There are many narrow car seat options, other child restraints systems come in the form of a booster; some come in the form of convertible booster seats, and many famous brands produce them. It can be daunting to find the best one.
To help you, we read reviews online of many convertible booster seats, infant booster seats, and booster convertible booster chair options, then made a list of the highly-rated narrow car seat from Amazon, so you can choose which one fits your needs. But what is a booster chair? A booster chair is a vehicle cushion so that your child can sit high enough to put the new belts on comfortably in your vehicle. This way, you can keep them safe and secure in their slim vehicular chair in case of an accident. Once your child is around 4 feet 9 inches tall or between 8 to 12 years old, you can already switch from an infant vehicular chair to a booster chair.
Are Slimmer Child Restraint Systems Necessary?
Vehicular belt positioning is more important than some people think. The shoulder belt is supposed to come across the chest and sit on the shoulder in a snug fashion. If you are transitioning a child from a narrow-width car seat that starts as an amazing infant child restraint system and progresses all the way through to a backless one, then you need to pay close attention to where the shoulder belt should be so your child is as safe as possible.
If you read further, you will also learn useful tips and FAQs.
Why Would You Need A Slim Child Restraint System?
Most sedans can fit three persons on the back chair. Minivans can also fit three persons on the last row plus two in the middle row. Car seats or boosters can tend to be bulky and space-consuming. The narrowest infant car seats will allow you to maximize the number of riders per row and they tend to fit better especially behind taller drivers. If you’ve ever tried fitting three child restraint systems across in your back seat, whether the narrowest seat, the most advanced infant car seat, the widest convertible one, rear-facing, front facing, a high back booster seat, or backless and narrowest booster seats, many times, they just won’t fit side by side on your vehicle seat.
But, it is possible! So, if you have a child who is ready for a high back booster seat or one without a back, then you’re in the right place for help finding the best narrow car seat aligned properly for your vehicle.
Graco Tranzitions
This is like a convertible booster chair that starts for use with a toddler and can be used to when there’s no need for a slimmer child restraint system. It looks like a high-back booster infant chair and even has the 5-point harness straps with a harness mode which you’ll find in a traditional convertible kid’s narrow carseat. As your child grows, you can adjust the headrest and remove the inner padding and harness configuration so your older children can start using the infant’s chair belt to secure themselves. Eventually, you’ll also take the high-back booster portion off the child restraint system as your child can only ride in the booster infant chair. These are not to be used as an infant booster chair, nor are they to be installed rear-facing. There are two cup holders and plenty of comfortable padding. Also, this has been tested and exceeded safety standards sets for side impact protection, rear impact protection, and frontal and rollover crashes.
- This narrow car seat offers superior protection for your child on the road. It can be used in 3 ways and can accommodate children from 22 lbs to 100 lbs.
- This is a good investment as it grows with your child and offers maximum convenience since it is simple to install and clean.
Diono NXT
This booster infant chair isn’t meant to be used until children reach 40 lbs. It’s for kids who are older than the toddler stage. The Diogo Everett comes in 4 different colors. It has lots of padding compared to other seats, so kids will be comfortable, but keep in mind there are no cup holders. It’s a high-back narrow seat to start and then transitions to a backless booster later on. It works with the LATCH installation system built into most newer vehicles’ vehicle chair. It also has really good side impact protection for your child’s safety. It’s one of the best narrow booster seats on the market for it’s high level of attention to safety standards and its slim, ergonomic design.
- The Everett has slim fit design and is best for travel. Although highly portable it does not compromise comfort and safety.
- It has essential and great features such as the 7-position headrest and buckle-friendly fit design that will keep your child relaxed and safe while you go on a journey.
Cosco Finale DX
The Cosco Finale is a great option of high back car seat for families on a tight budget. It’s affordable, but is still a good quality slim booster chair. You can start using the high back booster chair with children who are 30 lbs. It will work in the capacity of forward facing car seats convertible infant chair for an older toddler, not as an infant booster chair, and never in the rear facing seat position. Parents love this high back booster chair for its price, but also for how light it weighs. It’s a reliable child restraint system that’s easy to take with you wherever you’re going. You can definitely fit three seats side by side in most autos’ rear seat. You also get the convenience of cup holders, removable machine washable covers, and fully adjustable settings. All of this is topped off by the fact that it exceeds all of the safety standards set by governing agencies.
