(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.

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.

The Maxi-Cosi Pria 85 is one of the newest convertible car seats from car seat producer Maxi-Cosi, and is billed as the successor to the Maxi-Cosi Pria 70, one of the most popular convertible car seats of recent years, particularly when paired with the TinyFit insert. I’ve had the opportunity to review both seats and use both at the same time, and am a fan of both. However, most families aren’t going to have the space or resources to own both seats at the time, even though both seats are definitely possible to use in 3 across installations. Here is a comparison between the Pria 85 and the Pria 70 with TinyFit to help you figure out which of the two is more likely to meet your needs. If you’re in a hurry, I’d recommend the Pria 85 (review here, buy here) over the Pria 70 with TinyFit (review here, buy here) unless you specifically need the TinyFit insert.

Here are reasons to choose the Pria 85 over the Pria 70 with TinyFit

1. The Pria 85 has higher front-facing weight limits. This is the most obvious difference between the two car seats. The Pria 70 with TinyFit has a 70 pound forward-facing weight limit, while the aptly-named Pria 85 has an 85 pound forward-facing weight limit. This means children in the Pria 85 will be able to spend more time forward-facing before needing to find either a booster seat or another forward-facing car seat. Remember that children should be harnessed until ideally 8, and then boostered until they pass the 5 step test.

2.  The Pria 85 is easier to clean. Maxi-Cosi describes it as the easiest seat ever to clean, and they’ve got a point. You can remove the seat pad easily with a pair of snaps and wash it and dry it with a washer and dryer. You don’t need to deal with harness rethreading or seat installations and uninstallations to make this possible, which takes a lot of the hassle out of keeping the seat clean. In comparison, with the Pria 70, it’s necessary to remove the seat cover and the cover needs to be hand-washed.

3. The Pria 85 is lighter. The difference is only a few pounds, but it does make a difference between the seats, and it’s worth keeping in mind for some parents. The Pria 85 weighs 20 pounds while the Pria 70 with TinyFit weighs a bit more at 22 pounds.

4. You don’t need it from birth. The main advantage of the Pria 70 with TinyFit over the Pria 85 is that it comes with the TinyFit insert, which allows you to use the Pria 70 straight from the hospital, since the rear-facing llower limit drops to 4 pounds with the Pria 70 with TinyFit. The Pria 85, in contrast, has a lower weight limit of 14 pounds.

Having said all of this, I think both seats are great. The seat that’s better for you and your family will entirely depend on which features you’re more in need of. Keep in mind that I didn’t write anything about how safe either seat is, and that’s simply because both seats are equally safe and will do a great job of keeping your little ones secure. The main differences are in weight limits as I indicated above. You can buy the Pria 85 here and the Pria 70 with TinyFit here.

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.

The Britax Advocate ClickTight and Britax Boulevard ClickTight are two of Britax’s newest convertible offerings in general, and two of the first in particular to feature their easy installation ClickTight system. Despite having had the opportunity to review a long list of car seats over the years, I’m always fond of certain companies that demonstrate a commitment to pushing the limits with car seats, and Britax is certainly one of them. The ClickTight seats are designed to make car seat installations with seat belts a foolproof procedure, and I’d say they’re just about there. However, given the similarities of the Advocate and Boulevard, it’s not easy for a layperson to tell them apart. Here’s a straightforward comparison of the Advocate ClickTight and Boulevard ClickTight to help you figure out which is the better seat for you. If you don’t have time to read the whole review, my suggestion is to go with the Advocate ClickTight. If you’ve got time, settle down and get comfortable. Here’s my full review of the Advocate ClickTight, and here’s my full review of the Boulevard ClickTight.

The truth of the matter is that you can’t really go wrong with either seat, and if you were to blindly pick one or the other, you’d still have your child set up in one of the best convertible car seats you can currently buy in the United States. Neither will allow you to rear-face to the heaviest limits currently available in the US, which is the 50 pound limit reached by the Fllo, Foonf, Rainier, and Pacifica, but both seats will definitely put you on the path toward a safe and secure installation, which is a huge part of car seat safety. That said, just because both seats are great doesn’t mean one isn’t going to be a better fit for one family vs. another, which is why I’ve got this guide set up.

Here are reasons to choose the Advocate ClickTight over the Boulevard ClickTight.

1. You want Side Impact Cushion Technology, or SICT. This is the biggest structural difference between the Advocate ClickTight and Boulevard ClickTight. Rather than having SICT, the Boulevard ClickTight includes True Impact Side Protection. What does this mean?

The SICT is Britax’s terminology for a shell designed to absorb crash forces and keep children safe from debris and intrusion, an energy-absorbing head support system to reduce forces on the head and neck, and external cushions that are designed to compress to reduce crash forces before they reach children while simultaneously protecting nearby passengers from injury. This comes with the Advocate ClickTight. The Boulevard ClickTight, on the other hand, includes the energy-absorbing shell and headrest, but does not include the external cushions. If you want them, go for the Advocate ClickTight.

