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Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here.

Confused about car seat regulations? Find baby car seat advice here.

Car seats

High back booster without the "head drop" issue? or other solution?

19 replies

minipie · 17/01/2017 14:49

A few months ago we bought a MaxiCosi Rodifix for DD1 age 4. I bought it hoping that she could sleep ok in it (it has a slight recline). She always falls asleep in the car no matter when we travel as she doesn't sleep enough (whole other thread).

However despite the recline she ends up folding forwards (not safe or comfy) or her head hangs down which gives her neck ache and she jerks awake.

Has anyone got a high back booster which their DC sleep in without their head dropping or body folding? I think Cybex has a head recline feature, any reviews of it from a sleeping point of view please?

Or has anyone found another solution? I've seen the Belt Upp but think it would still allow her head to hang forward, also worried about access in an accident.

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minipie · 17/01/2017 14:49

PS thanks

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5moreminutes · 17/01/2017 14:54

My youngest sleeps in HS highbacked booster sometimes and his head doesn't droop but it's a standard non fancy, non reclining one (sorry I'm not sure of the make) - I hate to say it but I'd suspect your DD is just too small for the seat if her head's drooping. DC3 is 1 meter 18 ish I think and about right for the seat, so his head is in the right place and the car belt is in the right place. 4 is boarder line size isn't it - if she isn't big for her age she might be better staying in a 5 pt harness...

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minipie · 17/01/2017 15:27

Ah I hadn't thought of that 5moreminutes. She's 107cm, so not so tall. She is over the weight limit for her group 0/1 seat now though, the limit is 18kg and she's over that, so I can't really put her back in that one. Also her sister is using it! There is another 5 pt harness seat we could borrow from grandparents, I will see if I can check the weight limit for that one.

Good to know it may improve as she grows though.

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5moreminutes · 17/01/2017 15:54

That's the awkward size exactly on the boarder line for lots of seats isn't it? There are some seats that stay rear facing or 5 pt forward facing til 25kg but it's understandable not to buy a new seat just for the in between phase!

I was thinking 18kgis heavy for 107cm as my nearly 6 year old is barely 18kg at 118cm, but then remembered that my nearly 10 yo was probably 18 kg at 4 too! I think he probably did go into the hb at 4, though we used to have a smallish mother are one - I think he did droop on long drives

A 5 pt harness or rear facing that goes up to 25kg would almost certainly be the ideal option - Britax make them but they are, of course, not cheap. I think maybe car seats aside from group 0 are made for tall, skinny kids as the more solid ones go over the weight limits before they are the ideal shape for a hbb!

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handmademitlove · 17/01/2017 16:01

My 8yr old uses one of these as her head droops otherwise. It works well.

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minipie · 17/01/2017 16:18

Just had a look, I think it's about 75th centile weight wise, she's usually somewhere between 50th and 75th for both weight and height. I must admit I've assumed she's over 18kg as she was 17.5 when last weighed and that was months ago, but then weight gain does slow down a lot as they get older so maybe she isn't? I will try to get her weighed. Funnily enough she looks tall and skinny (it's those legs) but actually isn't centile wise.

Anyway, back to car seats! I will have a look at seats going up to 25kg. DD2 will need one I suspect anyway (she is short and fat so will definitely hit the weight limit before she's the right height) so it wouldn't be a total waste.

In the meantime handmade those look good - I had tried looking at flight pillows but none looked right for the car. Thanks.

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Niklepic · 17/01/2017 16:23

We've got a cybex hbb for DD(4). The head rest tilts back a little bit so that her head leans back when she falls asleep. Our back seats are really upright as it's an adapted van for wheelchair access and it's the only one she can sleep comfortably in.

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minipie · 17/01/2017 16:44

Just been googling and found this which looks awesome... but not on sale anywhere! Gah.

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minipie · 17/01/2017 16:45

Thanks Niklepic. I was tossing up between the MaxiCosi and the Cybex, went with the Maxi because I couldn't try DD in a Cybex anywhere to see if she fit ok. Wish I'd chosen that one now!

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AliceMum09 · 17/01/2017 21:04

My older two have always slept just fine and perfectly upright in our Britax high backed boosters. I think they just got the hang of resting their head to the side on the headrest when they felt sleepy.

The Maxi Cosi has a decent headrest doesn't it? It might just be that your daughter needs time to get used to sleeping upright! Try telling her to look up at the ceiling if she feels sleepy, or to put her head to the side on the headrest.

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minipie · 18/01/2017 09:59

Thanks Alice. She does start off like that, sleeping against the headrest, but after some time will slump forward or her head will loll forward. It's in her sleep so it's not deliberate. Maybe as 5more said she's just not tall enough and her head isn't high up enough, so she slips off the headrest too easily. I will have to look next time she's in it.

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Barbeasty · 21/01/2017 11:08

Another one who thinks the Cybex is awsome. DD still lolled and got cricked necks in her Britax, but the tilting headrest on the Cybex means that hasn't happened since we swapped to that.

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minipie · 21/01/2017 20:27

Thanks Barbeasty. Dammit should have got the Cybex...

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Chilver · 21/01/2017 20:34

Cybex here too. It's great, no head lolling here! Our DC was about 104cm or even less when she went into it and it's always been fine.

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minipie · 21/01/2017 23:29

Ok seriously considering getting the Cybex now (guess I can keep the Maxicosi for DD2 who unlike DD1 actually sleeps at night so won't be napping when she's 4)

Those with the Cybex which model do you have?
Thanks

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MissRainbowBrite · 23/01/2017 12:32

We have the Cybex Solution Q2 fix plus and DD went into it when she was about 4.3, weighing 17.5kg and about 105cm. It's a fantastic seat and she has never had head loll in it. She quite often falls asleep and the nice deep side wings along with the slight recline on the head rest keep her head well back.
It does have an additional click to take the head rest back but we've found it's not really needed unless you'll be on a longer journey.

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minipie · 23/01/2017 15:35

Thank you!

We had a trip in the car yesterday and DD's head didn't flop - she has grown a lot recently so hoping she may be growing into the car seat iyswim.

I will give it another month or so and if it's still a problem I'll consider the Cybex.

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Barbeasty · 23/01/2017 21:04

We have the Cybex Solution Q2 Fix as well. DD only went into it a few months ago, aged 6, because one of the Britax seats we have broke. But it made a huge difference to how she sleeps in the car.

So much so that I'm very tempted to get one for DS, even though he isn't heavy enough to need to stop rear facing. He flops so that he's almost bent in half when he sleeps in the car!

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minipie · 23/01/2017 22:30

Thanks!

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