What age did you stop using a car seat?

[bubul]

My sister is coming to stay with me and I'm not sure wether to get her a car seat as she over the height limit but she's only 10 years old?

[Wannabegreenfingers]

12 or once they are over 135cm.

[dementedpixie]

Think mine were around 9 when they stopped as they were over the minimum height

[TalbotAMan]

In the UK children are obliged to use a car seat until they reach a height of 135 cm or the age of 12, whichever comes first. Stage 2/3 car seats are good to 150 cm, as that is the height used in some other countries. So she strictly doesn't need one. My two DDs were out of them at about the age of 10.

The best thing, though, is to find out whether she is still using one and if so get her to bring it with her.

[megletthesecond]

Both mine were an older 10 when they stopped using a booster seat.
DD had had a meltdown about getting rid of it at a younger age but realised the seatbelt wasn't comfortable if she was too low. A rare win for me .

[Singleandproud]

DD was over the height when she 6, generally we carried on using them unless it was a super short journey or if she was in a friends car,but I made her use one for long journeys or on fast roads until she was 150 cm (age 9) as seatbelts are designed for adults that are 5 ft.

[ohisay]

Also, it might depend on your car. My 11 year old still likes a car seat In our car to see out of the window comfortably, even though she is 150cm.

[bubul]

She doesn't have a car seat at my mum's as she doesn't drive.

I wasn't sure if it was safer to not use a car seat over 135cm or just safe enough but if she's safer in one until she's 150cm then I'll get her one.

[Janek]

If she's over 135cm she will be fine with a low booster, no need for a high-backed one ime. My dd (10) still uses one because we often go to ireland and italy where the rule is 150cm (she's 145cm...) and it's easier to have a flat rule than to chop and change. Also it's safer.

[reginafelangee]

Stopped when my eldest got past the min height.

He was10.5.

[BertieBotts]

If it's for occasional use I wouldn't worry. You could get a backless booster for about £5 just to raise the belt over her thighs and stop it sitting on her tummy. If she's over 135cm, she probably won't fit into a high backed booster anyway, lots of them simply don't go that high up.

[BertieBotts]

DS who is nearly 11 still uses a backless booster. He is 147cm and measures himself every few days to see if he has grown enough to get rid of it yet we are in Germany and the age is 150cm here.

[bubul]

She's coming to live with me so it'll be for daily use rather than occasional.
I didn't think you could still buy backless boosters here?

[dementedpixie]

You can. New ones have a different age/weight limit but older ones can still be used too

[dementedpixie]

www.argos.co.uk/browse/baby-and-nursery/travel/car-seats-booster-seats-and-travel-accessories/car-booster-seats/c:29054/ a selection here

[IdblowJonSnow]

My dd still has one, she's 9 but not quite 135 cms. Many of her friends don't have them any more. If she's over that height she doesn't need it by law.

[BertieBotts]

Ah, if she's coming to live then that's different, sorry. I thought you meant for the weekend :)

I would in that case sit her in your car without a booster seat and see how the seatbelt fits on her. Between 135-150cm, it's very much about the build of the child and the size of the car seat and seatbelt.

You're looking for it being across her lap or hips rather than the soft tissue of her abdomen, for her knees to bend at the edge of the seat when her bum is right to the back of the seat (if they don't, she will naturally pull her hips forward to allow her knees to bend, which will make the lap and shoulder belt sit higher), and the shoulder belt to cross her collarbone and not irritate her neck.

If she doesn't meet any one of these criteria, then she would be safer with a booster seat.

You can still buy backless boosters, the difference now is that they are only approved for children over 22kg and 125cm which is about 6-7 years old. If she only needs a little boost and feels more comfortable or you don't want to spend a lot of money this is an option to improve the belt fit. But that is all that a backless booster does, just shifts the child up so that a seatbelt will fit them more correctly, it doesn't offer any actual protection in a crash.

If you wanted to spend a bit more money and/or she wants something more comfortable, and/or you're keen on the idea of her having side impact protection for her head as well, you should look at high backed boosters. However these are a bit trickier to buy for an older child because many of them simply don't extend high enough for their shoulders to fit under. So I would suggest that you find the biggest shop with plenty of high backed boosters on sale and take her to try and find the highest one which she also finds comfortable (it might even be fun?) It might not necessarily be the most expensive - the Britax Adventure is known to be a tall one and that is only £30.

One more note - children shorter than 150cm often can't reach the floor in a normal car with their feet especially when on a booster seat, which can cause their legs to fall asleep on long drives and encourage them to slouch. It's safe to put a box or something under her feet as a footrest for comfort for her.

[BertieBotts]

Oh and I forgot to add - you might need to remove your seat's headrest (or take it out, flip it around and reinsert backwards) in order to fit a high backed booster in your car. They need to be flush with the backrest of your car's seat rather than having a gap caused by the headrest.

[delilahbucket]

Just stopped and ds is 11 1/2. He's been over the height limit for over a year but has preferred to use it so he can see out the front better! He's at secondary school now so it isn't cool anymore.

[IceCreamConewithaflake]

Age 10