2. You don’t need maximum room for 3 across installations. The Advocate ClickTight is 20.5 inches in width while the Boulevard ClickTight is 18.5 inches wide. These two inches can make a significant difference in your ability to achieve a successful 3 across installation if you’ve got a smaller car, although they won’t make much of a difference in a larger vehicle. If you’ve got space constraints and are trying to achieve a 3 across installation, you might want to look at the Boulevard ClickTight over the Advocate ClickTight. Either way, check the 3 across guide to car seat installations to see what’s typically possible in your vehicle or a vehicle of your size class.

3. You can afford the price difference. I don’t typically suggest making decisions on car seats exclusively on price, but if you’re really stuck between the two, keep in mind that one costs around $50 more than the other. If you’ve got the extra cash, the Advocate ClickTight is the top of the line convertible from Britax right now. If you don’t, the Boulevard will get you 95% of the way there for a bit less.

If you can satisfy these conditions, or even if you can’t and simply want it because you feel it’s the best fit for your family, then the Britax Advocate ClickTight is your seat. If not, then you’ll get nearly the same performance from the Boulevard ClickTight. You can buy the Advocate ClickTight here and buy the Boulevard ClickTight here.

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.

 The Clek Fllo and Clek Foonf are, quite frankly, two of my favorite car seats on the market right now, and I’ve had the opportunity to review a number of them. At one point, I had both the Fllo and Foonf installed in our family vehicles, and I still have a number of friends who do. However, not every family has the budget or space to do so, even though both seats are among the best on the market for making  3 across installations possible. Here is a quick comparison of the Fllo and Foonf to help you choose between them. If you’re in a hurry, my recommendation is to go with the Fllo. However, if you’ve got a bit more time, it’s worth the trouble to read on. My full reviews of each seat are here (Fllo, Foonf).

The truth is that both seats are among the best convertibles you can buy on the market right now, and that we’ve come such a long way in car seat safety in the United States that it’s almost like an embarrassment of riches out there today. We haven’t yet caught up to the Swedes in best practices for car seat design, car seat use, road design, and driving safety yet, but our car seats are definitely heading in the right direction. That said, folks are always interested in seeing how to get the most out of their money, which is where this guide comes in. As I’ve said, between the Clek Fllo and Foonf, I recommend the Fllo more, which is part of why I kept it and donated the Foonf to our in-laws.

Here are reasons to go with the Fllo over the Foonf:

I would recommend the Fllo over the Foonf under the following conditions. Keep in mind that if you’ve already bought the Foonf, you’re still protecting your child as much as possible in any seat currently available in the United States.

1. The Fllo is cheaper. This factor might not make the difference between the seats for everyone, but it certainly might for some. On average, the Fllo runs around $50 to $100 cheaper than the Foonf, depending on the print you choose. The money you save could be used for a number of other things, such as several life hammers, which could save your life if you ever ended up in this kind of a collision.

2. The Fllo is lighter. Again, weight isn’t the most important factor in choosing a car seat for many people, but when you’ve got a seat that weighs 38 pounds when rear-facing (the Foonf) and have the chance to replace it with one that weighs 25 pounds in the same configuration, it’s hard to think of reasons to choose the heavier seat. The additional weight doesn’t make the Foonf safer; it just makes it heavier.

3. The Fllo is shorter. This is a third factor that won’t make a difference for everyone, but certainly will for some drivers. The Fllo and Foonf are both more vertical seats than the typical car seats, which means children can see out the windows more with them when their parents are driving. However, it also means it’s harder for parents to see out the back windows. Because the Fllo is up to 2 inches shorter, it’s significantly easier to use the rear view mirror when driving with it.

With all this said, does this mean that you should sell your Foonf right now if you’ve already bought one and purchase the Fllo instead? No way! Both are great seats. The answer to which is better will depend on your needs. You’ll note that I didn’t say anything about safety differences between the two seats, and that’s because there isn’t any. The differences are in the factors of convenience that I described above. The weight limits and safety features are essentially identical. However, between the two, I’d choose the Fllo every time; it’s an updated and more practical version of the Foonf. You can buy the Clek Fllo here and the Clek Foonf here.

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.

If you’ve read this blog, you’ll know that I’m an advocate for extended rear-facing when it comes to keeping our children safe. Extended rear-facing is simply an easy-to-remember term for keeping children rear-facing in their car seats longer than the typical amount of time, which, according to current US law is 1 year. But 1 year just isn’t enough.