- The Finale DX has a sleek and innovative design at a reasonable amount. It also offers well-thought safety features that will put your mind at ease when driving with your child in tow.
- It has met Federal safety standards and is easy to move from auto to auto as it is designed to fit side by side and across the back chair of most vehicles.
Big Kid LX
The Big Kid LX High Back Booster by Evenflo should be used for children who are ready to use the vehicle chair belt in your vehicle. No harness belt is built into this booster chair, so the vehicular belt is the only means to achieve secure and tight installation for your child’s safety. That means you should not use this chair for a toddler. As your child grows, the chair can be adjusted up to 6 different height levels. The chair is super easy to clean, too. These aren’t the slimmest booster seats on the market, however, it’s one of our seats best for slim autos because it is slimmer than most, and you can fit three of them across in some vehicles. Be aware that this slim booster chair is not LATCH system compatible. The only securing mechanism is the vehicular belt in your vehicle. It’s even recommended that you secure them in place with the vehicular belt when the child isn’t riding in it.
- The high back booster has a very simplistic design that offers 2 modes of use. It also features 6 position height adjustment to accommodate your growing child.
- It comes with 2 cup holders to allow your child to snack when going out for a long drive.
Diono Radian 3R Convertible
The Diono Radian 3R Convertible Car Seat and High Back Booster may be the slimmest car seat on our list. One of the greatest things about this one is it can be used as one of the narrowest convertible car seats that runs from rear facing mode infant car seat all the way through to forward facing big kid booster narrow car seat. Most of the time, the best convertible ones will start as infant car seat and stop after toddler age. Or, you’ll get a convertible one that starts as a toddler chair and goes through to the end as a narrow booster. However, the Diono Radian 3R Convertible Car Seats are different. They run the whole gamut.
- Convertible boosterseat that can be used for 10 years.
- Reinforced steel core has plenty of impact protection for keeping kids safe.
- Diono Radian 3R is one of the most narrow chairs on the market.
- LATCH system compatible for seatbelt installation.
When you have a house full of kids or if you are a mom driving an auto, you will need to fit a lot of kids in your vehicle. You keep going back and forth from home to school, soccer practice or ballet rehearsals. Getting all kids in the vehicle will save you on gas. You can also save time, effort and money finding a sitter to stay with the other kids while you drive around. A slim booster chair makes it so that you can fit everyone in all at once. You can opt for a narrow convertible booster chair or go with a narrow booster chair that starts as a high back booster. Make sure you measure your vehicle chair and do the math to find out which slim booster chair will work in your auto.
Other Benefits Of A Narrow Car Seat
With a slim booster chair, you can save time, money and effort. It can help by giving you enough space to fit three slim booster seats. One thing also when you purchase a slim booster chair, you don’t have to worry about what type of vehicle you own now. If you have a small vehicle and need to fit three booster chairs for the kids, all you have to do is buy the slim booster chairs so that you don’t have to buy a new vehicle. That way you don’t have to replace the vehicle that you already have. If your vehicle is super slim and you need to fit 3 chairs across, we recommend the Diono Radian 3R because they are truly slim for smaller vehicles.
Two key points to keep in mind are the space available for your current vehicle and flexibility. The cup holders and the outer shell design will affect how the chairs will fit in your vehicle. Make sure to consider these as well when buying the narrow booster chair to be able to fit them in your vehicle properly. Also when installing the booster chairs, install from the middle seat first.
Keep in mind, too, that you can get convertible seats or booster chair, like the Diono Radian 3R which functions as an infant booster chair all the way through to a backless booster chair. This kind of convertible booster chair will also help to save you money. You can use the same chair for the entirety of your child’s booster chair riding years with the Diono Radian 3R. The same is not true for other booster chairs that start off at 40 lbs. per child, such as the Maxi Cosi RodiFix Booster Child chair with a rigid LATCH connectors.
