The Best Booster Car Seat in 2024

“He’s not breathing! Get to the hospital!”

No parent should hear these words ever.

Yet this has happened with a family who is dear to me. All because they have picked the wrong car seat.

Now you came here to find the best booster seat. The kids have grown, and it’s time to upgrade them to the last car seat that they will ever use. After this seat, the next stop is getting their driver’s license.

Look:

I bet that this isn’t your first rodeo. You know how much time it takes to find the perfect car seat. This is the reason why I’ve created the Best Booster Car Seat article. By reading it, you will save a lot of time.

You won’t be wasting hours on comparing features between tens of car seats. To make your choice easier, I’ve broken them down into categories.

By reading it to the end, you will find that perfect car seat, which will be the best fit for you. Not only that, but I will also reveal what happened with the family I’ve mentioned above. Also, you will find out the whole story, and which car seat helped them to fix it. So stick with me for a bit, and you will know everything.

Let’s get this best article started.

#1 Chicco Myfit Harness + Booster- The Best Booster Car Seat

“He’s not breathing! Get to the hospital!”

As a parent, you should never hear these words. For a friend of mine, it has become routine. You see, they have a small boy who has breathing difficulties. As soon as something blocks his air path, he ends up in the hospital. Their latest scare came from a bad car seat.

As you upgrade to bigger and bigger car seats, they start to lack the proper head support. This was the case in their recent hospital visit. The little boy has fallen asleep, and his head flopped.

They have tested a bunch of car seats until they have found the Chicco Myfit. This was the only one that offered the necessary head support. Now the parents are driving much safer since they are not looking at the rearview mirror to check on their boy.

The Chicco Myfit won the Best Booster Car Seat award. Besides being one of the coolest looking booster seats around, it has many features which contributed to the win.

The protection is top-notch. The rigid shell is reinforced with still so your child will be kept safe no matter what happens. This car seat has two layers of side protection.

This car seat can be used in forward-facing mode only. It has two functions harness mode and booster mode. The upper weight limit in booster mode is 110 pounds. Essentially this will be the last car seat that you ever have to buy.

Kids will love this seat because of its unique design. It says big kid chair from a mile away.

It’s safe; it’s comfortable and easy to install. This is why it has won the best booster car seat award.

 

#2 Graco Nautilus Snuglock – Best Booster Car Seat With Harness

Graco Nautilus won the Best Booster Car Seat With Harness award.

The Nautilus is a forward-facing car seat only (check out the best forward facing car seats). From the 5-point harness mode, it can be converted to high back booster or backless booster mode. As you can see, this car seat combines the best of two worlds.

Also, you don’t have to buy a separate booster seat so that you will be saving money in the long run.

The harness mode can be used from 22 pounds all the way up to 65. The two booster modes are limited to 100 pounds. This car seat was meant to be the last one that you will ever buy.

It’s a safe and secure car seat. The frame is reinforced with steel, and it has side impact protection. You can choose from four recline positions so your child will sleep comfortably without the floppy head syndrome.

It’s the highest-rated car seat in this category on Consumer Reports.

What I loved about the Nautilus is how easy it to transform from harness mode into booster mode. Since it caters to older kids, there are two cup holders perfect for drinks and toys.

Nautilus is the right choice if you’re looking for the best booster car seat with a harness.

 

#3 Graco Slimfit – Best Convertible Booster Car Seat

Graco Slimfit won the Best Convertible Booster Car Seat award.

If you’re looking for a convertible with booster option, you have just found it. This car seat has three usages. It can be mounted rear-facing, harness mode, and booster mode. It’s the prefect car seat from birth until early adulthood. The lowest weight limit is set to 5 pounds, and it can be used until 100 pounds.

As you can see, this car seat gives a lot of bang for your buck. As the name suggests, it has a slim profile. The width is just 19.75” wide. If you want to, you will be able to do 3 across with ease.

For a harness booster seat, they went overboard with the protection. Graco is known for the ProtectPlus system. No matter the impact, your little one is safe.

