Favorite nbb's for kids 8+

morlando27

New member
1. What's your favorite nbb for average-built kids ages 8 and up who have outgrown their hbb?

2. Of those that fit bigger kids well, which has the lowest profile for vehicles without adjustable head restraints?
 
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April

Well-known member
Harmony literider. Comfy, narrow, cheap, and widely available.
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Kat_Momof3

New member
I don't like the literider because it is tricky to buckle and it only fits in one of our vehicles (chevy cobalt 2-door) but I like it when it fits in the car and the kid doesn't have issues buckling it.

(Ruthie had a lot of trouble, but I made due while we were trying her out riding backless... Jeffrey never had trouble and I liked it for him)

My favorite backless is discontinued... combi dakota.

I'm thinking (only if I can see it and buy it IRL and then be able to turn around and return it if it won't work in our van) the harmony cruz, evenflo amp, graco turbobooster backless for ruthie down the line in one car and either the base of her evenflo big kid or (cause when one of the boys' friends had one in my van it was tippy in the third row where she'll ride when she goes backless at least for awhile as she wants to be by Jeffrey when possible I'm not sure) another of the ones I just listed.

She's a skinny minnie so if the top side didn't have that weird routing that I don't want her messing up (shoulderbelt over the armrest) or if she gets better at remembering different rules for different seats in another year (she gets anal about rules and I don't want her fretting which time the everything under the armrests rule between cars)

Jeffrey is wider... if I were buying him a booster today, I'd probably go harmony olympian cause it is big and wide, or I would have kept the bottom to his SK Monterey (but it didn't fit well in my cobalt) We liked the Olli, but he chose not to get another one and to use the literider because of the leg support and his favorite is the combi.

We also like the Cosco Highrise (also sold under other names, but I'm not listing them all)... and it's probably the lowest profile backless booster I've seen (it goes REALLY low in the back)... I'm only not considering it for Ruthie because she's not wide like her brothers and there are better padded options that will end up working for her that wouldn't have worked with Damian. I chose the harmony literider over getting another for Jeffrey (we'd already gotten rid of it cause I just didn't wanna keep tons of extra seats around and one of his friends needed one) because of the padding, but if the olympian didn't fit in my van and he needed a booster, I'd buy one for him.

Damian NEVER complained about the lack of padding... it was his favorite backless booster because it was easy to buckle, he had it in blue camo (gotta love camo), and it had a cupholder that held a 16oz bottle of water AMAZINGLY.

I don't like the fit on younger/smaller BIG KIDs (yeah, like that makes sense) very well... aka... kids JUST outgrowing shorter highbacks but that can fit in taller ones) because of how low it is, but when the kids get tall and nothing else is going to let them use a booster (or in my case, where you aren't wanting to yet move his little brother out of a highback in order to allow older brother to move to the 2nd row to fit in a booster), then this sucker fits PERFECTLY. AKA... just check belt fit.
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
Backless Go. Flattest, deepest, widest, best booster ever. Oh, wait, they only sell it with the harness. Argh.
I really need to throw the Top Side (or you could grab one for 8 bucks this week on sale at kmart/target), because it doesn't raise the kid up so far (I have a weird seatbelt thing in my van, the Clek is super tall, it doesn't work, the topside, I still need to check out with the proper belt routing, I used it wrong for awhile). Backless Boost Air? Oh yeah, High Rise/Ambassador...I always forget that one, Kat, and it gets no love anymore here, but my kids really, really liked it.
 

NVMBR02

New member
DD1 loves her Olli. I think it is Dh's favorite too. He is begging me to get one for DS. Maybe I can talk him into an Oober instead. ;)

DD1 also likes the literider. DS used one the other day for a few mins and he loved it too. DD1 also liked the topside. I don't like the different belt routing, because I am worried she will forget and route the belt the way she is used to.

The only other backless we have tried is the AMP. I love how it positions the belt on dd. DD says it is the most uncomfortable though so it has been moved to spare seat status and sits in the basement.
 

morlando27

New member
Backless Go. Flattest, deepest, widest, best booster ever. Oh, wait, they only sell it with the harness. Argh.
I really need to throw the Top Side (or you could grab one for 8 bucks this week on sale at kmart/target), because it doesn't raise the kid up so far (I have a weird seatbelt thing in my van, the Clek is super tall, it doesn't work, the topside, I still need to check out with the proper belt routing, I used it wrong for awhile). Backless Boost Air? Oh yeah, High Rise/Ambassador...I always forget that one, Kat, and it gets no love anymore here, but my kids really, really liked it.

Shoot! I had the NBD Go in my cart yesterday for DS2 but released it because I didn't know if it would install well in my car (no LATCH) and I just returned a hb Boost Air because it didn't work in the vehicle I bought it for - oh well, I don't think it's worth that price if it's only going to be used backless.
I'm reluctant to get the Top Side because of the different belt routing. I'd prefer to keep it consistent to avoid confusion. I've read that the Olli lacks leg support and we don't have LATCH in the vehicles/seating positions he'd be using.

I think I'll check out the Harmony Cruz, Evenflo Amp & Cosco High Rise/Ambassador, maybe the Harmony Olympian/Secure Comfort but that might be wider than he needs. Thanks!

