All posts by Mike

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Fit In a Dodge Ram?

The Dodge Ram [known these days as a Ram] is one of the most popular large pickup trucks in the United States, competing with models like the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Honda Ridgeline, and Chevrolet Silverado, which means that it’s also used by a large number of families to transport children to school and around as a means of transportation. However, transporting children safely in a pickup truck means having some basic knowledge of car seat safety, which is reviewed below. This article is about achieving successful 3 across car seat installations in the Dodge Ram.

You know the basics of best practices in car seat safety: I typically suggest keeping children rear-facing as long as possible (until 4 or 5 like the Swedes), followed by harnessing until they can safely use booster seats (until at least 5, like the Swedes), and then boostering until the 5 step test is passed (typically between 10, 11, and 12). Beyond that, I suggest keeping kids in the back seat until at least 13, and delaying teen solo driving until 18 if possible. These recommendations are based on what we know about child safety at various ages, and about what configurations offer children the best odds of surviving crashes without serious injury.

However, for this information to be of use, you need to know which car seats in particular are going to fit in your Dodge Ram, especially when it comes to 3 across installations and puzzling convertible seats, infant seats, boosters, and combination seats together. I had the chance to test out a number of seats in a Dodge Ram recently, and here are some of the installations I was able to achieve.You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. The Canadian car seat guide is available here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

2019, 2020 Dodge Ram (DT)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x2), Clek Foonf.

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Graco 4Ever, Diono Monterey, Graco 4Ever (reader tip – thank you!)

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The fifth generation of the Dodge Ram in the Quad Cab edition (4×2 or 4×4) with the 5’7″ box is just under 229 inches long and 82 inches wide. The Crew Cab (4×2 or 4×4) with the 6’4″ box is just under 242 inches long and 82 inches wide. All of this means that you won’t have any trouble with most 3 across installations. If you do find yourself having some trouble, just switch to seat belt installations on the outboard seats instead of LATCH installations to get a bit more space.

It’s important to note that the middle seat is a short one in the Ram, and that you won’t be able to fit most seats there that require 100% of the seat base to be on the seat. Most seats obey the 80% rule, in that a 20% overlap is allowed, but some seats–like the Clek Fllo–do not, and require the entire base to sit on the vehicle’s seat. Thanks to a reader for this tip!

ram - 2011 - publicdomain2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Dodge Ram (DS, DJ, D2)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x2), Clek Foonf.

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian 3RXT (x3).

Diono Radian 3RX (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Graco 4Ever, Diono Monterey, Graco 4Ever (reader tip – thank you!)

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The fourth generation of the Dodge Ram in the 2wd Crew Cab edition is roughly 228 inches long and 79 inches wide, which means that you shouldn’t have any trouble with most 3 across installations. If you do find yourself having some trouble, just switch to seat belt installations on the outboard seats instead of LATCH installations to get a bit more space.

It’s important to note that the middle seat is a short one in the Ram, and that you won’t be able to fit most seats there that require 100% of the seat base to be on the seat. Most seats obey the 80% rule, in that a 20% overlap is allowed, but some seats–like the Clek Fllo–do not, and require the entire base to sit on the vehicle’s seat. Thanks to a reader for this tip!

ram - 2006 - publicdomain2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Dodge Ram

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Diono Radian / RXT (x3).

Combi Cocorro (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30, Britax Pinnacle 90, Clek Foonf.

Clek Fllo, Britax Pinnacle 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Foonf, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier 90, Chicco KeyFit 30.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Diono Radian / RXT, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Diono Radian / RXT, Chicco KeyFit 30, Graco TurboBooster.

Diono Radian / RXT, Diono Radian / RXT, Graco TurboBooster.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Marathon G4.1, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Boulevard ClickTight, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Britax Pavilion G4, Clek Fllo, Britax Frontier G1.1.

