how young to ride boosterless if 5 steps?

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
We were in my parents' new Sienna yesterday. DD1 was riding in her Vivo in the 3rd row. We were parked somewhere, and she climbed into the plus one seat while waiting to get out. While sitting all the way back, her knees bent at the edge of the seat, so I had her buckle up. The shoulder belt was great, I think the lap belt was, but I didn't investigate it too much. I'm in no rush for her to be boosterless! We brought the BubbleBum to use if we all go somewhere and need her in that seat.

Anyway, if the belt fit is good, does age matter when considering whether to go boosterless in a seating spot?

She is 9 1/2, about 50 lbs and 50 in. I was very surprised she fit, but then again it is a small seat.
 
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nataliem257

New member
We were in my parents' new Sienna yesterday. DD1 was riding in her Vivo in the 3rd row. We were parked somewhere, and she climbed into the plus one seat while waiting to get out. While sitting all the way back, her knees bent at the edge of the seat, so I had her buckle up. The shoulder belt was great, I think the lap belt was, but I didn't investigate it too much. I'm in no rush for her to be boosterless! We brought the BubbleBum to use if we all go somewhere and need her in that seat.

Anyway, if the belt fit is good, does age matter when considering whether to go boosterless in a seating spot?

She is 9 1/2, about 50 lbs and 50 in. I was very surprised she fit, but then again it is a small seat.

I've wondered this too. I always thought the 5 step test is the 5 step test but then I remembered reading in a thread one time something about the bone density that comes with puberty factoring in as well.
 

rachelandtyke

Well-known member
The iliac creat isn't mature until puberty. That's what holds the lap belt down. Unless the seat belt fit is worse with the booster than without, it's better to stay in the booster.

At what range in puberty would it be mature? beginning, middle, end? Obviously, we're not there yet at 9 1/2, just wondering for in the future. :)

We'll continue with the plan for the BB in that seat if needed. :thumbsup:
 

tiggercat

New member
I prefer them to stay in a booster until the belt fits better without the booster than with and they are well into puberty. My 9.5yo can 5 step in the capt chairs of my van, but rides in her parkway because the belt fit is still better with the booster. She is on the edge of puberty though, she is getting hippy and moody :/ For my eldest son, was about 10yo in the van before the fit was better without the booster. At 9yo, though, he started riding boosterless in his grandmother's car because the fit was better without the booster and without it he didn't have enough head support. In his father's car, he rode in the booster until 11.
 

Athena

Well-known member
At what range in puberty would it be mature? beginning, middle, end? Obviously, we're not there yet at 9 1/2, just wondering for in the future. :)

Great question! If it's at the beginning, it's completely normal for 8-9 yo girls to have begun puberty and considering most of them that age are out of boosters, I can only hope it's the beginning. But I'd love to know because my 8yo is almost 57" tall and she may outgrow all boosters before completing puberty.
 

Morganthe

New member
Great question! If it's at the beginning, it's completely normal for 8-9 yo girls to have begun puberty and considering most of them that age are out of boosters, I can only hope it's the beginning. But I'd love to know because my 8yo is almost 57" tall and she may outgrow all boosters before completing puberty.

I'd like to know too. Mine's 11, possibly at 'middle' puberty? Not sure really what constitutes exact 'milestones' :eek:

By this time last year, dd was out of boosters in all vehicles she rode in except my Passat & the Chevy truck dh drives. Both the Monterey nbb & the bubble bum pushed her up too high where her head was nearly hitting the ceiling or over the headrest. I don't think she was completely 5 stepping in all of them either -- I suspect that her feet weren't always touching the floor. But belts fit and knees bent properly over the seats' edges.

Last week, she rode in my Passat for the first time without a booster. We were taking a friend a half mile to the pool and she is a lot smaller than dd even though she's 12. (Head comes to dd's shoulder --so dd took the seatbelt while friend sat in booster)

DD's feet were on the ground. Technically she passed, but didn't like not being able to see as well out of the window. So she's back in it & happy in her booster despite her height of 5'1. :shrug-shoulders: But if it wasn't such a deep seat, there's no way she'd still fit using the booster seat.


