Best high-backed booster seats, tried and tested for safety and comfort

Reviewed by mum tester, Pia, a parent of two children aged 3.5 and 6, they said: "We needed a new car seat for our youngest who has just about outgrown his previous seat. We already have an older model of the Britax Romer, which has proved very satisfactory for our older child, and were keen to test the newer model to see how it compares. The car seat is designed for children aged approximately 3.5 to 12 years, 15-36 kilos. It weighs slightly less than the previous models. Our youngest is right at the lower end of this age/weight frame, so we hope it will last for several years.  

The car seat comes straight out of the box ready to go, which makes it a very quick and easy installation. It uses ISO fix connectors which easily slid into our car. It takes up much less room than the previous stage 1 car seat, however you would still struggle to seat an adult or older child in the middle (however we have a small car, you can, apparently, fit 3 of these seats side by side in larger cars – which would be great if you have more than 2 kids.  

Our version is called Space black, with some green trim, and looks sleek. There is another style available called midnight grey.  The headrest can be raised and lowered easily, and this function appears to maneuver a lot more smoothly than the older model. Our child said it feels very comfortable to sit in and he loves having the same seat as his big sister. However, there is no option to recline the car seat, which makes it harder to get a comfortable nap, and was an issue for my child when we took a trip at night and he was trying to get to sleep. This is perhaps something to consider for children at the younger stage of the age range. 

The car seat is designed for children aged approximately 3.5 to 12 years, 15-36 kilos. Our youngest is right at the lower end of this age/weight frame, so we hope it will last for several years. It certainly seems sturdy and well made so I can see it lasting well. 

It’s easy to clean; a quick vacuum quickly got rid of the biscuit and cracker crumbs that were left after a camping trip. The covers are all machine washable for more thorough cleaning. There is a seatbelt cover for added comfort – which made my child happy, as he will often complain about the seatbelts/straps feeling too tight on other seats.  

At 6.7kgs it’s not the lightest of car seats, but there is something about its weight that gives a sense of quality and safety. The manufacturers state it has state-of-the-art safety technology, and that it offers maximum protection, which feels reassuring, as safety is obviously paramount when buying a new car seat.  

We are very happy with this car seat, and like the look and design. I appreciate the slim fit and plain aesthetic. It’s not the cheapest car seat available, but the quality seems to match the price. The ease of installation is great, and very important when needing to swap car seats in and out to accommodate different passengers. I like the brand’s focus on safety and comfort.  I would highly recommend it to other parents."

This i-size certified high back booster seat is suitable from 3.5 years to 12 years (or approximately 15-36kg) and carries ECE R129 certification so you can be confident your child is as safe as possible. As with other car seats on our list, it features isofix installation, side protection and an adjustable headrest to grow as your child grows.

In addition to the safety offered by the Isofix installation, which one reviewer noted "has a tight ratchet which allows the car seat to hug the seat and not move", it has a Side Protection System Plus. This combines glass fibre shock absorbers with energy-absorbing material to offer additional protection in case of a side collision. 

Where this high-back booster seat differs from others is in the adjustable sides and height, allowing both the height and width to grow with your child. One reviewer commented that she “really liked the fact that the whole seat expands as the headrest is heightened but is still a fairly compact seat.” 
The removable seat cover offers both easy washing and the option to buy an additional summer cover which is made from absorbent material and can also be used as a protective cover for the car seat.

Some reviewers felt the cushioning was a little hard so this may be something to consider if you plan to do a lot of long journeys. 

Read our full Maxi-Cosi Kore Pro review

Reviewed by Mother and Baby's Digital Writer, Rebecca Lancaster, they said: "As a mum of two children aged 7 and 10, I’ve always been very conscious of car seat safety so even though they’re older it’s still at the forefront of my mind. My daughter’s been in her car seat for 3 years, and before that it was her brother’s so when I was offered the chance to test out a new Cybex high back booster seat I jumped at the chance. I was keen to upgrade her seat to one tested to the newer R129 safety standards and the Cybex ticks that box.  

On unpacking the car seat, I realised it came in two parts - the back and seat. It took a bit of brute force, but I finally managed to put the two together. The Cybex is considerably lighter than the Britax Romer she had before, which makes it easier to put in and out of the car. It still feels secure though, and I don’t have any concerns about its safety.  

Putting it in the car was easy - it uses ISO Fix connectors which slot in far more easily to the seat than the ISO Fix on our previous car seat. It’s more slimline than our previous seat too, meaning there’s space for the armrest to fold down in the middle of the back seats which is great for playing games on long journeys. Because it’s so narrow I wondered if she’d be comfortable but there certainly seems to be space for her. Whether it would last until she’s 12 (it’s recommended that children stay in high-back boosters until 12 or 125cm) is more doubtful (though my son reached the recommended height at 9).  

The head rest is brilliantly sturdy and has a clever bit at the back that reclines or sits the head more upright, depending on if they’re asleep or not. However, despite this, the headrest is what lets the car seat down slightly as it’s got two layers to the cover which overlap where my daughter would lay her head if she was sleeping. And while she doesn’t often do that, she’s decided it’s not comfortable as it creates a ridge. 

The car seat itself reclines slightly as well by pulling out the base. While this obviously isn’t as much of a recline as car seats for younger children, it’s comfortable enough to help stop her being overly upright if she does fall asleep.  

This is a great car seat with some thoughtful design elements such as the reclining headrest, but it’s odd that they didn’t put the same level of thought into the cover of the headrest. I’m hoping my daughter will come to like it as I do feel that it’s a safe car seat and the slimline design would make it more comfortable when we have another older child or even an adult sitting in the middle seat."

