I have a six-year-old son. I was curious when other families have switched from the five-point harness in the car seat to the high booster with the seatbelt? My husband says it is time, and he fits the requirements, but I don’t see why we can’t keep in in the harness a little longer. When did other mommas feel it was okay to switch?
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Car Seat Safety For The Littles (CSSFTL) is the BEST place to ask. You’ll get unsafe answers on here
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The longer you can keep them in a 5 point, the safer they will be.
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I maxed out the weight of the 5pt harness. I believe it was 65lbs. My daughter is 5 1/2 and a solid tall kid. She has been out of her 5pt harness for about 6 months or so.
I switched my son when he was 4 and over 40lbs
I switched mine when he was tall or weighed enough
. My kids are safe… I block car seat natzis . I follow rules but to the super cautious ppl … don’t bother commenting because it goes one one ear out other then to a finger to a block button lol
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We are shortly, I just bought one. James is 5 but out of room in the crotch area and its really hard to clip anymore. I did buy a graco turbo booster with a latch system though
When my kids maxed out the weight for the harness. The seats I had for them, I believe the limit was 65lbs. The longer he rides in a 5 point, the safer he is.
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Go with your gut. If he barely fits the requirements i would keep him in the harness.
We switched my daughter when she was 4 and over 40 lbs. Now she’s almost 7 and is in a backless booster.
Best practice is: minimum age of 5 and maturity to sit correctly all the time on every ride. I agree with the comment above recommending Car seat safety for the littles.
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My son is 5 and 41 pounds. I plan to keep him in it for as long as possible until he max out of it. I just feel as much as we travel going back and forth to visit my parents if much rather him be safe in case of an accident.
My son always maxed out of the car seats early with his height and weight. I believe he changed to a booster around 5. Hes 9 now and doesn’t use anything. Before I get jumped on he’s 150 lbs and 5’1” and fits in the regular seatbelt correctly with his feet on the floor. He’s the same size as my mom!
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If the straps still fit correctly then there in no harm in keeping him in it. Some of these comments are cringe worthy. 4 years old?! SMH. 
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This is a good read
I will keep the 5 point harness until she weighs out of it. It’s just safer to me.
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What I learned from carseat professionals was once they hit the requirements height and weight. But just as important is the maturity of the child. If they can’t sit in their seat belt properly the whole duration of the ride then they are not ready. A lot of kids sleep in the car and will flop sideways out of the belt. If they can’t stay in the belt right I’d wait a bit longer.
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My son is 4, almost 5, and I just recently switched to the seatbelt in a high back seat. He kept unlocking the harness and standing up while I was driving down the road. I even tried locks for the harness and he still got out of them. Now he doesn’t touch the seatbelt unless we are parked.
My first was 8 when he switched, my second is 7.5 right now but is no where near the height or weight limits (36 lbs) so he’s still comfortably in his harness. My third is 2 and still rear faces. None of my kids even complained about being in their harness so I didn’t switch them until they were at the recommended stats (recommended not minimum stats)
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My daughtet was in the 5pt untill the straps got to tight
My son is 7 1/2 but he only weighs 50lbs- which he only recently hit, he’s still in a 5 point harnesses car seat, when I got into a car accident I bought him a new one, his dad who hadn’t seen him in 2 years started taking him for visits and had told me he bought a car seat for him- I stupidly trusted that- my son then told me he got to sit in a booster and I shut that down quickly- I told his dad he was only 43lbs at the time and he wasn’t allowed in a booster, he argued with me at first - I knew it was the price of the 5 point harness seat, so I offered for him to take my seat while our son was with him, it was worth it to me, I explained Nicely that we both cared about HIS safety despite our issues that’s all I wanted, that it’s safer in a accident, kids spines are not as strong, there necks, I told him the statistics and how if god forbid something happened the risk to HIM is less if he’s in a 5 point, that I’d rather our son be safe then us be sorry, and that he was welcome to take my car seat 
it eliminated the fight, and 6 months later he still takes my car seat. I also then had his doctor write me a note stating he had to be in a 5 point so his dad couldn’t not have him in one 
Buy the seat, install it and stand your ground. The accident I had a huge bear ran into my car, and my son was unscathed. It’s worth it to protect the thing most precious when you can’t trust that people drive safe- they don’t always - that animals, ice, or something else won’t happen. It’s better to be safe
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Read NEW state requirements as for mine it’s 60 lb 4 ft and it shows but I don’t want my child’s head being severed or strangled because I wanted to rush things
When you max out the limits of the harness, 65 lbs
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Please do not change because others are.
