http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Booster-Seats

Guidelines from the NTSB

Anonymous wrote:Huh? Your kid should be in a seatbelt LONG before 10.

Your 5 year old should NOT be in a 5 pt harness. It is dangerous.
If your kid is big now, spring for the money. If not, don't.

WRONG!

There are several higher weight 5pt harness seats.

My child is almost 7 and still sits in one. She just passed the 40lb mark and she is short. She can't comfortably use a regular seat belt even with a booster seat - it cuts right under her neck so she spends the whole time yanking the seat belt away from herself which is dangereous. She prefers the 5pt harness.

my 10 year old is 59 inches and 120. he uses a seat belt. we haven't used a booster in 2 years. your chances are zero they will ride in a booster.

My child is 59 inches and 79 pounds.

Mine was 4 foot 8 and about 90 pounds.

"Highest five-point harness seat capacity allows children to remain harnessed up to 80 pounds or in booster mode up to approximately 100 pounds"

In a 5 point harness or a booster?

I meant a 5-pt harness; didn't mean to type booster. My 5-yo does ride in a booster, using the regular seatbelt.

Most 8 and 9 year olds have outgrown harnessed seats. But they would certainly fit in a booster and kids that age should be in a booster. The booster is about having the vehicle seatbelt fit you properly.

They both ride in backless boosters. The 5-yr old rides in a belt-positioning booster with a back on it.

If I saw a 10-yr old in a 5-point harness booster seat

In a 5 point harness or a booster? They are different types of seats.

let alone my 8- and 9-yr olds - they would be mortified

Most 8 and 9 year olds have outgrown harnessed seats. But they would certainly fit in a booster and kids that age should be in a booster. The booster is about having the vehicle seatbelt fit you properly.

If I saw a 10-yr old in a 5-point harness booster seat, I would think the child had a physical disability or otherwise could not ride in a regular seat for some reason.

There's no way I could get even my 5-yr old to ride in a 5-point harness, let alone my 8- and 9-yr olds - they would be mortified.

A 5-point harness for a kid older than 6 would be embarrassing,

I disagree. My DD rode in a Britax Regent until she was 8. She was actually reluctant to give it up for a booster because she says the Regent is much more comfortable.

But a booster is a safe choice for a child who is the appropriate size/weight AND can sit in one correctly. This is the big issue with booster seats and younger kids. They squirm, bend down, lean over, mess with the seatbelt, etc. A high back is safer too because it keep the shoulder belt in the correct spot. The belt should not be sitting on their neck.

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx

http://carseat.org/

My 10 yr old will use the Britax booster (forgot the model name) that has the head rest/side support. But only because I basically won't transport him anywhere without it, and he has no choice. And he knows his mother is safety-crazed. But even I won't go as far as making him use a 5 pt harness, even though he would physically still fit into one. His 5 yr old brother on the other hand, is still in one. So to the PP who said it's not safe: completely wrong, as long as it is height/weight rated appropriately. We'd all be better off in them, but most of us would balk at fumbling around with the clips, dealing with the wrinkles in our clothing, etc.

My son is 58" and 78 lbs. And trust me, your 10 year old will not ride in a carseat. Sure race car drivers and fighter pilots do but unless you let him drive your hot rod or jet, he won't come close to riding in a car seat at 10. That would be about as socially stigmatizing as it could get.

i am 85 and almost 5 feet so if you 85 lb you at east have to be tall

A 5-point harness for a kid older than 6 would be embarrassing, I think. My 4 yo and 6 yo kids sit in a Graco Highback booster seat. It says it "helps safely transport your “big kid” from 3-10 years old, from 30-100 lbs and up to 57" tall."

When my other DD was 7 yo she stopped using a booster seat because her legs would immediately go numb. We tried giving her a stool to rest her feet on so they would be hangind but it made difference. At the time she was 51" tall and 69-70 lbs (95th %tile). She's now 8 yo and 53" tall and still 70 lbs, and very comfortable and secure just sitting on the regular seat.