Question 4 year old in a booster, is a no back OK?

mlohry

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #1

Just so you all know, this is not for my own kids. My kids are 7, 5 and 1. My 7 year old just outgrew the Nati with a harness and is now boostered in the Nati or a turbobooster. My 5 year old is harnessed in a Nati also. My DD is ERF in a SafeSeat. This question is for a friend. This friend is the wall I bang my head against trying to help her keep her kids safe! She just turned her just one year old FF, because she was fussy RF.

Anyway, this friend's soon to be 4 year old, which is quite a bit bigger than my 5 year old was in my Britax MA, but it is expired now and I told her she will need to find a new seat for her son. Target has their boosters on sale this week, so she went and bought her DS a no back Graco booster. I told her I think he is too young for that, am I right? If she is going to put him a booster I would think a high back would be better. I didn't have a huge amount of facts to back this up, but I gave a few. My biggest one would be that they drive an older van with no side air bags and a high back would help out there. What else should I tell her beside the obvious that her DS still needs to be harnessed.

 

brooklynsmommy

Active member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #2

Kids at that age are so wiggly. He really does need to be in a harnessed seat. If she insists on putting him in a booster, she really needs to have a back on it. Not only does it help place the belt correctly on the shoulder, but it also does provide side impact protection. Some more than others depending on the seat. Another thing she really needs to think about is support. Most older vans do not have seats with head rests. In a booster he has no protection for his neck in an accident. Kids that young also tend to fall asleep in the car still. Why didn't she grab one of the high back turbo boosters on sale for only $35 this week?

 

mlohry

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #3

I totally understand that her DS should still be in a harnessed seat. She will not go out and buy one, he would have been in a booster at 3 if I would not have given her the MA for him. I do not feel comfortable with him having the MA now that it is past expiration. I feel like I am liable for that since it was my seat originally. I am sure she bought the no back booster because it was even cheaper. I could go on and on about that, but it won't change anything. I told her that a high back would be "better" and she said she wondered if she should have gotten that one and she said she would go get one, now if she does I don't know, but I wanted to give her more reasons why she should. I did mention that he would probably squirm in a no back and that he would probably keep the seatbelt on better if he had a highback. I never thought about the van seats not having head restraint, I am wondering about her 6 year old now, that I am positive is in a no back booster.

 

D

DahliaRW

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #4

If the child is not 40lbs then legally he cannot ride in the graco nbb. It has a minimum of 40lbs.

 

mlohry

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #5

I am not sure of his exact weight, but I know he is over 40lbs, because he is considerably heavier than my 5 year old and he is just 40, I raise some skinny ones. No 40 lb 2 year olds for us!

 

Qarin

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #6

Well. You could probably at least make sure she installed the screws in the arms.

http://carseatblog.com/?p=634

 

mlohry

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #7

Good to know about the screws, I have never owned a TB no back. I will let her know if she keeps that seat. I think she said she might get the HB for the van they are usually in and keep the no back for their car.

 

brooklynsmommy

Active member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #8

All Graco Turbo Boosters need screws in the arm rests.

 

emandbri

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #9

A backless booster does nothing to protect in a side impact crash. Here is an article about it.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/chop-htb090905.php

Daniel didn't use a backless booster until he was 8. Benjamin is 6 and has never been in a backless booster.

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #10

Show her these:

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_...1/seitencrash/Baby_Sunny_touring_P3_vorne.mpg

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_seiten/kisitest_2002/videos/test2002/seitencrash/htsbesafe.mpg

That's the difference between a turbo with a back and a turbo without.

Wendy

 

mlohry

New member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #11

Wow, after watching those videos, I will never put my own son in a backless. And I am thankful for our side curtain airbags! Are the backless boosters really not recommended for anyone?

 

wendytthomas

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #12

They're exactly what someone who has outgrown high back boosters but is too small for the seatbelt needs. Remember, as scary as those videos are, by the time you're eight, nine, or ten years old and outgrowing high backs, you've got a much more mature skeleton than a barely four year old. A four year old's skeleton hasn't yet fully ossified, and internal decapitation is higher for them than for five year olds in boosters, never mind slamming into the side like that on top of being in a booster.

Wendy

 

emandbri

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2010

• #13

mlohry said:

Wow, after watching those videos, I will never put my own son in a backless. And I am thankful for our side curtain airbags! Are the backless boosters really not recommended for anyone?

Click to expand...

It is recommended that kids use a high back if they fit, which is what I did. I have plenty of high back boosters though. Backless are handy for grand-parents, carpooling, etc.

I posted some pictures of my now 11 year old in a few boosters and folks said that he fit better in the backless. Here he is in the monterey with the back and without. Without the back he has more thigh support.

http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=786998&postcount=8

The NHTSA currently has no side impact standards for any seats. Backless boosters test just fine in a frontal crash, but side impact crashes are most deadly.