Tips and Tricks:

The 2002-2008 generation of the Dodge Ram is between 208 and 295 inches long, depending on which trim and cab level you select, and uniformly 80 inches wide. In other words, you’ll be able to fit pretty much any car seats you’d like to in 3 across configurations; the biggest issue to watch out for will be front-to-back space; depending on your cab, you might not have any or you might have a ton to play with. This is a universal issue among pickup trucks when it comes to 3 across installation challenges.

If you find my information on best practices in car and car seat safety helpful, you can do your shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can shop here for Canadian purchases. Have a question or want to discuss best practices? Send me an email at carcrashdetective [at] gmail [dot] com.

3 Across Installations: Which Car Seats Will Fit In a Toyota Yaris?

The Toyota Yaris (known overseas as the Vitz, Vios, Belta, and Platz, depending on which generation and sedan/hatchback configuration you’re looking at) is a small yet surprisingly roomy and family-friendly car, and a large number of young parents are discovering that it can work quite well with one, two, or even three children. It competes with other minicars like the Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta, Toyota Prius C, and Hyundai Accent, and does so well. It has a small ecological footprint for a car and is good on gas and easy on the wallet. I took it upon myself to find out how it dealt with car seats, especially when it came to putting 3 car seats in a Toyota Yaris.

You know the basics of best practices in car seat safety: rear-face as long as possible (ideally until 4!), and then forward-face as long as possible (ideally until 8!), and then booster until a regular belt fits your child (which typically happens between 10 and 12). These suggestions are based on research about what factors make kids most likely to survive serious crashes. I recommend them and live by them.

If you’re going to use the information above, however, you need to have a car seat or two or three to use for your kids. Here are all of the car seats I can say with certainty work with the Toyota Yaris over various years. I’ll add more seats to this list as I get to them, but here is what I’ve got so far, especially when it comes to 3 across installations in the Toyota Yaris. These combinations apply equally to the sedan and wagon (hatchback) versions of the Yaris.

You can access the complete 3 across guide for every vehicle here and the complete list of recommended seats here. I’ve put together a list of Canadian car seat recommendations here. 3 across car seat images are courtesy of Wikipedia.

yaris - 2012 - publicdomain2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Toyota Yaris (XP130)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Toyota Yaris is 153 inches long and 67 inches wide in the hatchback, which will make a number of 3 across installations a challenge, if not impossible. However, it’s definitely possible to make it work in at least a few cases. Make sure to use seat belt installations for each car seat instead of LATCH installations, as you’re going to need every spare inch you can get. Also take your time to find combinations of seats that puzzle well together; the list above is, of course, only partially complete.

Definitely pick up an angle adjuster if you’re planning on rear-facing with a Radian; you’re not going to have any leg room as a driver or front-row passenger if you don’t have one of these installed.

yaris - 2007 - publicdomain2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Toyota Yaris (XP90)

Guaranteed 3 across installations: 

Clek Fllo (x3).

Clek Foonf (x3).

Chicco KeyFit 30 (x3).

Clek Oobr (x3).

Diono Radian RXT (x3).

Diono Radian R120 (x3).

Diono Radian R100 (x3).

Combi Coccoro (x3).

Tips and Tricks:

This generation of the Toyota Yaris is 148 to 149 inches long in the hatchback and 169 inches long in the sedan. It measures 67 inches wide in both versions, which will make a number of 3 across installations a challenge, if not impossible. To put it practically, it’s as difficult for 3 across setups as the generation that follows it, and it’s a bit more difficult to obtain front-to-back space than the 2012+ generation.

However, as is the case in the following generation, it’s definitely possible to make puzzling 3 seats across the back seat work in at least a few cases. As usual, make sure to use seat belt installations for each car seat instead of LATCH installations, as you’re going to need every spare inch you can get.

Once again, definitely pick up an angle adjuster if you’re planning on rear-facing with a Radian; you’re not going to have any leg room as a driver or front-row passenger if you don’t have one of these installed.