Typically car seats offer front and rear impact protection. With the Nautilus you’re getting side and rollover protection. All this comes at an affordable price.

Since this car seat caters to kids, there’s one thing certain about them. Sooner or later, there will be some kind of mess to be cleaned after them. And probably you have to do it. Here’s some good news the cover can be easily removed and machine washable.

All of it considered the Graco Slimfit deserves the Best Convertible Booster Car Seat award.

Related: The best booster car seat for 4 year olds: Reviews and Recommendations

 

#4 Clek Ozzi Backless Booster Car Seat – Best Backless Booster Car Seat

Clek Ozzi Backless Booster Car Seat won the Best Backless Booster Car Seat award.

Here are the reasons why Ozzi won. First of all, the installation. It uses the rigid latch system. You can install it within seconds. There’s nothing complicated about it. When you have to do an emergency stop, the car seat stays in place.

Other car seats that don’t have the latch install might turn out to be projectiles in case of an emergency stop.

The next reason why it won was that it has a neutral color scheme. I mean, the polka dots and superhero cover seems like a good idea, but this booster seat will be there for many years to come. Eventually, it will go out of fashion or look funny under a big child. Then you will have to buy a new booster seat.

The major issue with other brands that the padding is paper-thin. On long trips, kids will complain that they are not comfortable, and eventually, they will get numb bum. Ozzi, on the other hand, is different. It has thick padding offering the most comfort possible.

Clark is known to make the narrowest car seat. It has delivered here as well the width is just 12.8”.

With these simple features has out bested all the other brands, so no wonder it has won the Best Backless Booster Car Seat.

 

#5 Clek Oobr High Back Booster Car Seat – Best Child Booster Car Seat

Clek Oobr won the Best Child Booster Car Seat award. I got to hand it, Clek. They know how to make a cool looking car seat. Children, after a certain age, will want what big kids or adults have.

To make things worse, they will detest everything that looks baby related. There’s no danger with Clek Oobr. The design is similar to any modern car seat. Your children will fall in love with it.

Besides the looks, it’s a safe car seat. The frame is made out of magnesium. The headrest provides side impact protection. This car seat caters to older children. The lower weight limit is set to 40 pounds, and it can be used up to 100 pounds.

This would mean that his car seat will be the last one you will ever have to buy. With the long expiration date, you’ll be getting the best bang for your buck.

The installation couldn’t be simpler. With the Clek Oobr, you will be using the rigid latch system. This is the fastest and easiest installation that I’ve ever seen. In less than 10 seconds, you will finish the mounting. Best of all, no force is required.

With any Clek item, you’re getting the sensitive skin-friendly fabric. They are none to use chemical-free covers. Since they rely on merino wool, no toxic flame retardants are needed.

For all these reasons, the Clek Oobr won the Best Child Booster Car Seat award.

 

#6 Britax Grow With You Clicktight – Best Rated Booster Car Seat

Britax Grow With You won the Best Rated Booster Car Seat award. According to the IHHS, it’s the highest-rated booster seat of its kind.

Besides being highly rated, the design is amazing. It looks like a miniature NASCAR seat. After a certain age, kids want to shed baby car seats. The Britax Grow with You is a good upgrade.

This Britax car seat has two functions. It can be used in harness mode and booster mode. The weight limits are generous. You can start using it from 25 pounds all the way up to 120 pounds. Best of all, it can be the last car seat that you will ever have to buy.

The Clicktight system makes the installation effortless. All you have to do is pop open the back of the seat and guide through the belt or the latch. Once that’s done, you remove the slack and close the lid. It will be automatically tightened. It’s one of the fastest installed car seats I’ve ever tested.

It’s built like the tank now wonder the high safety ratings. The expiration date is 9 years, so you’re getting great mileage from this car seat.

The fabric can be easily removed and washed. Since spills and accidents can happen with older kids, now, you know that the cleaning process is easy.

For all these reasons, the Britax Grow with You won the best-rated booster car seat award.

 

#7 Graco Atlas 2 In 1 Harness Booster Seat – Best Booster Car Seat For 4-Year-Old

Graco Atlas won’t win the Best Booster Car Seat For 4-Year-Old award.

