Can I put my 4-year-old in a booster seat?
These are the most commonly asked questions from parents. If you also have the same questions and want to know more about the car seat ages and stages, and types, here is the right place.
In this post, we’ll answer the frequently asked questions that the majority of parents may have. These questions are collected from the internet and forums like Reddit, and the answers are based on the experience and the researches we did in the process to find the perfect car seats and combos for growing children.
Your little’s age is not a deciding factor for parents to choose a car seat, but still an important consideration. You’ll find that age is a very commonly talked about topic in the city’s local laws on child safety seats. The other two factors are your little one’s weight and height that we have talked about in the post on Car Seat Height and Weight Limits.
Car Seat Chat by Age
This car seat chart by age shows you plenty of details about car seat ages and stages and types. You can easily get a result of which car seat for which age by positioning your little’s age in this chart.
It’s important to ride your child with safety, so every two stages and types have overlapping ages. That means you’ll have two options when your child grows to a specific age, for example, at 2 years old, your toddler can stay in two types of car seats – rear- and forward-facing car seats.
From this car seat chart by age, we’ll explain more details about car seat ages and stages, car seat type age.
Car Seat Ages and Stages
0-3 Years Old for Stage 1 to Stay Rear-facing
Birth-12 months
Infants under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are various types of car seats that can be installed rear-facing to accommodate newborns and small babies, including the infant car seats, convertible, and all-in-one car seats.
The latter two commonly have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep the infants rear-facing for a longer period of time.
Infant car seats, like the Chicco KeyFit30, generally have a short usage until the babies approach the top height or weight limit, which typically happens around the 12 months for average infants while big babies may meet this case earlier even in their 6-9 months. Then you should use a convertible or all-in-one car seat to keep your child rear-facing, as these two types of car seats feature higher weight limits. For example, Graco Extend2Fit and Diono Radian 3R can fit a child up to 50 pounds in rear-facing.
Doona Infant Car Seat Stroller Combo
- Weight Range: 4-35 lbs.
- Height Limit: 32 inches
- Lifespan: 6 years
- Type: Infant
- Stage: 1st
- Suitable for: Birth to 2 years old
$499*
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1-3 Years
The AAP guidelines recommend keeping your toddler rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to ride a toddler safe. Your little one should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Toddlers at the age of 1-3 years may exceed the maximum height or weight limit of the infant car seats. At this time, they need a convertible or all-in-one car seat to stay rear-facing for longer.
The convertible and all-in-one car seats have higher height and weight limits. For example, the Chicco NextFit Zip is able to ride a child between 5 to 40 pounds and up to 43 inches tall, perfect for toddlers as big as 3 years old.
Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, it’s the right time to move them to the next stage to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.
2-7 Years Old for Stage 2 to Stay Forward-Facing
1 – 3 Years
Keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible is the best way to ensure their safety in the car seat. That’s why some states and cities require your child to be accommodated in rear-facing until they’re 2 years old. So it’s best to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer – You can easily find this in the car seat’s manual or description.
If you’re living or planning to travel in the cities with the local laws that require children under 2 years old should remain in a rear-facing car seat, you’d better get a convertible or all-in-one car seat to fit your child, Graco Extend2Fit, Chicco NextFit Zip, and Diono Radian 3R are good options for this case. They all also provide a seamless transition to forward-facing once your child outgrows the top height or weight limit of the rear-facing.
4 – 7 Years
Toddlers aged from 4 to 7 years should stay in a forward-facing car seat with a 5-point harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed in the harness system. Convertible and all-in-one car seats are typically great options to accommodate toddlers and preschoolers.
Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
4-12 Years old for Stage 3 to Stay in Booster
4 – 7 Years
You may have noticed that the 4 years is the minimum age requirement in a booster car seat’s description. But if you have purchased a convertible or all-in-one car seat to grow with your child, just keep them in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.
Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
Advanced tips: For big families with several children including infants and toddlers, getting a cheaper booster for the big kid over 4 years old is a considerable way to save money.
8 – 12 Years
Your child should stay in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly, which generally happens around 8-12 years of age. To fit the seat belt for big kids properly with safety and comfort, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.
Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there. The majority of the US states also require children under 13 years old should stay in the rear seat for safety.
8-13 Years old for Stage 4 to Stay in Seat Belt
8 – 12 Years
Big kids can use the vehicle’s seat belt for safety. That happens around the age of 8-12 years when your child is ready to fit in a seat belt. Fitting properly in the seat belt is very important to ensure your child’s security in the car.
Make sure the lap belt fits comfortably across the thighs (not the stomach) and that your child is not slouching. The shoulder strap should go across the chest and shoulder, and never goes beneath a child’s arm, behind the back, or across the neck.
Remember: riding your child in the back seat is safer when they’re below 13 years old, which is also the legal-approved age in most US states.