Go off your comfort as a parent and search the height and weight requirements for your state.
I will say sometimes comfort (easier to just do one buckle then the 5 point ) isn’t always best.
Please make sure they meet the weight & height.
Good luck!
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My oldest son is 4 is in a high back booster
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When he reaches the maximum height and weight. It’s safest to keep him in a 5 point harness as long as possible
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You can get a 5 point harness on a high back booster.
But usually the weight for the car seats is 65 pounds and you don’t want his head above the padding. So when he outgrows the car seat. There’s no need to change if you don’t have to. But there isn’t an age you can say because every kid is different in size and maturity.
Look up your child’s specific car seat and find the specifications for height and weight. My daughter has a Graco Nautilus 3 in 1 and I just switched her to high-back booster and she is 7 1/2 years old. She has maxed out on the height but she has not maxed out on the weight. But it is one or the other, not both
My son is 5.5 and sits in a high back booster seat but uses the regular seatbelt in my truck but he is in a backless booster seat with regular seatbelt in my husband’s truck. He is also 63lbs so the 5 point harness had to go
My son is 6. Almost 7 and super tall for his age but also super skinny and he is still in a 5 point cause he doesnt hit the weight
My son will be 7 July 2nd & I still have him in a five point harness.
When they outgrow it. My kiddo outgrew his harness right before he turned 6 so he went into a high back booster then. He rear faced til almost four years old and he outgrew that seat too 
. If your kiddo is within the size guidelines for his seat and he’s comfortable in it, I can’t see why you’d change it. A car seat tech once told me: every step up in a car seat is a step down in safety.
My 9 year old can still fit in her harness but I have her in a high back booster
Why not get a high back booster that still has a five point harness?
3 they have a carseat that was especially both I guess cuz it looked like a high back booster seat but belt/seat belt was like a regular car seat, and now they are 6 & 7 (almost 7 & 8) and are in regular booster seats
Call your local state patrol office and ask to set up a car seat fitting/inspection. They (atleast where I live) have contracts with certified car seat inspectors/advisors that can tell you if the car seat you have is best for your child and if it’s properly installed and everything and can give car seat safety advice and recommendations.
My almost 10 year old is still in a 5 point harness! 
lol she was yelling at me about something lol
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Go to Car Seats for the Littles page. They are certified and will let you know what is best!
This is my 6 year old son Charles. He will be turning 7 in September. As you see I still have him in the harness. He still fits the carseat requirements for height, weight, harness. I’m not changing him out of harness until there is no strap holes left for harness and he outgrows harness completely. Granted every parent is different. But this is my choice. Don’t change because others are. Do what you feel is best. As a prior firefighter/emt I’ve seen many calls of car accidents involving kids and babies.
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My youngest I switched at 4. As soon as mine fit the requirements they were switched. My daughter wasn’t until 5. They all went at a different age
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The best advice would be to contact the local fire department or police station. They can tell you what the minimum height/weight requirements are for your county/state. Personally, I would say if he still fits comfortably, there is no harm in letting him in that seat a while longer.
I kept my daughter in her 5 point harness until she was almost 8. She’s quite tall but such a skinny girl… tried putting her in the booster with the adult belt and it looked like she’d slide right out of it
There are tons of carseat safety groups here on facebook! 
I waited until they hit the height and weight limits of the 5 point harness seat. I felt they were safest in that seat.
I just switched my daughter and she’s almost 6
My 5 1/2 yr old son is still in a 5 point harness. He’s not big enough. I think his car seat says 60 lbs.