ETA: I hope to have a different car before his ears are over the top of the seat and the other vehicles he rides in have adjustable head restraints but it would be nice to have at least one low profile nbb on hand.
 
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luckyclov

New member
My favorite backless is discontinued... combi dakota.
I freakin' LOVED the Dakota!:love:

DS1 (9 1/2 years old) rides in a HBB PWSG as his primary seat, but has a backless collection that consists of a Harmony Cruz & Literider and Clek Olli & Ozzi. He prefers the Olli and Ozzi (even though there could be better leg support, he's never complained), however, they raise the child quite a bit, so it may not be the best choice for a big kid with short vehicle head support. The Literider is light, low-profile, narrow, and would probably work well with non-adjustable head support. I bet a BubbleBum would, too.
 

mommyfrog

Active member
Those of you who have used the Literider and the Topside...is it easier for a kid to buckle the Topside in a tight three across because they don't have to get the shoulder portion down under the arm rest too? My sister can fit a Literider in the spot but her dd can't get it buckled herself.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
Backless Go. Flattest, deepest, widest, best booster ever. Oh, wait, they only sell it with the harness. Argh.
I really need to throw the Top Side (or you could grab one for 8 bucks this week on sale at kmart/target), because it doesn't raise the kid up so far (I have a weird seatbelt thing in my van, the Clek is super tall, it doesn't work, the topside, I still need to check out with the proper belt routing, I used it wrong for awhile). Backless Boost Air? Oh yeah, High Rise/Ambassador...I always forget that one, Kat, and it gets no love anymore here, but my kids really, really liked it.

well, with dh's weird cobalt seats (stupid 2-door) and my hatred of having to worry about a different way to buckle a booster (and low armrests that make it tricky for my "I have to do everything myself) kid, I have this naging suspicion that some pretty patterned cosco highrise may be in our future (she's all about comfort, though, so I'm hoping the cruz will both still be available and work, but hey... I guess I shouldn't be so adament against an old reliable like the cosco highrise... it'd be like me trying to avoid turboboosters at all cost)
 

sirrahn

Active member
We currently have an Olli, a couple of Literiders, a Cruz and an Amp. My 9 yr old only likes the Cruz and Amp. I can't get her to ride in the Olli at all. She says it hurts her legs:confused:. My oldest DS loved it though.

She'll still ride in a Literider in a pinch, but it is rather shallow. It was a perfect first backless for her though, and she liked it for quite a while before her legs grew so much.

You know, I'd kind of forgotten about the Highrise/Ambassador. We had one for it's entire 6 yr life and both of my boys used it through those years. They really liked it and it positioned the belt quite well.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
There is nowhere around here that has the cruz in stock (I've been trying to see one for what seems like forever) could someone show comparisons (in a vehicle, preferably with buckles similar to the 2005 caravan) of their kids in these different backless boosters?

Ruthie's big kid is not going to be able to go any higher in the cobalt and backless, it's not gonna work... and yeah, I like to plan ahead... she just doesn't have long legs, or I'd slap the dakota in there when the time comes and buy myself another year or more (she's been eating a ton lately, so I bet a spurt is coming... could be soon, could be months... could jump a size in everything, could grow all of 1/4"... such is the mystery that is my daughter) I'm hoping she's not going to outgrow it at it's current setting... cause she still is just too narrow and a little too forgetful about sitting perfectly to ride in a backless.
 

mlohry

New member
I pink sparkly heart love the Amp! I will be getting one for middle DS too when he outgrows the back on the HBTB.
 

morlando27

New member
Those of you who have used the Literider and the Topside...is it easier for a kid to buckle the Topside in a tight three across because they don't have to get the shoulder portion down under the arm rest too? My sister can fit a Literider in the spot but her dd can't get it buckled herself.

I don't have a Top Side but don't see how the routing would make buckling any easier. DS buckles, removes slack from the lap belt, then moves the shoulder belt under the arm rest.
 

morlando27

New member
DS1 would LOVE the Cosco Ambassador in RealTree but it looks like it was a Walmart exclusive and is no longer available.
 

kater-tot82

New member
My DD has a skinny butt and she found the Ambassador very uncomfortable on a 3hr trip in it...it isn't very padded. I am sure for some kids it is fine, and my DD is okay on it for short trips, but not long ones.

The Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe looks like it might be nice for a bigger kid too.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
We have a literider, turbo and olympian/secure comfort. Oh, and have also used the nauti as a backless. DD likes them all. For a bigger older kid, the olympian, hands down.
 

Kat_Momof3

New member
sigh... Jeffrey may trade boosters with Ruthie... we took my bff with us to go to the pet store event they were having (tons of free stuff) and so I told Ruthie if she fit properly, she could borrow the dakota so my bff and I had enough head support and she could be by Jeffrey.

Well, the fit was 100% better and with the taller armrests, she didn't so much as wiggle a mm. Jeffrey may hate me, but I'm thinking that with the headrest issues with the probooster, I may give him the harmony for dh's car again and see how she does in the dakota in my car and take it day by day.

And if that weren't enough, her legs JUST bent at the edge... I really never realize how much leg she grows till I see her fit a seat that way that she hadn't in the past.

since combi hasn't listened to my pleas, could someone get them to bring this seat back?
 

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