There are two kinds of booster seats available for purchase, and both serve very important functions. The first - car boosters - are used when a child outgrows a traditional car seat and is ready to feel more like a "big kid" during travel time. Secondly, chair boosters are used to help a child sit tall at the dinner table when a high chair will no longer do. Read on for insight into both of these booster worlds, and glean some shopping advice at the same time.

Car booster seats are the more common concern parents have. While dinner table boosts are fairly straightforward, knowing when and how to place your child in a car booster is a much bigger dilemma. Just as a first time parent frets over their infant's car travel options, parents of older children re-experience these same emotions as they find themselves in unknown territory once again.

For starters, a child should not be placed in a car booster seat until he has outgrown the standard carseats recommended by various safety regulators. The average age and size is between 4 and 8 years old, with continued use until the child is at least 4'9" tall. Use these as your preliminary guidelines to discover whether it's time to add car booster seats to your shopping list.

Car booster seats come in two distinct styles - high back and no-back. The high-back booster provides the head and neck support similar to a traditional car seat. Both a lap and shoulder seat belt must be utilized for a child to be strapped in correctly. A combination seat is also available that will allow you to use a harness at first, followed by the lap/shoulder belts as your child grows. The second version of the car booster is found in the no-back design that adds height and safety to your child's car ride, but does not include any sort of head/neck support. For this reason, you should not purchase this type of booster unless your back seats are already equipped with built-in headrests.

When shopping for a booster, don't hunt around for the perfect style or upholstery design, but rather focus on safety and the ability to meet standard safety regulations. If you are unsure, check out the current standards online or visit your local police or fire station for advice and approval.

Sometimes you can strap your child into a floor model at the store to ensure you'll get a good fit. A booster seat such as the Maxi Cosi Rodi is a great pick if you'd like sleek style combined with the ultimate in safety performance. Combi also manufacturers wonderful booster seats, such as the Dakota Booster which allows children to feel mature and comfy at the same time with its limited constraint but invaluable safety assurance.

Heading back to home, kitchen booster seats are also a purchase worth researching. What types of chairs will your child be using with the booster? Is there a particular style that works better with the rest of decor in your home? There are so many chic designs available, it makes little sense to buy a clashing dining room table accessory when you can keep things looking coordinated and put together. Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat is a perfect example of this, in solid colors complimentary of many home motifs. Made by Fisher-Price, the god of baby products, your child can use this booster for quite some time thanks to its 3-point height adjustable tray for easy usage no matter how tall your child grows in those early years.

Booster seats for both the car and kitchen are important for a safe childhood experience. Spills and tumbles take place so often, it's in your best interest to avoid damage by not being as cautious and careful as you can be.