A potential issue to keep in mind regarding the Radian in the center is that you might not be able to get a secure installation there; I’d personally go with a Fllo or Foonf in the center if possible, although it’s still technically possible with a Diono seat. The hump in the middle seat is what makes the installation difficult.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Ashley Chieco, 26, in Old Bridge, NJ, Killed in SUV vs. Car Crash

unsplash-gaul-flowersWho:

Ashley Chieco, 26, was killed at around 6 PM of 8/16/13 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, when she drunkenly drove a stolen 2011 Hyundai Tucson and crashed into Dana S. Corrar, 55, from Old Bridge. The collision occurred in the southbound lanes of Route 18. Corrar drove a 2000 BMW 323.

Chieco died at the scene while Corrar was severely injured with fractures to both legs and ankles, rib injuries, a punctured lung, and cervical and spine damage. It is estimated that she will not walk for another year. Her daughter dropped out of college to care for her. She was a nurse, mother, and grandmother who had been homebound on a 35 mile drive when struck by Chieco, and it is thought that she might never return to work again.

Chieco, meanwhile, was a crisis counselor, psychology professor, and a recent graduate with a master’s degree in psychology. At the time of the collision, Chieco had traveling home to assist her father in celebrating his 58th birthday. She had recently left Martell’s Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, and was trying to drive 70 miles to reach her home in Wood-Ridge.

How:

Per various reports, Chieco entered Martell’s Tiki Bar at around 11 AM and had consumed numerous 20-ounce vodka-related drinks as well as shots at the bar before she mistook another vehicle for hers in the bar’s parking lot at 5:30 PM when she left. The bar had an established policy of requesting patrons leave their keys in their vehicles to make them easier to move. Chieco then drove north for 30 miles, swerving to avoid vehicles along the way, before she collided with Corrar. She drove the wrong way, northbound in the southbound lane, and caused the head-on collision. Her autopsied BAC was .189, and her stomach was empty.

Corrar’s attorney, Paul Edelstein, is suing Martells and states he believes the bartenders at Martell’s continued to serve Chieco despite her visible intoxication, and that there were no means to keep her from taking someone else’s vehicle and driving away while drunk. Chieco’s parents are also part of the suit against Martell’s, and state their daughter was over-served. The mayor of the borough, Vincent Barrella, argued that the license of the bar shouldn’t have been renewed until the case was completely resolved, but the Point Pleasant Beach council decided 4-0 to renew the license anyway.

Why:

This is another sad case of alcohol use leading to a fatality, as are 1 of every 3 traffic deaths in this country, year after year.

So many things went wrong that night, but I find myself siding with the suit against the bar. It is incredibly irresponsible to serve alcohol in a location where patrons are asked to leave their keys in their vehicles, and it would have been impossible not to notice a person as inebriated as Chieco was not capable of driving a vehicle. She should not have been allowed to enter any vehicles that night, and while she was ultimately responsible for her tragic death and the injuries imparted to Corrar, she would not have been in a position to drive away had the bar spent less time serving her alcohol and more time ensuring individuals were not allowed to drive away under the influence. A bar capable of tracking individuals’ tabs in order to obtain payment before patrons left is certainly a bar capable of calculating when individuals would not legally be capable of driving. Additionally, it is against the law to serve alcohol to patrons who are already drunk, and has been for decades.

Furthermore, the decision of the counsel to renew the license of the bar is as clear evidence as one needs of the corruption that becomes inevitable when morals and money collide. The bar was extremely irresponsible in its practices toward patrons and the counsel rewarded that irresponsibility in order to keep its funds flowing.

More broadly, this is also the result of a society with one of the highest legal drinking limits in the rich world, at .08, instead of at .02 – .05, the way it is in so many other countries.

The 2010 Tucson weighs 3357 lbs and comes with a “good” IIHS frontal score. It collided with a 2000 323 that weighs 3347 lbs, or almost exactly the Tucson’s weight, and also comes with a “good” frontal score.  As a result, each vehicle essentially ran into its twin, weight-wise, meaning neither vehicle had a significant advantage from a weight perspective.

