How long did you keep your children in the booster seat with a back before going to the backless? My son will be 5 next month. I feel a bit safer in one with a back, at least it would give a bit more protection in case of an accident? Just need some other moms' opinions.
TIA!!!!
My oldest is 9 and he just switched to a backless booster last year in ma the law is 8 or 4'9 but the seat belt doesn't fit right without the booster. At 5 most people still have their child in a harness never mind questioning if they should go to backless booster.
Our daughter will be 6 in March. She is still in a 5 point harness. Where she will remain till she is 85# and then she will be placed in a booster WITH a back. SAFETY FIRST!
Keep the back for now. (If financially possible...Get him a 5-point harness!)
Still has several years before he can go to the backless booster. Keep him
in the one you have.
Updated
Still has several years before he can go to the backless booster. Keep him
in the one you have.
My personal experience with my 9YO twins (yes, they still use boosters) is that with a backless booster, squirmy kids are more likely to wiggle around because they don't have the sides of the high back reminding them to keep their head and torso in position. Also, for many vehicles, the belt guides on the high back enable better placement of the shoulder belt on younger booster riders. And if your kids still fall asleep on long car rides, the high back helps them stay in position even when asleep.
That said, there are times when my kids would use the backless boosters - if they were carpooling to a playdate and for some field trips where they needed to carry the boosters themselves. But it wasn't really until this year that they started using the backless boosters on a daily basis (but they still use the high backs for long trips b/c it's more comfy for them esp. if they get sleepy)
my 5 year old is in a 5 point harness still. I think boosters with a back do offer side/head protection better than backless though.
He still needs the back. A backless booster should only be used for an OLDER child (6-10) who literally just needs a boost up for the lap belt to fit right.
A back booster provides side impact protection and also helps keep the shoulder belt in the proper position as well as boost the child up so the lap belt fits properly. At only 5, he should be in a high back booster for at least another 2-3yrs.
Here is a lot of good information on booster seats:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/BoosterShop.aspx
The height and weight of your child matter as much or more than their age in finding the right seat.
My daughter is 10 and still uses a booster with a back. It positions the seat belt correctly.
My giant six year old is in the britax frontier 85 which harnesses to 85lbs then is a booster with back to 120, so she will never be in a backless booster because she will outgrow this one first and be big enough to no need one at all probably! The backless ones give no support or protection, I would only probably put a big 7-8 year old in one if even then.
we often use the backless one for short trips for our 5 1/2 yr old but I like the one with a back for when he naps on long trips cuz it supports his neck.
I moved my kids to the backless booster as soon as they were big enough - daughter was 4 or 5, son was 3 (big kid). I think all the back does is help position the seat belt a little better, so as long as the belt fits properly without it...
Actually, the law in Michigan for NO booster is 8 years or 4'9". There's no law dictating (at least in MI) when you can put your kid in a booster - I went by the manufacturer's recommendations.
