Here are some of our picks to help keep all the children riding with you safe:

Smart Seat

Perfect for both Little Kids AND Big Kids
Smart Seat™ All-in-One Car Seat: If you’re driving both younger and older children, this seat makes transitioning from little ones to bigger kids SO easy. You’ll just install the stay-in car base one time, and then the car seat can be easily switched from rear-facing for little kids (starting at just 5 lbs.) to forward-facing for older ones (up to 65 lbs. in the harness and up to 100 lbs. as a belt-positioning booster-just remember not to use the base anymore once your child has graduated into the belt-positioning booster).  This seat also features a one-hand height adjustable headrest with no-rethread harness, which makes proper fit to your carpooling child quick and easy. If you’re sharing carpool duties with another parent, consider purchasing an extra stay-in-car base for even more convenience.

Argos

Harness Up—with Ease
Argos™ 70 Car Seat: We know that sometimes carpool can be a whirlwind—filled with pickups, drop-offs and hectic mornings. So, the forward-facing only Argos—which is weight-rated for children from 20 – 70 lbs. in a harness, 30 – 100 lbs. as a best-positioning booster and from 40-120 lbs. as a backless belt-positioning booster—is a seat that will fit a lot of different sized children, making carpool a bit less chaotic. One of the best features on the Argos is the no re-thread harness (dubbed the Simply Safe Adjust™ Harness System). It’s a huge asset, because it means that when you need to adjust the fit, you don’t have to pull the harness out and re thread it from the back.

Always Keep a Spare: 2-in-1 Value
TurboBooster: Big kids may want to “graduate” out of a booster seat, but it’s important that they remain in a car seat or booster seat until they’re able to fit your vehicle’s seat belt properly (see if your child passes the Seat Belt Test: http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/car-seats-boosters-seat-belts-/booster-seats-and-seat-belt-safety-tips.html). The very cool (seriously – kids love this seat and features like hideaway cup holders!) TurboBooster® with Safety Surround ™ offers the best head and body protection at each stage. This booster seat converts from a high back booster (30-100 lbs.) to a backless booster (40-100 lbs.), and both modes help position your vehicle’s seat belt for a proper fit. The backless mode of the booster is so compact; you can keep extras as a spare in your trunk for last-minute passengers.

Here’s to riding safely—and getting to school on time!

What is Safety Surround?

The United States doesn’t have a standard for side impact testing, so Graco took their seats with Safety Surround to Europe. Safety Surround side impact protection has been tested to both Graco’s and Europe’s draft standard for side impact testing. As a result, the TurboBooster with Safety Surround offers the best head and body protection at each stage.

Is this safer than other products? How?

TurboBooster with Safety Surround offers enhanced side impact protection that truly grows with your child over the entire weight range of the seat (40 – 100 lbs.) and has been tested to both Graco’s standard and Europe’s draft standard.

Does this mean that the TurboBooster without Safety Surround is less safe?

The original TurboBooster meets or exceeds all of Graco’s standards and U.S. safety standards. The difference is the enhanced side impact protection your child receives with Safety Surround. Parents can actually see the enhancement the side wings and the headrest. These additions help the TurboBooster with Safety Surround meet the rigorous European draft standard for side impact testing.

How long should my child be in a booster?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children stay in a belt-positioning booster seat booster until they are at least 4’9” and 8 – 12 years old.

Is this the same height as the TurboBooster? Why is it not taller if it is improved?

The TurboBooster is the same height, whether with or without Safety Surround. The improvements are evident in the Safety Surround technology, the headrest and the side wings on the TurboBooster with Safety Surround.

What are the major differences between this and the regular TurboBooster?

The major difference between the two TurboBoosters is the addition of Safety Surround on one. And the TurboBooster with Safety Surround comes in a more sleek look with fun colors to appeal to your “big kid.”

What colors does it come in?

TurboBooster with Safety Surround comes in four fashions: Rush (grey & taupe), Pearson (sage green & black), Harrington (bright orange & grey) and Dahlia (vibrant purple & black). The color blocking will appeal to older children, who are sure to love how cool they look in this seat!

What are the dimensions of the seat?

