Lots of people ask us how they know when their little one can go into a High Back Booster. We always recommend maxing out the weight and height of your child’s current seat before moving to the next one. High Back Boosters (HBB) are suitable from 15kg, but we recommend a minimum of 18kg/100cm/4 years of age, so please take this into consideration, as children can still be very small at 15kg.
A lot of child car seats will only have a harness that is suitable to 105 cm, so at this stage it is up to you if you wish to keep your child rear-facing for longer in an Extended Rear-Facing seat with a harness up to 125 cm, or if you want to move them into a High Back Booster. We will always recommend rear-facing for as long as possible as it is safer (read more about this here), but we understand this isn’t always a good option for everyone financially.
If you have managed to keep your child rear-facing up 125 cm that is great. But after 125 cm your child will be too big for a harness and must now go into a High Back Booster.
So while there is a minimum height/weight for High Back Boosters, try to max out the child seat you currently have. Understandably there will be situations where a younger sibling is moving into your child’s seat, and in that case, you must make sure your child is reaching the height/weight requirements of a High Back Booster. For R44 seats, a child must be at least 15kg in weight, whereas R129 (aka i-Size) seats go by height and a child must be at least 100cm before using a HBB.
What’s the difference between an R44 and R129 High Back Booster?
Well, R129 (or i-Size as they are often referred to) seats are tested under the newest and more rigorous regulation. You can read more about Regulations here.
You may be wondering why we don’t talk about booster cushions.
We have chosen not to stock booster cushions as they simply do not provide the same side-protection that a HBB does. Many people are under the impression that backless booster cushions last longer, but they do not take a larger weight or height than that of a HBB, they simply bring a child up to the height to reach the car’s seat belt.
And when has your child outgrown their High Back Booster?
If you think your child has outgrown their HBB, make sure you have measured their height as a child must be at least 135cm (150cm in Europe) before coming out of their child seat. Otherwise, they must stay in this seat until they have reached that height or until they are 12 years of age.
We know that every child is different as well as every vehicle and every setup being different, so we always advise that you get in touch for tailored advice. We can check which specific car seats are suitable in your vehicle, and make sure it is the best option for you. That is why we are here, to make sure children are travelling safely in a suitable and safe child seat. Please get in touch with our experts who will be happy to help with any guidance or queries.
Shop our High Back Boosters here.
