At what age/size would you let OPKs ride backless in your car?

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
Just curious. Some of daughter's friends protest the highbacked boosters. I'm not quite ready to let them ride backless, but I might let some of the bigger/older ones do it for summer carpools (most of them would be around eight). If I end up carpooling with the same family this year, I almost definitely will -- the child will be eight, but was 87# last summer.

ETA: I have adequate headrests.
 
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wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
I'd be fine at eight. I've let friends ride in backless at five or so (even though she was only 37 pounds, but we at least used my backless that was rated from 30 pounds, not hers which was rated from 40) because I didn't have anything else that would work for her in that position. Otherwise she would have ridden harnessed.

Wendy
 

steph_s

New member
In my car everyone rides in the safest position and set up that I have. If the children fit rf but are use to ff I flip them around. If they are normally in a hbb but fit in my harnessing seats they go into a harness. I will only be ok for the right seat for the right kid or the next best thing. IF the child fits in a no back booster seat correctly with the lap belt going where it needs to, shoulder belt going where it needs to and adequate head rests then I don't see a problem with it. If they are protesting and want a no back booster and should be in a high back one, then they go into a high back one at least while they are in my car!

I would feel horrible if something happened and accidents happen every single day and I knew I didn't protect the kids to the fullest! They can complain as much as they want to, but it's my car, my rules and most of all my conscious!

ETA: It's more about safety than age with me! I don't care if your 11, if you need a booster you need a booster!

If you want to lol my friend who is 25 years old and very tiny uses a backless booster in my vehicle because she says it's more comfortable. We got pulled over one time and the cop had to excuse himself to go back to his car and giggle. It was a 6 hour car ride and she didn't want the seat belt cutting into her neck the entire time. The booster seat was rated to 100lbs and she was only 96lbs so all was good.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
I agree with putting them in the safest possible, but without their parents permission, I don't think you should accidently step over the line with other people's kids.

8yrs old is not a bad age for backless and while I would try to talk them into going with the highback, I wouldn't force.
 

steph_s

New member
I agree with putting them in the safest possible, but without their parents permission, I don't think you should accidentally step over the line with other people's kids.

8yrs old is not a bad age for backless and while I would try to talk them into going with the highback, I wouldn't force.

If the parents have left the child in your care, you don't think it's right to put them in the safest place possible in the vehicle? I had a day care child who's father put the child in a low back booster seat at 2 and was sure it was safe because "he survived", but the mother and grandmother still had the child rear facing. The father was the one with custody. Would it be ok for me to break the law and follow what dad said or should my responsibility be to keep the child safe while in my care? The op isn't talking about what kind of the seat the parents have, the op is talking about what seats to use in her car for when the children are in her care! Personally if the child is in my care it's my discretion which seat to use for the child to keep them as safe as possible so nothing happens to them.
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
If they don't fit properly in the backless, then it simply won't be an option, of course.

I won't FF an 11mo child because the parents want it that way, but I would FF a 4yo/36# child even if I had a seat that could RF her. But I wouldn't let that 4yo/36# child ride in a BPB; I'd harness her.

All kids in my car must ride safely. No exceptions, no argument. But I let my child choose boostering when she was 50# and 7yo+, even though she still fit in her Nautilus harnesses. I believe that was a safe choice. She may still fit in a HBB at 11 or 12, but I'd let her choose a backless at that age. I also think that's a safe choice.

I believe that there is an element of discretion beyond "use all seats to their limits" -- I'm trying to decide where I, personally, draw the line at HBB vs. backless.

There is a huge difference between a 2yo in a backless booster and a 70#/4'4" 8yo.
 

emandbri

Well-known member
I would say 8, I do have side curtain airbags though. I haven't been in that situation in a while.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I would be o.k. w/ that. I would be o.k. w/ AJ in a backless right now if that was easiest for the situation. For what he does now though, there's no reason he can't have a hbb in other people's cars though. Obviously a backless is better than not having a booster at all.
 

Maedze

New member
8 for regular sized kids.

If they're enormous children who don't fit in high back boosters due to being super tall, or obese, well, you do what you can.
 

Pixels

New member
To answer your original question, part of it depends on who is providing the seats and the exact stats of the kids. A few months ago, I was considering transporting 2 kids, ages 4 and 5, both in the 40-50 pound range. Both kids came with their backless boosters. We have 2 Radians (the only convertibles I own which have a hope of 3-across in my car) and so DD would have been in one Radian, the 4yo in the other, and 5yo would have been in his backless. I didn't end up actually transporting them, but I would have been willing if we drove anywhere and I had been able to fit 3-across.

Part of it depends on who is providing the seats. Right now we pretty much never have any booster riders (haven't yet) so I don't own any. I'm sure as DD gets closer to booster age, we'll either have a spare harnessed seat in the vehicle or a HBB for friends to ride in.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
It depends on many factors. As Maedze says, how big the kids are. As Pixels says, whose seats they are.

I'd probably let 6 year olds who brought their own use them in my car provided that they fit (and by this I mean at least 40 lbs. and belt positioned 100% properly), they used them properly (sitting still, etc.) and that I had an appropriate seating position (lap/shoulder and headrest) available.

I'd probably let an 8 or 9 year old kid use mine (assuming again that they were normal sized. And if I had a huge 6 year old who didn't fit a high back, of course, I'd have them in whatever they fit.)

And if it was an emergency I might let a 6 or 7 year old use mine if that was all I had, assuming they were at least 40 lbs. and belt fit properly-- and scold them to keep them still if necessary. But it would have to be a REAL emergency. (I should note that that could happen in my state-- we're a 6 or 60 state so in an emergency situation I might be asked to transport a 6-12 year old some day who would come without a booster as they didn't use one in their own car. So I intend to keep a backless around once I have extra seats-- they will ride in a booster in my car as long as they need one.)

And it took me like 7 tries to read this title as "other people's kids" rather than "ovulation predictor kit." Duh! :ROTFLMAO:
 

carseatcoach

Carseat Crankypants
My seats, always my seats, which are currently Monterey, Turbo, Nauti.

No child younger and smaller than my daughter will be permitted to ride in a backless booster, (for my sanity as a parent, not because I believe it's horrifically dangerous), so the minimum in my car (assuming proper fit and use and all that) will effectively be somewhere around 8y/55#. I think I can live with that, especially with numerous confirmations that it's an appropriate age to go backless.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
If the parents have left the child in your care, you don't think it's right to put them in the safest place possible in the vehicle? I had a day care child who's father put the child in a low back booster seat at 2 and was sure it was safe because "he survived", but the mother and grandmother still had the child rear facing. The father was the one with custody. Would it be ok for me to break the law and follow what dad said or should my responsibility be to keep the child safe while in my care? The op isn't talking about what kind of the seat the parents have, the op is talking about what seats to use in her car for when the children are in her care! Personally if the child is in my care it's my discretion which seat to use for the child to keep them as safe as possible so nothing happens to them.

I realize what the OP is talking about... and I understand what you're saying... but I'm not talking about putting a kid in something that is an improper seat for that child... I'm talking about consulting the parent... if they are okay with you using your own judgement, then fine, pick that battle (I would in that situation)... I'm just saying that at some point (when kids are complaining), you have to make sure you don't step on the toes of another parent.

Maybe I've just seen too many fights at playgrounds to where I am overly cautious about crossing that line.
 

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