Study: Best booster seats for your kids

PRIOVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- If your child still uses a booster seat in your car, a recent study may reveal some surprises.

It's a fear that every parent has - a crash with your child in the backseat. Although, if they're properly buckled into a booster seat, chances of serious injuries are greatly reduced.

"The main job for boosters is to elevate children and guide seat belts so that seat belts designed for adults fit kids properly and provide good protection in a crash," said Anne McCartt of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The institute tested booster seats in its latest round of crash tests. In all:

• 47 boosters are considered best bets.
• 5 seats are a good bet, meaning they provide acceptable belt fit in most vehicles.
• 37 landed in the "check fit" category, which may provide a good fit in certain cars.
• 2 boosters are not recommended because they don't provide proper belt fit.

The institute strongly advises consumers to avoid the last two, which include the "Safety 1st All-in-One" and the "Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite", both made by Dorel Juvenile Group.

"They work fine as forward-facing or rear-facing child restraints, but they don't do a good job as boosters," said McCartt. "They leave the lap belt too high up and the shoulder belt is too far off the shoulder."

Some of the best boosters include:

• Britax Frontier 85
• Evenflo Big Kid Sport
• Graco Turbo Booster

With a proper fitting booster, you've got to make sure the lap belt lies flat across your child's upper thighs, and the shoulder belt crosses snugly over the middle of the shoulder.

For more information, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's booster evaluations page.