everything_you_need_to_know_about_child_safety_seats

The Fundamentals

The Basics of Child Safety Seats
2e - Combination Car Seat/Booster Seat

A combination seat is a seat that can be used as a forward-facing seat with a harness and can also be converted to a booster seat; so it is really is two different seats in one. While being used as a forward-facing seat, it is held in the car with either the safety belt or with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), but never both, and the harness is holding onto your child. During a crash the harness stretches along with the seat shell to allow your child to slow down over a longer period of time than the car (see "The Basics"). A booster seat positions your child to fit into the vehicle's safety belts correctly and allows them to decelerate your child. It is not held in with the safety belts and it is important to remove the harness system when used in the booster mode.

Your child is usually better protected in a harness system, so before going to the booster seat mode, make sure your child is ready. The reason to move to a booster seat should be that your child no longer fits in the harness system, or will soon out-grow it. If he/she fits properly in the harness system you should continue to use it. When you're ready to move your child to a booster, be sure to use it properly. See "How Your Child Fits in the Car Seat" for more details on this.

There are several reasons to consider using a combination seat. A couple of these are:

  • Longer harness use within the typical 40 lb. weight limit, usually due to higher harness height for taller kids.
  • The ability to "share" the convertible seat with younger siblings without forcing the older child into a booster-only mode prematurely.
There are a variety of combination seats with a variety of features, so shop around, but remember to make sure that fit comes first.

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