Best Booster Car Seat Reviews 2020

Nothing is more important than the safety of your own child when you drive. Today's family cars are built with safety and security in mind, so your loved ones are better protected during your trips. However, it is also important to get a good-quality, reliable booster car seat to ensure the wellbeing of your kid. We analyzed the market and selected 5 of the best booster car seat brands around to give you a selection from top-quality, trusted brands.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Type

Capacity

Safety

Care

Color(s)

Our Top Choice

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat

Safety 1st, for over 30 years, has manufactured a wide range of child safety products. Their range includes high chairs, monitors, travel systems, car seats and more!

3-in-1 design. Can last from infancy to childhood. Harness holder. Machine washable. Exceeds federal safety standards. IIHS Good Bet rating. 2 cup holders.

Seat cover may be difficult to remove.

3-in-1 convertible

From birth to 100lbs

Exceeds federal safety standards

Machine-washable, dryer safe

9 colors available

Best Value

Evenflo Big Kid AMP Booster Seat

Evenflo has almost 100 years’ experience manufacturing high-quality baby products. Their range now includes multiple car seats, strollers, baby gates and exersaucers.

2-in-1 design. Can be used for kids from 30 – 110lbs. One-hand adjustable. Elastic cup holders. Belt guides. IIHS Best Bet rated. Manufactured in the USA.

Doesn’t lock into the car seat itself, is secured by seat belt only.

2-in-1 high-back/backless

30 – 110lbs

Side and head support

Not specified

6 colors available

Chicco GoFit Backless Booster Seat

Chicco, founded in 1958, has ample experience with baby products. Range includes high-quality, functional car seats, highchairs, strollers, playards and more.

Double foam padded. Contoured shape for comfort. Easy carry handle. Compact size and weight. Shoulder strap clip and lap belt guides. 2 cup holders. Machine washable.

The armrests might make it slightly difficult for kids to buckle themselves in.

Backless

40 – 110lbs

Shoulder belt clip

All parts machine-washable

Black with grey, purple or teal

Britax Frontier Clicktight Booster Seat

Britax was founded over 70 years ago. Since then they have strived to make the lives of families more enjoyable with a range of safe car seats, strollers and travel systems.

From a company that is well known for quality, this booster seat is both durable and easy to install. And of course it’s jam-packed with safety features

More expensive than most, but loaded with so many safety features it’s worth the money you will invest.

2-in-1 harness/belt-positioning

25 – 120lbs

Safe cell impact protection

Machine-washable

7 colors available

Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Booster Seat

Graco has been around for more than 60 years manufacturing high-quality, functional and stylish baby products including car seats, strollers, playards and more.

3-in-1 car seat. Use from 22lbs to 100lbs. Safe adjust harness. 2 cup holders. Padded seat, harness and back. Machine washable. Side impact tested.

Some customers felt it was hard to install.

3-in-1 convertible

22 – 100lbs

5-point harness system

All machine washable

Grey with purple or teal

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

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How Do I Choose the Best Booster Car Seat?

When it comes to choosing a booster seat, price is important but not if it means sacrificing the safety of your child. During our research for the best booster seats available out there, we stumbled upon many products from various brands. We've strived to avoid very cheap booster car seats because they were poorly built and potentially dangerous. Instead, we focused on high-quality booster seats that provide good value for money and come in different price ranges.

Before we take a look at the aspects which you should consider when shopping for booster car seats, we just want to mention that the safety and well-being of your child is equally important at home. Therefore, you might be interested in getting a top-quality, comfortable toddler bed at a reasonable price, so that your angel can sleep undisturbed every day and night.

There’s tons of different options out there and it can be hard to decide on just one. It might be worth taking a look at what kind of booster seats each brand offers. Cosco is a brand that has a variety of booster seats available but simply didn’t make our list because of space limitations. If you don’t find what you want in our list of featured products, you may want to check them out. Cosco even has one that is super basic for about $20.

