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With the new Australian national child restraint safety laws coming into effect, my mind turned to replacing my four year old's current booster seat, which has had a broken foam head rest for a while.

After researching online and reading the RTA's report, Safer Child Restraints - your guide a to buying a child restraint) - it was a no brainer to check out the Infa-secure CS54 Vario-Kid booster seat, which scored the highest in protection from injury of crash (the only booster seat to receive 4 stars) and 3 stars for ease of use. This No. 1 rating above the AS/NZ Standard Requirements was enough for me.

In the report are test results for the Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP). The CREP testing and assessment program is based on tests developed in Australia to identify child restraints that offer the highest level of safety. The restraints are rated on how well they protect your child in a crash and how easy they are to use. Second to the level of protection was the ease of fitting since I will be using it everyday.

This Premium booster seat is suitable for children who are in the weight range of 14 - 26kg. It has unique adjustable side wings for a larger child and a high back with adjustable padded headrest for the child's comfort.

With regards to impact protection it offers large energy absorbing side wings for enhanced side impact protection as it is made from a super strong shell using blow-moulded construction.

It offers a top tether strap for enhanced stability of the seat and is suitable for use with a child harness, (which I also purchased). The improved belt path enhances stability and reduces forward movement. It offers anti-submarine design (when the child slips out from under the belt) with armrests that hold the lap belt close to the child's thighs.

WHY IS THE LOCATION OF THE BELT PATH IMPORTANT?
The location of the belt path is an important factor on a booster seat. The belt path for the booster seat should guide the lap belt under the arm-rest, if applicable, and firmly across the child's upper leg and pelvic region. If this location is correct, the likelihood of sub-marining will greatly reduce. Not all seats sold in Australia can claim this metric as the inadequacy of their designs causes the 'sub-marining' effect, which can cause serious or even fatal injuries. The higher the belt is fitted across the body the greater the risk of sub-marining.

All in all I find the Vario Kid Booster Seat is easy to fit and swap between cars and easy to buckle up. One initial thought was that it was too slim lined for my tall 4 year old but he settled in and finds his new headrest far more comfortable and supportive than his old booster seat.

I am happy with the stated safety aspects of our new booster seat and most importantly my 4 year old is happy to jump up into his new portable chair. They are sold in baby stores around Australia. I was lucky to find one in Babies Galore during their sales. Price $124 with a further 10% discount (June 2010).