Growing Up with Safety: Transitioning to Booster Seats

If you are responsible for transporting a growing child in your vehicle, it’s time to get clued up on booster seats. Even though 80% of people think it’s safe to not secure children under 8 in a car seat, we can assure you that is not the case. Instead, children must travel correctly until they reach their teenage years with the recommended car seat for their height and weight.

At Kiddies Kingdom, we understand that understanding the rules around transitioning a child to a booster seat can be confusing. Finding the right information can be tough, with conflicting advice online and laws to account for. In this article, we will share our expert advice on enhancing safety whilst travelling with the correct usage of booster seats. We will also share some of our recommended products and help you learn about the benefits of boosters.

To learn more, keep reading.

What Is a Booster Seat and When is it Used?

A booster seat offers a method of ensuring children are ready at the correct height to be secured properly using a seatbelt. As the name would suggest, they are used to boost the child’s height, as although the traveller in question may not require ergonomic body support, they still need help in fitting an adult seat. This is important as a properly fitting car seat can reduce the risk of injury, or worse, by as much as 70% should an accident occur. Booster seats are, therefore, used during the transition period when a child is growing but not yet at the required height for safe travel. 

We should also mention that booster seats are available in two designs: backless and high-back. You may think of the backless options when hearing the term, so it’s important to understand that these seats come in different variations. 

Backless seats simply involve a base fitting to the vehicle with the rest of the interior, including the backrest and headrest, used when travelling. A high-back booster includes the backrest, headrest, and enhanced padding for additional protection. As you will see from our next section about the law about booster seats, the option you select largely has to do with the child in question.

The importance of car seats is outlined within the UK government’s car seat laws. When it comes to knowing when to transition to a booster seat, a few pieces of information are available to make the answer clear. 

Firstly, the main rule is that all children must travel in some form of car seat until they are either 12 years of age or 135cm tall (whichever comes first). From the age of 15 months, any forward-facing car seat can, therefore, be used in the UK as long as it is i-Size compliant. When it comes to selecting a booster seat for older or taller children, the rules are as follows:

Backless Booster Seats: Suitable for children weighing 22 kg or more. A high-back booster seat is required if the child weighs less than this. 

High-Back Booster Seats: These seats can be used by any child who weighs between 15 and 36 kg. Before they reach the weight of 15 kg, a car seat for that specific measurement will need to be used. 

High-back booster seats, therefore, offer better value for money as they can be used longer. However, backless booster seats are also popular as they help promote independence among young children. As long as either option is fitted securely, both will make a safe solution for travel. 

To learn more, check out this blog: Parent Guides to Car Seat Regulations.

There are many brilliant options on the market for booster seats, with our curated collection including only the best available. If you want to shop for a booster seat, below are a few options that our customers (and team) highly recommend:

Booster seats are not just a legal requirement but also an important tool to help children in other ways. These are as follows:

Enhanced Protection

A booster seat is essential for keeping children safe whilst travelling. Not only does a quality solution mitigate damage should an accident occur, but it also allows a child to sit in the optimal position. This is one of the reasons why selecting a legally required i-Size seat is important. These models have been tested in an advanced manner to ensure that if a collision occurs, the child has added protective factors.

Improved Comfort

Booster seats also allow a child to travel in comfort. As the child can fit in the seat in the way an adult would, it means that nothing is out of place. In other words, they eliminate everything from a scratching seatbelt to an uncomfortable headrest. Most booster seats include comfort padding, and other liner features to enhance support.

Good For Development

Like any other car seat, using a booster seat is also vital for ensuring children can develop properly. The ergonomic designs have been created to ensure the correct posture can be maintained during travel. This ensures that bones and muscles can be sufficiently supported whilst the young child is still growing. This is another reason why selecting a product aimed at the correct weight and height for the child is so important. By selecting the best seat, you are enhancing the child’s safety and health benefits.

If you are a seasoned pro at installing car seats, you will find fitting a booster seat a breeze as the process is the same. All booster seats should be fitted using an i-Size approved Isofix base. For some older cars, additional accessories may be needed to modify the car’s fittings as the framework is not always suitable for modern seats.

If you need support with the task, you can either check the manual, look online for instructions or book an appointment with our product experts. By booking an appointment with us, you can learn first-hand how to install a booster seat so that its safety is enhanced. These sessions are available by visiting our showroom or via a virtual call, depending on what works best for you. 

At the same time as us helping you install a seat, you can also take the opportunity to ask our team any other travel safety questions you may have, offering excellent value for money. You can also click the following link to learn how to fit a car seat correctly.