Volvo integrated booster seats - thoughts

[Cherry85]

Hi, looking for opinions on the built in volvo booster seats.

We are in the process of sizing up our car seats and need something for my mums old volvo xc90. She isn't the best with her hands so finds isofix too fiddly to take in and out and can't lift anything too heavy.

She only has DS (3.5 &15kg) once a week or so and rarely in the car - maybe 1 x 40min car journey a fortnight.

He is now technically big enough to use the built in booster but the fact it has no sides gives me the fear a bit....does anyone else use it and have any advice or opinions?

I definitely would want a proper high back booster seat for a child so small. 15kg is the bare minimum weight to use a booster seat. I would buy one that has a crotch strap which sits the seat belt in to stop small children sliding out the seat in an accident.

At that age I would still want a harness seat as I have a child a similar age and could not agree she would sit nicely and not fall asleep or play with the seat belt.
(I will be rear facing until 25kg or 125cm which ever comes first)

You can buy the sides to fit the boosters directly from Volvo. They weren't that expensive.

I have an XC90 and my older child uses the middle built in booster. No way would I let me 3.5 year old use it - he isn't big enough for a 3 point seat belt, wouldn't sit still, would flop into an unsafe position when he fell asleep ..... no way.

My 3.5 year old is still in a 5 point harness in a rear facing seat. Not planning on changing that for at least another year or so, when he'll move to a high back booster.

There is some evidence (from the US) that using a booster at just turned 15kg is significantly more risky than waiting until 18kg, so I wouldn't yet.

Volvo also state that these seats are for children age 4 and older, so another reason to wait at least for now.

Get your mum to check the car manual though - it seems like in some models, using the integrated booster seat comes with some extra safety features such as activating a load limiter on the seatbelt and moving the curtain airbag to properly protect a child. The other benefit would be that this booster is specifically designed for this car whereas one that you buy off the shelf won't be, as it has to fit as many cars as possible. Lastly there is almost zero chance of incorrect fit because of the way it's designed, whereas with a high backed booster you have to be sure to slot the belt into all the guides, make sure it's not getting trapped anywhere, set the headrest correctly, check whether it needs the vehicle headrest in or out or reversed etc.

The downside seems to be that the seat offers no postural support in case children fall asleep, but that wouldn't be happening on short local journeys. I'd look into the specific model that your mum has, try your child in it (once they are at least 4, and maybe closer to 18kg) to see what the belt position is like and make a decision. It might be that it's actually just as good as a high backed booster or even possibly better.

I agree with others that I would stick to a harnessed or rear facing seat for now though.