I found this application very helpful. It is unfortunate people try to read more into it, instead of thinking about the parent who might be very confused @ the car seat isle of a baby store. Take it for what it is worth and appreciate the accurate message it relates to parents. Highly recommend it!!!

This app has good information contained within, but you have to hint for a lot of it. When I put in the stats of 4 years old, 3'6", and 42 lbs, the automatic recommendation was 'booster.' I was very disappointed to see that this app did not take into account the newer carseats with higher weight limits for harnessing children. Regardless of how well-behaved a child is, a carseat with a five-point harness is safer than a booster with a seatbelt. Similarly, when I put in the stats of 3 years old, 3'6" and 32 lbs, it recommended a forward-facing carseat, despite the fact that such a child could still ride rear-facing in many seats. Yes, the AAP has upped their age recommendation from at least one year and 20 lbs to at least two years, but the rest of that recommendation says (paraphrasing here): ...or until the upper limit of the seat has been reached. Reading closely, one could find recommendations about extended rear-facing, etc, but in my opinion, that information should be featured MUCH more prominently and the formulas should default to the safest choice, which is not what they do now.

As a CPST, I like that they recommend extended rear facing! I would like to see the booster section include a statement about a child sitting appropriately the whole ride before consider before using a booster-- as this is a much more important factor than age or weight. If the child isn't sitting in the seat the way it is intended to be used, they are better off in a forward facing seat still.

This app is extremely helpfully, I appreciate that I can get all the information I need its clear, and easy to read, The recommendations are very helpfully keeping a child rear facing up to two years great!!!!