Slim And Regular Safety Chair
You can also consider a slim booster chair and regular booster chair combination. If you love traveling, you will need booster seats with cup holders to fit the needs of your kids within their reach. They will need snacks and drinks. If you are driving or sitting up in the front seat, you won’t need to keep reaching back to give your kids what they need.
Three Kids? No Problem!
If you have three kids, you can sit all three in the third row. The middle chair can be a slim booster. Regular booster seats can be placed on each side of the slim booster chair. This way, each child can have a cup holder within reach, even the child sitting in the middle!
The best thing about this sitting arrangement is that you will not need to separate one car seat of one child from the other. They can all bond sitting side by side in their slim infant chair.
Two Kids? No Problem!
If you have two kids and have bench sitting on the 2nd row, it will be a squeeze to put two booster chairs. You will need one narrow car seat and one regular booster chair. This way, your kids are sitting closer to the front seats, and you do not have to separate them by putting one child in the third row.
If you have bucket center seat positions in the second row, you won’t have a problem fitting two regular booster seats. However, using slim booster chairs or convertible infant chairs, like the Diono Radian 3R, will help younger passengers put vehicular belts on easily even in the center position. They do not have to keep moving their boosters out of the way to buckle their belts.
One Kid And A Lot of Gear? No Problem!
A slim booster chair can be helpful even if you only have one child. You will have more space for your gear or your child’s things on the chair. Also, when grandparents come along or someone else, there will be more legroom for them to sit in slim infant seats or chair.
All in all, it is really useful to have a slim booster chair! No matter the number of kids or the amount of gear you have, more space is always good. You can get a slim convertible infant seat which is also a narrow car seat that you can use as an infant booster car seat. You can have it grow with your child properly into a slim infant chair booster later on. There are plenty of options that will meet your needs and your budget.
FAQs
What Is The Slimmest Infant Booster Chair?
You cannot go wrong with UPPAbaby’s Mesa Infant booster chair. The base of this slim booster chair is only 15 inches wide. Another option is the Diono Radian 3R. It can be used as an infant booster chair to start but is a convertible booster chair that can be used for 10 years. It’s only 16 inches wide so it’s definitely one of the more slim booster chairs on the market.
When Can I Put My Child In A Backless Booster?
Your child can sit in a backless booster once they outgrow their booster chair. It can happen between the ages of 8 and 12. The typical recommendation is for a child to be at least 40 lbs. before transitioning from convertible booster chairs to backless boosters.
Can You Use Chair Belt Extenders With Booster Seats?
How Wide Are Booster Seats?
Booster chairs do not need to be too broad, to the point that they take up the entire backseat. A slim booster chair that’s 17-20 inches wide is already good. Some of the more narrow car seat options are 15 or 16 inches wide.
What Is The Slimmest Booster Chair?
The slimmest booster chairs include (but are not limited to) Chicco Keyfit 30, Baby Flex Loc, Maxi Cosi RodiFix Booster Child chair, Graco TurboBooster Highback Booster Car Seat, and Diono Radian 3RXT. The choice merely depends on your budget and personal preferences.
Are High-Back Boosters Safer Than Backless?
Yes, high back boosters are safer than backless ones because their features aim to protect the child’s head from most sides. Some units also have adjustable head rest to make your baby more comfortable. Your baby can also fall asleep on it peacefully with its vehicle’s seat belts. Backless booster seats are only supposed to boost the child higher in the vehicle seat so the vehicle’s seat belt sits properly.
Which Graco Child Restraint System Is The Slimmest?
Are Most Child Restraint Systems That Are Slim Fit Safe?
How Do You Fit 3 Booster Seats In A Small Vehicle?
How Wide Is Graco SlimFit LX?
Can 3 Booster Seats Fit In An SUV?
Can 3 Child Restraint Systems Touch Each Other?
Should The Child Restraint System Go Behind Driver Or Passenger?
Where is the safest place for a rear facing seats?
Is rear vs front facing car seat safer?
Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Nisa Jabajab
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