At age four, kids want to distance themselves from baby stuff. The Graco Atlas is perfect for the job. It doesn’t have that baby look. Plus, it comes in a darker color scheme, so the stains aren’t that visible.

Safety-wise it’s a good choice. It has one of the best side impact protection I’ve ever seen. Most car seats only protect the head while the Atlas offers protection to the torso as well.

The Graco Atlas has two modes of use. There’s the harness option, which will serve your child from 22 pounds up to 65 pounds. And then you can transform the car seat into a high back booster seat. This one serves from 30 pounds all the way up to 100 pounds.

As you can see, this car seat is perfect. It will be the last car seat that you ever have to buy.

There’s one thing for certain with 4-year-olds. They will make a mess and occasionally have accidents. This is why it’s good to know that the cover can be easily removed and machine washable. No matter the stain, it will be good as new after a quick wash.

Considering all these features, no wonder it has won the Best Booster Car Seat For 4-Year-Old award.

 

#8 Britax Frontier Clicktight Harness 2 Booster – Best Booster Car Seat With 5 Point Harness

This incident happened to a friend of mine. She was taking the kids home. They were sitting in the back, chatting about their day.

Their SUV stopped because of red light. Then out of the blue, another SUV rammed them at high speed. The trunk was squished. The back window shattered and sent sharp projectiles all around.

It wasn’t over yet. There was so much energy that their SUV started moving. The rear SUV managed to push my friend’s vehicle into a parking SUV 20 feet away. The airbags deployed. The two SUV was totaled.

The passengers got lucky. Both kids 5 and 7 years got away without harm. They were shaken up, but they were not hurt. Their mother had a few cuts from glass shards.

Britax Frontier Clicktight won the Best Booster Car Seat With a 5 Point Harness award.

By checking the safety features, no wonder, the kids were safe. The car seat has a steel frame, so no matter the accident, the kids are safe. It has a 5-point harness, which is the safest one in the industry. Even when they got rammed from the back, they were kept in place.

The Britax Frontier Clicktight has a 9-year expiration date. This will give you a lot of mileage for your money. It has two modes of installation. There are the harness and the booster mode. According to them, you can use the harness mode up to 90 pounds. After that, you can upgrade to the booster mode, which is limited to 120 pounds.

The Britax Frontier Clicktight is the best booster car seat with 5 point harness, that’s why it has won the award.

 

#9 Diono Radian 3RXT All-In-One Convertible – Best Car Seat Booster Combo

This incident happened with some friends of ours. The father was on a regular supply run with his son. He was sitting quietly in the back. Everything was ordinary.

They have crossed an intersection where another car slammed into them. The crash was deafening. The metal screeched and bent under pressure. The windows shattered into a million shards. The front of their van was destroyed.

The father’s life was saved by the airbags. The little boy was unhurt in this ordeal. He was scared, but otherwise, there wasn’t a scratch on him.

The Diono Radian 3RXT All-In-One Convertible won the Best Car Seat Booster Combo award. This car seat comes with the modes. It can be mounted in rear-facing, harness mode, and booster mode. With this Diono, you’re getting everything from looks to safety. It has it all.

The frame is made out of steel so your child will be safe no matter what. It has side impact protection as standard. Since you’re interested in the booster combo, this is what you need to know. In harness mode, you can use it from 20 pounds up to 65 pounds. After that, you can upgrade to booster mode, which is limited to 120 pounds.

As you can see, this car seat will be the first and last one that you will buy.

It’s one of the coolest looking car seats that I’ve seen. It comes in multiple color schemes. Plus, it has a narrow profile, so you will be able to do 3 across with ease.

With the Radian, you’re getting many years of use, so for all these reasons, it has won the Best Car Seat Booster Combo award.

The Dino Radion 3RXT is the best rated Diono car seat.

 

Buyer’s Guide

The categories will help you in finding the best booster seat. But what about next time? This is why I’ve thought that I will share with you a buyer’s guide. This will be helpful shortly. You will be able to eliminate car seats that are not the right fit.

