Page: 5 of 5
In this report

See Also

Booster Seats: Ratings of Sources
Total of 14 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. ConsumerReports.org
Updated Aug. 2007
Car Seats
by Editors of Consumer Reports
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Consumer Reports tops our chart because it's the only reviewing organization that crash tests car seats in a laboratory. Following a model similar to government crash tests, reviewers examine eleven toddler… car seats and booster seats for crash safety, ease of use and installation. Consumer Reports pays special attention to safety standards regarding tether use, and emphasizes correctly sized car seats for a baby's height and weight.

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2. Baby Bargains
Seventh Edition, 2007
Booster Seats
by Denise and Alan Fields with Toby McAdams
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This book provides thorough reviews of dozens of baby products, including the full range of car seats from infant to booster. Crash testing isn't included, but the editors examine most currently available… booster seats -- more than editors at Consumer Reports. Baby Bargains editors consider subjective criteria like comfort, ease of use and other facets ignored by Consumer Reports. Parents can also rate car seats on the book's website.

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3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
As of Aug. 2008
Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings
by Editors of NHTSA
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The NHTSA tests child car seats for ease of use (including assembly, evaluation of labels, evaluation of instructions, installing features and securing the child) and assigns each an overall rating out of… five stars. This is helpful information, but there's no narrative at all, and seats are not evaluated on any other criteria. The Compass B510 is currently the only one to receive five stars in every category.

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4. CarSeatData.Org
As of Aug. 2008
Combination Car Seats
by Toby McAdams and Bradley Sorock
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

CarSeatData.org has a great compatibility chart for which car seats can go into which cars. The information is contributed by parents. There is also a nice report here on the various kinds of car seats,… along with recommendations. Editor Toby McAdams has made two picks for toddler seats; the first is the Evenflo Chase, which is chosen for its price and excellent padding. The other pick is the Graco Ultra CarGo, which has upholstered wings and number of options such as thick padding and EPS foam.

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5. BabyCenter.com
As of Aug. 2008
Parents' Picks Car Seats
by Contributors to BabyCenter.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Baby Center is a retail site where parents can write reviews on the product they have used. Several booster seats and toddler car seats receive five-star ratings. The Graco Toddler SafeSeat Step 2, Graco Nautilus 3-in-1, Graco TurboBooster and Graco Ultra CarGo are listed as Parents' Picks, which means they have consistently received high ratings from the largest number of parents.
6. Amazon.com
As of Aug. 2008
Car Seats > Booster
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Amazon.com is a retail site where users can buy items and post reviews. All the booster seats included in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers get several reviews from parents here, with the Graco TurboBooster SafeSeat getting the most reviews.
7. Walmart.com
As of Aug. 2008
Booster Reviews
by Contributors to Walmart.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Fifty booster seats are reviewed by parents posting to Walmart.com, and most models get a decent amount of feedback. The Graco High Back TurboBooster is the highest-rated booster with over 60 reviews.
8. Viewpoints.com
As of Aug. 2008
Car Seats Reviews
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This review site has a good number of reviews for over a dozen of the more popular booster seats. The Britax Marathon does the best in over 90 parent reviews with over 80% of reviewers giving it a perfect score.
9. ConsumerGuide.com
As of Aug. 2008
Booster and Toddler Car Seats
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors rate each booster seat for value, performance, ease of use, features and overall impression. None of the booster seats receive low scores, but editors do mention problematic features such as poor adjustability. Still, we cannot tell how thoroughly these models were evaluated. Six booster and toddler seats are given an "Expert Review" and five of these are selected as a "Best Buy."
10. Epinions.com
As of Aug. 2008
Car Seats
by Contributors to Epinions
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Parents are invited to rate their own car seats at Epinions. Most of the booster seats receive only a handful of entries, though, making this site less useful than some others with more owner feedback.
11. About.com
Not Dated
Top 9 Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seats
by Heather Corley
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

There are a number of articles pertaining to car seats and other baby items on About.com. Heather Corley, About.com's Guide to Baby Products, gives her choices for the best booster seats, with the… number-one slot going to the Sunshine Kids Monterey booster. The Monterey is chosen for its features, but Corley doesn't reference any hand-on evaluations. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)

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12. Which.co.uk
May 29, 2008
Car Seats
by Editors of Which.co.uk
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Which? is a British consumer magazine similar to Consumer Reports in the U.S., with product testing and reviews. Which? has an excellent comparative review of car seats with ratings based on crash test results. Because this site is based in the UK, none of the tested car seats are available in the U.S., but Which? is great for European parents.
13. Mumsnet.com
As of Aug. 2008
Car Seats from Four Years
by Editors of Mumsnet.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Mumsnet.com is a European site, so many of the seats mentioned are not sold in the U.S. If you live in Europe, this is a good resource. For U.S. parents, the site still has a lot of useful safety information.
14. CarSeatSite.com
As of Aug. 2008
Recommended Car Seats
by Heather Watson
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This site is run by a "National Safe Kids certified child passenger safety technician and instructor." The author includes short reviews of seven different booster seats. Top picks are said to be based on parent and caregiver recommendations.

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