Given the likely speeds of the collision (~65 mph), the collision likely imparted at least 643KJ of energy into each vehicle. Each vehicle’s frontal impact test simulates 243KJ of energy (a Tucson/323 impacting another at 40 mph). In other words, each driver faced 264% of the force she’d have experienced in the type of crash her car was rated for. Given the forces of the collision, I would have expected both drivers to have a fair, though low, chance of survival. However, the description of Corrar’s injuries shows the extent to which your life can be altered irrevocably, even as a survivor, from an auto collision. She has injuries she will never fully recover from, and her life trajectory has been permanently altered through no fault of her own, due to a set of circumstances wholly preventable and completely unrelated to her life.

This was ultimately a wholly preventable tragedy. There is *no* safe amount of alcohol you can consume when you plan to drive.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

Recaro Performance RIDE Convertible Review: Better than the ProRIDE

Recaro is a company with a long history of innovation in the racing industry, particularly with respect to racing car seats. Fortunately, they have also shown an interest in car seats for children, and have a growing line of car seats that make use of their racing technology. I’ve recently had the chance to review the Recaro Performance Coupe infant seat and Recaro ProRIDE convertible, and both of those seats impressed me. A friend ordered the Recaro Performance RIDE from Amazon after reading my ProRIDE review and lent it to me for a review so I could share my thoughts on it. In short? I think it’s a pretty good car seat.

2015 Recaro Performance RIDE – What’s the big deal?

As with the Recaro ProRIDE, several racing features present in Recaro adult car seats have been brought to the Recaro Performance RIDE, including the HERO harness technology and extensive side impact support. The side impact support is particularly exciting to me due to the degree to which side impact collisions threaten the lives of children and adults alike. A great number of the side collisions I’ve looked at involved forces that may have been survivable in frontal impacts, where vehicles offer more protection. That’s why I’m a fan of any car seat that makes side impact protection a priority, and the Recaro Performance RIDE is one of those seats.

More generally, the Recaro Performance RIDE is a convertible car seat, so you can use it forward-facing as well as rear-facing. This makes it and most other convertible car seats a better deal for most parents than infant car seats simply because they can be used directly from the hospital until around kindergarten or even later in some cases. Of course, infant car seats can also be worth looking into simply because they make it much easier to transport sleeping newborns and infants than convertible seats, which are too heavy and bulky to carry with you everywhere.

Buy the Recaro Performance RIDE on Sale at Amazon here.

Recaro Performance RIDE Limits for Weight and Height

Rear-facing: 5 to 40 pounds. There is a 49″ height limit for children as well as the standard 1″ rule relative to the top of the car seat shell. There is an internal shell height of 22.5″, which, while not nearly as good as that in a seat like the NextFit or Olympia, is certainly better than what you’ll find in any infant seat. Best practices indicates you’ll want to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible, in order to increase his or her odds of surviving a collision.

Forward-facing: 20 to 65 pounds. The 49″ tall height restriction continues when forward-facing. This is unfortunate, as it means you aren’t going to have as much time forward-facing as you would in a seat like the NextFit or Olympia. In line with best practices, you’ll want to ignore the lower 20 pound requirement for forward-facing and aim to reach the 40 pound rear-facing limit, or as close as you can to it before you consider forward-facing, and then forward-face until you hit 65 pounds or until your child outgrows the seat by height.

Dimensions of the Recaro Performance RIDE

The Performance RIDE is 19 inches wide, 11 inches deep, and around 28 inches high, with an inch more at full head restraint extension and an inch less at minimal head restraint extension. Because it’s a decently narrow seat, you’re not going to have too much trouble fitting a 3 across car seat installation with it in most cars that are mid-sized or larger. It’s certainly wider than a seat like a Foonf or Fllo, though, so if 3 across is your priority, keep in mind that there are narrower seats out there. The eat weigh 20 pounds, which is rather typical for a convertible seat.

Buy the Recaro Performance RIDE on Sale at Amazon here.

