Institute names 31 boosters 'best bets'

WASHINGTON - October 13, 2011 (WPVI) -- Parents have more options than ever when buying quality booster seats for young children, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in a report released Thursday.

The institute named a record 31 seats among its "best bets," meaning they "correctly position a vehicle safety belt on a typical 4- to 8-year-old in almost any car, minivan or SUV." Brands with more than one "best bet" included Britax, Graco, Harmony and Recaro.

Engineers evaluated 62 booster models. Some dual-use seats, which can work as high-back or backless boosters, were evaluated twice, so a total of 83 seats were tested.

Five seats were rated "good bets," providing "acceptable belt fit in most vehicles." Nearly half of the models - 41 - fell into the "check fit" category, meaning they "may provide good fit for some children in some vehicles."

Only six models were "not recommended."

IIHS' 31 "best bets" are:
-Britax Frontier 85
-Britax Frontier 85 SICT
-Britax Parkway SGL (highback mode)
-BubbleBum
-Chicco KeyFit Strada (highback mode)
-Clek Oobr (highback mode)
-Cosco Pronto (highback mode)
-Cybex Solution X-Fix
-Diono/Sunshine Kids Monterey (highback mode)
-Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (highback mode)
-Evenflo Big Kid Amp
-Evenflo Big Kid Sport (backless mode)
-Evenflo Maestro
-Evenflo Symphony 65 e3
-Ferrari Dreamway SP (highback mode)
-Graco Argos 70 (highback mode)
-Graco TurboBooster  Baldwin (highback mode)
-Graco TurboBooster Elite (highback mode)
-Harmony Cruz Youth Booster/Harmony Carpooler
-Harmony Dreamtime (backless mode)
-Harmony Dreamtime (highback mode)
-Harmony Olympian/Secure Comfort Deluxe
-Harmony Youth Booster Seat
-Kids Embrace Dale Earnhardt Jr.
-Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (highback mode)
-Recaro ProBOOSTER
-Recaro ProSPORT
-Recaro Vivo
-Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (highback mode)
-Safety 1st S1 Rümi Air
-The First Years B570 Pathway

The institute's "good bets" are:
-Britax Parkway SG (highback mode)
-Combi Kobuk Air Thru (backless mode)
-Combi Kobuk Air Thru (highback mode)
-Evenflo Symphony 65
-Maxi-Cosi Rodi (highback mode)

The "not recommended" models are:
-Evenflo Chase
-Evenflo Express
-Evenflo Generations 65
-Evenflo Sightseer
-Safety 1st All-in-One
-Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite

Click here for more information on today's report.

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