TurboBooster with Safety Surround weighs 9 lbs. (without child) and is 26.5”H x 16.5”W x 15”D. It’s designed to fit your growing child securely, in addition to your vehicle’s back seat !

Graco has also received accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for our booster seats: the Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat, Argos 3-in-1 harnessed booster and TurboBooster youth booster seat (both the highback and backless models).  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducts these studies to help parents decide which booster is best to help protect their older child. They test the boosters based on this criteria:  most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles.

As a parent myself, I trust Graco car seats for my kids–PP rides in a high back TurboBooster & Pinkie Pie loves her Nautilus car seat, so it’s great to see Graco recognized for its true commitment to keeping children safe.

Congratulations, Graco toddler car seats!

Well, it’s Day 5 – our FINAL day of  Graco’s Get One Give One

Comment at the bottom of this post to tell us about a person or organization that you think is deserving of the product we’re featuring today and why. We’ll select one of your comments at random and both you and your nominee could win that day’s prize! Here’s some more information on Graco Get One Give One and how to participate.

Now, for today’s prize!

The Graco Highback TurboBooster Car Seat in the chic Zurich fashion is today’s prize, available at Walmart, Target, Babies R’ Us, and Amazon.com. Our Top Rated booster seat fits your “big kid” from 3-10 years old, 30-100 lbs and 38″ to 57″ tall.

This is one of the most popular seats among children and parents.  The car seat’s cool perks such as the  hide-away cup holders,  height-adjustable head support, and height-adjustable armrests are a big hit with the kids. Parents, however, love the TurboBooster’s safety ratings. It has EPS, energy absorbing foam, and open loop belt guides to help ensure proper seat belt positioning. And when needed, it easily converts to backless booster, giving you years of use.

Kids should stay in a booster seat longer than most people might think. Here’s a good guide from SafeKids.org on how to know when your child is ready to graduate from his booster seat.

We can’t wait to hear your stories. Come back tomorrow for another chance to win and give!

* Entries are now closed – thanks to everyone who participated. The winner is Andrea! Andrea, Graco will be in touch shortly to get you your prize!

For everyone who was unable to attend the event (or even if you did) here’s a recap of some of the best questions. However if you’re still unclear on the installation and safety of your child’s car seat, be sure to check out some of these great online resources such as, SeatCheck.org and the NHTSA website, or you could always leave us a comment below and Carol will get back to you.

Top 10 question and answers from the Graco Car Seat Safety Twitter Party:

Q: @GrOvEbUg: What is the best way to keep a newborn’s head up in the car seat? They always tend to lean and fall forward.

A: 1st make sure you have the right recline angle-then you can used rolled receiving blankets to help support the head.

Q: @lifeinstatutes: When traveling with young children should there be a time limit when they should “get out and walk”?

A: It really depends on the child-some can sit for a few hours, others need a break more often.

Q: @rogXue: How snug should the straps be on a child in a 5pt harness?

A: It’s important to keep the harness as close to the child’s body as possible to ensure a proper fit.

Q: @GrOvEbUg: Is it OK to put a towel under my carseat to adjust the angle?

A: We recommend a foam noodle or a tightly rolled towel to get the right recline

Q: @MamanADroit: Are carseat “accessories” ever considered safe? I see tons in stores

A: Car seat accessories should only be used if they have been approved by the manufacturer or come with the seat

Q: Where can I find a list of organizations will help install car seats correctly?

A: www.seatcheck.org is a great resource (Graco is a sponsor of this site)

Q: Where is the best place to put a car seat? On the backseat driver-side, passenger or middle seat?

A: The center of the back seat is farthest away from a possible side impact, so we always try first to install there first. However, the safest place is the one where you can get the most secure fit to your vehicle in the back seat.

Q: How long can I use my current car seat?

A: You might not know it, but car seats actually expire. Check out this blog post to find out your Graco car seat’s life span.

Q: How long should my child stay rear-facing?

A: The minimum is up to 1 year and at least 20 lbs, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends up to two years.

Q: Can anyone become a CPS technician? How can I get certified?

A: Any individual can be a CPS Technician. Go to www.cpsboard.org and click on “Certification”

For the full #GracoSafety Twitter Party transcript go here.

Again, we’re happy to answer any additional safety questions you might have. Thanks again to everyone who participated!