best buys
The best high back booster seats 2022
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When your child reaches around age four and has grown out of their first-stage car seat, it's tempting to think that you no longer have to invest in a proper car seat.
But, did you know that by law, children have to travel in a suitable car seat until age 12 (or 135cm tall – whichever happens first)?
The obvious option might seem to invest in one of the huge array of lightweight and portable backless booster seats that are on the market, but these don't offer the protection and safety that your child still needs.
In fact, new legislation that came into force last year discourages parents from using them, and promotes the use of high back booster seats instead.
Read more about the dangers of backless booster seats here.
So, here are our favourite models for every budget and lifestyle, so your little one can travel in comfort AND safety.
1. Joie Trillo Group 2/3, RRP £60
*Has full body side impact protection from head to hips
*Ultra thick infant body cushion and padded seat
* Intuitive seat belt guides for installing the car seat with a 3-point seatbelt
Full of features like handy cup holders, an adjustable headrest and removable, padded armrests, the Trillo is a practical and comfortable buy for children aged between four and twelve years old. You can also adjust the headrest easily with one hand.
2. Graco Affix RRP £80
*Integrated cup holder keeps your child’s drink or snacks at hand plus there's a built-in hide-away storage tray
*The headrest height can be adjusted with just one hand
*Extra padded seat and headrest for comfort
Suitable from around age four, the Affix has washable covers and sturdy side impact protection plus has the added advantage that it can be connected using Isofix. There’s ISO-Catch connectors that attach to ISOFIX connection points for added security.
3. Maxi Cosi Rodifix Air Protect RRP £139
*The seat is simple to adjust and reclines to offer extra comfort
*Easy-to-use belt guides so your child can be safely strapped in and ready to go in seconds
*The seat is specially-designed to give your child’s body added protection
High-backed booster seat with the added security of isofix fittings, as well as huge protective side wings. Has AirProtect® side-impact protection in the headrest, which will divert crash forces away from your child's head by releasing air embedded in the foam headrest device upon impact.
4. Britax Romer Adventure RRP £75
*Seat belt guide correctly positions the 3-point seat belt over the child's shoulder and pelvis
*Useful features like a pull out drink holder, snack tray and washable covers
*The side wings of the high back booster car seat are deeply padded to provide impact protection
Lightweight yet sturdy, the Romer has fantastic features, with a handy cup holder, snack tray and a height-adjustable headrest for a super-affordable price.
5. CYBEX Silver Solution X-Fix RRP £149.95
*For children 15 to 36 kg (approx. 4 to 12 years)
*Suitable for cars with and without ISOFIX
*Available in 5 different striking colour ways including red and pink
Cybex car seats always offer the latest innovations and features.
The X-Fix takes safety to another level with a three-way adjustable reclining headrest, built-in side impact protection and the option to use Isofix fittings.
The reclining headrest cleverly prevents the child's head from falling forward while asleep, which gives them even greater protection if an accident occurs.
6. Cozy N Safe Hudson Group 1/2/3 Car Seat RRP £149.99
*For children from 9 to 36kg (approx 9 months to 12 years)
*Fitted using Isofix and Top Tether and/or Vehicle 3 point safety belt
*Multiple headrest positions
Cozy N Safe is an inexpensive name in car seats and their seats are multi-function, allowing you to carry your child for longer. This is suitable from 9 months (though it's safer to have your child rear-facing until 4 years) and it is in a forward facing position, fixed with Isofix and a Top Tether. It has good side impact protection and an easy to adjust five point harness with soft pads for the shoulders and lap. The headrest moves through multiple positions so that you can always find a position for your child as they grow and the seat is deeply padded for comfort. Covers are removable and washable.
7. Nuna Aace
* Side impact protection pods
*the seat has three depths to support growing legs
*The 17 height headrest can be adjusted with one hand
This seat grows intuitively with your child and both the seat depth and the headrest increase in size when you use the one-handed adjustment. It even allows more shoulder room, which is great for older children. There is lots of protection, thanks to the detachable side impact protection pod plus energy absorbing EPP foam. Fitting the seat is easy thanks to green belt paths with belt positioners, makes getting it in to the car safely a breeze. The seat reclines smoothly to allow your child to sleep and they are able to be kept both comfortable and safer for longer in this i-Size booster.