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Proper fitting harness is safest
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My son is almost five and I got him a high back booster with the 5 point harness. I want him to be secure for as long as it’s safe. He’s barely over 40 lbs and is too fidgety to be trusted in a regular belt lol.
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I just switched my son on his 6th birthday to the highback with regular seat belt. He had grown so tall that there were no more holes for straps to extend the fit on his shoulders, so he had to sit hunched and scrunched into the seat. He also is mature enough to sit correctly in the seat, as well as aware enough to stay sitting up if he falls asleep instead of flopping over, so I felt okay changing him. He’s much more comfortable while riding in the car now.
At 2 because he kept getting himself out ,stripping and sitting in the middle of the seat, naked. We compromised and got him a booster. He stayed put. He has an easier time with difficult things. I don’t get it either. No worries, he is now 17, 6’2" and 250lbs. He sits where he wants.
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Keep him in the 5 point until he maxes out of the height/weight limit.
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Mine outgrew the harness, the high back booster was easier to buckle… they could buckle and unbuckle themselves… as well as easier to switch from our car to grandparents car… my youngest is 6 and we switched him when the straps on his shoulders got to tight and his shoulders were higher than the highest hole.
My daughter will be in her car seat till she is 65 lbs and then she will go to her high back booster
My daughter just turned 5 and is a high back booster. She is tall for her age and fits in it very well. Almost to the point where I’m going to have to move the back part up. I would say do what makes you and your son feel comfortable/safe.
My son just turned 6. CPST recommends keeping them in an HBB until they outgrow the heigh and weight requirements AND they are mature enough to sit up straight. If he still falls asleep in the car or is wriggly, like most 6yos, keep him locked up. Mine will likely be harnessed till he’s 5 feet tall bc he’s incapable of not moving.
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Look up your States seat belt laws for children and it’ll tell you which age he can go up more
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If his head is above the top of the 5 point harness seat then he needs to be moved into a high ack booster that can be adjusted to be behind his head. If you are in a car accident and his head is above the car seat, it can snap his neck. That’s why most cars these days have headrests behind every seat.
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Check the weight requirements, if you don’t feel comfortable yet don’t do it, but he needs to be out of the 5 point if he exceeds the requirements.
My oldest is 5 and she’s in a high back booster with a 5 point harness. Hubby says he’s ready for her to go to a booster, she has the height but not the weight and nope
I don’t live in city anymore and don’t drive much now lol so she’s 5 and half in booster seat. Only go out for food and beach times, and school drop off
Max out your harnessed seat first. If he’s still within the limits, there’s no reason to switch him
My kiddo is 8. He just reached the requirements for booster seat a few months ago.
We could have kept him in the 5 point longer…he hadn’t maxed it out.
But…
For starters…he was almost 8 when we were finally able to switch him…EIGHT.
Second. he wouldn’t stay in his car seat. He was undoing it part of the way then wiggling to get himself out and getting himself hung up in dangerous ways.
To some that’s a “sign” he wasn’t ready but he’s actually done better with the booster.
We had a grow with me convertible car seat with a 5 point harness that was rated for up to 100lbs and 54 inches a Graco brand I believe anyways she just moved to a booster about 6 months ago she is 9. We got in a horrific car accident when she was 5 and that car seat and harness saved her life she walked away with not even a scratch and didn’t wake up even until we were upside down. I didn’t switch her until she maxed out the car seat.
My daughter 5 and she has a 5 point harness
When he outgrows the height or weight limit on his 5pt harness seat. My son was 6 (he just recently turned 7) when he had to change. He was still within the weight limit for the 5pt, but he had reached the maximum height limit so we had to switch. I wouldn’t switch before I had to
My son was 6 when I put him in the high back booster. He is 8 and still uses the booster seat
My daughter is 6 and I just switched her, but I understand you because the seats can hold more weight. My oldest is almost nine and I just switched her from 5 point to a regular booster (we didn’t go out much lat year and she was tiny the year before that😆)
My son will be staying in he’s 5 point harness till he’s too tall for it.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. When to switch to a high back booster? - Mamas Uncut
I dont see the point in switching until he’s maxed out.
