taking off the back of a high back booster seat

[huvumore]

My son is badgering me to take the back off his high back booster seat as all his friends have. He is 7 and 134cm tall. I understood the recommendation is that these seats are used up until the age of 12. Is this recommendation for just the booster seat bit and not the high back bit? I thought the high back bit is used to help if there was any side impact to stop child's head from being too bashed around. My son is right almost all the parents I know have taken the backs off. I'm in a dilemma. What would do you do or have you done?

dd is nearly 9 and still in a high backed booster. Most of her friends are probably in backless boosters or no seat at all but she hasnt complained so I am leaving her where she is for the moment.

This is one thing I wouldn't give in to. They are safer in a high booster than a booster cushion. Which? Were campaigning for banning them as they offered very little protection.

Better safe than sorry in my opinion.

My dds are 6 and 10 and are still on hhb. They will be staying on them until they are 150cm tall which is the hight adult seat belts are designed for. They are more comfy on they and often sleep on long journeys. I know of the kids in the 10 year old class are not on anything but then most of them also don't seam to know how to put a seat belt on, This was based on helping with swimming and having to show a lots how to ware a seat belt

I don't think booster cushions offer any protection (or even claim to) other than raising your child up to the correct height so that an adult seatbelt fits comfortably. Legally they only need a car seat/booster until they're 135 cm tall or 12 years old, whichever they reach first. But I would prefer to have my child in a high back booster for as long as possible because they offer side protection that they wouldn't have with just an adult seat belt. (It's also better for comfort eg if your child falls asleep on long journeys - as mine still do occasionally - far more comfy that if they just flop forward/sideways). Completely up to you of course but this is an occasion where I'd be prepared to resort to either white lies or plain stubbornness to keep him in his high back booster for a bit longer. Hth :)