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Original poster

Is your 11 year old still in their HBB?

65 replies

sillysossidge · 03/08/2022 23:44

Hi all,

I've just become the owner of a car for the first time and have been doing research on car seats for my 11 year old.

He's of average height (I think) at 143cm (56 inches) and of slim build at 32 kg (70 lbs).

Is your 11 year old still in their high-back-booster, or now using a simple booster?

Thanks a lot x

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thaegumathteth · 04/08/2022 01:31

No because she's 5ft

TambourineTimesThree · 04/08/2022 01:39

You are absolutely right to check that your child is secured safely in the car, no matter what their age. (Attitudes towards car seats and car safety can be so weird! Just because a short person is over 18 doesn't mean they wouldn't be better off in a booster cushion, and more comfortable top. Not to mention all the evidence about how car safety is tested on the "average man" to the detriment of others)

Whether or not your child need a booster depends on the child and how they fit in your specific car. Some children have relatively long legs and others have relatively long torsos. Some car seat mouldings are deeper or shallower on the thigh; some have a higher or lower height.

So my advice is to check the fit. If you can, try out different types of hbb and booster cushions to see what offers the best fit.

I check every child that is a passenger in my car and they go in a seat if I think they need one. There might be a little grumble at times, but I tell them 'my car, my rules' - no one has asked to stay home yet. There was a memorable time when the tallest of the gang was put in a booster because he had long legs but a short torso. Other times, I swap someone to the middle seat which is higher in my car.

Guidance here in Ireland is: To assess whether a child has really outgrown the need for a booster, visually and physically check that a car’s seatbelt rests across their shoulder and pelvis and does not touch their neck or stomach. If the seatbelt doesn’t fit properly, it’s worth considering whether it might be a good idea to keep the booster seat in action for a little longer.

TambourineTimesThree · 04/08/2022 01:44

To answer your specific question, my 11.5 year old is approx 153cm and uses a booster cushion in most cars. She has relatively long less and a short torso.

She hated moving from her hbb because its far more comfortable. Especially on long journeys when she complains that she can't rest her head.

BungleandGeorge · 04/08/2022 07:49

minipie · 04/08/2022 01:06

Does anyone know what height you can swap from a HBB to a low booster in other countries?

I agree it is odd that our rule for no booster is 135cm when so many countries say 150cm.

The EU standard is 135cm, most of the EU conform to this standard. It’s usually more lax outside the EU.

I had 2 different well known European makes of seat and they didn’t go past 145cm- at a push!

Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas · 04/08/2022 07:51

StaunchMomma · 04/08/2022 00:06

My 9 year old is quite short so I've left his high back seat in the car for long journeys and use a standard booster in the front locally.

Car crashes are more likely to happen closer to home.

HavfrueDenizKisi · 04/08/2022 07:52

Of course not! My youngest DD was out of her car seat once she was over 135cm - she was probably end of Yr 4. And I kept it for longer than others. She found it intensely embarrassing! She's 11 now and would die if I suggested her using one.

gwenneh · 04/08/2022 08:00

No. But my 11 year old is also 168 cm!

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 04/08/2022 08:01

No but my 11 year old is 5"4 so hasn't been in one for quite some time

gogohmm · 04/08/2022 08:01

By 10 I switch to simple boosters. Short so used until 12

gogohmm · 04/08/2022 08:02

Dd is only 152cm tall as an adult and drives!

ZenNudist · 04/08/2022 08:04

My nearly 12yo is very tall. He still sits in his booster seat for long journeys because its better head support and comfy. Rest of the time no booster and he sits in the front seat if its free.

Wouldn't buy one in your position.

PuttingDownRoots · 04/08/2022 08:06

My 9yo is a similar height and doesn't fit comfortably into a HBB anymore.
She does use a booster cushion to make the seat belt fit right (I think our car has particularly high seat belts).
11yo is over 150cm (and one of the smallest amongst her friends, maybe her school is particularly tall as her best friend is a foot taller!) and only stopped using the cushion in our car a few months ago.

xyzandabc · 04/08/2022 08:10

One of mine was still in their hbb at 11, she was way over 135cm but found it comfy and it was her choice. None of her friends had used one for years. We changed car in the November of her being in year 7 and the hbb never quite made it in to the new car. Given the choice I think she'd have done another year in it but as she was at secondary school, I didn't want to risk her being teased for it.

Hakeandling · 04/08/2022 08:10

Mine was for long journeys-she was short for her age and liked the headrest to snooze on!

gogohmm · 04/08/2022 08:39

@minipie

When mine were 4 there was no law to insist that they use any form of seat (the law was 0-3 only). There was a low of resistance to bringing in booster seat laws and you still see many children in cars without them. My mil refused to use one for my kids so she wasn't allowed to drive them (their younger cousins didn't use boosters at all). 135cm was in line with many countries, Germany was higher then too, 150cm but they have far worse road safety so you can understand why! It's a compromise yes but it's a realistic one. A more subtle cushion style rather than high backed one is more likely to be used older so if buying for an older child that's a good option

stargirl1701 · 04/08/2022 09:10

My 10 year old is 135cm and on a booster cushion. She will be in it until 150cm.

stargirl1701 · 04/08/2022 09:16

@gogohmm

German Road Safety is better than the EU average.

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/2021-road-safety-statistics-what-behind-figures_en

elliejjtiny · 04/08/2022 09:22

My 11 year old is 140cm tall and is in a booster seat.

LionessesRules · 04/08/2022 09:23

Mine were in HBB until about 10, when they complained their shoulders were squashed.

They then had a booster cushion until they met all of the stages of the 5 step challange, which was about 145cm (DS2 has just come out of his age 11). We ditched the booster in DHs car about 9 months before my car.

Thesearmsofmine · 04/08/2022 09:36

Nope, he is taller than me and hasn’t been in one for a while.
Middle dc is nearly 10 and is just about over 135cm but is still comfy in his so still uses it for now but we don’t put it into grandparents car or friends car if getting a lift etc.

MIMemmy · 04/08/2022 09:50

isthatwhatyoureallywanted · 04/08/2022 00:04

In the U.K., the rule is 135cm or turning 12; in Europe, it's 150cm or turning 12. Cars in the U.K. aren't magically safer than those in the EU so we've worked on the basis of 150cm or leaving primary school.

In the Netherlands it's also 135cm.
Not all of Europe is the same.

AnawithoneN · 04/08/2022 09:58

DD was nearly 12 when she reached 135cm so yes, she was. But if I’m honest, not sure I’d buy one if I bought a car when she was 11 and over the height limit… the 5 step challenge above sounds like a good guideline though!

Dinoteeth · 04/08/2022 10:02

Wow! I always assumed Netherlands having the tallest average height would be 150cm.
I've always assumed UK went with 135cm because on average we are quite a short nation and many women are lucky to reach 150 which is 5ft.

MolliciousIntent · 04/08/2022 10:03

stargirl1701 · 04/08/2022 09:10

My 10 year old is 135cm and on a booster cushion. She will be in it until 150cm.

What if she never gets to 150cm? I didn't! Are you going to make her sit on a booster when she's 16? That's one way to get out of giving lifts I suppose.

Whatwouldscullydo · 04/08/2022 10:12

No we ditched it as soon as she was tall enough. She's nearly 5ft 1 now so the same height as some adults.

Theres kinda no point in having them if the side protection for their head is too low down as they are past the max height they are designed for. Its just embarrassing them for no reason at that point.