 

Using the Recaro Performance RIDE

As with the ProRIDE, the Performance RIDE has a solid, sturdy feel to it. You feel safe when using it and strapping your child into it, and knowing Recaro has a history of designing seats to protect people traveling at more than 100 mph on race tracks helps ease the mind when merging onto an intersection in Chicago highway traffic. Installing the seat is straightforward whether you use a seat belt installation or a LATCH setup.

I prefer using seat belts simply because they make it much easier to achieve a 3 across installation in comparison to LATCH. When I use seat belts to install car seats, I also don’t have to worry about exceeding LATCH weight limits. That said, I sometimes go with LATCH to save time if I don’t have to install multiple car seats, and the LATCH system here works just fine and has a push-button system for adjustment.

I have a number of reasons to be pleased with the Performance RIDE, but perhaps the most significant for me is the rather detailed side impact protection system. According to Recaro, the system was designed to meet the strictest standards overseas where it was tested, and was specifically made to give greater levels of protection to the pelvis, the head, the torso, the neck, and the face, which they determined to be the five parts of the body most vulnerable in side impact collisions. There is plenty of EPS foam throughout the seat that helps cut down on the forces felt by children in collisions.

I’m also a huge fan of the HERO harness system, which is also present in the Performance Coupe infant seat by Recaro, but not present in the ProRIDE. As a result, I automatically prefer the Performance RIDE over the ProRIDE if you get the chance to choose between the two of them. The safety feature essentially places the shoulder pads around the child’s neck, shoulders, and head when the child is restrained, and in the process, make harness twisting less likely to occur and the chest clip more likely to stay in place when buckled. There is also the Safety Stripe System present, which, per Recaro, is a white stripe inspired by racing practices that you can see on the outside part of the included 5-point harness. When the stripe is present, parents know that the harness is properly positioned. In contrast, when the stripe is twisted, parents know that it means the harness is twisting and can take appropriate action to correct it. It’s details like this that make me prefer the Performance RIDE over the ProRIDE.

Additionally, the Performance RIDE features breathable fabrics for easy air venting so children sweat less while in the seat. My daughter indeed verified that she felt more comfortable in the Performance RIDE than she often does in other seats that lead to more sweating. The mesh fabric itself can be washed by machine and comes in a wide range of colors. As an aside, another difference between the Performance RIDE and the ProRIDE is that the Performance RIDE comes with a cup holder. It’s an arguably small difference, but it was significant enough for my friend to use as a reason to go with the Performance RIDE over the ProRIDE.

In terms of fitting children, I’d say the Performance RIDE does a decent job with larger infants and toddlers all the way to the preschool age, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to go all the way down to the 5 pound lower weight limit, simply because the harness straps are too high even when they’re in their lowest positions. To safely ride in a car seat while rear-facing,t he harness straps need to either be below the shoulders of the child or at the shoulders of the child, and that’s simply not going to happen in the Performance RIDE with a 5 pound baby. Again, however, you’ll likely be fine with a typical-sized newborn and up.

Why Buy the Recaro Performance RIDE?

I’m a fan of the Recaro Peformance RIDE for many of the same reasons I like the ProRIDE. It’s a safe car seat with a number of unique racing-inspired safety features designed to keep children properly restrained for several years. Remember that you’re going to want to use the seat as long as possible by maxing out your rear-facing time until 40 pounds or as close as you can get to it as possible. The biggest drawbacks are the harness straps, which can make fitting smaller newborns a challenge, as well as less than optimal leg-room when rear- and forward-facing. I’d also prefer it if the rear-facing weight and height limits were better, as there are many car seats capable of rear-facing until 50 pounds today. That said, this is one of the most solidly-constructed car seats I’ve seen with perhaps the greatest attention to side impact protection on the market.

I believe the Recaro Peformance RIDE is a great car seat and heartily recommend it. You can buy it here in Marine, Plum, Rose, Sapphire, Slate, Haze, Vibe, Knight, and Redd. Canadians can buy it here.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.