I wish they made a low-profile booster for the older kids. 2-2.5/3" max on the height. I think that would help on those pre-teens who are too tall for a standard booster (ages 5-9ish), but not quite ready for adult seatbelt.

jmho :eek:
 

jaemom

New member
I wish they made a low-profile booster for the older kids. 2-2.5/3" max on the height. I think that would help on those pre-teens who are too tall for a standard booster (ages 5-9ish), but not quite ready for adult seatbelt.

jmho :eek:

They do! Check out the Incognito. It is perfect for my 9 and 10.5 year olds in my sedan with lower back seats. They were too tall for the head support with regular boosters but didn't really 5 step without a booster. They love it because it doesn't really look like a "booster seat".
 

Morganthe

New member
They do! Check out the Incognito. It is perfect for my 9 and 10.5 year olds in my sedan with lower back seats. They were too tall for the head support with regular boosters but didn't really 5 step without a booster. They love it because it doesn't really look like a "booster seat".

Well, that's cool.
Wish I knew about it a year ago. The only feature I don't particularly care for as a dedicated booster for the primary vehicle is that there's no latch connector to keep it IN the seat when not in use. Plus, I'd actually have more faith in that to remain in the correct position than threading the side with the safety belt.

it's just personal preference though, only a quibble. :eek: :)
 

jaemom

New member
Well, that's cool.
Wish I knew about it a year ago. The only feature I don't particularly care for as a dedicated booster for the primary vehicle is that there's no latch connector to keep it IN the seat when not in use. Plus, I'd actually have more faith in that to remain in the correct position than threading the side with the safety belt.

it's just personal preference though, only a quibble. :eek: :)

It's basically some sort of dense foam, so not really a dangerous projectile if not latched or buckled in. I was a little Leary of the side clips too, but we had used the bubble bum before and the clips on the incognito are much better than the ones on the bubble bum. I do have to always look and make sure the boys have them threaded correctly, which is kind of a pain for a 9 and 10 yo.
 

henrietta

Well-known member
The Incognito really does fill the gap! Perfectly. It does. And it's so light, you just stuff it under the seats or on the floor when you don't need it. ;)
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
At what range in puberty would it be mature? beginning, middle, end? Obviously, we're not there yet at 9 1/2, just wondering for in the future. :)

We'll continue with the plan for the BB in that seat if needed. :thumbbsup:

It would be unattainable to use finishing puberty as a milestone for boosters. Puberty lasts until the late teens for girls and the early twenties for boys. Almost all kids will be too tall/heavy or any booster way before puberty is past.
 

VoodooChile

New member
My 9 year old is too tall for any booster (including the Incognito) in the 3rd row of either of our vehicles, which is where she mostly rides. It puts the shoulder belt off of her shoulder and down on her arm. So if she sits there she has to ride boosterless. If she goes into the 2nd row of either vehicle she does not 5 step and uses an Incognito.
 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor
Staff member
It would be unattainable to use finishing puberty as a milestone for boosters. Puberty lasts until the late teens for girls and the early twenties for boys. Almost all kids will be too tall/heavy or any booster way before puberty is past.

I agree. We need to be careful when we send messages like this because while many kids do start puberty around ages 9-10, many don't and still are able to 5-step perfectly fine. I get the meaning behind wanting that iliac crest formation, but what we're looking for is initial seat belt placement on the thighs/hips. Even some lap belts don't fit me well and I'm 5'6" and well past puberty. And I am concerned about the social stigma a 12.5 or 13 yr old faces when they're still riding in a booster to school.

I do know several 7th graders who should be in boosters because they are the size of 8 yr olds but they would become the school laughing stock. It's sad. The ones who can 5-step but who haven't yet reached puberty, I feel, are perfectly fine without boosters.
 

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