Here are some things to keep in mind. When you are planning to install the car seat, you have to find the safest place for your child. Now in the car, typically, the middle is the safest. Sadly not many families can utilize it. So at least stick with the second-best option, which is behind the driver.

The second thing to keep in mind is the perfect installation. They are so many car seats that are poorly installed that it’s scary. If you’re unsure or want a second opinion to reach out to a licensed professional.

Let’s get the buyer’s guide started.

Safety

Safety is top of my list. This is the most important point for parents as well. My best advice in this category is to get the most protection that you can afford.

With boosters seats, you don’t have many options. Since the kids have grown, then the seat belts will be their only line of protection. Now, if you still have smaller kiddos, then everything that can protect them in case of a crash.

Size Limits

The booster seat will be the last seat that you will ever have to use. After this, the driver’s license will come. The usual upper limit is between 100-120 pounds.

Install

With booster seats, there’s no room for error. Most of them rely on the seat belt. There’s the Clek brand, which still uses the rigid latch system. The best part of it is that if there’s a dead stop, the booster doesn’t become a projectile.

Fabric

Since boosters seat is serving you for a few years, it’s a good idea to stick with something that’s a blend. Polka dots might be fun at 4 or 5 years, but it will be an annoyance later. Then you have to buy another car seat.

This would be the end of my buyer’s guide.

Conclusions

Wow, this was a long article. I’ve made it as simple as possible with the categories. You’re bound to find the right car seat.

We have reached the end of The Best Booster Car Seat article. I hope you have learned some valuable information. By now, you should know which booster seat is the right fit for you.

It’s your time to take action. Not long ago, I’ve checked on the stocks, and they were running low, so get them soon.

If you have questions or ideas, you can share them in the comment section below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

What is the safest booster seat?

The safest booster seat is the Britax Grow with You booster seat.

Are high back booster seats safer?

The high back booster seats are safer for smaller kids.

Can I put my 4 year old in a booster seat?

Yes you can put a 4 year old in a booster seat if they have the minimum weight limit. It’s highly advised to keep them in harness mode for a longer time.

Which booster seats didn’t make the best booster car seats list?

These big kid high-back booster seats didn’t make the cut: peg perego viaggio adjustable headrest high-back booster, diono monterey xt adjustable headrest belt-positioning booster seat, graco affix belt-positioning booster seat, chicco kidfit backless booster seat. Other options would be graco nautilus 65 convertible seats, chicco kidfit zip air infant seats, peg perego viaggio shuttle infant seats, diono monterey xt booster seat, clek oobr convertible seats,  britax frontier clicktigh booster seat, graco affix booster seat. If you’re looking for the best booster car seats I have specific article about that. Whats special about the diono monterey xt booster seat is that it comes with a carry bag. Here’s a list of car seats that are recommended both by the national highway safety administration and the american academy of pediatrics: graco nautilus 65 big kid highback mode booster seat, chicco kidfit and the britax frontier clicktight big kid highback mode booster seat. Don’t forget that they have to be 40 pounds and 43 inches tall (57 inches tall) and least 4 years old. Many boosters seats won the best bet award as well.

What are the weight and height requirements for these best of the best boosters?

The weight and height requirements are as follows. The weight range for high-back boosters is 30 to 100 pounds or 110 pounds. Some high-back boosters allow 110 pounds and 43 inches as a maximum limit. The weight requirements for backless booster seat is 40 pounds. Some backless boosters allow less. What the maximum height limit with backless booster seat 57 inches tall or 12 years old. What’s the minimum age limit for youth booster seat? The child should be at least 4 years old. Many parents use it first as a belt-positioning booster seat and then converts to a backless vehicle seat. The height and weight requirements differ from brand to brand. For example the height and weight requirements for infant seats are 4 pounds up to 30 or 35 pounds. The weight requirement for an infant carrier hovers around 4 or 5 pounds. The height and weight requirements for high-back booster seat (ready for a booster mode) are 22 to 100 pounds. When do you know that your child is ready for a booster seat? Well they have to reach 4 feet 9 inches. The 4 feet 9 inches is the limit for the booster seat. If you pick the right car seat then your child will be able to ride in rear facing mode up to 4 years old. For 8 to 12 years old backless mode is recommended. The backless mode booster seats are limited to 100 pounds, 110 pounds or 120 pounds or 57 inches tall. All booster seats that go to 100 pounds, 110 pounds or 120 pounds are tapping out at 57 inches tall. Most convertible seats tap out at 40 pounds or 4 years old. I’ve specifically selected the car seats above because they are all recommended by the national highway safety administration and the american academy of pediatrics.

