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Original poster

When did you get rid of car seats all together?

58 replies

JuneOsborne · 05/11/2021 06:49

Wwyd? My Ds is tall (takes after me) and is just about 150cm tall at 9. His car seat is extended to the tallest height.

DH is saying it's time it went. I just feel safer with him in it. But, legally he's allowed to travel without it and he's started noticing that other kids his age don't have one.

When did you ditch the car seat?

OP posts:
MagicalFish · 05/11/2021 07:23

We got rid of it a month or so ago for DS. He's 8 and 140cm and the seatbelt fits him correctly without it.

WholeClassKeptIn · 05/11/2021 07:24

I don't see the rush to get rid of them at 135cm. Its when its no longer a legal requirement NOT when its safest. As said upthread its 150 in Europe.

We used the graphic above too when my eldest stopped using one. Both moved to a booster only at some point over 135 and then kept them until it was safe without - but using that graphic it was a while after 135!!!!

Doubledoorsontogarden · 05/11/2021 07:47

Just the booster here for my tall, leggy dc age 9.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
userg5647 · 05/11/2021 07:51

11 year old still using (just a) booster in one car, nothing in the other. Different sized cars so the belts go across him differently. The high back was removed a while back as it was uncomfortable and belt wasn't sitting right.

reluctantbrit · 05/11/2021 07:53

We ditched it when DD started feeling uncomfortable and squeezed in when sitting in the high back booster, she was around 1.50m then. Yes, taller than the UK requirements but she sat uncomfortable when she was in another car without it. I think she was in Y5 so 9/10.

We had a booster in the car for friends's DCs and also when we went abroard as other countries has a 1.50m height requirement.

Yes, several adults are just 1.50m but an adult body can withstand an impact a lot better than a child as it's not just the height which make a difference, it's the muscle mass, bone structure. So it's not 100% comparable to an adult without a booster.

SillyBub · 05/11/2021 07:59

Mine were 13 and 11 (they're the same height) when they came off the booster cushions and they came out of the HBBs only a year or so before when they didn't fit in them anymore.

It's all about the seatbelt position and our car has low seats with a high seatbelt position on the lowest setting. Their age and height were irrelevant.

PaperMonster · 05/11/2021 08:29

@WholeClassKeptIn - absolutely with you on that.

Sirzy · 05/11/2021 08:31

@WholeClassKeptIn

I don't see the rush to get rid of them at 135cm. Its when its no longer a legal requirement NOT when its safest. As said upthread its 150 in Europe.

We used the graphic above too when my eldest stopped using one. Both moved to a booster only at some point over 135 and then kept them until it was safe without - but using that graphic it was a while after 135!!!!

Exactly. There seems to be a race to move to the next stage or get rid of car seats which makes no sense. It’s about safety
Crumblinginside · 05/11/2021 08:32

I'm in Ireland and our very tall 8 year old us still in a car seat but he didn't want it. But I've decided to wait until he's 9.

InvincibleInvisibility · 05/11/2021 08:34

DS1 was 9. He's very broad shouldered so high back had gone a while before.

OberthursGrizzledSkipper · 05/11/2021 08:37

My youngest was 12. Most of her class had ditched them by about Y4 but I can't see why you wouldn't want to keep them as safe as you can.

MyDcAreMarvel · 05/11/2021 08:39

@Waxonwaxoff0 DS is 8 and 130cm, I'll be getting rid as soon as he's the required height. surely you would make you decision based on the safe height of 150cm not the legal height?

TattiePants · 05/11/2021 08:39

It was probably around 8 or 9. DD is now 10 and 5ft 5 so she grew out of hers earlier than most.

Shewholovedthethebanhills · 05/11/2021 08:47

This is really interesting on 150cm tall adults, most of whom will be women. Isn’t car safety designed using default male crash test dummies? I think Caroline Criado Perez included that example in Invisible Women - will go and look it up. I’d never thought about the tall child/small woman crossover. Also, at what age do children’s heads stop being a larger proportion of body weight than adults?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/11/2021 08:51

My MIL is 5ft4 and finds most seat belts uncomfortable... she has a foam cover for it.

hellywelly3 · 05/11/2021 09:00

Once they got to the height requirement. My kids are very tall so probably about 7.

MinesAPintOfTea · 05/11/2021 09:02

My point about 150cm adults is that the booster seat is in part designed to adapt the adult safety measures to fit a child. Once they are in the adult height range things are different.

Anyway, DS came out of his when he reached the height that on the top setting of his booster seat the seatbelt had to go up to get over his shoulder: not safe.

elliejjtiny · 05/11/2021 09:12

My 2 teens were in car seats until starting secondary school I think. Dc3 (year 6) and dc4 (year 4) are in booster seats and dc5 (year 3) is in a high back booster.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 05/11/2021 09:16

DS is just short of 150cm and in his booster and will be for a while yet as the seat belt sits better with him in it. Most of his friends are no longer in any kind of seat which I find odd as he's one of the tallest.

stingofthebutterfly · 05/11/2021 09:56

As soon as they hit a couple of cm above the legal height. My 11 year old hasn't been in a booster since about age 8.

GoingForAWalk · 05/11/2021 20:35

Once they reached the height they didn't need one any more or a booster seat. You just kind of know by how the seatbelt fits

ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast · 05/11/2021 20:37

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules

135cm or 12 years old. The law is pretty clear.

ChocolateRiver · 05/11/2021 20:47

My ds is 9 and about 138cm and is still in a booster seat. No back on it though. I think once he’s 150cm he won’t be in booster anymore.

Sourwolf · 05/11/2021 20:56

Mine both stopped the summer before high school so were both 12.5

Neither DS minded at all. They'd both been on long car journeys without one (grandparents) and discovered how uncomfy it was not using one. No nice head cushions so you can nap in comfort. Grin

YerAWizardHarry · 05/11/2021 20:57

Havent RTFT but the new iSize regulations mean that car seats are moot after 150cm…