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We switched 2 weeks ago. She’s been at the weight for a while but I wanted her in a 5pt harness for as long as she could. She does have the high back on it which is recommended bc of side airbags. But remember once you switch to turn the child safety lock on the back doors. It’s a tiny switch on the inside side of each door. It makes it so they can’t open the doors on their own. Oh my daughter turned 6 in April
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Our 5 year old met the requirements and we switched him right away. Our thing was (besides the requirements) if he can buckle and unbuckle himself, he’s ready for a seat belt. We just always double check he’s secured properly before moving.
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i did it at 6. she had already been the height and weight requirement for a little while, i was making sure i could trust her lol
I switched when my son was 5 but he was also not fitting in the 5 point harness anymore…i keep my kiddos in their seats til they are physically grown out of them
As long as he is within the limits, just keep him in the 5pt harness booster. My daughter is 5 and unless she suddenly grows faster than she has been, she will most likely be in the 5pt harness for another full year, possibly 2.
My son is almost 3 1/2, has autism, and loves to try to unbuckle things. His pinscher (spelling) grasp isn’t the best. We plan on keeping him in a five point harness until it is safe for him to transfer to a regular high back.
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My 5.5 year old is still in a 5 point harness and will be until she reaches the max limits for it. She has already reached the minimum requirements for the high back booster, but I see no reason to switch her until she can no longer be in the 5 point. Why not keep them a little bit safer for a little while longer?
Based on her growth rate, she’ll probably be in the 5 point for another year or two.
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My almost 6 year old is still in a chico nextfit zip. He’s in the 100th percentile for height, so he is no small kid but why switch when it goes up to 65 lbs?!
I have a 6, almost 7 year old who’s still in the 5 point harness and I intend on keeping her in it. It’s safer so why switch 
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My daughter will be 7 in January, she is still in a 5 point and will be until she reaches the maximum specs. I feel better knowing she is secure.
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My daughter is eight and has sat in the booster seats with no back on them just reg sealt belt for a while now
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When my son fit the weight and height requirements for our state. He reached that when he was 5 so we got him one. He’s much more comfortable, and still just as safe. The dmv wouldn’t set such requirements if it wasn’t safe.
I’d say as long as he’s comfortable and he’s still in the size requirements then keep him in the one he’s in. Don’t break your peace of mind.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. https://answers.mamasuncut.com/t/when-to-switch-to-a-high-back-booster/10246
It goes on height and weight. If you take your son into a synths shop they will measure/weigh him and tell you if he’s big enough🥰 that’s the safest way xx
We switched when our son didn’t fit into the requirements for his 5 point harness. He out grew it at a certain height and weight, once he hit those we moved him.
Look up your specific car seat and check what weight the harness can be used up to. Different seats have different limits.
Check the upper weight limits on his current seat as he may have outgrown it already. We have an extended rear - facing car seat (axkid minikid) which lasts until they reach 25kg (on average around 7 years old) then will move to a HBB. Xx
You may be putting your lil 1 at risk not changeing the pros did there work follow the instruction
We switched our daughter to a booster seat when she was 6 with no harness because in one year she grew like 3 inches. My child had a huge growth spurt at that age lol
As long as your child fits comfortably in the car seat. It’s fine to continue to use it. If you choose to use the booster seat. And they meet the requirements. Then it’s ok with that to.
Right under the age of 5
I was going to wait until the car seat expired but since I was switching his brother from the infant seat to the rear facing toddler seat I just bought them each a new seat.
Work out where their head is. If it’s above the seat it’s time to get a new one. You ideally need side bars for the head as long as you can.
Leave it as long as you can.
We switched as we soon as we could. He’s much more comfortable in the seatbelt without the harness pulling on his legs.
I honestly think it depends on the child. My son is 3 and in a high back booster because he just couldn’t fit the 5 point harness anymore. He’s been in his booster since he was like 2 and a half.
We went to Halfords and got the advice from there about when to move our boys up. They measure and give great advice 
Isn’t it a height and weight thing not actually the age