Many parents aren’t sure why their child needs a booster seat. Their child has outgrown that strap-in five-point harness child seat (finally!), and now they wonder what this booster seat safety thing is all about. After all, their child is old enough to behave in the car and there’s a seat belt right there to strap them in.

So why do kids need booster seats?

Not Made for Small

Car manufacturers put a lot of time and research into safety and seat belt design. But seat belts are made to fit adults and people at least 4 feet 9 inches tall -toddlers fall well short of that mark.

In fact, putting your child in a seat belt with no booster seat puts him at great risk for injury if there’s ever an accident, like injury to the spine or internal organs.

Boosting Into Position

A booster seat lifts a child’s body and places it at the proper position so that the seat belt fits - and protects your child in case of an accident. Your child needs to use a booster seat while traveling in the car until he or she is around 9 years old or reaches 4 feet 9 inches height.

Many parents go from combo car seats with plenty of straps to booster seats that use the seat belt, and suddenly they feel like their child doesn’t have enough straps or harness to provide the proper protection. Don’t worry; it is.

Booster seats don’t use harnesses - in fact, harnesses can be dangerous to leave in when you convert your combo car seat to a booster, even if doing so makes you feel more secure.

Those extra straps aren’t needed anymore, and they aren’t secure or safe for your child, so remove them. The seat belt holds both your child and the booster seat in place if you come to a sudden stop or suffer a crash.

Short or Tall?

Booster seats come in different shapes and sizes, and it can be tough for parents to figure out which is the right choice, or even which type of booster is safer than another.

High-back booster seats are best of your car doesn’t have headrests or high seat backs in the back seat of your car. The tall back prevents whiplash in case of a crash. Sometimes high-back booster seats come with seat-belt positioners to guide the seat belt strap in the proper position so that it doesn’t creep up to your child’s neck.

Low-back booster seats are used in cars that have headrests - they protect your child’s head from whiplash, so no extra backing is needed. Low-back booster seats are best for when your child height doesn’t require any help to position the seat belt properly from shoulder to hip.

Always use lap/shoulder seat belts with either type of car seat. Never, ever use lap-only seat belts with booster seats.