What is the best bet booster seat?

This belt positioning convertible car seat award is given out by the IIHS to the best booster seats in on the market.

What kind of car seat safety standards should you look at when you’re checking out the best booster car seats?

The safety standards a high with all back seat backless boosters. These are the most important safety features that vehicle’s seat should have. Make sure that Side-impact protection is on the list. As you know the human body doesn’t tolerate side impact well. This is why you need the most layers of side-impact protection possible. Many parents go a step further than this when they check out the booster seat options. Make sure that the harnessed booster fit properly on the child’s shoulder. Also make sure that the seat has the five-point harness. You probably know that the five-point harness is the safest harness on the market. All car seats completed the successful crash test. All of these booster seats have passed the car crash tests. After serious crash testing and passing the crash tests only then are brands allowed to sell the seats. The seat cover and the seat pad is typically removable. Also the seat cover and the seat pad is machine washable. Even with older kids accident can happen and the seat pad has to be cleaned. I prefer the machine washable option every time. A great feature to check is how easy for kids is to get in and out of the booster seat. Also check the necessary height positions. If you want high safety standards you have found the best booster seats. The harness seats offer great protection for at least 4 year olds. Periodical crash tests and crash testing insures that your kids are safe all the time.

How do you install these best booster seats?

You can install the convertible car seat without the latch system. You can rely on the vehicle’s seat lap and shoulder belt. The high-back booster seat can be installed with the latch system or with the vehicle seat lap and shoulder seat belt. As the child grows you can upgrade from high-back booster seat to backless mode seats. Always check the height positions first. Make sure you read the manual first before installing it. At this stage you can’t use the latch connectors. The only option is the lap and shoulder belt or the adult seat belts.  The safety belt (safety belts) is for making car rides safe and comfy. The latch anchors can only be used up to 65 pounds and 43 inches tall the shoulder belt doesn’t have these limitations. So even 8 to 12 years old under 57 inches tall are safe in the car. Typically the seat belt is the hardest one to install with. You don’t have no other choice with booster seats just to use the seat belt. One of the easiest booster seat to install is the one above. Here’s one thing to know about belt guides. With convertible car seats and all in one booster seat there are multiple belt guides to choose from. Depending on how you’re installing the car seat. There are different belt guides for forward and rear facing modes. The shoulder and lap seat belt installation is good for 57 inches tall without reaching the head restraint.

What features should you check when checking out the best booster seats online?

Cup holders are important so check it. Two cup holders are ideal since kids need cup holders for drinks and toys. The seat pad should be easily removable and machine washable. Make sure it’s compatible with seat belts, shoulder belts, lap belt and vehicle seat belt. After the booster seat has all the features you have to check the weight requirements. Some booster seats come with a storage compartment. Typically you can put the harness straps or the the manual into the storage compartment. Your child may not fit in a traditional highback mode booster seat then you have to convert to a backless booster seat. The harness covers are also machine washable. The seat cushion (seat cushions) with the cup holder offer the most comfort. Also it’s good if the booster seat has back support and a recline feature for added comfort. The cup holders are essential for kids. These cup holders can be good for distraction for little ones. Most kids aren’t mature enough to sit properly in a booster seat until at least 4 years old. The easy to use function is the one that most parents look for. The height positions and the adjustable headrest are sought after features. The adjustable position headrest gives more comfort for 4 years old.

Which booster car seat is better Chico MyFit vs Britax Frontier?

For most buyers, the Britax Frontier is the better choice.

Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Brian Beasley