2014 IIHS Booster Ratings: What’s the Safest Booster?

(Image courtesy of IIHS).

Many parents find the search for a booster that fits their children easier than ever these days, due to the improvements a number of manufacturers have put into the process of booster design and belt fit, per the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The IIHS releases a survey each year of booster models and fit, and their 2014 survey resulted in 27 models they deemed as “Best Bets.” Per the IIHS, these booster seats are the most likely to fit your children well. Essentially, they sit a 6 year old equivalent dummy in each car seat and examine the belt fit on the shoulder and thighs. From that assessment, they score each booster as “Best Bet,” “Good Bet,” “Check Fit,” or the dreaded “Not Recommended.”

As I’ve noted in many posts before on The Car Crash Detective, most parents don’t rear-face long enough, most parents don’t forward-face long enough, and most parents don’t booster long enough. Each of these steps is necessary to keep your child as safe as he or she can be while riding in a car. I typically recommend children stay in booster seats until they’re around 10 to 12, which is when most children are going to be ready to use the adult seat belt and seat. As a result, it’s important to have a good idea of which booster seats are likely to fit your kids until then.

How Do I Know My Child Is Ready To Stop Using a Booster?

Remember that the 5 Step Rule (also known as the 5 Step Test) is the quickest and most accurate way to see if your child is ready to leave the booster behind and use the adult seat belt.

1.) The shoulder belt should sit directly in the middle of the child’s shoulder.

2.) The lap belt should sit low on the child’s thighs.

3.) The child’s bottom should be located at the intersection of the lower and upper vehicle seats.

4.) The child’s knees should not bend until they are past the bottom seat’s edge, and the child’s feet should rest flat on the floor.

5.) The child should be able to sit in this position for as long as the vehicle is in motion without moving.

What Do The IIHS Booster Ratings Mean?

The “Best Bet” rating means the seat is likely to provide a good fit at the lap and shoulders for most 4 to 8 year olds in most vehicles. The “Good Bet” rating means the fit is likely to be acceptable in nearly as many vehicles as the fit would be for the “Best” rated seats. The “Check Fit” rating simply means you’ll need to check the fit in your vehicle. The “Not recommended” rating, per the IIHS, means the seats may not provide good belt fit.

What Are the Best Boosters, per the IIHS?

There were a lot of recommended booster seats; here are my favorites.

Best Bets

The Britax Frontier 90 – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Britax Pinnacle 90 – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Britax Pioneer 70 – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Graco 4Ever All-In-One – Review Here, Buy Here. 
The Graco Argos 80 Elite – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Graco Milestone All-In-One – Review Here, Buy Here. 
The Maxi-Cosi RodiFix – Review Here, Buy Here. 
The Clek Oobr – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Britax Parkway SGL – Review Here, Buy Here. 
The Evenflo Maestro – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Diono Radian RXT – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Diono Radian R120 – Review Here, Buy Here.
The Kiddy Cruiserfix Pro – Review Here, Buy Here. 

Good Bets

Keep in mind that seats rated as “Good Bet” are just as good as the “Best Bet” boosters provided that they fit both your kids and vehicles well.

The Diono Rainier – Review Here, Buy Here.

Not Recommended

Seats that are listed as “Not Recommended,” per the IIHS, aren’t going to fit well in most situations. Personally, I don’t agree with the IIHS assessment (which happens now and again) regarding the Olympia and Pacifica, since they share nearly identical geometries with the Rainier. If I were looking for a booster seat, neither of these seats would be my first choice. See below for what I’d choose instead.

The Diono Pacifica – Review Here, Buy Here. 
The Diono Olympia – Review Here, Buy Here.

What Should I Buy?

This is probably the most relevant question, IIHS recommendations aside. I personally would get a Frontier 90 or Pinnacle 90 if I wanted a booster seat, since either seat will give you more time for forward-facing or boostering than any other seat on this page.

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If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.