Most car seats on the market have a very similar design, however some go above and beyond to make sure your child wants to sit in their booster seat no matter what. The KidsEmbrace DC Comics Batman Combination Booster Car Seat is one of those products which comes highly rated by users. KidsEmbrace makes a wide variety of character booster seats (including Marvel, DC and Disney) if your child is not a fan of Batman.

Bottom line is that you shouldn’t rush your decision when considering accessories for your baby. When it comes to booster seats in particular, make sure that you pay attention to the following aspects.

Price

When it comes to the safety of your child, it would be great to say that money was no option, but the reality is that many parents are looking for affordable options. The great news is that more expensive doesn’t always mean that the booster seat offers a better level of protection. In fact, there are many top rated booster seats that are priced well. Because of their “simpler” design, backless booster seats typically are less expensive than ones with high backs.

Depending upon your needs, you could get a basic backless booster seat for about $30, or you could pay as much as $300 for a tall back booster seat with lots of safety features. One thing we caution about though is to never sacrifice protection by going for one simply because it is a “cheap booster car seat.” Do your research to make sure your precious cargo is safe!

Features

Remember to be mindful when it comes to the features of a booster seat because this will basically impact your child's wellbeing and safety. Today's booster seats come with a wide variety of features which make them more practical and comfortable.

The purpose of a booster seat is to raise a child up higher in the seat so that the built in seat belt fits properly, allowing the restraint system to protect the child. A seat belt should lay across the child’s upper thigh, not the stomach. The shoulder harness should securely lay across the middle of the shoulder and should not be too close to the neck. In addition, it shouldn’t slide off because it is too loose across the shoulder. In order to ensure better fit, as well as for growing with the child, many booster seats offer wide and/or adjustable bases and different levels for the shoulder strap slots.

Construction and Design

The most important feature in any booster seat, bar none, is the amount of safety that it provides your child. For example, backless boosters with a shield style closure are considered to be unsafe and should be avoided. Quality booster seats will have been tested by from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and you should check the results of the safety tests. One of the critical things that the IIHS examines is whether or not the seat offers proper, secure belt positioning. Besides belt positioning, you may also want to look for features such as adjustable side clips which can accommodate different heights, the reclining angle (you don’t want anything beyond 20-30 degrees because it could result in injury during a crash) and whether there is a belt retractor that flows smoothly.

Performance and Ease of Use

Car booster seats come in two main types, or styles – backless booster seats and high-back booster seats. Backless booster seats raise a child up so that there is better placement of the car’s lap belt. They cost less than booster seats with a high back, but they don’t offer the same level of comfort.. With a high back, there is a place for a child to lean against and rest their head. Many high-back booster seats also come with 5 point harnesses. The style of your car’s rear seats can impact what type of car seat you can use. If the seats have deep contours and good support, they are best suited for backless booster seats. However, rear seats with little support or low backs, are better for high backed boosters.

What is the Best Booster Car Seat?

Choosing the right booster car seat can be a difficult process, especially if this is the first time you do it. There are so many designs, colors and features to take into account. Still, we did the hard work for you and now we will present you with our 5 great finalists.

Our Top Choice

The Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat exceeds federal safety standards and can be used as a rear-facing, forward-facing or booster seat. If your little one is already grown, you might not need a 3-in-1 seat suitable from infancy. If that’s the case, you should check out the Safety 1st Store N Go with Back Booster Car Seat that’s available in 2 colors.

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat – Available in 9 Colors

Features

Safety 1st has been around for over 30 years, from way back when their BABY ON BOARD yellow sign became a staple feature of all parents’ cars, to now with their extensive product range. They have one clear and true aim; to provide high-quality products to parents to keep their children safe. Their range of products includes car seats, baths, diaper pails, home safety products, baby gates, thermometers and many, many more!

The Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat is designed to protect your child from that first ride home from the hospital all the way to the soccer runs and dance recitals. It can be used in three ways, rear-facing, forward-facing and as a belt-positioning booster seat, seeing your child safely through all their firsts.

