Product Update
WHICH KIND OF CAR SEAT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?
The first three seats below are best for most families: an infant seat for your baby’s first year, a convertible until
age 5 or 6, and a belt-positioning booster until your child fits your car’s seat belt alone. The other two seats can
be good choices for some people—for example, an all-in-one for a caregiver who occasionally travels with chil-
dren and a toddler booster/combination seat for parents who want to pass a convertible to a younger sibling.INFANT
SEATCHILD’S WEIGHT^
4 to 35 poundsInfant car seats, which
are rear-facing only,
are best for babies
from birth to age 1.
They can also be
used for children up
to age 2 if they meet
the seat’s height and
weight requirements.
But CR’s testing shows
that a convertible seat
may offer added head
protection for babies
1 year or older. And
though some infant
seats are designed for
babies weighing up
to 35 pounds, most
children outgrow the
height limit first.
These seats attach
to a base installed
in the car and can
be removed to serve
as an infant carrier
or snapped into a
compatible stroller.CONVERTIBLE
SEATCHILD’S WEIGHT^
5 to 50 pounds when
rear-facing and
20 to 85 pounds when
forward-facingConvertible seats
are typically best for
children between ages
1 and 3 when in the
rear-facing position,
and for children ages
3 through 6 when
forward-facing.
The seats may also
be used for kids of
other ages if they
fit the seat’s height
and weight limits.
These seats are good
options for several
reasons. CR’s tests
show that convertible
seats, when rear-
facing, offer better
head protection for
children 1 year and
older than do infant
seats. And they allow
kids to stay rear-
facing longer. When
your child reaches
the height or weight
limit of the rear-facing
mode, the seat can be
turned forward-facing.ALL-IN-ONE
SEATCHILD’S WEIGHT^
4 to 50 pounds
when rear-facing,
20 to 80 pounds when
forward-facing, and
30 to 120 pounds
in belt-positioning
booster modeAll-in-one seats can
serve as a child’s car
seat from birth up
to age 12, providing
good value. But CR’s
tests have found
that by trying to do
too much, they don’t
do any single task
all that well. These
seats also lack the
convenience of a
detachable carrier,
are usually large, and
might not fit smaller
babies or small cars
well. Still, they make
good backup seats
and may work well for
caregivers who only
occasionally drive with
children in their cars.TODDLER BOOSTER/
COMBINATION SEATCHILD’S WEIGHT^
22 to 90 pounds in
harness mode and
30 to 120 pounds
in belt-positioning
booster modeThese seats, which
are forward-facing
only, can be used with
a harness or, with the
harness removed, as a
booster using just the
car’s own seat belt.
Harness mode is best
for kids who are at
least 2 years old until
about age 6. After
that, children can sit
in booster mode until
they are tall enough
(4 feet, 9 inches) to
go without a booster,
typically between
ages 8 and 12. These
seats are safe for kids
who have outgrown a
rear-facing seat but
aren’t ready for a belt-
positioning booster,
and can be an option
if you need to pass
a convertible seat to a
younger sibling.BELT-POSITIONING
BOOSTER SEATCHILD’S WEIGHT^
30 to 120 poundsThese seats, which
raise children up so
that a car’s seat belt
fits correctly, should
be used after a child
outgrows a convertible
seat, generally around
age 6. Boosters
should be used until
a child is tall enough
(4 feet, 9 inches)
to properly fit just
the car’s seat belt,
typically sometime
between ages 8 and- These seats come
in three main styles:
high-back, backless,
and models that can
convert from high-
back to backless.
CR recommends
using boosters in
high-back mode: That
better positions the
shoulder seat belt and
provides some side-
impact protection.
IC
ONS:^CHRI
S^ PHI
LPOT22 CR.ORG FEBRUARY 2020