended
According to the IIHS, parents should avoid buying the following 11 booster seats because they do not provide a good seat belt fit. But, if you own one of these boosters, you shouldn’t throw it away because any booster seat is better than no booster seat. However, if it’s not too late, you should considering returning the seat and purchasing another.
1. Alpha Omega (model # 22469)
2. Alpha Omega Elite ((model # 22149 and 22148)
3. Alpha Omega Luxe Echelon (model # 22799)
4. Combi Kobuk (model # 8970)
5. Eddie Bauer Deluxe (model # 22800 and #22862/22865)
6. Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (model # 22790)
7. Evenflo Express (model # 3292198 and 329XXX)
8. Evenflo Sighseer (model #2692198 and 269XXX)
9. Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe backless with clip (model # 0304001DRM)
10. Safety 1st All-in-One (model # 22178 and 22177)
11. Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elit (model #22465, #22456/22195/22187 )

Tagged as: booster seat ratings, child booster seat, child safety, child safety seats, HeathyChildren.org, Illinois Institure of Highway Safety