The AAP recommends 2 years, which is better, but we can still do so much better. Best practices dictates rear-facing as long as possible, and in the country where children rear-face until 4, Sweden, they lose almost no children to car collisions every year. If you’d like to learn more about Swedish driving practices, here is some additional reading on why Swedish roads are so safe.

Our population is several times larger than Sweden’s, which means that even if every child between 0 and 4 here were rear-facing, we’d still unfortunately have some fatalities. However, the truth is that the number of fatalities would be much, much lower than it currently is. This is precisely why I believe it’s worth spending a little extra to keep your children rear-facing a lot longer. The body is simply protected more efficiently through rear-facing compared to through forward-facing in a crash. Extended rear-facing works, and it’s worth doing with every child, every time. The seats below have the highest weight limits available today in the United States at 50 pounds.

50 Pounds

The Clek Foonf – Full review here, buy here. The Clek Foonf is the current flagship seat of Canadian car seat maker Clek. Rear-facing: 14-50 pounds, and 25-43″ in height. Your child should be able to sit upright without assistance, which typically isn’t reached by most infants until after 6 months, and his or her head should not reach past 1″ below the top of the headrest.

The Foonf is one of the best seats for making sure kids actually reach the useful limits of the seat, as it measures around 26.5″ in shell height when the headrest is extended to its fullest position. Most seats top out at 23″ or 24″ in shoulder height, which means a lot of children will outgrow them by weight before doing so by height. Clek took note of this and made sure to provide a usable height range throughout the weight range of the seat.

The Diono Rainier – Full review here, buy here. The Diono Rainier is US car seat maker Diono’s current flagship. It can be used rear-facing from 5-50 pounds, and up to 44″ in height. Your child’s head should not reach past 1.5″ below the top of the headrest.

I measure the shell height at 25″ again, which is consistent with previous Dionos and which makes sense since the general height limit by Diono remains unchanged from that of previous models. This is slightly shorter than the highest headrest position achievable in the Clek Foonf, but is still excellent and is likely to enable children to rear-face for several years, and for several to reach the weight limit for the seat.

The Diono Pacifica – Full review here, buy here. The Diono Pacifica is essentially the same seat as the Diono Rainier, with the exception of the headwings that are present in the Rainier. It can be used rear-facing between 5-50 pounds, and up to 44″ in height. Your child’s head should not reach past 1.5″ below the top of the headrest.

I measure the shell height at 25″ again, which is consistent with previous Dionos and which makes sense since the general height limit by Diono remains unchanged from that of previous models. This is slightly shorter than the highest headrest position achievable in the Clek Foonf, but is still excellent and is likely to enable children to rear-face for several years, and for several to reach the weight limit for the seat.

The Clek Fllo – Full review here, buy here. The Clek Fllo is the newest member on the list of honor in extended rear-facing as only the 4th seat on the market to allow 50 pounds of rear-facing. Its weight limits span 14 to 50 pounds, just as those in the Foonf, while its height limits span 25 to 43 inches, just as those in the Foonf.

The Fllo, however, weighs significantly less than the Foonf, at 25 pounds compared to 38 pounds. The seat width remains almost exactly the same at 16.9 inches in the Fllo vs 17 inches in the Foonf. The front-to-back length is 29 inches without the anti-rebound bar and 32.5 in with; both are smaller than the fixed 33 inches in the Foonf. The seat height at 23.5 inches is several inches shorter than the 25.75 inches in the Foonf.

Keep in mind that each of these seats also offers a forward-facing option, but the key point is that none of these forward-facing options should be used until they absolutely have to. Each change in a seating position, whether from rear-facing to forward-facing, or from forward-facing to boostering, or from boostering to the use of a seat belt, represents a reduction in safety. The longer a child stays in an earlier phase of seat, as long as it still fits and is installed correctly, the safer the child is, whether that child is a newborn or a 10-year-old.

I look forward to updating this list in the coming years as more manufacturers of car seats in the United States realize that there is a growing, ready, and willing market of parents and child safety advocates who are eager to protect their children by keeping them rear-facing long beyond the official recommendations or barebones laws currently in the United States. There are seats that rear-face past 50 pounds available in Sweden, of course, but those are not legally available in the United States, which is why we need to continue to spread the word that rear-facing is the way to go.

At the same time, don’t forget that there are also seats available that allow for extended rear-facing even when they don’t have the highest weight limits. The Graco Size4Me is a great example of a seat with a 40 pound weight limit but height limits that exceed those of the seats with higher weight limits. It’s also significantly cheaper, which makes it more affordable for families with smaller budgets. In fact, there are great options for extended rear-facing and harnessing at virtually every budget. What matters is that you use whatever seat you have as long as you can, and don’t shift to a less protective configuration until you have to.

Remember, when you know better, you do better. Please rear-face to the limits, and encourage everyone you know to do so as well.

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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.