what age can a child go to a booster seat

Britain law states that children must apply a child motorcar seat until they're 12 years old or 135cm/4ft 5in tall, whichever comes first.

For older children (so from effectually the historic period of four), this unremarkably takes the class of a either a loftier back or backless booster seat, but what'due south the difference between the ii?

Read on to discover out, or caput directly to our reviews of grouping 2/3 or i-size child auto seats to pick the all-time.

What is a high dorsum booster seat?

Your child's bones proceed to strengthen as they grow older, and one time they reach effectually 18kg (unremarkably around four-years-old), or they are taller than 105cm, you tin can swap to a high-back booster seat (Grouping 2/iii or i-Size).

Grouping 2/3 child automobile seats are canonical for use with children from fifteen-36kg, which is around three and a half to 12 years of age (effectually 36kg). If it'south an i-size R129 seat, they're usually suitable for children measuring 100 to 150cm.

There's no need to swap to this next size up of seat until your child has outgrown his or her toddler seat.

These car seats raise up the position of your child and help guide the developed seat chugalug beyond them, so that it lies properly across the breast and pelvis. They as well accept a protective headrest and side wings, which will help protect your child'south head in a crash.

What is a backless booster seat?

Booster seats are backless cushions that y'all can use as a child machine seat. Under R44.04 regulations, they're known equally Group 3 seats.

A booster seat can help to heighten a child'due south body to a height suitable for using the adult seatbelt. Some accept 'horns' that help the machine'south adult seatbelt to sit across your child's tummy.

You can purchase booster seats that are simply the cushion part. Only some Group 2/iii car seats also catechumen to a booster absorber for Group 3 mode. Substantially, this removes the seat's protective sides (Group two) and turns the seat into a booster cushion.

Booster seats are temptingly cheap – some start from every bit little equally £6 – and there's no doubt they're convenient. But while using whatever seat is better than using none, booster seats offer very piddling protection in a crash, particularly if y'all're hit from the side.

What are the rules for booster seats or cushions?

It's legal to apply booster seats or booster cushions equally car seats for children, but the rules differ depending on whether they're old or new.

Since 1 March 2017 backless booster seats can now only be used with children taller than 125cm and weighing more 22kg.

However, backless booster seats made and bought earlier this appointment are nonetheless legal and approved for use by children weighing between 15 and 36kg. And so, if you ain a backless booster seat bought before this date, you can even so use it for a child within this weight range (although we wouldn't recommend this).

Shops can also sell backless booster seats that are approved for use by children weighing betwixt 15 and 36kg, and then you'll need to bank check the label before you buy.

Discover out more about car seat law in the U.k.

Should a child be in a backless booster seat?

Our automobile seat experts and many others believe these backless cushions are not the best manner to transport children, and recommend using a high back booster seat instead, whenever possible.

The booster seats nosotros've tested accept non proved as safe in our crash tests equally high dorsum booster seats with a full-length back and 'wings', as these provide extra protection for the caput and chest in a side-touch crash.

Find those that came top in our crash tests in our auto seat reviews

In February 2021, nosotros surveyed 2,021 parents with children under five. A worrying number of parents (37%) believe that a backless booster seat offers the same protection as a high-dorsum booster – but this isn't the case.

Booster cushions raise children up, but some struggle with keeping the shoulder strap of a three-point adult seatbelt in the right place on a child, and provide nigh no side-impact protection if you're involved in a side-on collision.

Some manufacturers of backless boosters argue that many modern cars have side airbags or other safety features, which should help to protect the occupants.

Our kid car seat experts disagree, as not every car has added prophylactic features. There's also a take chances that a young child sitting on a booster cushion could easily wriggle out of position – we've seen this happen in our fitting tests. What's more, a young child might non be tall plenty for their head to reach the side airbags.

Nosotros've tested a handful of multi-group seats that catechumen to a backless booster seat in Grouping iii mode, and these are Don't Buys because of their poor crash-test results, especially for side-impact crashes. A good result in any other part of our crash tests can't compensate for this.

Some booster cushions do so badly in our crash tests that the results meant the score was instantly downgraded to a 0% Don't Buy – our lowest possible score.

Booster seats in taxis

If yous're travelling with your child and need to utilize a backless booster absorber – for instance in a taxi, or if you regularly requite a child a lift to school – then read on for tips below on how to utilise i.

• Avoid using a backless booster cushion with young children if at all possible, especially those weighing less than 15kg (effectually iii years old). While some seats are approved for use with such light children, our experts don't think they offer the best protection.
• Use the booster cushion in the middle back seat of a vehicle if you tin. Many consider this to be the safest position in a vehicle.
• Some experts consider a backless booster cushion with 'horns' a better choice, as the horns help hold the adult seatbelt in place across your child's tummy.
• Remember, information technology'south illegal non to use a kid car seat – non to mention unsafe.

MiFold Catch and Get review – is information technology safe? Read our review and detect out earlier you splash out.

Isofix and booster seats

Isofix connectors on a loftier-backed booster seat don't piece of work in the same way every bit they do for baby or toddler car seats. The connectors are used mainly to keep the seat stable and securely in place when it's not in use, so it doesn't fly forrad and hit y'all if you have to brake suddenly or are involved in a crash and the kids aren't on lath.

It's the developed seatbelt in a Group 2/3 seat that helps to distribute the strength of a crash away from a child'southward torso. Some seats in this category have Isofit connectors, rather than Isofix, They're like but are more similar soft latches, or hooks that attach to the ballast points in your car.

Observe out more than in our Isofix car seats guide .

What are the all-time child car seats for tall children?

If you desire to keep your in a child automobile seat for as long as possible for rubber reasons, but they accept reached or now exceed the 135cm/4ft 5in height threshold, there are nonetheless some options available to y'all.

We've tested child car seats that tin can be used upwardly to 150cm/4ft 9in.

They include:

hedlundmicketionath.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-car-seats/article/booster-seats-are-you-breaking-the-law-ai0Sm4c3meO0

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