Let’s take a look at some important features of this product:

Features impact protection on the sides to protect your child
Harness holders hold the harness back and out of the way for putting your child in and out of the seat
Harness has a special QuickFit design that makes it easier to adjust
In booster mode it has a IIHS Good Bet rating
Reclines in 3 positions and takes up less space in the back of the car
Machine washable cover is easy to remove and can be put in the dryer too
Includes grow-with-baby pillows for extra comfort
Features two integrated cup holders
Rear-facing: 5-40 pounds, 19-40 inches tall
Forward-facing: 22-65 pounds, 29-52 inches tall
Booster seat: 40-100 pounds

This 3-in-1 car seat not only meets, but exceeds, federal safety standards. If you decide this is the right car seat for you, you can choose from 9 colors including harvest moon, grey, sea green, blue coral and Everest pink.

For more booster car seat options, Safety 1st has tons of choices from convertible to standalone boosters.

Best Value

The Evenflo Big Kid AMP Booster Seat is a great 2-in-1 booster that converts from a high-back to a backless booster seamlessly. If you know you don’t want a high-back booster, you could opt for the Evenflo Amp Performance No Back Booster Car Seat instead which is available in 4 colors.

Evenflo Big Kid 2-in-1 AMP Booster Car Seat – Available in 6 Colors

Features

Evenflo was founded nearly 100 years ago! Let’s just let that sink in for a minute. Almost a century of experience in providing customers with high-quality, safe and functional products. They’re committed to excellence and are constantly innovating to deliver top-of-the-line baby and child products. Their product range includes many car seats, strollers, travel systems, baby gates, highchairs, exersaucers and more.

The Evenflo Big Kid AMP Booster Seat is an ideal booster seat for a growing child, with 6 adjustable height positions for the back. Also, once your child outgrows that style of booster seat, you can remove the back entirely and use it as a backless booster.

Let’s see some more awesome features from this booster:

High back booster is suitable for kids 30-110lbs and 38-57 inches
Backless booster is suitable for kids 40-110lbs and 40-57 inches
Height is adjustable with just one hand
Integrated elastic cup holders ideal for cups or snacks
Belt guides help you correctly position the seat belt, increasing the safety of your child
IIHS Best Bet booster rated
Assembled and manufactured in the USA

If you want to choose a color your kid will love, there’s six to choose from including black/blue, black/yellow, black/pink and black/red options.

Undecided? That’s understandable. Check out more Evenflo booster car seats before you make your final decision.

The Chicco GoFit Backless Booster Seat is contoured and padded with a double-layer of foam for comfort. If you’re child is too small for a backless booster seat, consider the Chicco KidFit 2-in-1 Belt Positioning Booster which is suitable for kids from 30 – 110lbs.

Chicco GoFit Belt-Positioning Backless Booster – Available in 3 Colors

Features

Chicco has 60-years’ experience manufacturing baby products. They’re committed to bringing happiness to children and parents alike with their quality, safe and stylish products. Chicco has expanded to become an international powerhouse in the baby products industry, with presence in 120 countries! Their product range includes car seats, strollers, travel systems, highchairs, playards and nursing products.

The Chicco GoFit Backless Booster Seat is IIHS Best Bet rated, designed for big kids to travel comfortably as well as safely. It’s ErgoBoost contour shape and double-padded foam seat ensure your child is as supported and comfortable as possible. As long as your child is between 40 and 110lbs and is between 38 and 57-inches in height, this could be the booster seat for them.

Here’s some more features to look out for:

Integrated shoulder belt clip and lap belt guides
Built in carry handle for easy transportation
Two cup holders with soft sides easily fold out of the way
Cup holders are removable and dishwasher-safe
All covers are removable and machine-washable
Smooth underside to protect your car
Compact size only 12" x 17" x 5" and weighs just 5lbs

This booster seat comes in three colors; shark (black and grey), grape (black and purple) and raindrop (black and teal).

If you’re not sure yet, take the time to see more from Chicco’s booster seat range. There’s plenty to choose from.

The Britax Frontier G1.1 Clicktight has an extra layer of side impact protection, an impact-absorbing base and steel frame, so you will always know that your child is completely safe riding in your backseat. For an equally as safe and functional car seat, but with a slightly different design, check out the Britax Parkway Belt-Positioning Booster.

Britax Frontier Clicktight Combination Harness-2-Booster Car Seat – Available in 7 Colors

Features

With more than 70 years’ experience, Britax is one of the most trusted car seat brands in the world. They want to make the lives of children and families happier, more joyful and safer. They focus on how to keep your child safe during travel, manufacturing a wide range of high-quality car seats, strollers and travel systems.

When it comes to the number of safety features offered, the Britax Frontier absolutely leads the pack. The high-back booster has "True Side Impact Protection" technology, deep walls and energy absorbing foam that all help to distribute force in the event of a crash – greatly reducing the chances of injury to your child. Another safety feature can be found in the base of the seat -- SafeCell technology which works to compress and lower the center of gravity, helping to prevent the seat from flying forward in an accident. On the “convenience” side, the Britax has features such as integrated cup holders, storage spaces for snacks and toys and a removable cover that makes clean-up super easy.

The Britax Frontier is a forward facing, high back booster seat that is designed to grow with your child. When you use the five-point harness system it can handle a child up to 90 pounds and has a maximum shoulder harness height of 20.5 inches. The Frontier can convert into a booster mode which has a capacity of up to 120 pounds.

With its lower LATCH connectors, the Britax Frontier is easy to fit securely in just about any vehicle (although because it is a high back, if you have a much smaller car, the fit may be a little tight). The booster seat has two buckle positions in order to ensure proper fit for children of varying sizes. The Clicktight Installation System lets you install your vehicle’s belt in harness mode. The manufacturer provides clear, color coded belt guides to make sure that the belt is in proper position in whether you are using booster or harness mode. A clearly audible “click” from the LATCH system will remove any concerns about whether or not the seat is installed properly!

If you want some more options to consider, check out more from the Britax booster car seat range!

The Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Booster Seat can be used as a harness booster, high back booster or backless booster, depending on your child’s size and weight. If you don’t need a convertible car seat, you might want to check out the bestselling Graco Affix Youth Booster Seat with Latch System instead.

Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Harness Booster Car Seat – Available in 2 Colors

Features

Graco has been around for over 60 years, just one reason why they’re one of the world’s most trusted baby product brands. They strive to manufacture practical, functional and safe products for your baby or child. Having an easy-to-use, easy-to-clean product can make a world of difference to a busy parent and Graco understands this. Their product range includes car seats, strollers, playards, highchairs and swings!

The Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Booster Seat is a great choice for any parent looking to get a high-quality car seat that will last from toddler age to too-big-for-their-boots pre-adolescent age. You can convert this seat from a harness booster, for kids 22-65lbs, to a high back booster, for kids 30-100lbs and then a backless booster for your big kid 40-100lbs.

There’s loads more features to get excited about:

Simply Safe Adjust Harness lets you adjust the headrest/harness to 8 different height positions
2 integrated cup holders
Entirely machine washable materials used
Exceeds safety standards thanks to vigorous crash testing
Side impact tested with the 5-point harness system
Adjust the headrest with just one hand
Position the seatbelt correctly with the one-loop belt guides
Comfortable seat, body and harness padding

There’s two colors to choose from with this booster seat; kyte and basin, which, to you and us, means grey and purple or grey and teal.

If you’re still unsure, why not check out more from Graco to get the ideal booster car seat for you!

Get the Best Booster Car Seat of 2020!

We hope this information has helped you choose a booster seat that will keep your child safe. We have shortlisted the top booster seats available on the market today down to 5 models that we think will work out great for you.

Our Top Choice

Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat

Best Value

Evenflo Big Kid AMP Booster Seat

Chicco GoFit Backless Booster Seat

Britax Frontier Clicktight Booster Seat

Graco Tranzitions 3-in-1 Booster Seat