Is a high back booster safer than a backless one?
High back booster seats for children aged 4-12 (group 2/3) cost a little more, but according to experts are much, much safer.
Which? child car seat expert, Lisa Galliers says: 'A decent high-backed booster seat provides better protection in a front crash, as they're designed to guide the adult seat-belt across the child's body properly, and our crash tests prove they offer much more protection in a side-impact crash than a backless booster seat alone.'
Backless boosters for very young children are being phased out for a reason – so we think it makes sense to replace it anyway to make sure your child has the best possible protection when you’re travelling by car.
The position of the booster seat in your vehicle is important, too – it should always be fitted in the back seats and not at the front.
How old should a child be to travel in a booster seat?
Children measuring under 125cm or 22kg are not allowed to travel sitting in a booster seat without a back. Booster seats with backs usually fit children aged four and upwards.
High back booster seats are always forward facing, which is why they are not recommended for younger kids.
Which high back booster seat is best?
Always buy a new car seat from a reputable brand or retailer.
Used car seats could have hidden damage from an accident that you don't know about and could therefore be unsafe for your child to use.
Well-known brands of car seat include Britax, Cybex, Graco, Maxi Cosi, Jané and Joie. You can buy them from retailers websites such as Amazon, John Lewis, Argos and Samuel Johnston.
There is a a wide range of price points from around £30 for basic models, to well over £100 for booster seats with more features, such as adjustable support for neck and shoulders or several recline positions.
Other features to look for in a high back booster include:
Isofix
Isofix fittings are a must for safer journeys. This is when a car seat is connected directly to a car's chassis using build-in Isofix connectors for a more secure fit.
Harness
Booster seats use the car's seatbelt to keep kids safe and strapped in, unlike car seats for younger kids that use a five-point harness.
Recline
You can also buy booster seats that have several recline positions. This is useful for younger children who still need to nap, especially on longer journeys.
When should I use a backless booster vs high back booster?
You should avoid using a booster seat without a back at all if possible.
Safety experts have long viewed backless boosters as unsafe, as they offer virtually no protection in the event of an accident, particularly from the side.
Studies have shown that 25% of accidents occur with a side impact, so the need for more protection is clear.
When can my child use a high back booster seat?
High back booster seats for children aged 4-12 (group 2/3) cost a little more, but according to experts are much, much safer.
Which? child car seat expert, Lisa Galliers says: 'A decent high-backed booster seat provides better protection in a front crash, as they're designed to guide the adult seat-belt across the child's body properly, and our crash tests prove they offer much more protection in a side-impact crash than a backless booster seat alone.'
Backless boosters for very young children are clearly being phased out for a reason – so we think it makes sense to replace it anyway to make sure your child has the best possible protection when you’re travelling by car.
So, what exactly has changed about the booster seat law?
Getting rid of backless booster seats has long been the aim of safety campaigners.
Why? Because they don’t offer the same protection as a seat with a back if a collision happens, particularly if the impact is from the side.
The law changed in early 2017 meaning that only children over 125cm and weighing more than 22kg - usually children aged between six and eight years old - are able to use a backless booster seat.
Before then, children over 15kg (the weight of the average three-year-old) had been allowed to travel in a backless booster seat.
But what’s confusing is that the law change ONLY applies to NEW seats on the market.
So if parents already own a backless booster seat and have a child under 125cm in height or 22kg in weight, they can carry on using it.
Mixed messages about booster seats
Not surprisingly, the research by Confused.com found one in four parents think the rules are still unclear.
Worryingly, the study also found that a fifth of parents rarely use a car seat or booster seat for their child.
Meanwhile more than 44% of parents admitted not replacing their child’s car seat after a crash – even though three quarters of them knew that it could be weakened as a result.
We believe that you should keep your child in a car seat with a back for as long as possible. And if money is an issue, don't worry - they're more affordable than you think.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: 'The fact that backless car seats will still be acceptable to use if they were bought before the law change sends mixed safety messages.
'If regulations for manufacturers state that heavier and taller children should be using booster seats with backs then why isn’t the same rules being extended to parents?
'The messaging needs to be simplified so parents are certain which type of seating will provide their children with the best protection.'
Read on:
• Are you confused by the booster seat law?
•The best extended rear-facing car seats
• How to buy a car seat for your toddler
