How big/old does a child have to be before it is safe to move them to a booster?

[Christeen_Trevor]

I am trying to figure out when my older child will be ready in ageand wt for a booster.

Christeen

[emmiem]

Depends on which booster you are interested in. Most kids need to be at least 40 inches and 30 pounds.
Michele

[o_mom]

The bare minimum is 4 years and 40 lbs. Age and maturity are big factors. They must be in the correct postion at the time of a crash for a booster to work. That means they can't lean out to get a dropped toy, put the shoulder belt under their arm, let it drop down off the shoulder, fall asleep and slump over, or unbuckle the belt. They need to be able to do this for the entire ride every ride. Most kids are not ready at 4, some not until 6 and it is always safer to keep them in a 5 point harness (just like the race car drivers!).

Some boosters will have ratings of 3 years and 30 lbs. This is because until recently there were very few choices for a 35 lb 5 year old or a 42 lb 3 year old. That doesn't mean is it a good idea to put a young or small child in a booster.

[Joolsplus2]

To paraprase the PP's... minimum requirements on booster labels are very low (38 inches, 3 years, 30 pounds), but the longer you can keep a kid harnessed, to age 5 or 6 or beyond, while not exceeding the limits of the car seat, the safer they are (my 9 and 7 year olds routinely ride harnessed in my minivan, in their Regents)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx