What age do they stop wanting the booster seat back?

We are going to buy a second set of booster car seats for my parents' car. Right now we have the Evenflo Big Kid booster seats, which has a removable back. We are trying to figure out if we should buy another set of these or just buy a booster seat that does not have a back. I was thinking that the back part is nice because it helps bring the seatbelt lower so it hits the kids better. However my mom mentioned that as they start going places with friends they are not going to want to be the only kids with backs to their booster seats. By current California law, they do not need to be in a car seat/booster seat once they are 6, so we only have a year until they will not need a booster seat. My one son has been big enough to go without a booster seat back for almost a year now, and my other son finally hit the weight mark to go with a booster seat back (hit the height requirement a long time ago). Oh, the boys would never be riding to far/long in my parents' car.

Based on your experience, do kids want to keep the back or do they want to only use the bottom part? Don you think it would be a good idea to get the 2nd set with backs or not?


Thanks.

 

We took the backs off last summer when they were 6. Jon could have gone without it at age 5, but we kept it to keep the arguing down.

Here they need to be in boosters until they are 8. I find it weird that CA, which has so many laws more stringent than anywhere else in the nation allows kids out of boosters at age 6.

 

QUOTE(LLA @ Jan 11 2009, 06:38 PM) [snapback]1142375[/snapback]
Based on your experience, do kids want to keep the back or do they want to only use the bottom part? Don you think it would be a good idea to get the 2nd set with backs or not?
Thanks.


My kids couldn't WAIT to get rid of the backs, but since the back seat in my car doesn't have head rests, they had to have the backs in my car for a long time. They used just the bases in my DH's car.

That said, the only thing they really, truly cared about was the cupholder!

And my kids are small for their age and by safety recommendations DD -- 11yo and in 6th grade -- is still supposed to be in a booster! We actually used them in the beginning of 5th grade, but it just seemed so ridiculous at that point that despite the fact that DD was still only 4'4" or so, we took them out of the car. She's 4'7" now, so we chuckle in her direction every time the commercial that says that kids need boosters through 4'9" comes on, but making her use one now, despite the safety improvement, somehow seems like cruel and unusual punishment. She's also quite long in the torso (size 8 pants, size 12 shirt), so I'm figuring that a belt fits her torso more like a taller child, anyway.

 

we went to the backless booster seats at 5 because the boys were too big for the converted seats with the harness. today, at 7, one of them got to ride without his seat for the very first time. he was ecstatic, i was a little bummed that he's reached yet another milestone of growing up, & his brother was ticked because he doesn't weigh enough to come out of his yet.

 

QUOTE(sharongl @ Jan 11 2009, 03:56 PM) [snapback]1142388[/snapback]
Here they need to be in boosters until they are 8. I find it weird that CA, which has so many laws more stringent than anywhere else in the nation allows kids out of boosters at age 6.


Last year California got close to change the age to 8, but it did not pass. I would guess that they will keep trying to change it.

 

here in LA it's 60 lbs or 8 whichever comes 1st. the fact that the son that stopped riding in his today is only a head shorter than me contributed to our decision too.

 

All my kids switched to backless boosters at age 4. It wasn't because they were embarrassed about having a back on their seat, but just because it was easier to switch the seats between cars and allowed for more room for their older brother to sit between them. The only drawback I've found is that when we take longer trips and they fall asleep, they have no support for their heads.

 

We have always had backless booster because we initially converted our 5-point harness carseats to boosters. I think if we had boosters with backs we would still use them. My daughter still hates it (years later) that her seat doesn't have a place for her head to rest. If you kids are prone to sleeping in the car I would get backs.

I am surprised by the age in CA as well. Here in MI they need to be in them until 8 or 80lbs. Personally I think it should just be a weight limit. My kids are almost 8 and are not even close to 80 lbs.

 

We took the backs off their seats when they were about 7 1/2 or so. That's because their legs kept falling asleep (they have long, skinny legs). Once we took the backs off, it gave them about another 2 inches and it helped with their legs.

 

Mine are about to turn 8 and we have kept the backs on them the entire time. No real reason. They didn't care so we left them.