To keep using a high back booster seat for my 8 year old?

[Ifcatshadthumbs]

He thinks I am (obviously) and a few people have commented questioned why he still has it and not a booster cushion. Most of his friends use a booster cushion and few don't use anything.

My main reason is it gives added protection plus he does fall asleep on long journeys so more comfortable for him.

Am I an over protective meaner though?

I have JUST stopped using ours for dd, who's 142 cm and 10! But on long journeys she can use it still, as it's more comfy for falling asleep.

Does anyone know the stats: HOW much safer are children in HBB than boosters/nothing???

dd and dn are both the same age 5 (couple months between) , as soon as dn turned 4 sil ditched the HB and just used the cushion, I showed her the crash test clip and the HB went straight back on, in her car at least her DH wont have the HBB in his car though cos it doesnt look good (she also sits in the front of his car with just the booster.
We have a britax evolva(back is fixed to the seat) which we have only just taken the 5 point harness out of ,my dd will be in it until she outgrows it, she would be in 5 point harness forever if I had my way. the instructions for our HBB with detachable back say keep the back on until at least age 7. booster cushions should be banned, IMO they are just not safe enough!

cocktail check out the video on u tube of the crash test , it speaks for itself.

www.childcarseats.org.uk/types/index.htm - shows different types of seats and the weights they are appropriate for

I believe the law is simply that children must be in a harnessed seat until they weigh at least 15kg and must be on a booster seat until they are 135cm. It doesn't specify anything about high backed boosters vs. cushions. So legally you can get away with putting a 15kg 3 year old on a booster cushion if you want to, it's parental choice about how safe you want to be.

DD uses a booster cushion now she is nearly 10. I think she stopped using the high back one at about 8. A lot of her friends are really tall and don't use anything now but she is quite cool about still using one as it is common knowledge amongst her schoolmates that she is a shorty.

DD still used hers beyond the age of 8y, and beyond the 135cm mark too. She did have a cushion too - but for long journeys she liked the comfort of the high back sides.

Dd is six and just too tall and broad to fit in her high back any more.she's four cm off the legal limit so have bought her a booster seat,she would have stayed in her high back if she wasn't so bloody big as its safer and was comfier when she fell asleep.

DS is 8 and around 140cm, and still in his high back booster for side-impact reasons. Our friends moved their (similar aged) daughters to booster cushions a while ago, but I explained to him why we wouldn't be ditching his car seat. I do let him sit in the front without a booster on occasional short journeys so he can feel all grown up ;)

That's interesting about Germany requiring boosters till 150cm - is that high backs, or just booster cushions?

DS is 9 and last year and he kept saying his shoulders and neck were uncomfortable and was desperate to use a normal boosterseat like "everyone else"

DH bought him a HB RECARO one (for bloody silly money!) and he loves it because DH told him they are modeled on racing seats.

No more complaints.