HBB? help, what to choose?

[CultureSucksDownWords]

My DS is 3.2 and weighs just over 18kg, he's also very tall for his age. He's currently in a BeSafe izi combi isofix, but the weight limit on this is 18kg. So I think that he should now be moved into a high backed booster seat - if that's correct?

If I've understood it correctly he would need a Group 2/3 one, that he could stay in until he no longer needs a car seat. I was wondering if these kinds of HBBs have 5 point harnesses? I read online that 18kg is a top limit for a 5 point harness on a HBB, so would that mean my DS wouldn't be able to use a harness?

I'd be very grateful if anyone could tell me if I've understood this correctly!

There are some that harness to a higher weight but don't know which ones they are. Otherwise, yes it would be a seat that fastens with the adult seat belt rather than a harness

Britax do a new forward facing seat that has a harness to 25kg. The advansafix I think ? Or something similarly named .

You can also get rear facing seats to 25kg too. Multi tech / two way elite etc.

No way would I trust a 3 year old in a seatbelt .

I currently have care of my DN and his mother provided me with his HBB - I am constantly telling him to sit back .

I have just purchased a harnessed seat for him as we are travelling a long distance soon.

Thanks both, that is really helpful. I'll have a look at those seat suggestions thank you. It does seem a huge leap to go from his rear facing 5 point harness seat to a forward facing HBB with just the adult seat belt!

Yes, generally the harnesses are to 18kg, seatbelts after 18kg. As mentioned by pp, a few harnesses go to 25kg. There are several posters on this board who would be able to tell you, or you could read some likely looking threads.

IMO the seatbelt will only do what it's supposed to do if the child is in the correct position at the time of impact - I.e not hanging forward to look out the front , arms not over the seatbelt etc .

My DN is always doing this - he's only 3 so I wouldn't expect him to be able to sit for a long time in one position .

The child has to be mature enough to understand to sit back .

It's not just mental maturity, it's physical too. A child under the age of about 4 1/2 is not safe on a high backed booster no matter how much they weigh

This explains why

CultureSucksDownWords - I would be looking for a belt-fitted 25kgs rear facing seat for your son.

Thanks for the info Alicemum, although I can't get that link to work.

If only I'd thought about this earlier and bought a RF seat that would go to 25kgs. At the time, 18kg seemed a lot!

Sorry, it works when I click on it!

I'll try again without trying to be clever and add my own words!

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It just depends on the child doesn't it. I have a 25kgs seat for my 3 1/2 year old but considering that she only weighs half that (12.5kgs, or 27lbs) I think I could quite easily have got away with an isofix one! I would have preferred one actually, to eliminate the risk of my older two children unfastening the seatbelt by accident (although it's only actually been my MIL who has done this, and then not thought to tell us that she has ) but the BeSafe ones at the time (March 2013) would not fit my car due to problems getting the 'Y' shaped foot prop to sit on the floor of the car properly.

Yes he's far too young for high backed booster even though he meets the weght limit.

The two seats that allow forward facing to 25kg are Britax Two way elite ( imported by in car safety centre) £220 ( it also rearfaces which as you know is safer) and the britax advansafix around £220-needs isofix and a top tether. Advansafix isn't great for tall kids either in the harnessed mode.

I'd look at keeping your child child facing in either the axkid minikid, britax Two way elite or britax maxway - all have nice tall shells.