Is it safer to use a backless booster for 10.9yo?

[MelinaMercury]

He's 31kg, 137cm and says that his Britax Adventure seat hurts his back and shoulders now but the seatbelt doesn't sit properly on his lap or neck?

By safer, I mean than nothing obviously.

Not sure about the legality of them, but you can get an attachment that sits across the child's stomach, it holds the lap & shoulder in Velcro so it's comfy and safe on the shoulder

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01KNUJZU2/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1489227138&sr=1-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&tag=mumsnetforum-21

Yes, I would move him to a backless booster. I did the same with my son when he was 10, the problem we had with the Adventure was that the seat was no longer deep enough to support his thighs all the way along (I think he has long thigh bones like I do!).

Some backless boosters come with a red clip on a strap that's attached to the booster. This can hold the seatbelt in the correct place in your son's shoulder but probably isn't essential at his age/height.

You might find this useful to gauge the point at which he can sit with no seat at all Five Step booster test

My son was almost 11 and just a couple of centimetres short of 1.5m tall when I let him ditch the booster altogether. He always sits in the back of the car because the seats are flat, the front seats are a bit more bucket-shaped and if he sits there the lap part of the seatbelt is still way too high on his tummy. If he has to sit in the front for any reason he still has a backless booster there.

There is evidence that older children may well be as safe on a backless booster, and indeed, as I understand it this is the way i-Size is going (the protection will be built into the car rather than the child seat for the older children). This is an interesting read - it is some years ago now. www.carseat.se/car-seat-experts-at-the-safer-conference/
They conclude that a backless booster is often just as effective, or more effective for an over 6 year old.

Oh that's interesting, that makes me feel a bit better about the transition. Thanks Tiggy.

Alice, yes it's the seatbelt height and the way it sits on his lap that's the issue but a bog standard booster should sort that :)

You don't need a car seat, legally, once the child is 135cms or taller.

But depending in the size and shape of your DC and the location of the belt anchor points, they may well be better continuing in a child seat, and a backless booster is fine for Dc that height.