Safety Backless Booster for holidays -7 year old

[whatageareyou]

DS is 7 and 126cm. We've had some trouble with hire companies not having seats when we arrive so now want to take one with us.

What's the safest backless booster I could buy (to pack in the suitcase) and are there any other things I can buy/do to increase safety?

Thanks so much in advance

Backless boosters don't provide any protection, all they do is lift the child up higher so they don't get injured by the seatbelt, meaning they are all much the same from a safety aspect. If you still decide to use one look at the bubblebum.

I using a folding high backed booster. I have a chicco one but they are no longer sold so look at the 'be cool foldy'. I keep the box and just take it in that along side my luggage for free.

We have a Trunki Boostapak which we use for the occasional short journey when we give a friend a lift or DC (also 7) has a lift in a friend's car. It doesn't have side impact protection, obviously, but it's better than no car seat at all.

Have just bought a Becool foldy for travel.

I'm looking to get a BeCool Foldy but am really struggling to find anywhere with them in stock.

Looks like it's in stock here
https://www.preciouslittleone.com/products/jane-be-cool-foldy-foldable-100-150

Where are you going?

There is also the Maxi Cosi Tanza
https://www.maxi-cosi.co.uk/car-seats/tanza-i-size

We have the UrbanKanga folding carseat that goes up to 150cm https://urbankanga.com/en/wallaroo/ We have the older version that's not isofix compatible but apart from that exactly the same.

Sorry I already have a folding one. It's huge and we won't have enough luggage allowance (and would prefer not to have to book something through separately)

Is a backless booster legal at your destination for that age/height?

Most airlines take an item of child equipment for free. We took our daughter's HBB last year when she was 9 and will again this summer.

If you are travelling with children you are usually allowed to take a car seat outside of your luggage allowance. But can appreciate you don't want more stuff to carry! But if you are concerned about safety as you mention in your OP, a backless booster seat is not really the safest option for a 7 year old.

All backless boosters are basically the same. Get a cheap one, just make sure it's solid plastic on the belt guides and not polystyrene or the weird flat ones they sell online which have fabric belt guides. Apparently the Bubble Bum doesn't do as well in crash testing as a rigid one (though again it's better than nothing).

Graco have a few which tend to give a decent belt fit. Or there are some basic ones in e.g. Halfords/Argos. The only other thing to be aware of is that some of them put the seatbelt too far forwards - this article by CSFTL explains/shows this quite well (Scroll to "Third Row"). I think the Cozy n Safe one that Argos has for sale looks like it might have this problem. https://csftl.org/kids-embrace-superhero-boosters/

At 126cm a backless booster is legal and much better than a seatbelt (which would be legal in much of the world, though nowhere in the EU). There is not really anything else you can do to improve safety other than sit her in the middle back seat so further from any side impacts. A foldable HBB is really the only upgrade.

Another option might be to buy a cheap HBB when you arrive at your destination? e.g. I live in Germany and currently you can buy a Graco i-size HBB at a chain baby store for €55, which would certainly be better than a backless booster. You could donate it to the hire company when you come home.

BTW, have you checked if you can still bring a car seat in the hold for free? Children do usually get the allowance just the same as infants even though they aren't babies any more. A foldable HBB, folded up will give it protection for a start and even better if you wrap it in bubble wrap or a cardboard box or even a duffle bag.

Thanks everyone, I've listened and packed my high back booster