Most new booster seats meet safety standards

Good news for parents with young children— most new booster seats earned a top rating in the latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests.

Out of 53 new booster seats evaluated, 48 earned a BEST BET rating which means they are likely to provide a good seat belt fit for kids aged four to eight.

Two of the BEST BET leaders were made by Miamisburg-based Evenflo — the Big Kid (backless and highback modes) and the Safemax 3-in-1 (backless and highback modes).

A few of the other BEST BET leaders:

  • the Aidia Explorer 2-in-1 (backless and highback modes)
  • Baby Trend Protect Yumi 2-in-1 (backless and highback modes)
  • Bubblegum Pink (backless)

Despite progress, several seats given a “not recommended” rating can still be found on store shelves.

“Parents looking for a safe option for kids who have outgrown seats with built-in harnesses, have more choices than ever,” said Jessica Jermakian, IIHS research engineer, “unfortunately, we can’t declare total victory because manufacturers continue to sell sub-par boosters.”

The IIHS gave two seats made my Dorel — the Cosco Easy Elite and the Cosco Highback 2-in-1 DX — a “not recommended” rating.

The Britax Parkway SGL (backless mode), the Lil Fan Club 2-in-1 (highback) and the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120, were given a Check Fit rating, which means they make work for some kids in some vehicles.

The full list of BEST BET booster seats can be found here.

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