A harness booster seat is a type of forward-facing car seat that combines the features of a 5-point harness system—with straps at the shoulders, hips, and between the legs—with the flexibility of a booster. These seats are designed to grow with your child, starting with the harness for younger children and transitioning to a belt-positioning booster as they get older. When choosing a 5-point harness booster seat, consider your child’s age, weight, height, and developmental readiness. Most models are built for extended use with the harness until your child reaches at least 4 years old, 40 pounds, and 44" tall, at which point you can consider switching to booster mode using the vehicle seat belt and built-in positioning guides for a secure fit.
While it may be tempting to quickly transition your child to a belt-positioning booster seat as they grow, it's better to keep them in a 5-point harness for as long as they’re within the height and weight limits for that mode. A 5-point harness offers enhanced protection by distributing crash forces across the strongest parts of your child’s body—the shoulders and hips —helping reduce the risk of serious injury. You can consider transitioning to belt-positioning booster mode once your child is at least 4 years old, stands between 44–57 inches tall, and weighs at least 40 pounds. Just as important as size is behavior: only move to booster mode if your child can sit upright without slouching or unbuckling for the entire ride. If they still need the security and structure of a harness to stay safely in position, it’s best to wait. Every child is different, and you know yours best—prioritize readiness over age alone.
Measure your backseat or check the exact specifications of your vehicle to know what size harness booster seat will fit in your vehicle. Some retailers might allow you to test the fit of a car seat before purchasing but most have displays that allow you to check out the car seat in-store to research the features that make installation simple like bubble level indicators and multiple recline angles.
Harness booster car seats are designed to transition your child from toddler to big kid car seat as your child grows. Harness booster car seats are used for kids who weigh at least 25 lbs and are at least two years old and as a belt-positioning booster, for kids weighing up to 100 lbs and around 8+ years of age.
A car seat’s expiration date varies by the type of seat. You can find the expiration date for your 5-point harness booster seat printed on an adhesive manufacturer label on the underside of the seat.
Moving up to a booster seat means you are transitioning your child to use the vehicle safety system. The booster seat helps to make that job achievable by helping your child fit the vehicle seat belt. Seat belts are made to fit adults so the booster seat “boosts” the child up which allows the lap belt to go over the child’s hips and the shoulder belt to go over their collar bone allowing contact with the strongest part of their bodies. A few tips when installing your car seat: 1. Read the instructions and check out the installation video. 2. Do not over tighten the lower anchors, this could cause the seat back of the booster seat to ride forward. 3. Make sure the seat belt guide is just above your Child’s shoulders for a comfortable fit. If you still have questions please contact customer service and we will be glad to help you with installing your booster seat.
The booster seat helps to make that job achievable by helping your child fit the vehicle seat belt. Seat belts are made to fit adults so the booster seat “boosts” the child up which allows the lap belt to go over the child's hips and the shoulder belt to go over their collar bone allowing contact with the strongest part of their bodies. So when is it time to move from the booster seat to the seat belt? There is a simple test for that: 1. Have your child sit with their backside all the way back 2. Do their knees bend at the seat and feet touch the floor? 3. Does the lap portion of the seat ride across their hips? 4. Does the shoulder belt portion lay on their collar bone? 5. Will your child stay in the correct position the whole ride? When your child/tween meets all these they fit the seat belt and can ride in your vehicle's seat belt moving forward. Your child may fit differently in different cars so make sure you test them in each of your vehicles.
No - LATCH installation is not required, but when using the car seat in 5-point harness mode, it must be securely anchored to the vehicle seat - either through LATCH or through use of the vehicle seat belt. Once the seat is converted to belt-positioning booster mode, LATCH is used only to keep the booster seat in place when not occupied, preventing it from shifting or becoming a projectile in a crash. In this configuration, the vehicle’s seatbelt does the work of restraining the child passenger. Always refer to your car seat’s manual and your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the correct installation method, including any weight limits or restrictions for LATCH use.