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Page 8 of 13
Lap Belt Only Solutions
Vehicles made before 1990 were not required to have shoulder belts in the rear seats. These vehicles have lap-only belts in the backseat. Unfortunately, you cannot use a booster seat with only a lap belt--it simply does not protect a child well.
If you have a vehicle with lap-only belts in back, you can purchase a shoulder belt retrofit kit. A retrofit kit is the ideal solution when older kids/adults--who are too big for booster seats--must also ride in the rear seat, since shoulder belts provide much more protection for all passengers. Please note that shoulder belts can NOT be added in the center of the back seat of any vehicle – these retrofit kits are only for the outboard (side) positions in the rear seat.
- List of vehicles for which retrofit kits are available, along with the part number and approximate cost of the retrofit kit
If you don't retrofit your vehicle's back seat, here is a detailed list of child restraints appropriate for lap-only belts and bigger children. Again, please note that if you have lap belts only in your vehicle, you CANNOT use these seats in their booster seat mode. (Please note that not all seats below have a booster seat mode.)
To see a quick guide in PDF form, take a look at Safe Ride News' "Alternatives to Boosters for Children Over 40 Pounds."
Convertible Seats (Rear and Forward Facing)
- Britax Marthon/ Decathalon/ Boulevard/ Wizard
- Fits children 5-33 lbs rear-facing AND 22-65 lbs forward-facing
- Britax strongly recommends using the tether with this car seat at all times – when the child is rear-facing or forward-facing – as the tether will make an already safe seat even safer. While a tether will make the child safer, the seat passes all applicable crash tests without a tether (including for a 65 pound child using a lap-only belt to secure the child restraint)
- Sunshine Kids Radian
- Fits children 5-33 lbs rear-facing AND 22-65 lbs forward-facing
- The manufacturer strongly recommends using the tether with this car seat at all times – when the child is rear-facing or forward-facing – as the tether will make an already safe seat even safer. While a tether will make the child safer, the seat passes all applicable crash tests without a tether (including for a 65 pound child using a lap-only belt to secure the child restraint)
- Seat folds compactly to 6 inches high and can be used with an optional car seat travel bag (sold separately). Thus, it's a good seat for travel except for the fact that it weighs 20 pounds.
Combination Seats (Car Seats and Booster Seats)
- Forward-facing for children AT LEAST 1 year old and who weigh 20 to 65 lbs.
- ALSO a high-backed booster seat for children 30 to 100 lbs.
- ALSO a backless booster seat for children 40 to 100 lbs.
- Use of tether is highly recommended but not mandatory.
- Britax Frontier
- Forward-facing for children at least 2 years old and at least 25 lbs.
- ALSO a high-backed booster seat for children weighing 30-100 lbs.
- Use of tether strongly recommended when using seat in 5-point harness mode, and mandatory for this mode when children are 65 to 80 lbs.
- Cosco Apex 65/ Safety 1st Alpha Elite Apex (or any combination of the above names as long as it contains the word “Apex”)
- A car seat with a 5-point harness for children AT LEAST 1 year of age who weigh 22-65 lbs.
- ALSO a high-back booster seat for children weighing 33-100lbs.
- Use of the tether is strongly recommended, but not required for kids using the 5-point harness.
- When using this seat (either as the car seat or the booster) the vehicle seat back MUST come up to at least the tops of the child’s ears. This restriction will limit the use of this seat as many older, lap-only belted vehicles have low seat backs.
- Nania Airway/ Legend SP
- A car seat with a 5 point harness for children AT LEAST 1 year of age who weigh 20-55 lbs
- AND a high-back booster for children weighing 33-80 lbs.
- Use of the tether is strongly recommended, but not required for kids using the 5 point harness.
- A car seat with a 5-point harness for children AT LEAST 1 year of age who are 34-52 inches tall and weigh 30-60 pounds.
- Top teather MUST be used.
- Also a backless booster for children at least 3 years old who weigh 40-100 pounds.
- When using seat in either mode, the vehicle's seat back MUST come up to at least the tops of the child's ears. This restriction will limit the use of this seat in older vehicles, since many seat positions with lap-only belts also have low seat back heights.
- Good for travel: It's lightweight (9lbs), folds into its own travel bag (included with seat), and installs very easily.
Forward-facing Only Car Seats
- Britax Super Elite/ Husky/ Regent
- Forward-facing only car seat for children AT LEAST 1 year of age who weigh 20-80 lbs.
- When using this seat for children weighing more than 50 pounds, you MUST use the top tether. When using this seat for children weighing less than 50 pounds, Britax strongly recommends using the tether as it will make the child safer (but it's optional).
- Fisher Price Futura
- Forward-facing only car seat for children AT LEAST 1 year of age who weigh 20-60 lbs.
- A top tether was available as an option for this seat (but was not required)
- Fisher Price stopped manufacturing this seat in 2001
Other Options (Vests/Harnesses/Shields)
- Ride Safer Travel Vest
- Use with lap-only belt for kids 35-60 lbs
- Use with shoulder/lap belt for kids 35-80 lbs
- Properly positions lap belt over child's hips
- Provides effective upper body restraint and head protection
- Properly positions shoulder belt across center of child's chest and between shoulder and neck
- Top tether prevents child's head and upper body from moving too far forward
- Available in two sizes: 35-60 lbs and 50-80 lbs
- Kid Y Harness with Ride Ryte Booster
- Fits kids 30-80 lbs when used with High-back Ride Ryte booster
- Fits kids 40-80 lbs when used with backless Ride Ryte booster
- Properly positions lap belt over child's hip bones using the arm rest guides on booster and the Kid Y harness
- Provides effective upper body restraint and head protection
- Tether connects Kid Y Harness to back of vehicle, preventing child's head and upper body from moving too far forward
- High-back boostger provides whiplash protection in vehicles with low seat backs
- High-back Ride Ryte booster easily converts to backless booster by simply detaching from base of booster
PLEASE NOTE: Ride Ryte MUST be used with Kid Y harness if vehicle seat has lap-only belt. Additionally, Ride Ryte can be used as a backless booster only if vehicle seat comes up to top of child's ears. Depending on the maximum weight capacity of the tether anchor in your vehicle, you may need to install a heavy-duty tether anchor.
Britax Laptop 
- Fits children 30-65 lbs
- Vehicle seat MUST come up to at least top of child's ears
- No longer manufactured
PLEASE NOTE: This seat functions very differently than does a shield booster and should not be mistaken for one (shield boosters are not recommended.)
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Booster Seats 