Car Seat Types Age - Which Car Seat for Which Age
Rear-facing Car Seat Ages: 1-3 Years Old
There are different types of car seats that can be used in rear-facing mode: Infant car seats, convertible, and all-in-one car seats. Every type of car seat can last for several months or years according to your child’s weight and height.
Infant Car Seats - Birth to 6-9 Months
This type of car seat can be used in rear-facing only for newborns and small babies. They come with a 30 or 35 pounds weight limit and a 32-inch height limit. That means infants around 6 or 9 months will outgrow their infant car seats with the top height is easier to reach.
Convertible Car Seats - Birth to 2-3 Years
That’s why you need a convertible car seat to fit big infants after they exceed the height or weight limits of their infant car seats. Convertible car seats are larger than infant seats. They can be positioned to face the front or rear of the car to fit infants, toddlers, and young children up to age 6-8.
Convertible car seats typically have higher weight and height limits to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time, achieving the objective to accommodate your child from birth to 2-3 years.
All-in-one Car Seats - Birth to 2-3 Years
All-in-one car seats have similar features to the convertible car seats with a higher weight and height limits to keep an infant rear-facing for longer when they’re 2-3 years old.
They even last longer than convertible car seats to fit growing children, from birth to youths. Some 4-in-1 car seats can be used until your kids are ready to use the vehicle’s seat belts.
Forward-facing Car Seat Ages: 2-7 Years Old
It’s important to keep your little one in rear-facing as long as possible, however, it’s time to move them to a front-facing car seat when they’re big enough, at least 2 years old. Various car seats are available for choices: convertible, all-in-one, and combination car seats.
Convertible and all-in-one car seats can be positioned both rear- and forward-facing for a child from birth to preschool or even youth. The combination car seats can be installed for front-facing use only. They are good for big kids at least 2 years old.
The combination car seats generally combine the harness convertible and belt-positioning booster features and last for several years to grow with your child. The KidsEmbrace is a typical harness booster combination car seat.
Booster Seat Ages: 4-12 Years Old
Which car seat is good for kids between 4-12 years old? There are many options. Besides the two types we talked about above – all-in-one and combination car seats, the booster seats, including highback and backless models, are great and cheap choices to accommodate big kids. Children aged 4 years or older can ride in a booster seat.
Until your child outgrows the height or weight limits of the five-point harness, it’s better for parents to stick with the harness mode when using the all-in-one and combination car seats.
For big kids who are ready to ride in a booster, the highback and backless booster seats are cheaper choices if you need to purchase a new car seat. Backless boosters are the cheapest models, but it’s good to use a highback booster that features detachable back support for the transition.
Seat Belt Ages: 8-13 Years Old
Big kids at least 8 years old are legal to ride without a car seat in most US states. But they’re are required to use the vehicle’s seat belt for safety as an adult. They should sit in the back seat until 13 years old.
6 Questions You May Have About Car Seat Age
Yes. Almost every US state requires that a child under 8 years old should ride in a car seat. From the car seat chart by age and stage, you’ll know that 7-year-old child positions in the second forward-facing and third booster stage. A few types of car seats are suitable for children aged 7 years old, convertible, all-in-one, combination, or booster, just pick up the best one based on your child’s height and weight.
Yes, of course. The reason is the same as the above – the US states’ local laws require children below 8 years old to stay in a car seat for travel. From the car seat chart by age and stage, we know that 4 years old is an overlapping age between stages 2 and 3. It means, children at this age can choose any type of car seat for these two stages.
Checking the car seat chart by age and stage, you’ll find the minimum ages to change car seats are 2 years old, 4 years old, 8 years old.
2 years old is the minimum age to move an infant from rear-facing to forward-facing. That’s required in local laws in several US states like Alabama and New Jersey. Some states may not have this statement in the local laws for child safety seats. It’s better to check your local laws and the states’ laws where you’re planning to travel to.
Children should be at least 4 years old to ride in booster seats. This is also a common statement that most cities have in the local laws and in the products’ descriptions. This means that you can move your child from a front-facing harness to a booster seat on their fourth birthday. But it’s recommended to ride your child in a harness car seat until they exceed the height or weight limits of the harness.
When your child grows to 8 years old, they’re ready to wear the vehicle’s seat belt. 8 years is the minimum age to be out of a child safety seat in US laws. Even it’s suggested to use at least a backless booster for children at this age.
12 years old is the oldest age for a car seat. It’s a good idea to ride your child in a car seat as long as possible. Children can fit in a booster at their youth age if they don’t want others to know that they’re using a car seat.
Yes, 4 year old child can ride in a booster seat. But it’s advised to keep your child in the current or last stage as long as possible. For example, forward-facing car seats with a 5-point harness for stage 2 are better to fit a 4 years old toddler than the booster seats for stage 3.
Yes. Children below 8 years old should ride in a car seat, meaning a 5 year old toddler need a car seat. That’s the basic rule in most US states and cities. From the car seat chart by age and stage, 5 years old is an overlapping age between stages 2 and 3, and there are multiple types of car seats for children at this age.