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May 17, 2012

The First Years B540 Booster Seat Review

This Giveaway is Closed – The Lucky Winner is Beverly Hernandez – Congratulations!

With so many states making it mandatory for children under the age of 8 years old to ride in a booster seat (38 states as of Feb. 2007), many parents are looking for booster seats that accommodate larger children. I’m a huge believer that kids should ride in booster seats when they have outgrown a 5 point harness. My own kids have never even thought to ask if they could ride in the car without being in a carseat or booster. Seatbelts are not designed to protect children. They are designed to protect an adult. My own 6 ½ year old still looks so tiny in his booster seat that I can’t imagine how his small body would manage in a car accident. The First Year’s B540 Booster seat received a 5-star ease of use rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has a wide seat that is perfect for older children.

Ease of Use

The First Year’s B540 booster seat is lightweight, which makes it easy to move in and out of the car. A rotating armrest makes it easy for kids to climb in and out of the seat, especially if you have a narrow backseat or more than one carseat installed in your car. The B540 has a unique feature that I hadn’t seen before on a booster – it folds for easy storage. While this feature has not been something I have personally needed to use on the seat, I can see how it would be helpful for storage or if you frequently need to store a booster seat in your trunk to free up seating in your car while still keeping the seat available. The B540 is a great seat for airplane travel. It is lightweight enough to easily carry through an airport and the folding feature creates less bulk for you to haul around.

Comfort

Comfort is a huge issue with booster seats because older children do not hesitate to voice their opinion if they are uncomfortable while riding in the car. The First Years B540 has a wide seat that provides plenty of room for older children to sit comfortably and includes plenty of padding to create a comfortable ride. Both my 4 year old and 6 year old have tested out the B540 booster seat and I haven’t heard any complaints from either of them. They were both easily able to fall asleep in the booster seat and sat comfortably for extended car rides.

Safety

One of the biggest factors in car seat safety is whether or not the carseat has been installed properly. While many carseat manufacturers tout additional safety features, the fact is, if the carseat has not been installed correctly, it will not protect the child. It has been estimated that as many as 4 out of 5 carseats are installed incorrectly. As a parent, that is a frightening statistic. The First Year’s B540 booster received a 5-star ease of use rating from the NHTSA, making it much more likely that the seat will be used correctly and be able to protect a child in case of an accident. The B540 includes side impact protection, which is essential in a carseat. The seatbelt path is marked in red, making it easy to position the seatbelt correctly.

Enter to Win

One lucky winner will receive a First Years B540 booster seat.  This giveaway is open to the U.S. and will end on February 28, 2010.

Enter the giveaway by commenting on this post.

Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.

In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given a First Years B540 Booster Seat to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

Additional Entries

After having commented on this post, you can earn additional entries by doing any of the following. Make a separate comment on this post for each extra entry you qualify for.

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About Rachel

Rachel is an LDS, homeschooling mom of 4 boys, ages 8, 6, 4, and one tiny angel who passed away at birth. She's expecting her first baby girl in Spring 2012 and isn't quite sure what to do with all the pink accessories.

Rachel holds a B.A. in English and is a former teacher. She is the creator of Busy Mommy Media and works as a freelance writer from home.

Comments

  1. tia says:

    thanks for the review and the chance! my friend really likes this brand and I will be needing one soon1

  2. Tabitha says:

    Subscribe to newsletter. Looks like a good seat.

  3. kathy p says:

    Thank you for the Great giveaway please count me in :)

  4. kathy p says:

    newsletter subscriber

  5. Heather says:

    I really need this! The little girl I babysit has to have a Booster seat, and it is so hard to switch the booster set from their van to my car everytime we go somewhere!

  6. kathy p says:

    update subscriber

  7. kathy p says:

    following on twitter klp1965

  8. kathy p says:
  9. Suzanne says:

    Looks like a great seat. Thanks for the great contest!

  10. Marlena U. says:

    This is the exact booster seat I have been watching and comparing prices on. We would be so thrilled to win this as our second baby is due in about 9 weeks and we’d like to move our toddler into a booster seat before then. Thank you so much for the chance at winning!!

  11. Marlena U. says:

    I get your newsletter!

  12. Marlena U. says:

    I subscribe!

  13. Marlena U. says:

    I receive updates!

  14. Summer says:

    What a great giveaway! Thanks so much!

  15. Ellen Brower says:

    I would love to win this for my step-daughter!
    .-= Ellen Brower´s last blog ..As They Grow Up – aden + anais Giveaway =-.

  16. Ellen Brower says:

    newsletter subscriber
    .-= Ellen Brower´s last blog ..As They Grow Up – aden + anais Giveaway =-.

  17. Ellen Brower says:

    Update subscriber
    .-= Ellen Brower´s last blog ..As They Grow Up – aden + anais Giveaway =-.

  18. Ellen Brower says:

    RSS feed reader via Google Reader

  19. Ellen Brower says:
  20. Ellen Brower says:
  21. Ellen Brower says:
  22. Ellen Brower says:
  23. Ellen Brower says:
  24. Ellen Brower says:
  25. Ellen Brower says:

    twitter follower. ellieb67

  26. Ellen Brower says:

    stumbled. vanillayo

  27. Ellen Brower says:

    posted on facebook. Ellie Brower

  28. Susan M says:
  29. Tricia Stout says:
  30. Chrysa says:

    My nephew is just about ready for a booster. This would be awesome for him!
    .-= Chrysa´s last blog ..Olay Total Effects Body Wash Free Sample =-.

  31. Chrysa says:
  32. Chrysa says:

    I’m subscribed to your RSS feed in my Google Reader.
    .-= Chrysa´s last blog ..Olay Total Effects Body Wash Free Sample =-.

  33. Chrysa says:

    I’m following you on Twitter (I’m @ThriftyJinxy).

  34. Suzanne Wilhoit says:

    I would love to win this for my daughter. She is 2 and will be needing this type soon.

  35. Angela Winesburg says:

    I would love to win this, thanks for the chance!

  36. neljo mullins says:
  37. Melissa Hart says:

    Signed up to receive the Busy Mommy Media Newsletter

  38. R Hicks says:

    I really love the saftey features on this booster seat

  39. R Hicks says:

    signed up for newsletter

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

  40. R Hicks says:

    signed up for updates

  41. R Hicks says:

    subscribe rss via google reader

    ardy2222 at gmail dot com

  42. R Hicks says:

    follow you on twitter

    ardy22

  43. R Hicks says:
  44. R Hicks says:

    stumbled

    ardy22

  45. Linzi says:

    What a great giveaway!
    .-= Linzi´s last blog ..Adventures in D’oh! =-.

  46. R Hicks says:

    dug you

    ardy22

  47. R Hicks says:
  48. R Hicks says:

    faved technorati

    ardy22

  49. R Hicks says:

    bookmarked delicious

    ardy22

  50. R Hicks says:

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