To ask if you're still using high back booster for 8yo?

[mscherry]

Dd is nearly 8 and tall - weighs 5stone and is 138cm tall. She is looking a bit uncomfortable in her high back booster seat. Can you get high back boosters for taller children?
I feel loathed to take her out of a car seat as it’s obviously safer, but also would it be a bit daft to buy a new one at this stage?
Just wondered what other people do, I don’t really want her in the car with no protection. She currently sits on one side of the car, should I move her to the middle so she has a bit more distance in case there was a side impact?

Both my ten year old and 8 year old are still in high back boosters and still comfortable in them. We have two britax kidfix seats.

My dd is 7.5 and probably about the same height and weight as yours (135 cm 4.5 stone last time I checked).

I will be keeping her in the HBB until I can't get one big enough.

I bought a new one sometime in the last year as she outgrew her other one and she is in a Romer.... I think it's a britax one. There's one more height click above what she is using for the head rest, so I'm expecting at least another year or so out of this chair.

My boy is slightly taller and heavier than your daughter, he is still in his high back seat - it was (I think) a cybex one that looks like a robot. It grows with them and when it's fully extended it's huge and he has loads of growing into room left. It was expensive but more than worth it because it is really secure and well protected.

Whilst he can still fit into one then il always keep him in one.

My 9yr old DD1 is 133cm and desperate for those extra 2cm when she doesn't have to use a car seat.
www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules
Once they get to 12 years or 135cm (whichever comes first) they should not use a car seat.

Yep for my 9yo but he hasn't reached the stage of being uncomfortable. He's 138cm too and is definitely getting towards the limit for his HBB. He won't last another 12cm I don't think unless it's all in the legs.

Legally your DS can stop using one now as is over 135cm.

See how he sits on the car seat without a booster. If he can put his bum right back and also bend his legs over the edge at the knee, and the seat belt doesn't bother hos neck then he's alright without any carseat now. But if he tends to scoot forward to bend his knees or the belt is on his neck, then he should still ideally be using a booster, however a backless one is fine.

I would say it's safer for him to be in a properly fitted seat than a poorly fitting one even if the properly fitting one offers less protection.

Yes. Britax difficult here too. Plenty of room still.

Kidfix* not difficult!

yes.
it's much much safer.
11yo only just got out of theirs as gettig too tall and broad.
it's a maxi cosi one

My DDs car seat is age 4-12 I think.

Its a Cybex.

My nearly 10 yr old is still in a HBB for most journeys (occasionally a booster cushion or no seat at all). She is just about 140cm and 4st13 so a similar size. It's a Britax I think, one that the head rest can be raised to give them more room. She doesn't really need it now, but I am sticking with it as I just think it is safer. The law is that they don't need one at all from 135cm, but some other countries have a taller limit so it's not like it is unsafe to use them for taller children.

Number faker, not should not - it's optional to stop using car seats. There's no reason to stop at 135cm if you and your child are happy. Personally I don't think DS quite fits an adult belt well enough for me to be happy for him to go without anything, though I'm relaxed about occasional trips. The knee bend problem is supposed to be particularly problematic.

Yes I read that 135cm is the law in the uk. In other countries it’s 150cm so would rather keep her in one til then.
Think I’m going to look for a new seat then. She’s in a maxi cosi rodi air protect at the minute. It’s not isofix so moves around and I think that’s another issue with it.
Any recommendations welcome for taller children high back boosters?

Totem, we have a Cybex too but I think it would only be a small 12yo who would fit into it.

we drive a lot in europe where 150cm is the cut off for mandatory car seat use. so dc stay in hbb until that age.

My 8 and 10 yr old still use high back boosters. The 10 yr old is well over 135cm but she will stay in the hbb until she physically doesn't fit or next summer when she goes to secondary school, whichever comes 1st.

It's a britax something, in many EU countries the height limit is 150cm, so while she's not complaining I'll keep her in it.
If we're taking an extra friend or doing short one off journeys I do let her just sit on a normal seat.
If your daughter is complaining of being squashed though and is over the 135, I'm not sure I'd fork out for a new seat.

If she doesn't use a seat, have a look at where the seatbelt sits on her. If it's anywhere near her neck, then I would get a new seat as that's really dangerous.

135cm is a standard measure but if some kids have longer legs and shorter bodies and vice versa, just sticking with the one height limit isn't going to be safe for everyone.

My DD was in a high back booster till she was c145cm and I couldn't extend the seat any higher. Now she is nearly 150cm and still uses a booster seat in DH's car otherwise the seatbelt doesn't fit properly, but not in my car where she's comfortable and safe without.

I prefer the children not to sit in the middle seat unless the car is full. Don't know if that is from the old days when the lap belts were the most unsafe, and I know we have 3-point seat belts there now, but I still have it in my mind that it's the least safe position in the car - please correct me if anyone knows otherwise.

You won't find a high back which truly goes to 150cm ime. We looked too. But backless is actually alright, I was surprised with how well he seems to fit the belt in one. But it's for spare as he does still just about squeeze into the Cybex (no idea which)

IMO you would be bonkers to get an isofix one at this stage because you'll get maybe 6 months out of it and they all cost over £100!

Best tip I can give for fitting though is take child to shop and try them out on highest setting.

Thanks, I will check this morning. She is all legs so I think she will probably still need one. Do you all put your children in one side of the car or in the middle? I think I read somewhere that the middle is safer????

Back middle seat is the safest if it has a 3 point belt! :)

DS is on the side because no isofix like you said - seat moves around less.

I kept my DD in hers until she really couldn't fit anymore. She's 10 and tall. She's still using the booster cushion so that the seatbelt sits correctly.

She was the last in her class using one by a country mile but I don't care.

My DD is 148cm and about 5stone and still in her HBB. Her seat goes to 160cm so she has some growth room in it. She's 12.5yrs so her seat was a good investment.

I kept Ds2 in one till he finished year 6.

I wanted to keep him in as long as possible and tried out car seats until we found one that didn't touch his shoulders. The sales assistant was telling me he was just above the legal height but I didn't care, I wanted to keep him as safe as possible.

The school run took me down national speed limit dual carriageways so I was travelling at up to 70mph every day.

Which seat is it Soko?

She has what was known as a Diono Monterey 2. My DS also has one. It's about £85 on Amazon right now. It does expand width ways as well which is excellent.