Narrowest Boosters

Are you driving carpool this year and wondering how you are going to fit 3 boosters across the back of your car?  Trying to fit multiple car seats & boosters can be a challenge – even in a big vehicle like a minivan.  Wondering which booster is the narrowest?

Bubble Bum

The Bubble Bum is the narrowest of all at just 12.5 inches – and also has no arm rests (which are the parts that tend to interfere most with placing a booster next to another car seat or booster).  The Bubble Bum is an inflatable booster that passes the US and European crash tests required of all boosters – not only that, it passes the crash tests in the inflated AND deflated states – so should the worst case scenario happen (the booster deflates) it will still work to keep your child safe.

Nania High Ride

The Nania High Ride (backless booster) is the  next narrowest booster seat currently available – at just 14.5 inches wide.

Harmony Cruz

The Harmony Juvenile Cruz is the next narrowest after that – at just 15.5 inches wide.  Both are available for less than $25 each.

Before you rush to buy a booster for carpool…

Kids, especially younger ones, are safer in a 5-point harness.  Don’t rush to “graduate” your child to a booster seat.   Kids who are AT LEAST 40 pounds AND AT LEAST 3-4 years old can start riding on boosters.  Kids should ride on a booster UNTIL they can pass the 5-step-test (usually age 8-10).

If you can check “Yes” to all the statements below, your child is okay to use a booster:

YES       NO
  [ ]          [ ]       There is a shoulder AND lap belt where the child sits (boosters need shoulder belts)
  [ ]          [ ]       The child is at least 40 pounds (kids under 40 pounds are safer in a 5-point harness)
  [ ]          [ ]       The child is at least 3-4 years old
  [ ]          [ ]       The child can sit still the entire trip without leaning forward or sitting on their knees

Do you need something EVEN NARROWER? 

Ride Safer Travel Vest using vehicle's shoulder belt

The Ride Safer Travel Vest is a great option as it is only as wide as the child’s body (see below for more info).

Does a child need to ride in a position with just a lap belt?
One option would be to use a 5-point harness car seat with a high-weight-harness (a harness that accommodates kids who weigh more than 40 pounds).  A list of such car seats can be found here thanks to our fantastic friends at Safety Belt Safe USA.  If you have a tether anchor available in that seating position, you can also use the Ride Safer Travel Vest with the vehicle’s lap belt and the tether.

Ride Safer Travel Vest with lap belt and tether

Back view showing tether used on Ride Safer Travel Vest in center seat

Another option is the Ride Safer Travel Vest – which is a vest that functions like a booster by positioning the vehicle’s seat belt properly on the child’s body.  The Ride Safer Travel Vest can be used with just a lap belt so long as there is a tether anchor available.  For vehicles 2000 and newer, there are tether anchors in at least 3 seating locations in the vehicle – most older vehicles (as old as 1989) can have tether anchors retrofitted for free or at minimal cost.  The vest was redesigned about a year ago; please make sure to get the newer version. You can distinguish the new from the old as the old one was only available in silver and had 2 buckles in front whereas the new one is available in a rainbow variety of colors, but not silver, and the new one has only one buckle in front.

NOTES:

• The boosters shown above are BACKLESS boosters.  In order to use a backless booster, or the Ride Safer Travel Vest, you need to make sure that the vehicle seat back comes up to at least the top of the child’s ears in order to provide adequate head support.  If the vehicle seat back does NOT come up to at least the top of the ears, then you need to use a high back booster.
• For wiggly, squirmy kids it is often helpful to “lock” the seat belt – click here for tips on how to “lock” the belt.
• The Bubble Bum will be available in April 2011 – it meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and crash testing like all other boosters.
• The Nania High Ride (which meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards like all other car seats and boosters sold in the US) is not sold in any retail stores.  It is available individually for $20 from the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital Online Safety Store.  Otherwise it is sold in packs of 6-8 boosters (total cost comes to less than $20 per booster) and is available from the following websites:
• AllegroMedical
• Child Source
• OpenTip

For approximate dimensions of other boosters and car seats, click here.