This Maxi-Cosi RodiFix AirProtect high-back booster is a ECE R44/04 certified car seat that’s packed full of safety features and will fit any car that has ISOFIX. 

As with other high-back boosters on our list, this has a Side Protection System to protect your child in case of a crash, but it also features unique AirProtect® technology. This technology in the headrest absorbs shock in the event of a side impact, offering extra protection to your child’s head.  Maxi-Cosi claims this patented technology can help reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 20%. This headrest is also adjustable for height and width so grows as your child does.

The two reclining positions, sleeping or upright, ensures comfort on long journeys and helps prevent head rolling when the child is asleep "which makes it easy to snooze on long journeys". Both the headrest and the backrest are adjustable, allowing both to grow with your child.

Reviewers also praised that the removable, washable cover makes it easy to clean, while the fact it's lightweight was picked out as a plus, with one mum saying she "often has to change seats between cars and this has been the easiest to move among the three I've owned so far."

Some reviewers mentioned that the polystyrene of the seat had a tendency to squeak on journeys.

This foldable high back booster car seat is lightweight at just 5.32kg, making it easy to store or move from car to car when needed. Reviewers found this to be a particular highlight and that, as it’s “Isofix it’s quite easy to install (which is good, as we need to take it out occasionally), and fits well against our back seats.”

As well as being a convenient option for a portable car seat, the Maxi-Cosi Tanza has some impressive safety features, including G-Cell side impact protection, an integrated safety system which spreads the force of an impact to lower the risk of injury your child’s head, neck and shoulders. Ten headrest positions make it easy to find a position that will suit your child at every stage in their growth. It meets the highest EU safety standards (i-size ECE R129), and parents felt it was a reassuringly safe car seat, saying “the seat is strong and the frame extremely sturdy; this is an excellent car seat.”

The padded seat and raised sitting position were designed with the child’s comfort in mind, while the 100% recycled fabric cover is removable and washable, making it easy to clean if needed.

Some reviewers advised checking the sizing to be sure it would fit as they found that the base was too large for their cars, causing it to sit over the seat belt fittings. Others felt this was a plus point as it made the seat more comfortable for their child.

The Joie i-Trillo FX is a good value booster seat which can be used once your child reaches 15kg or 100cm. Parents can rest assured that their child is safe and sound with isofix connectors, belt guides, extra protection for head, body and hips, and a well-padded memory foam seat. 

In addition to the usual high-back booster seat safety features of a raised seat, firm back and head protection, the Joie features added Guard Surround Safety™ panels for extra side impact protection. If you need more space, for instance to fit an extra person in the middle seat, these can be removed to create more space. This car seat will grow with your little one and should last until they’re 12 years old (or 135cm) as the adjustable headrest moves up and down with 10 points to fit your growing child and ensure their head and neck are well supported. 

Reviewers felt it was lightweight and easy to install, with one pointing out that it’s “easy to fit and use, light to move in and out of the back seat, and goes into the boot”. The removable, machine-washable covers also make this a convenient option for those inevitable spills.

The Joie i-Trillo carries i-Size and ECE R129 safety certification, meaning it has been put through the most rigorous safety testing, including side impact testing. While parents favoured this seat for the all-important safety aspects, children loved that it features two foldable cup holders for easy access to their snacks and drinks, with one parent reviewer adding that the car seat was made "even better with the cup holders meaning he can reach his own drink easily!"

It’s worth bearing in mind that some of the i-Trillo range don’t have ISOFix so if this is a priority, check the specifications before you buy.

The Joie Elevate is a Group 1/2/3 car seat, meaning it can be used from as young as 9 months old until secondary school. It’s certified ECE R44/04, so you can be confident it’s undergone rigorous testing for front and rear collisions.

It uses a 5-point harness until your little one’s old enough to move to the car’s seatbelt and has ten headrest positions to ensure their comfort and safety. For simplicity of use, the headrest and harness operate together, so you don't have to re-thread the harness when you adjust the chair for growth. 

Side impact protection helps in the event of a side collision, while the lock-off device keeps the car seat secure when installed using the car’s seat belt.

Parent reviewers appreciated the ventilated mesh “breathable sides so the little one doesn’t overheat,” and others thought the colour-coded installation guide made it “easy to fit and totally feels secure and safe”. Their children liked the cup holders for easy access to snacks and drinks, while parents liked the machine washable covers in case of spills or mess.

The affordable high-back booster seat gets high marks from thousands of reviewers, giving us confidence that while it might not have the high-end features of more expensive models, reviewers “recommend it as an economical child booster seat.”

Parents particularly liked how lightweight it is. At just 3.6kg, it’s around half the weight of others on our list making it a good option for moving between cars or for keeping at grandparents’ house for shorter journeys. This seems to be a key reason many people bought the seat, including one grandparent who had “researched a booster seat that provided back support and was easy to place in and out of different cars, this fits bill perfectly and granddaughter loves it, especially side cups.”

The height of the headrest can be adjusted to six points with one hand, making it easy to use and ensure it can grow with your child. Parents (and children) also loved the retractable cup holders which, as one reviewer pointed out, are “a good addition too - stops a lot of unwanted spills from the boys. Worth that money all day long.”

It doesn’t come with Isofix but is strapped in with the car seat which makes it ideal for cars without isofix fittings. Reviewers also agreed that the removable cover was a selling point, with one saying her “child vomited on this and it was an absolute dream to wash and clean up. So easy to take off and put together! Looks like brand new again and fully sterilised with steam!”