Question Moving from HBB to NBB

mom of six

Active member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #1

At what age or milestones do you move a child from a HBB to a LBB.

 

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mommyfrog

Active member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #2

I let them use no back boosters as soon as they can use a booster, but only for short rides with other people. In my van there is no head support so they use a tall high back as long as they fit. We have one Monterey and two Frontier 80s, some of the tallest boosters available. My kids are extra wiggly, so don't move to boosters full time until 8ish. I do start training around 5 (40+pounds), so that by six they can use nbb on shorts trips with others, like going to a friend's house or something like that.

 

Kat_Momof3

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #3

for me, it's when they either outgrow the back and/or don't fall asleep in the car anymore or at least don't have to have the head support if they do (the headrests on highbacks seem to help train kids to just stay upright when asleep in the car... wonderful thing, that)

also, as long as the belt fit is good, once they are booster ready, a backless can be a great spare as long as the child will sit correctly in it the whole ride.

 

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HappyHoo

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #4

I never had a reason for DD to use a backless in other cars so I kept her in the hbb in ours until just recently.

She's almost 7.5 and big for her age so was getting close to outgrowing the hbb in one car anyway. I also wanted her big enough to use the lbb without having to deal with the positioning strap and still have the belt fit well.

We still use a hbb for long trips. I did have her try the lbb for a day trip where the drive was just over an hour. She was mostly fine while awake (caught her a few times leaning slightly so she could see out the front window), but did not like it when she tried to nap. That helped show her that the hbb is still best for longer trips and I'm guessing she'll still fit in that until she's 9 or so.

 

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D&L's-mommy

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #5

I let ds switch to a backless in my car when he turned 9yo, he still uses a hbb (monterey) in DH's car (no side airbags)

 

MotoMommaNH

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #6

mommyfrog said:

In my van there is no head support so they use a tall high back as long as they fit. We have one Monterey and two Frontier 80s

Click to expand...

Not to thread crash but, the Monterey requires head support.

 

mom2juliarose

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #7

I moved DD at age 8.5 in DH's car (rarely rides in it) and 9 in my car.

 

daniele_ut

New member

• Sep 11, 2013

• #8

I let DS start using a LBB in my van when he was 8, but he still used a HBB in dh's car which had no headrests. We sold that car so he uses a LBB all the time now.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Sep 12, 2013

• #9

Leah's Frontier expires when she's 11, and I hope I can use it every day of its life. Well, maybe, anyway...
At 6 I found her little shoulders to be wide enough to keep the belt on her chest well in DH's car (with curtain airbags, I know there's 'statistically no difference in safety', but I like a highback in my old airbagless minivan )
My older kids were backless in DH's car around 7-8 and highback in my van till 9-11, too.

 

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Sep 12, 2013

• #10

For everyday, I like to eek out every possible moment of HBB-ness. For short carpools etc, I am ok at six-ish with good belt fit and the maturity to stay in position without the "reminder" of the sides.

 

thepote

New member

• Sep 12, 2013

• #11

After I posted last week that ds2 (9.5) is happy in his hbb he decided to ask if he could just use a nbb. The only question I have is sleeping, which he still does occasionally. I removed the back on his Monterey, and now that he's in it like that he actually looks more comfortable sort of nested back into the vehicle seat and not propped up on the back part of the hbb.

For ds2 (7) I'm ok with him using one if there's no chance of him sleeping. I can totally see him slumping to one side.

Oh, and I told ds2 that he is using his boost air hbb in dh's car until he outgrows the back. It doesn't have side airbags and their heads are near the sidewalls so although it may not matter I just feel better about it in his car.

 

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Athena

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #12

When they outgrow the HBB? Or before that for a trip or carpooling?

My oldest is 7 and she has yet to ride in a LBB. It's doubtful her narrow shoulders would fit properly in one anyway and she has no interest in riding in anything less comfortable.

 

scoutingbear

New member

• Sep 14, 2013

• #13

A variety of reasons. The old car had no side curtain airbags. So high back for everyone that was boostered. Dh's car has side curtain so A has been in a backless there for a long time, it also just made the seats fit better in a really tight 3 across. C has been riding in a backless in the carpool vehicle since the beginning of first grade even though he was harnessed in our vehicles. In my van now, I have 1 harnessed seat, 1 hb booster, and 1 backless. C is 7 and rides in whatever he feels like at the moment. He remains in position in the backless. A was 9 1/2 before he could go to backless full time because he needs the wings of the high back to remind him where his position is. He still fits in the HB Monterey so occasionally will ask for the back if we have a long trip somewhere.

 

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hgpswimmer4

New member

• Nov 2, 2013

• #14

I think 7 is a good age to begin backless boosters. But since they fit kids so differently, its variable. Steven liked his highback while Lily is begging to go backless. She's 6 1/2 and has occasionally used backless booster for carpools and school transportation.

 

2BunniesMommy

Well-known member

• Nov 2, 2013

• #15

DD1 will be 8 at the end of December. She rides in high back boosters. I told her when she turns 8, if the seatbelt fits with the booster and without the adjuster strap she can switch if she wants. In MIL's car, I am pretty sure she will take the option, if she fits. Also, most likely in DH's. In my car, she will probably keep the HBB just because the headrests tip forward and are pretty uncomfortable, so she wants to not have to use it as long as possible.