The best high-backed booster seats for older children

The Britax Romer KIDFIX i-Size high-back booster boasts a wealth of features to keep your little one safe. German-designed and made, it’s been developed in partnership with leading car manufacturers and comes out very favourably in reviews in terms of how confident parents felt when using it. 

The seat uses proven technologies of XP-PAD and SecureGuard to protect in case of a front collision, while SICT side panels protect in case of a side impact. The Secure Guard is an optional fourth point in the standard three-point buckle system to help protect your little one's delicate tummy and parents “love the added safety of the middle, reducing risk.”

Internal Britax testing found that the shock-absorbing foam pad prevented the impact of a child's chin on their chest, absorbing up to 30% of the energy, while the SICT reduced the side impact forces by up to 40%, and the SecureGuard helped reduce the impact on the abdomen by up to 35 % in a frontal collision.

One very useful design feature for parents of three children is the slimline design that allows three of these seats to be installed side-by-side in a wide range of family cars, making it one of the best narrow high-back booster seats.

Reviewers were almost unanimous in their praise for this car seat, from the safety – “I could not feel more confident about his safety. Another brilliant seat from Britax” - to the comfort, with another reviewer saying “brilliant seat, my son loves it. The standout features for me are the comfort (he's never slept so much in the car) and the multiple safety features including side impact, chest and abdomen protection.”

Britax has also considered your child’s comfort, with padded fabric covers, holes on the shell to offer ventilation, and an ergonomic headrest. Not only that, but they’ve taken the environment into consideration, manufacturing in Germany or the UK to reduce air miles, and minimising the leaflets that come with the car seat. 

While the price point is a little higher than others on the market, parents felt the confidence it gave them made it good value for money. "More expensive than some other models but rates well with independent reviewers and will last until children can move out of car seats, so we decided to go ahead. Recommended!"

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

The Cybex Silver Solution X-Fix Child's Car Seat is a firm favourite with parent reviewers who praise how sturdy and secure it feels. The integrated linear side impact protection (L.S.P. System) offers greater protection from side impact, while the energy-absorbing shell dissipates the force of the impact further.

The Cybex Silver Solution car seat can be installed with ISOFIX and without, offering flexibility for cars which may not have isofix fittings, and the retractable ISOFIX anchor makes it easy to install and offers greater stability. Reviewers mentioned how easy it is to install and adjust, with one dad reviewer summing up the general feedback when he said, “Straight out the box, it was easy to assemble. Nice and lightweight, the grandparents found it easy to use. Once attached to the isofix it’s easy to put the seat belt through the side of the seat. Belt always stays in guide and my daughter finds it easy to pull around.”

The adjustable headrest is a real winner – unlike other models, the Cybex features a patented 3-position reclining headrest which keeps your child’s head from tilting forward when they fall asleep, making them more comfortable and secure, and one reviewer found that this meant her “nearly 5 year old can fall asleep in the car without her head lulling forward, thanks to the slight tilt design.” It’s also adjustable for height, with 11 positions meaning it can grow as your child grows.
The seat also comes in a range of colours and has a removable, washable cover to make it easy to clean.

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.

Priced amongst the mid-range high-backed booster car seats, the Cybex solution G i-Fix offers sleek style, with ease of use and the added bonus of flexibility. The reclinable headrest and back is a selling point, with three positions that help with the head flop scenario, keeping your child's head and neck protected even when they doze off. With rear facing seats being a safer option for younger children, some parents may search for a seat that can be both rear and forward facing, but for those looking for a front facing stage 3 car seat, the Cybex comes with a safety rating of 1.7 (GOOD) in ADAC Testing.

The lower recline function tilts the child’s position back, our tester reported that this was simple to do, even with their son sat in it. "Our son prefers to sit in the reclined position which may reflect the feel of his previous 360 car seat. Upon hearing that the car seat reclined both boys were very excited to see the product, with the eldest trying to persuade his sibling that he should be the one to have it!" The recline is a good USP, particularly for children transitioning from a car seat to a high backed booster, as the fit and feel will be more familiar to them. As well as flexibility from the recline, our reviewer also mentioned that the seat itself was very flexible, both in the upright body and wings, and that it was lightweight to carry. "Because of its flexibility, the seat moulded into the car’s seats much better than our elder son’s car seat."

Read our full Cybex Solution G i-Fix car seat review

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!”

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.