When to move to a backless booster seat?

[SushiSuave]

Just wondering what the general opinions are on moving to a backless booster seat? My son is 8 and a half and will be in year 4 in September. I'm wondering when the right time to move out of a high backed car seat is. When have other parents swapped to a booster? And on a similar note, when have people let their children sit in the front of the car? My son has been asking to sit in the front for a while. I also don't want him being laughed at for being in a high backed seat although he hasn't mentioned this himself yet.

A backless booster seat should only be used by children who are taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg so depends on height and weight? I wouldn't even be thinking he might be laughed at, safety first

Doesn't it go off height? If you google the national guidelines you should be able to find this out 😁 my dd1 is 7 and she's still in her seat with the back. Also I still have her in the back seat but I do see others at school with the kids in the front seats

Agreed @Boopbeepbeepboop, safety definitely comes first, I'm more wondering if I'm being overly cautious at his age

Mumsnet is very cautious on booster seats, delaying all transitions much longer than anyone I know in real life. You are likely to get very cautious replies.

I switched to booster when mine were 7 / 8 ish. Both were tall and heavy enough and quite frankly a little constrained by the high back booster. Plus we needed the space for a 3rd child in the back.

Mine also sat in the front from that age. With the seat far back as advised and on a booster obviously. It started as we were lift sharing and someone had to go on the front. And now they take it in turns on shorter journeys. Longer journeys they still all sit in the back despite the whinging.

I don’t know any Y4 on a high back booster tbh. Perhaps that’s wrong, but that’s how it is.

I thought they were banned?

Thank you @SaltyGod. Most of the children at my son's school live locally so walk or ride bikes, I don't see them in the car to know what the norm is for his age! He is average height and build for his age so more than likely legally able to move to a booster. Will need to dig the scales out!

They’re not banned, they’re now just for group 3, so 22kg + as a previous poster mentioned.

They’re legal and still widely sold, but just not for younger children

www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules#:~:text=Children%20must%20normally%20use%20a,centimetres%20tall%2C%20whichever%20comes%20first.

Mine is the same age as your son. I’m keen for her to stay in the HBB until it becomes uncomfortable or really doesn’t fit her.

Mine have stayed in high backed boosters until 150cm as that is the height ours go up to. They then switch to no car seat.

Backless booster seats are not nearly as safe. Which article on booster seats

I've never heard of children being teased about car seats and don't see the point in buying a less safe one, if you have one already.

My just turned 7 has only just come out of a 5 point! Couldn’t care less what others at school do, my child is safe and that’s what matters!

the whole short/long journey really bugs me. My short journey is 2.5 miles to school but I hit national speed roads so risk is still the same!

we are one of the poorest countries for car seat safety

Eldest outgrew the high backed booster at age 8 and 145cm. Is ok without in smaller cars but still feels more comfortable and needs a backless booster in bigger vehicles. Lots of variables!

Keep him in a hbb as long as he fits. The side impact protection is so superior. Although, my DS8 is massive and his shoulders likely won't fit much longer, so when that day comes he'll go between his brothers seats.

You don't necessarily need to swap to a backless booster ever. You can keep them in a high back right up until they no longer need one if you want to and they fit safely. It is usually more comfortable, it is safer, and it offers support e.g. if you ever do long journeys and they fall asleep.

Sometimes you get to a point where the headrest won't go up any higher and the shoulders won't fit any more, but they still need the boost to keep the belt off their tummy, that is a good situation for a backless booster. (If they are under about 8 or 135cm when this happens, it is worth shopping for a longer-lasting high back booster.)

Or for keeping for spares/lifts/travel, it's less to cart around than a full sized high back.

Or if you have a shorter than average child who is very worried that their friends will tease them about being in a "baby" seat it can be a good compromise. But I wouldn't pre-empt this. It's an option I'd consider if my child was very distressed.

Front seat - consider where the airbag would inflate. If his head is at adult chest height then he's at risk from the airbag, especially if he has his head bent over looking at a screen. Some countries it's illegal before age 12. It's legal in the UK but bear the airbag info in mind.

The 135-150cm is a bit of a grey area where they might fit some cars without a booster and some cars they still need one.

I would also not really go by what the majority of other people are doing on this one - I think we're in a bit of a blind spot currently, where a lot of parents of older primary DC are unaware that the law states to use a booster seat up to 135cm minimum, and they stop using any seat at all at about 6 or 7. My theory is that adults born between about the mid-80s to mid-90s but who didn't have DC until 2010+ are familiar enough with car seats from their own childhood memories to take it for granted that they are needed for younger children, but they were already too old to need a car seat, and too young to have had kids when the rules changed 21 years ago, so they aren't aware of the law saying they are now needed up to 135cm/12 years old.

It will disappear shortly once the majority of older-primary parents start to be 90s-or-later babies because they will have grown up with the new law, with their parents being made aware of it by the publicity campaigns at the time.